Free Agent Pursuit Thread(No You-Know-Who)

[slapshot]

Can't believe this article.

http://www.tsn.ca/five-potential-free-agent-targets-for-the-maple-leafs-1.518616

Must be a slow news day, so darts were thrown at a list of free agents. I can't imagine the Leafs having interest in anything on this list. Don't need any more left handed shooting d-men. No journeyman centers and Lee Stempniak, seriously? Only if we could trade him to get Alexander Steen back. I am joking of course.

 

[Zee]

I could see Darren Helm due to the Detroit connection.

 

[Britishbulldog]

Can't believe this article.

http://www.tsn.ca/five-potential-free-agent-targets-for-the-maple-leafs-1.518616

Must be a slow news day, so darts were thrown at a list of free agents. I can't imagine the Leafs having interest in anything on this list. Don't need any more left handed shooting d-men. No journeyman centers and Lee Stempniak, seriously? Only if we could trade him to get Alexander Steen back. I am joking of course.

Personally, I could see the Leafs maybe signing Kevin Shattenkirk at the right price and not much else. I could see Babcock tightening up his d-game.
I think most of the Leafs d-men made strides defensively first year under Babs.

Those are some of the worst suggestions I have seen this off season  and that is saying something.

No offense to some of the ideas floated for UFAs but I really hope the Leafs don't sign any.  With Laich, Michalek, Greening, Hunwick on expiring contracts as veterans added to Lupul (when he is healthy), Bozak and Komarov and to some extent JVR I don't feel there is room for UFAs once the young guns are trying to fit.

JVR / Kadri / Nylander
Michalek / Bozak / Hyman
Komarov / Matthews / Marner
Greening / Laich / Brown? Soshnikov? Rychel? Kapenen?
Pressbox: Lupul / Froese

Marincin / Rielly
Gardiner / Zaitsev
Hunwick/ C. Carrick

I really hope to see those players on the Leafs rather than an older player making max dollars for performance.  There was only one forward I thought I might make an exception for because he was an elite player who was young but he re-signed with his previous team recently.

I am still surprised that the Leafs traded for Anderson this past month as I didn't see that as a panic to get done.  I am hoping for slow and steady rebuild.

 

[bustaheims]

Dreger and Mike Johnson have both said that the Leafs are interested in Kris Russel. McKenzie specifically said that Babcock wants "veteran experience" on the blueline. Not gonna lie, I'm a lot more scared of July 1st this year than I was last year.

Well, thanks to Cowen's buyout not going through, the Leafs basically don't have the cap space to do anything stupid unless they move contracts out. So, unless we start seeing the team make a bunch of trades, we're probably pretty safe.

 

[L K]

Dreger and Mike Johnson have both said that the Leafs are interested in Kris Russel. McKenzie specifically said that Babcock wants "veteran experience" on the blueline. Not gonna lie, I'm a lot more scared of July 1st this year than I was last year.

I really wasn't thrilled with the draft this year.  If we go out and sign nonsense like Kris Russel my faith in the organization goes with it.

 

[Joe S.]

I want a Veteran D to help the kids this year. Who's a realistic candidate? Is Boyle retired?

Maybe Schenn can come back to help the kids on what to expect or did the Leafs pressure and management wreck him?

How did the leafs wreck him? They didn't make him slow with a hilariously weak shot.

 

[Deebo]

Darren Dreger ‏@DarrenDreger  5m5 minutes ago
Lots of work being done tonight...the eve of free agent frenzy.  Kris Russell has trimmed his list down to 4 teams heading into tomorrow.

 

[Deebo]

uh oh..

Darren Dreger ‏@DarrenDreger  5m5 minutes ago
I believe the Maple Leafs remain as one of the 4 teams in contention for Kris Russell.

 

[Kin]

It wouldn't be a deal I'd like but I also don't think it'd be a particularly onerous contract either so, honestly, meh.

 

[herman]

Just let Robidas play if you want veteran presence.

 

[rdowdall]

The problem is that Kris Russel isn't a good d-man.  So if the are signing him so that they can be bad again, great.  If they are signing him because they think it makes them better, then uh oh.

 

[Tigger]

I kind of hope that arbitration stops the Leafs from this stupidity.

 

[Redleaf]

The problem is that Kris Russel isn't a good d-man.  So if the are signing him so that they can be bad again, great.  If they are signing him because they think it makes them better, then uh oh.

You mean he's not a 'great' defenseman. Someone that isn't good at playing defense doesn't make a long NHL career out of it.

 

[rdowdall]

The problem is that Kris Russel isn't a good d-man.  So if the are signing him so that they can be bad again, great.  If they are signing him because they think it makes them better, then uh oh.

You mean he's not a 'great' defenseman. Someone that isn't good at playing defense doesn't make a long NHL career out of it.

Well I think there is a semantic in there somewhere, but I don't know if we need to argue about it.  Here are his stats compared to Alex Goligoski.  Kris Russel is viewed as a complete top pairing defenceman, but I am not sure the numbers support that claim:


http://public.tableau.com/shared/PPMBKN2ZM?:display_count=yes&:showVizHome=no

Sorry, couldn't figure out how to embed a local image.

 

[Tigger]

Russell might be a 5/6 guy on a good team, might.

 

[Joe S.]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/the-incredibly-overrated-kris-russell/

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/defensive-minded-kris-russell-fitting-in-well-with-stars/

 

[CarltonTheBear]

The weird thing about the Russell rumour is that he's a left-handed shot. We already have Rielly, Gardiner, Hunwick, and Marincin there.

 

[Kin]

The weird thing about the Russell rumour is that he's a left-handed shot. We already have Rielly, Gardiner, Hunwick, and Marincin there.

I feel like "Agents often leak the Leafs' interest to drive up price/Reporters do it to drive interest" should probably be a tattoo at this point.

 

[bustaheims]

I feel like "Agents often leak the Leafs' interest to drive up price/Reporters do it to drive interest" should probably be a tattoo at this point.

Probably. Honestly, at this point, with Lou known for scuttling deals because someone leaks stuff to the media, I wouldn't put any stock into any rumours/reports about the Leafs' interest in players.

 

[McGarnagle]

Well, Friedman retweeted that the leafs are "kicking tires" on recently bought out Wisniewski.