General Leafs Talk v2.0

[bustaheims]

Well that cap crunch is already going to bite the team with Clarkson to be suspended.  Will have to go with a short roster most likely.

Having guys like Bolland, Orr and McLaren hurt but not significantly enough to go on LTIR could make things really difficult for the team.

 

[Kin]

Which I believe is actually an improvement from last year. The issue seems to be that two of the three most heavily weighted categories are Affordability and Bang for the Buck which the Leafs rank dead last in and which are relatively inarguable.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/teamrankings

 

[princedpw]

Well that cap crunch is already going to bite the team with Clarkson to be suspended.  Will have to go with a short roster most likely.

Having guys like Bolland, Orr and McLaren hurt but not significantly enough to go on LTIR could make things really difficult for the team.

I think it is impossible to get under the cap and sign Franson.  (Minimum roster size for a game is 20?)

 

[bustaheims]

I think it is impossible to get under the cap and sign Franson.  (Minimum roster size for a game is 20?)

It's possible. It's just looking less and less likely for the start of the season.

 

[Beowulf]

I'm not really worried about the 10 game suspension overall. Who cares if the team can't sign Franson or potentially give Rielly a shot now? That's nothing compared to the fear and intimidation that Clarkson imposes on the opposition.

Opposing players know that not having Clarkson on the bench for ten games means nothing. They will fully expect Clarkson to jump from the press box to defend his teammates. In actual fact this is an advantage over before as Clarkson has a better vantage point to acquire targets. Expect worried glances up to him anytime someone incidentally brush a Leafs player, further distracting those players from the play on the ice.

Yes, there's no doubt the Clarkson signing is paying dividends already; what a genius he is.

 

[Kin]

Boy, I tell you what I'm looking forward to this Maple Leafs season, the discussion round these parts after every bad game Clarkson, Bernier or Bozak has. Finally, some people might weigh in on the wisdom of those players being on the team and the relative strengths of their contracts.

 

[pnjunction]

Boy, I tell you what I'm looking forward to this Maple Leafs season, the discussion round these parts after every bad game Clarkson, Bernier or Bozak has. Finally, some people might weigh in on the wisdom of those players being on the team and the relative strengths of their contracts.

Well at least you'll get a break from hearing about Clarkson when Kessel walks for nothing at the end of the season.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

I'm not really worried about the 10 game suspension overall. Who cares if the team can't sign Franson or potentially give Rielly a shot now? That's nothing compared to the fear and intimidation that Clarkson imposes on the opposition.

Opposing players know that not having Clarkson on the bench for ten games means nothing. They will fully expect Clarkson to jump from the press box to defend his teammates. In actual fact this is an advantage over before as Clarkson has a better vantage point to acquire targets. Expect worried glances up to him anytime someone incidentally brush a Leafs player, further distracting those players from the play on the ice.

Yes, there's no doubt the Clarkson signing is paying dividends already; what a genius he is.

I'll agree that Clarkson's decision to leave the bench was stupid, and the suspension sucks, the guy is hardly a liability.  And after years of watching guys mill around in the corners and pretend not to notice when a teammate is being assaulted, it's nice to see a guy get all fired up and want to jump in. 

 

[pnjunction]

I'm not really worried about the 10 game suspension overall. Who cares if the team can't sign Franson or potentially give Rielly a shot now? That's nothing compared to the fear and intimidation that Clarkson imposes on the opposition.

Opposing players know that not having Clarkson on the bench for ten games means nothing. They will fully expect Clarkson to jump from the press box to defend his teammates. In actual fact this is an advantage over before as Clarkson has a better vantage point to acquire targets. Expect worried glances up to him anytime someone incidentally brush a Leafs player, further distracting those players from the play on the ice.

Yes, there's no doubt the Clarkson signing is paying dividends already; what a genius he is.

I'll agree that Clarkson's decision to leave the bench was stupid, and the suspension sucks, the guy is hardly a liability.  And after years of watching guys mill around in the corners and pretend not to notice when a teammate is being assaulted, it's nice to see a guy get all fired up and want to jump in.

With the cap tight and a guy like Franson unsigned, 5+ million cap hit planted in the press box for the first month of the season is absolutely a liability.  His jumping in didn't accomplish anything in this case, and gives me a worrying impression that this guy goes off the rails to the detriment of the team.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

I'm not really worried about the 10 game suspension overall. Who cares if the team can't sign Franson or potentially give Rielly a shot now? That's nothing compared to the fear and intimidation that Clarkson imposes on the opposition.

Opposing players know that not having Clarkson on the bench for ten games means nothing. They will fully expect Clarkson to jump from the press box to defend his teammates. In actual fact this is an advantage over before as Clarkson has a better vantage point to acquire targets. Expect worried glances up to him anytime someone incidentally brush a Leafs player, further distracting those players from the play on the ice.

Yes, there's no doubt the Clarkson signing is paying dividends already; what a genius he is.

I'll agree that Clarkson's decision to leave the bench was stupid, and the suspension sucks, the guy is hardly a liability.  And after years of watching guys mill around in the corners and pretend not to notice when a teammate is being assaulted, it's nice to see a guy get all fired up and want to jump in.

With the cap tight and a guy like Franson unsigned, 5+ million cap hit planted in the press box for the first month of the season is absolutely a liability.  His jumping in didn't accomplish anything in this case, and gives me a worrying impression that this guy goes off the rails to the detriment of the team.

I suppose I meant his play when saying he wasn't a liability, but OK, let's call him a short-term liability. 

 

[Jalili]

I'll agree that Clarkson's decision to leave the bench was stupid, and the suspension sucks, the guy is hardly a liability.  And after years of watching guys mill around in the corners and pretend not to notice when a teammate is being assaulted, it's nice to see a guy get all fired up and want to jump in.

I agree, and as someone who wasn't pleased with the contract the Leafs gave him, I'll add that we may as well put the contract past us now and enjoy the type of player we have. I feel as though some fans really have it in for Clarkson because of the money he makes.

The suspension is a setback, but he'll be back October 25th. I agree, it's nice to have someone who's got his teammates backs.

 

[Kin]

And after years of watching guys mill around in the corners and pretend not to notice when a teammate is being assaulted, it's nice to see a guy get all fired up and want to jump in.

When has that really been the case? The Leafs have always had guys on the team who would fight. In the years since Burke took over that's almost been embarrassingly true.

 

[Fanatic]

To the surprise of no one, Clarkson has been suspended for 10 games.

 

[pnjunction]

enjoy the type of player we have. I feel as though some fans really have it in for Clarkson because of the money he makes.

You mean the player we have sitting in the press box.

For people to stop chirping on Clarkson, he's going to have to shut us up.  So far he didn't even make it out of the preseason without guaranteeing 0 pts for the first $650k of the contract.  Now I look forward to cheering if/when he starts lighting it up, but so far we're off to a comically bad start.

 

[Kin]

For people to stop chirping on Clarkson, he's going to have to shut us up.

REalistically though that's never going to happen. Even if Clarkson performs at the absolute peak of what he's shown he's capable of in the NHL, say 25+ goals and around 50 points, there will be people who don't think the contract he signed will be a good value one. The question is whether those people want to constantly repeat the same thing over and over again.

I mean, for what it's worth I am one of those people. I just don't see the value of constantly pointing out that it's not a great contract.

 

[gunnar36]

For people to stop chirping on Clarkson, he's going to have to shut us up.

REalistically though that's never going to happen. Even if Clarkson performs at the absolute peak of what he's shown he's capable of in the NHL, say 25+ goals and around 50 points, there will be people who don't think the contract he signed will be a good value one. The question is whether those people want to constantly repeat the same thing over and over again.

I mean, for what it's worth I am one of those people. I just don't see the value of constantly pointing out that it's not a great contract.

For me it's more of an issue with a salary like his putting such a pinch on the cap.  In a non-salary cap era I don't mind the contract so much, but in the salary cap era a couple of bad signings forces gms into making tough decisions and trimming assets at less then market value.

Franson would surely be signed by now if we didn't give Clarkson this albatross of a contract.  And next year we better hope the cap goes way up to fit the likes of Kessel, Phaneuf, Gardiner, Kulemin with new contracts.

 

[Kin]

For me it's more of an issue with a salary like his putting such a pinch on the cap.  In a non-salary cap era I don't mind the contract so much, but in the salary cap era a couple of bad signings forces gms into making tough decisions and trimming assets at less then market value.

Ok, but it's not a question of whether or not you like the contract. Like I said, I wouldn't have signed it either. What I'm asking is whether or not it adds to the discussion of the player if you're constantly mentioning that you don't like the contract.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

I don't think trading Liles away was ever a tough decision. It may be tough to trade him, but the decision should be an easy one, especially for what he's bringing on the ice. I haven't seen much good play from him in the pre-season.

Finding the trade now will be a bit harder I think. However I still can't judge whether or not there is interest in the league for him.

 

[Corn Flake]

I don't think trading Liles away was ever a tough decision. It may be tough to trade him, but the decision should be an easy one, especially for what he's bringing on the ice. I haven't seen much good play from him in the pre-season.

Finding the trade now will be a bit harder I think. However I still can't judge whether or not there is interest in the league for him.

I think it will be tough to move him without taking salary back, if he can be moved. The number of "good" UFA d-men still out there on the market makes it even tougher. Why engage in a long-term deal in Liles when you can sign an Ian White and fill a void?  If a team sees him as a long-term solution then yeah sure. 

one idea would be if the Leafs could take back some cheap-but-bad contracts... players under the $1 mil threshold who can be demoted and not count against the Leafs cap but still have to be paid.

Alternative would be to send a good prospect (or two?) along with him.  Leafs do have a bit of a glut of good defensive prospects... maybe let 1 go to make it happen.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Alternative would be to send a good prospect (or two?) along with him.  Leafs do have a bit of a glut of good defensive prospects... maybe let 1 go to make it happen.

I think this might be how we see Colborne get moved. We can't trade him for immediate help because there's no cap space or even open roster spots. We can't trade him for a similar prospect because it doesn't really help us now and again we don't really have any room for another Colborne. And nobody is really going to give up a high enough draft pick to justify trading him. Packaging him with Liles to gain cap space might be the only way to get value from him.