Grabovski Bought Out

[Corn Flake]

Didn't know until know that Grabbo had a limited NTC.

 

[Sudafederov]

Didn't know until know that Grabbo had a limited NTC.

A Naughty Tirade Clause?

 

[Frank E]

Didn't know until know that Grabbo had a limited NTC.

A Naughty Tirade Clause?

boooooooooo

 

[Rebel_1812]

Didn't know until know that Grabbo had a limited NTC.

A Naughty Tirade Clause?

lol Naughty Teeth Clause ;-)

 

[maplesyrup]

Pineapple clause.

 

[KW Sluggo]

The years of decent production preceded the new contract and after the $5.5M deal was signed, bye-bye production, so long initiative, bye bye first line, so long second line an hello checking line.

I am sure it is just a coincidence.

I don't know. Did you structure that as a post hoc ergo prompter hoc just to amuse me? Given that nothing in there even suggests a plausible account of why a player's production would decline -- offers no solid evidence other than the nonsensical 'intangibles' you hear trotted out on talk radio and in terrible bars -- I can only assume that.

This is not about past performance. It is about a diminishing return on an aging athlete who is tied up at $5.5 per year for the next four years.

Tell me about this after Nonis signs Grabbo's replacement from the UFA pool.

If he is worth anything close to what you suggest why would nobody take him in a trade. Grabbo has 10 teams on his approved trade list.

Why did not one of them want him? Price is too high for the on ice return.

You do understand that if a GM is looking desperate to move a player at a not-ideal contract, the incentives are for his potential trading partners to back off and acquire the guy after the buyout suggested by the desperation and acquire the player at no asset cost and for a better price... right? Or is that not a market transaction you think happens?

the marketplace has spoken and you are wrong, not the marketplace.

Pathetic fallacy. Nice. Am I responding to a performance artist? What is next, argument from authority? Can it be Glenn Healy? 

Grabbo would be a good fit as Stajan 2.0 in Calgary where Feaster is the keenest judge of hockey talent there is.

My god. Please, please tell me you're a fan of re-signing Tyler Bozak so you and I can spend the next year together watching Bozak's hairline recede in a Leafs uniform and Grabbo put up 60 points on someone's second line.

Propter, not prompter but that is the least of your errors

Bozak is not worth what they will pay him but no UFA ever is but that argument has zero todo with Grabbo. It's not a zero sum game.

As for re-signing him well I would rather have him than Grabbo. Aside from being younger, the fact is he held onto his job on the first line, Grabbo did not and if you cannot score you had better be able to defend and Grabbo could not be effective there either.

However I do like the use of the distraction argument, i.e., if you cannot make a case for Grabbo, attack another player - too bad that other player is playing better than Grabbo.

You cross the line with the "performance artist" ad hominem attack. If you cannot argue substantive points you make personal attacks? Grow up.

The fact is that the marketplace has spoken and because you lack any reasoned response you slag me (among others).

I am truly sorry that your favourite player got let go but no other team was willing to trade for him despite the great value he gives with a handful of points and inability to defend and at the bargain price of $5.5M for the next 5 years. But it is what it is whether you like it or not.

Shorter Sluggo: You made a typo, and Bozak's a good number one center because he was played as the number one center.

Is that a teleological argument or begging the question?

Alas as n old timer I am a two finger typist and I will make typos.

The fact remains that there is no justification, save nostalgia, for retaining a 16 point non scoring scorer at $5.5M for the next for years.

None.
I concur that a good part of the reason for Bozak's point total is due to minutes and first line service with Kessel. The question that then needs to be asked and answered  is why wasn't Grabbo in that slot?

Of the range of potential answers I find it far more plausible to believe that he was not as good as Bozak and much less so that the coach conspired to diminish his contribution to the team. I say this not merely because it is contrary to logic that a coach would want to squander talent and thereby achieve worse results for the team but also because the usual remedy is the Boston one (i.e, Thornton, Kessel and now Seguin have all been traded for a decent return not wilfully run down to the point of no return) and because this team lacked a number one and a number two centre.

In other words forget about first line duty and forget about Bozak, his numbers and which of the two is better. Look at the fact that even if Grabbo was dealt a bad hand by Carlyle for no justifiable reason, he still should have been the second line centre and yet, he was not.

Sixteen points simply does not = $5.5M x 4 years.

Add in the usual attenuation of athletic ability and stamina (especially the high energy pinball style that Grabbo plays -to his credit as cw has posted) and the arrows all point in one directionut of town.

Does he still have talent? Sure.

Grabbo will be re-energized just as he was when he arrived here and will be an asset to whichever team signs him, just not worth $5.5M for each of the next four seasons, that's all. 

 

[Mot the Barber]

Sad.  They buy out the one guy who had some personality and an edge.  Were he a Canadian and not Russian, the Leafs would probably have viewed him as a great Canadian boy with an edge and made him captain. 

But instead they get rid of him and acquire more characters for their hit show general hospital IR revolving door.  And when they lose, they can use that as a reason...a crutch if you will.

 

[cw]

for those inclined by stats:
EXPLAINING THE GRABOVSKI-BOZAK "STATS" DEBATE IN SHINNY HOCKEY TERMS
Summary
....
Grabovski is better than Bozak, and the Leafs made a mistake in waiving the former to sign the latter.

If Bozak and Grabbo were standing before me and I had to pick only one of them for my hockey team, ignoring money, stats, Phil's best buddie, etc, I'd take Grabbo because I'd rather "go to war", if you will, with him.

Nonis said Grabbo's no trade clause really limited their options for trading him.

There are still a number of teams reportedly looking for a scoring center: Blues (may prefer more of a passer), Caps, Flames, Jets to name a few.

 

[KadriFan]

Bozak and Kessel are close friends... enough said. 

 

[drummond]

Bozak and Kessel are close friends... enough said.

Kessel was close to Krejci in Boston as well and I believe we can say that both are doing fine without each other....

 

[Joe S.]

I don't know if it's telling or just strange than komisarek gets a contract day 1 and grabovski is still waiting.

I like grabovski, I enjoyed his tenacity, but watching him in the playoffs reminded me of of a combination of antropov and ponikarovsky, and not in a good way.

 

[bustaheims]

I don't know if it's telling or just strange than komisarek gets a contract day 1 and grabovski is still waiting.

My guess is Grabovski's getting married this weekend has gotten in the way of him making a decision. I'm sure the offers were/are there.

 

[Joe S.]

I don't know if it's telling or just strange than komisarek gets a contract day 1 and grabovski is still waiting.

My guess is Grabovski's getting married this weekend has gotten in the way of him making a decision. I'm sure the offers were/are there.

That makes more sense.

 

[Leafaholic99]

I don't know if it's telling or just strange than komisarek gets a contract day 1 and grabovski is still waiting.

My guess is Grabovski's getting married this weekend has gotten in the way of him making a decision. I'm sure the offers were/are there.

Which makes sense, but you think he would still taken calls from his agent, if he were to ignore them he could pass up an opportunity or decent offer.

 

[dappleganger]

for those inclined by stats:
EXPLAINING THE GRABOVSKI-BOZAK "STATS" DEBATE IN SHINNY HOCKEY TERMS
Summary
....
Grabovski is better than Bozak, and the Leafs made a mistake in waiving the former to sign the latter.

If Bozak and Grabbo were standing before me and I had to pick only one of them for my hockey team, ignoring money, stats, Phil's best buddie, etc, I'd take Grabbo because I'd rather "go to war", if you will, with him.

Nonis said Grabbo's no trade clause really limited their options for trading him.

There are still a number of teams reportedly looking for a scoring center: Blues (may prefer more of a passer), Caps, Flames, Jets to name a few.

I'm still saying he'd be great on Nashville.

 

[Kin]

I don't know if it's telling or just strange than komisarek gets a contract day 1 and grabovski is still waiting.

My guess is Grabovski's getting married this weekend has gotten in the way of him making a decision. I'm sure the offers were/are there.

Maybe, but it's pretty clear that the teams that were heavy in the market for a center weren't willing to wait for the reception.

 

[Sudafederov]

I don't know if it's telling or just strange than komisarek gets a contract day 1 and grabovski is still waiting.

My guess is Grabovski's getting married this weekend has gotten in the way of him making a decision. I'm sure the offers were/are there.

Actually really like this. I'm going to start using it.

I was going through life, minding my own business, then *bam* marriage got in the way.

 

[Tigger]

for those inclined by stats:
EXPLAINING THE GRABOVSKI-BOZAK "STATS" DEBATE IN SHINNY HOCKEY TERMS
Summary
....
Grabovski is better than Bozak, and the Leafs made a mistake in waiving the former to sign the latter.

The summary at the end provides numbers that are fairly revealing.

 

[bustaheims]

Which makes sense, but you think he would still taken calls from his agent, if he were to ignore them he could pass up an opportunity or decent offer.

He apparently had a full-on Russian style wedding, so, no, I don't imagine he took any calls from his agent, nor was he in any state to make that kind of decision.

 

[bustaheims]

I was going through life, minding my own business, then *bam* marriage got in the way.

Well, it wasn't marriage that got in the way as much as it was the wedding itself.