Leafs bring back Komarov (4 years, $2.95mil cap hit)

[CarltonTheBear]

Chris Johnston ‏@reporterchris  31s
Leo Komarov is on his way back to the #Leafs on a four-year deal.

 

[2badknees]

Yaaaay! (pending likely horrific AAV)

 

[cabber24]

Let's go back in time to a team that was as useless as the current one.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Chris Johnston ‏@reporterchris  13s
Leo Komarov's AAV is $2.95M over four years with #leafs.

Eep, too much.

 

[AvroArrow]

YES!

Edit: OUCH!  Cost is high...

 

[Deebo]

2.95 AAV

 

[moon111]

Want to win, get a Finn!!!

 

[L K]

Chris Johnston ‏@reporterchris  13s
Leo Komarov's AAV is $2.95M over four years with #leafs.

Eep, too much.

So in other words, not good.  Wow, 3 million x4 years.  4 years is too long for a 4th liner to begin with, but with no cap savings its absurd. 

I really like bringing him back though.  I think he was responsible for a good portion of the "Leafs are tough to play against" reputation they built in the lockout season.  The cap hit/length is all wrong.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Yeah that's higher than I would have liked.  Not TERRIBLE but still high.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

The Leafs must be banking on him being a 3rd liner, which I don't think is completely out of the question.

 

[cabber24]

I think we should buy him out.

 

[2badknees]

2.95 AAV

Good god. All of a sudden 5.5 for Bolland isn't so nuts.

 

[L K]

At least he's a guy who plays with effort.  He's overpaid now but it isn't like we are going to have to watch Clarkson skating around the ice not producing points.  Komarov will skate around as an offensive hole but will hit stuff and work hard on the forecheck.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

The Leafs must be banking on him being a 3rd liner, which I don't think is completely out of the question.

I think this is exactly it, they think he can play a bigger role, lead a PK unit too.

 

[Kin]

He wasn't coming back for less. The idea that he would for 2 or 3 years for 2 mill per was never realistic.

Hopefully his offense blooms a little and he can be a legit 3rd line player.

 

[slapshot]

Better than kuli-. Less money, more compete.

 

[Redleaf]

Wow. Turn back the clock. Komarov and Frattin both coming back.  Who's next, Grabovski?

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

The Leafs must be banking on him being a 3rd liner, which I don't think is completely out of the question.

I agree, that's what I thought also. I think they want him to play his game, but they'll give him more opportunity to score. I don't think it will hurt his defensive play, as he's just naturally gifted that way.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

So is this what we're looking at next season:

JVR-Bozak-Kessel
Lupul-Kadri-Clarkson
Komarov-Holland-Ashton
_______-______-Frattin

Maybe swap Clarkson and Ashton if that 2nd line doesn't work out again. Both of those remaining forwards will need to be guys who can play on the penalty kill.

 

[L K]

What I struggling with is who the Leafs play him with.  Based on agitation a line of Frattin-Kadri-Komarov might be enticing but that's really leaving Kadri with questionable offensive complements.  I want to get away from Kadri-Clarkson as a combination as I think Clarkson really impeded some of Kadri's offensive output last year. He didn't really take advantage of Kadri's playmaking ability and I felt he played better with Holland.