Leafs sign KHL free agent Alexander Barabanov (1-yr ELC)

[herman]

https://theathletic.com/1729760/2020/04/07/can-alexander-barabanov-be-the-next-ilya-mikheyev-like-value-buy-for-the-leafs/

Dan Milstein, the agent for Barabanov, estimates that Leafs senior director of player evaluation, Jim Paliafito, was there to watch Barabanov in person in Russia at least 16 times, dating back as long as three years ago.

?Mike Babcock went to see (Barabanov) in Russia,? Milstein recalled of the former Leafs coach on Tuesday morning. ?Kyle Dubas has been to Russia a few times. So, it?s been a long process.?

[...]

Then it?s waiting, watching, researching and maybe most important of all, forging relationships with those players over the years. And it?s all driven by Paliafito, now in his fifth season with the Leafs.

?He really does a great job of identifying these athletes when their contracts have plenty of time left on them rather than jumping in during the final season,? Dubas said. ?He gets after it quite far in advance of the actual decision day so I think you feel prepared and you feel like you?ve got a good relationship and trust with the player and the player?s family, if they have one."

 

[CarltonTheBear]

In an article profiling Jim Paliafito that came out in the Athletic today, Barabanov's agent said that he turned down a contract offer that included ELC maximum performance bonuses.

Granted that could just be agent talk, but still.

 

[herman]

Mark Hunter said he was impressed by the signing the Leafs pulled off, so I don't know what to call that.

When the Vegas Golden Knights and other inquiring NHL teams first began their pursuit of Mikheyev, Paliafito and the Leafs had already been on the scene for over a year. Then, when Mikheyev first arrived in Toronto to begin his NHL career, Paliafito came up from his home in Kentucky ? a nine-hour drive ? to pick him up at the airport.

He drove Mikheyev around Toronto, including a tour of Scotiabank Arena. The next morning, Paliafito picked him up at his hotel so he could escort him to a breakfast meeting with then-coach Mike Babcock. The two communicated through the Google Translate app that Paliafito keeps handy on his phone.

Jonas really buried the lede here: Paliafito lives in Shelbyville.

 

[Highlander]

Hope they can keep J.P. in the fold for as long as possible.  Was some buzz in the article about how he would make a good GM.  If he can keep finding us gold nuggets out of nothing, this could make the competitive difference in getting the Cup we all covet.  Hope they have him training someone in his methodology just in case.