Steve Stamkos?

[Peter D.]

As Patrick O'Sullivan put it on 590 this morning, there's likely no way that Stamkos would want to come to Toronto now and ultimately (or very shortly) be the #2 guy behind Matthews both on the ice and in public opinion.

If Stamkos decides not to come to Toronto for whatever reason(s), all the power to him as that is his right as a free agent.

It's the Leafs perspective I'm thinking from and believe it would be extremely narrow-minded for the team to not consider Stamkos now that Matthews will be a Leaf. 

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I'd still be all in on Stamkos.  Matthews or no Matthews, I just don't see any reason to pass on a young talent like that.

As Patrick O'Sullivan put it on 590 this morning, there's likely no way that Stamkos would want to come to Toronto now and ultimately (or very shortly) be the #2 guy behind Matthews both on the ice and in public opinion.

I don't see why that would be the case or how he could think that so likely unless he actually spoke with him about it.  Plenty of star players have not been concerned about being surrounded with other star players.  I can't imagine he's that full of himself that he would scoff at playing somewhere simply because there is another highly touted player there.

And there would be a very obvious way for Stamkos to show that he should be seen as #1...outperform him.  But I can't see a guy from Markham, ON, playing for the Leafs and, presumably, lighting it up on the Leafs, not being revered in Toronto.

EDIT:  And really - the guy is 2nd in goals per game since entering the league, 2nd only to perhaps the greatest goal scorer in NHL history.

If the Leafs could get him for under $10M per year I'd do it.  It will be years (maybe even 6-7) before there are any sort of cap issues.

 

[Peter D.]

In a short period of time, the Leafs have gone from a team that was extremely short of talent to being able to take a pass on one of the league's premier players.  Hilarious.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

In a short period of time, the Leafs have gone from a team that was extremely short of talent to being able to take a pass on one of the league's premier players.  Hilarious.

It really wasn't too long ago that Clarkson and Bolland could have been cornerstone players on this team (well, at least salary cap wise).

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

In a short period of time, the Leafs have gone from a team that was extremely short of talent to being able to take a pass on one of the league's premier players.  Hilarious.

It really wasn't too long ago that Clarkson and Bolland could have been cornerstone players on this team (well, at least salary cap wise).

Dude, put a warning on posts like this.  I'm suffering flashbacks.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Two things that would now need to happen for me to even consider Stamkos at this point:

1) He needs to accept that he won't be the highest paid player in the league. I'm not giving him a Toews/Kane/Kopitar contract. If his buddy P.K. Subban can accept $9mil long-term to play somewhere he loves then so can Stamkos. (And yes, I know Subban wasn't a UFA but he was pretty much negotiating as one).

2) He needs to accept that Mike Babcock tells him where he's going to play, not the other way around. There's a lot of good centres in the organization now. If Babcock thinks it's better to move Stamkos to wing than Nylander then Stamkos needs to swallow his pride or whatever and play wing. Maybe that doesn't happen next season or even the season after that, but he needs to be open to the possibility if it arises.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

JVR-Matthews-Stamkos
Hyman-Nylander-Brown
Soshnikov-Kadri-Komarov

I'm just posting this so I can look at it every now and then.

 

[Frank E]

I'd still be all in on Stamkos.  Matthews or no Matthews, I just don't see any reason to pass on a young talent like that.

As Patrick O'Sullivan put it on 590 this morning, there's likely no way that Stamkos would want to come to Toronto now and ultimately (or very shortly) be the #2 guy behind Matthews both on the ice and in public opinion.

Then I think Patrick O'Sullivan is full of shit.

I'd make an argument that it's the exact opposite...Stamkos should want to be surrounded by great players.   

 

[bustaheims]

JVR-Matthews-Stamkos
Hyman-Nylander-Brown
Soshnikov-Kadri-Komarov

I'm just posting this so I can look at it every now and then.

*cough* *cough* Marner *cough* *cough*

 

[CarltonTheBear]

JVR-Matthews-Stamkos
Hyman-Nylander-Brown
Soshnikov-Kadri-Komarov

I'm just posting this so I can look at it every now and then.

*cough* *cough* Marner *cough* *cough*

Oh right, that guy. Probably starts on the 4th line in any event.

 

[Zee]

JVR-Matthews-Stamkos
Hyman-Nylander-Brown
Soshnikov-Kadri-Komarov

I'm just posting this so I can look at it every now and then.

*cough* *cough* Marner *cough* *cough*

Oh right, that guy. Probably starts on the 4th line in any event.

I totally forgot about Connor Brown when I made some imaginary lines up.  Leafs seem to have lots of potential at forward positions, hopefully the promise from the Marlies guys pans out.

 

[Kin]

I've been thinking recently what if the leafs offered something a little off the wall...like 2 years at 22 mil.  He still gets to be a free agent at 28 and he can prove to the league that he can stay healthy and still produce at a high rate and then if he becomes the next leaf captain and the leafs have to resign him they could then offer 8 years if they so choose.

And if he can't stay healthy they get the cap relief.  And if it doesn't work out hes off the books before nylander, marner and matthews get their raises

If I'm Stamkos and I had the health scare I had this year, I'm getting money and I'm getting term.

 

[sneakyray]

I've been thinking recently what if the leafs offered something a little off the wall...like 2 years at 22 mil.  He still gets to be a free agent at 28 and he can prove to the league that he can stay healthy and still produce at a high rate and then if he becomes the next leaf captain and the leafs have to resign him they could then offer 8 years if they so choose.

And if he can't stay healthy they get the cap relief.  And if it doesn't work out hes off the books before nylander, marner and matthews get their raises

If I'm Stamkos and I had the health scare I had this year, I'm getting money and I'm getting term.

Definitely good point.  I would pass on a long term deal unless it's cheap.  But it's not going to be.  I just really don't want him to go to detroit.

 

[bustaheims]

If I'm Stamkos and I had the health scare I had this year, I'm getting money and I'm getting term.

Even without the health scare, you'd have to think he'd want some sort of security/stability. I don't imagine he's going to want to be in the position where he might find himself moving to another new city in 2 years.

 

[Kin]

See, this is just why I think it's so unlikely/unwise to really go after Stamkos. Signing a top notch free agent is like selling a luxury car. The people you're selling to are going to have options. They're going to want the total package. Already when it comes to Stamkos we're saying "Well, maybe he'll sign here if he doesn't care about making markt value and he doesn't care about winning right away and he doesn't care about playing center."

There are teams who are going to be able to offer him those things. Basically the entire sales pitch at this point is "Hey, don't you want to live closer to your parents?".   

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I imagine the number of teams that can offer him a place with the "total package" (i.e. no 'conditions') is going to be very, very small.

 

[Kin]

I imagine the number of teams that can offer him a place with the "total package" (i.e. no 'conditions') is going to be very, very small.

Sure. But it really only takes two or three of those teams to make clear class of better offer.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

I'd still be all in on Stamkos.  Matthews or no Matthews, I just don't see any reason to pass on a young talent like that.

As Patrick O'Sullivan put it on 590 this morning, there's likely no way that Stamkos would want to come to Toronto now and ultimately (or very shortly) be the #2 guy behind Matthews both on the ice and in public opinion.

I don't see why that would be the case or how he could think that so likely unless he actually spoke with him about it.  Plenty of star players have not been concerned about being surrounded with other star players.  I can't imagine he's that full of himself that he would scoff at playing somewhere simply because there is another highly touted player there.

And there would be a very obvious way for Stamkos to show that he should be seen as #1...outperform him.  But I can't see a guy from Markham, ON, playing for the Leafs and, presumably, lighting it up on the Leafs, not being revered in Toronto.

EDIT:  And really - the guy is 2nd in goals per game since entering the league, 2nd only to perhaps the greatest goal scorer in NHL history.

If the Leafs could get him for under $10M per year I'd do it.  It will be years (maybe even 6-7) before there are any sort of cap issues.

To be clear, that was O'Sullivan's opinion and I was more relaying it than endorsing it.  But he was very articulate and his opinion about it as a player was strong and defined, and not the Glenn Healy kind of strong and defined.  I have no idea how much other players would agree with him.

 

[dappleganger]

Having your top 3 centers be:

Stamkos
Matthews
Kadri

is a very good thing. I'd imagine that'll be among the best top 3 centers in the league.

 

[Frank E]

If I'm Stamkos and I had the health scare I had this year, I'm getting money and I'm getting term.

This is actually a pretty good point. 

But to your other point about what Toronto really has to offer, I think coach Babcock under contract for the next million years is a big plus.