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Updates and Rumours from around the League

Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

All irrelevant.

Burke wouldn't swoop in while his mentor and close friend Lou is trying to push through a contract with him thru the NHL.
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

Volcanologist said:
Ah, the B-pile. A familiar tale in Toronto. What is it about the best players in the league that Leaf ownership so afraid of, I wonder? It seems to be the same thing no matter who owns the team. Don't tell me they don't have the money, because if there's one team in the league that does have the cash, it's us.
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It sounds like you are forgetting about the salary cap and that we are going to spend the limit.

This is not an issue with ownership not giving the money, its how the money that is given is being spent.

And there is also the 'I will complain no matter what', side of it as well.
 
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Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

I don't mind Armstrong so much, he will serve a purpose. But Lebda is such a waste. The guy will barely see the ice. There's too many defensemen on this team.

But I do agree, there's too much hesitation on going after the biggest free agents.
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

Volcanologist said:
Ah, the B-pile. A familiar tale in Toronto. What is it about the best players in the league that Leaf ownership so afraid of, I wonder? It seems to be the same thing no matter who owns the team. Don't tell me they don't have the money, because if there's one team in the league that does have the cash, it's us.
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Phaneuf: Hey Kess, did you hear? The Leafs won't go out and get any top players. Now who will me and my 6.5 million-dollar Norris-nominee self play with? Kaberle? blech.
Kessel: I know, it's pretty disgusting. I'm still getting over the insult of them only giving up 2 firsts and a second for me. If they were only willing to shell out that much, they shoulda spent it on someone whose never been on pace for 40 goals.


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Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

Lebda was a contingency plan, which Burke needed because there was a 50-50 chance he would trade Kaberle.
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

johnunit said:
Phaneuf: Hey Kess, did you hear? The Leafs won't go out and get any top players. Now who will me and my 6.5 million-dollar Norris-nominee self play with? Kaberle? blech.
Kessel: I know, it's pretty disgusting. I'm still getting over the insult of them only giving up 2 firsts and a second for me. If they were only willing to shell out that much, they shoulda spent it on someone whose never been on pace for 40 goals.


dd3334d64a77ac6718188e7cca91.jpeg
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Yeah this.

In the last year the Leafs got one of the best young goal scorers, and one of the best young defensemen in the NHL.
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

leafman101 said:
Yeah this.

In the last year the Leafs got one of the best young goal scorers, and one of the best young defensemen in the NHL.
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I guess we do go after top talent after all - but not in the UFA market where you have to overpay. Which is what a lot of the fuss is about when you look at 'Armstrong at 3' etc..
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

johnunit said:
Phaneuf: Hey Kess, did you hear? The Leafs won't go out and get any top players. Now who will me and my 6.5 million-dollar Norris-nominee self play with? Kaberle? blech.
Kessel: I know, it's pretty disgusting. I'm still getting over the insult of them only giving up 2 firsts and a second for me. If they were only willing to shell out that much, they shoulda spent it on someone whose never been on pace for 40 goals.


dd3334d64a77ac6718188e7cca91.jpeg
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Yeah, hilarious. Don't quit your day job. You don't think either of those guys is of Kovalchuk's calibre, do you?

Each and every time the Leafs have had an opportunity to get one of the very BEST players, they have failed or simply shown no interest.

I have said Phaneuf and Kessel are very good acquisitions. Neither is among the top 5 at his position though, let alone overall in the entire league.
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

If things make sense, Burke will dip into the UFA market, but it doesn't mean he'll go after the biggest fish every summer regardless if it's a fit or not.

Whether Kovalchuk is a fit or not - that's been beaten to death, but Burke clearly doesn't see him as a player to build the team around.

You can disagree with Burke, but the point is - it's not like Burke doesn't want to go after elite talent, and will rather blow $$ on tier II or tier III players. It's because he doesn't see a fit among elite UFA's this season, so instead he intends to find that elite talent via the trade route, and that gives him more flexibility in going after Tier II UFAs.
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

Neither of our young stars are contractually cheap....

Dion is one of the highest paid defenders in the league, and currently Anaheim is completely balking at paying anything close to what we're paying Kessel, for a very comparable player in Ryan.

So I don't think overpaying in contract is the issue.
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

Each and every time the Leafs have had an opportunity to get one of the very BEST players, they have failed or simply shown no interest.
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Who's the "very BEST player" last summer that the Leafs chose to pass on?

So far they have passed on 1 elite player - Kovalchuk.

And you can argue they should've gone after him, but boy, I can see plenty of valid argument why Kovalchuk is NOT a player to build your team around neither.
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

Given To Fly said:
It sounds like you are forgetting about the salary cap and that we are going to spend the limit.

This is not an issue with ownership not giving the money, its how the money that is given is being spent.
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Yes, that is precisely my point. We turn up our nose at Kovalchuk and instead spend the money on far lesser players. It's like you didn't even read my post or ME's.
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

So long as Burke has his max 5 year rule it seems likely to me he will be missing out on the top FA every year.
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

I'd take Phaneuf before Kovy. He's been a top 5 dman in the league at least 2 of his first 5 years in the NHL, and he is only 25.

Kessel isn't there yet, but he could be. Give it some time.

These guys are elite young players. Not a whole lot of young guys out there are better.
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

But yeah, obviously Kovy would be a better use of the $7+ million than Versteeg, Lebda and Armstrong.

But to say Burke hasn't gone after some of the very best talent out there is just a lie.
 
Re: Trade Updates and Rumours from around the League

Volcanologist said:
Yes, that is precisely my point. We turn up our nose at Kovalchuk and instead spend the money on far lesser players. It's like you didn't even read my post or ME's.
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I did read your post, that is why I quoted it and commented on it.

Your post was talking about ownership not giving the money to spend on top UFAs, when really the owners have given the MAX amount of money they can on salaries.

You want to bitch that Burke didnt use that money the way you wanted to, fine...But to say its due to ownership not wanting to spend the money, well to me that says you dont understand how the salary cap works.

And for the record I agree with Burke [and the other GMs around the league] about not giving out crazy long terms deals. And that is why he didnt go after Kovy.

And like what 17 said, there are a lot of valid reasons to not want to build around Kovy as well.
 
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