The Official 2011/2012 Armchair GM thread

[Tigger]

I don't know, one year or two years, either seem ok to me. I haven't been able to find out just how modified his ntc is ( as listed on capgeek ) to me that's a bigger factor depending on how much it limits Burke's ability to manage.

Yeah maybe, but would there ever be a market for that guy? Maybe it's just me and he may not turn out as bad as I think. I know he's super talented, but I'm not sure we'll ever get enough out of him.

There might be no market for him until a deadline deal next year, maybe, you could be right that the Leafs won't get what we'd like out of him but there's little available next year in the ufa market so I don't think it's terrible as of now. Kind of unfortunate timing for a minor injury to him but he is what he is.

 

[cw]

Apparently, lots of teams offered him a one year deal. It was the two years offered that helped Toronto to land him.

No doubt.

Because Connolly can PK and check, I don't think it's an awful signing for two years. He'd be an overpaid 3rd liner obviously but he's gone before summer of 2013.

I guess, but then you run into the cap space he eats. Say, if a trade that we need comes up, but you can't complete it because that team does not want Connolly back the other way and nobody else wants him, you either miss out or you have to waive him.

If that trade ever came up, I'd almost hope that he'd already be on the IR for an extended period of time, just to get the cap relief.  ;D

He's a pretty skilled guy. I'm not writing him off yet. I'm pretty sure that some nights a bunch of Leafs fans won't mind at all what he does with Kessel & Lupul. I'm encouraged by Bozak's preseason and hope for the best but coming into this season, I'd have to give the nod handily to Connolly offensively and defensively with the only other meaningful edge on faceoffs to Bozak.

Connolly was a plan B after Richards but not an absolutely ridiculous one given Bozak's performance last season and how little was available on the UFA market and from within their prospects.

I don't think they're terribly restricted in terms of finding some cap space should the need arise.

 

[Tigger]

Summer of 2013 looks like an interesting UFA summer of which Getzlaf, Perry and a whole bunch are scheduled to be UFAs.
http://www.capgeek.com/free_agents.php?year_id=2013&team_id=-1&position_id=-1&fa_type_id=2

I'm counting on Burke to be able to pick someone up there. I haven't analyzed it statistically but my sense is that that may be the best UFA season we'll have seen in some time. Yes, plenty could happen between now and then and UFAs on that list will inevitably get signed but compared to other recent years, it's looked like a better year to me and teams seem to be gearing up for it with the expiry of contracts on their current rosters (kind of a sixth sense of mine making that statement).

I agree that none of those guys will be available come 2013, however I guess anything could happen. It is a good list, especially that Crosby guy, I've heard he's good.

I'm not saying that. I doubt Crosby would be available but he could jump to his home province and play for Montreal.

If I were a betting man, I'd bet at least one of Perry, Getzlaf or Whitney will be a UFA in 2013 because:

I think you can legitimately add Staal and Weber to that list, fwiw, maybe two of those go to market or get traded with that in mind.

 

[Tigger]

I like the change at centre when I look at it from last year to this year...

Bozak        Connolly
Grabbo        Grabbo
Boyce      Bozak/Lombardi
Brent          Steckel

That's a respectable positive change.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

I guess my only beef with that is that I wish he would have signed him to a one year deal.

The 2 year deal was no accident - the crop of UFA centres next summer is dismal.

I definitely see that point, it just seems like something that has to get dealt with in the event that a doable trade comes up that Burke has to do in the next year. I don't think I want a 4.7 million dollar player there just to kill penalties. I hope he can prove the naysayers wrong and he gels really well with Lupul and Kessel.

 

[bustaheims]

I definitely see that point, it just seems like something that has to get dealt with in the event that a doable trade comes up that Burke has to do in the next year. I don't think I want a 4.7 million dollar player there just to kill penalties. I hope he can prove the naysayers wrong and he gels really well with Lupul and Kessel.

Sure, but, you can't sign a UFA contract based on a trade opportunity that may never materialize. And, the current reality of the league is that major trades are rarely made without similar salary amounts going both ways, so, even there, it's not much of an issue, really.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Connolly was a plan B after Richards but not an absolutely ridiculous one given Bozak's performance last season and how little was available on the UFA market and from within their prospects.

I don't think they're terribly restricted in terms of finding some cap space should the need arise.

I do get why the deal was done and remember myself almost supporting it, but I suppose I'm just a bit pissed that he's already on the IR, not to mention, his pre-season games left me wondering about him a bit. I'll give him a chance obviously, I just have that feeling, you know?

 

[maplesyrup]

I like the change at centre when I look at it from last year to this year...

Bozak        Connolly
Grabbo        Grabbo
Boyce      Bozak/Lombardi
Brent          Steckel

That's a respectable positive change.

No doubt. Heck, even without Connolly in the lineup we're in much better shape with Lombardi and Steckel replacing Boyce and Brent. 

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Sure, but, you can't sign a UFA contract based on a trade opportunity that may never materialize. And, the current reality of the league is that major trades are rarely made without similar salary amounts going both ways, so, even there, it's not much of an issue, really.

Right, the trade market for a top liner is hypothetical in the first place, let's just hope that if it does come about, that it's Connolly going to other way.
Like cw said above, I guess if anybody can pull those kinds of things off, it will be Burke and his henchmen.

 

[WAYNEINIONA]

If Connoly's injury keeps him out much longer when do we see Lombardi on the Kessel line?

 

[maplesyrup]

Just for the record, If you all remember, I booed and hissed over the Connolly signing the most here and many of you gave me the whole "cap space is only important if you need it" and "Connolly has been healthy aside for a few small things over the last couple seasons" speeches and convinced me that perhaps this was a risk worth taking... Man I hope my gut was wrong.

(edited for grammar... no need to have "perhaps" in there twice.)  :-[   

 

[donkeyy0]

Just for the record, If you all remember, I booed and hissed over the Connolly signing the most here and many of you gave me the whole "cap space is only important if you need it" and "Connolly has been healthy aside for a few small things over the last couple seasons" speeches and convinced me that perhaps this was perhaps a risk worth taking... Man I hope my gut was wrong. 

Cap space will be a wonderful asset if Grabbo and Kuli put up good numbers and we can't afford to re-sign them because of Tim Connolly.

Boo-urns. He better be healthy.

 

[Tigger]

Just for the record, If you all remember, I booed and hissed over the Connolly signing the most here and many of you gave me the whole "cap space is only important if you need it" and "Connolly has been healthy aside for a few small things over the last couple seasons" speeches and convinced me that perhaps this was perhaps a risk worth taking... Man I hope my gut was wrong. 

Cap space will be a wonderful asset if Grabbo and Kuli put up good numbers and we can't afford to re-sign them because of Tim Connolly.

Boo-urns. He better be healthy.

I doubt either a Kulemin or a Grabbo not being signed will have a lot to do with Connolly in terms of cap space, the cap ceiling will likely rise, Liles is ufa ( I honestly expect Blacker to challenge for a regular role next year, fwiw ) and there are some spare parts that could be lost to free up some space in addition to what they have now.

 

[bustaheims]

Damien Cox is saying the Leafs have interest in Sam Gagner.

For what it's worth, they mentioned at some point during tonight's broadcast that they asked Burke about this rumour and he said that the Leafs have no interest in Gagner, so . . . like I said earlier, Damien Cox says a lot of things.

 

[cw]

Damien Cox is saying the Leafs have interest in Sam Gagner.

For what it's worth, they mentioned at some point during tonight's broadcast that they asked Burke about this rumour and he said that the Leafs have no interest in Gagner, so . . . like I said earlier, Damien Cox says a lot of things.

further confirmation of that:
http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/10/09/nhls-shanahan-taking-heat-for-raising-suspension-bar-too-high
Brian Burke said he?s certainly in ?listening mode? when it comes to trading some of his blueline depth, but any talk linking him to Sam Gagner in Edmonton is false. Burke even took the time to send Oilers GM Steve Tambellini an e-mail letting him know none of the Gagner talk came from him.

To me, as I posted before, Gagner makes no sense for the Leafs. The Leafs have other more pressing needs that are harder to fill (elite talent that Gagner is not).

 

[Kin]

Gagner might be interesting if the price was really low. He's 22, was a high draft pick and has shown that he can score at a consistent, if not terribly impressive, rate. I certainly wouldn't advocate dealing for him if the price was a significant prospect or top 6 defenseman but I'd certainly rather have him in the role Bozak's in right now than Bozak.

 

[maplesyrup]

Gagner might be interesting if the price was really low. He's 22, was a high draft pick and has shown that he can score at a consistent, if not terribly impressive, rate. I certainly wouldn't advocate dealing for him if the price was a significant prospect or top 6 defenseman but I'd certainly rather have him in the role Bozak's in right now than Bozak.

Yeah, that's pretty much where I'm at re. Gagner.

 

[sneakyray]

don't know why I still read this guy but this made me laugh!

eklund

main page says: update on the leafs

click the link and it says: nothing new on the leafs as of now

 

[Britishbulldog]

don't know why I still read this guy but this made me laugh!

eklund

main page says: update on the leafs

click the link and it says: nothing new on the leafs as of now

 

[Erndog]

I know they have no reason to trade him, and I know they are treading dangerously close to the cap floor, but I can't help but dream that Carolina makes Eric Staal available.  Why?  I don't know.  Will they?  Probably a 0.01% chance of it happening, but I still dream it up in my head.

Again, like I said, I don't really see a reason for them to move him, but I see Carolina as being a bottom feeder in the East.  They have 0 wingers (well, Ruutu and Jokinen are 2nd liners at best and Tuomo is a pending UFA), a very shoddy patch work defence, virtually no prospects/youth coming up, nothing really exciting going on in that organization other than Skinner, Staal and Ward.

I'm dreaming here- but I keep coming up with these "3-for-1" or "4-for-2" scenerios in my head for Staal.  He would be such an ideal pickup.