Unofficial 2012/2013 Armchair GM

[cw]

I was pretty sure he played a regular shift with Grabovski the last dozen games or so. I must have remembered it wrong then.

They've tried it for a couple games here and there every year since Kessel has been on the team, and the result has always been the same - they didn't instantly mesh so the team went back to the lines that worked.

these links might help:

2011-2012 Kessel line combinations

2010-2011 Kessel line combinations

2009-2010 Kessel line combinations

 

[Britishbulldog]

Is Kessel (ppg offensive talent), Steckel (top 5 faceoff center) and Colbourne (3rd line prospect) for Getzlaf too outrageous?  I like all those Leaf players but the #1 center position is hard to fill.

Lupul / Getzlaf / MacArthur
JVR / Grabovski / Kulemin
Kadri / Bozak / Frattin
Komarov / McClement / Orr
Brown

I left Chris Stewart out of the lineup and now feel a little sick inside...  :-\

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Yes.

Kessel is basically a PPG player, you don't take that out of your team, you add to it.

He is the last player I'd trade for Getzlaf.

 

[Erndog]

Yes.

Kessel is basically a PPG player, you don't take that out of your team, you add to it.

He is the last player I'd trade for Getzlaf.

I know, we're trying to augment the few really good players we have by adding to them.  Not swapping them.

Getzlaf is a UFA.  I wouldn't blow my brains out for him without an extension.  In the summer however, I'd blow my brains out trying to sign him.  7 years, $7M, sure why not. 

 

[bustaheims]

Yes.

Kessel is basically a PPG player, you don't take that out of your team, you add to it.

He is the last player I'd trade for Getzlaf.

I agree. That lineup really doesn't look any better than the lineup the Leafs currently have. Seriously, MacArthur on the 1st line? I like the guy, but, yikes.

 

[Britishbulldog]

Thanks for being gentle guys.  One of the reasons I like this site.

The method of my madness is 3 fold.  It gets Getzlaf to the Leafs before the trade deadline allowing the Leafs to sign him to a $6.0 MIL / 8 year deal.  (8, 8, 8, 6, 6, 4, 4, 4)

2) it gets Kessel to a quieter environment media/fan-wise.

3) It would make it more likely to see Perry come to the Leafs with Getzlaf here $6.0 MIL / 7 year deal.

I believe the only way the Leafs could actually sign a decent UFA without moving one of the top 6 forwards is if the goaltending salary stays ridiculously low like it is now.  Top goalie tandems usually will run around $7 MIL.  The Leafs is currently around a 1/3 of that.

With 6 players Lupul $5.25, Grabovski $5.5, Kessel $5.4, JVR $4.25, MacArthur $3.25, Kulemin $2.8 tying up $26.45 MIL of cap, that leaves approximately $8 MIL for the remaining 8 forward positions. 

I had figured that MacArthur would be the odd man out but now he has an 'A'.... Perry could have replaced MacArthur in salary and the buyouts will be off the books which will free up $2 MIL to help re-sign the goalies.

To land a center like Getzlaf and have them fit under the cap another of the top 6 would have to be moved.  I picked Kessel for the 3 reasons above.  Lecavalier wouldn't fit salary-wise.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

The only way Kessel gets moved is if he indicated an unwillingness to sign an extension when they begin talks this summer, there is no way he moves otherwise. He also has a partial NMC/NTC I believe.

I suspect he will sign an extension that will come with a decent signing bonus.

 

[Bullfrog]

I doubt either Perry or Getzlaf sign for a $6M/year contract, even on a max contract.

I just don't see a Hart trophy winner signing for less than the equivalent of $7M/year.

 

[Kin]

Is Kessel (ppg offensive talent), Steckel (top 5 faceoff center) and Colbourne (3rd line prospect) for Getzlaf too outrageous?

A guy like Steckel, even if he was actually in the Leafs line-up, really has next to no trade value. 4th line players like him, even ones with some positive attributes like his face-off skills, are available for nothing every off-season.

 

[Champ Kind]

While I acknowledge I'm not an authority on the subject (having not watched him in person or in practice), I've really grown tired with Cody Franson.  To quote Sloan, "...Underwhelmed, if that's a word".  On paper, there's so much to love about this guy.  But I find his on-ice performance a let down.  Likely his value is diminished, but if it's up to me he should be in Nonis' cross-hairs to be traded.

 

[louisstamos]

While I acknowledge I'm not an authority on the subject, I've really grown tired with Cody Franson.  To quote Sloan, "...Underwhelmed, if that's a word".  On paper, there's so much to love about this guy.  But I find his on-ice performance a let down.  Likely his value is diminished, but if it's up to me he should be in Nonis' cross-hairs to be traded.

I was at the game last night, and he was the one that stood out the most as looking bad.  On 4 separate occasions, he fumbled the puck at the blue line, which lead to it coming out of the zone and everyone had to regroup.  He also had a tendency to run around a tad in his own end...

I'm not Komisarek fan, but he's been playing better as of late.  Plus, the Leafs are 2-0 with him in the lineup.

 

[Zee]

While I acknowledge I'm not an authority on the subject, I've really grown tired with Cody Franson.  To quote Sloan, "...Underwhelmed, if that's a word".  On paper, there's so much to love about this guy.  But I find his on-ice performance a let down.  Likely his value is diminished, but if it's up to me he should be in Nonis' cross-hairs to be traded.

I was at the game last night, and he was the one that stood out the most as looking bad.  On 4 separate occasions, he fumbled the puck at the blue line, which lead to it coming out of the zone and everyone had to regroup.  He also had a tendency to run around a tad in his own end...

I'm not Komisarek fan, but he's been playing better as of late.  Plus, the Leafs are 2-0 with him in the lineup.

Leafs undefeated on the road!

Yeah they need to win at home.

 

[Champ Kind]

While I acknowledge I'm not an authority on the subject, I've really grown tired with Cody Franson.  To quote Sloan, "...Underwhelmed, if that's a word".  On paper, there's so much to love about this guy.  But I find his on-ice performance a let down.  Likely his value is diminished, but if it's up to me he should be in Nonis' cross-hairs to be traded.

I was at the game last night, and he was the one that stood out the most as looking bad.  On 4 separate occasions, he fumbled the puck at the blue line, which lead to it coming out of the zone and everyone had to regroup.  He also had a tendency to run around a tad in his own end...

I'm not Komisarek fan, but he's been playing better as of late.  Plus, the Leafs are 2-0 with him in the lineup.

Watching replays of the Streit goal (the Islanders' second goal, I believe), I can't believe how he played what was, essentially, a 3 on 2.  Brutal positioning.  Gunnarson goes to the puck carrier and Franson, inexplicably, goes directly to one of the open men and leaves the front of the net wide open.  Streit takes his time and quite literally waltzes in on Scrivens.

 

[Deebo]

The Franson deal really turned out to be a whole lot of nothing.

 

[Zee]

The Franson deal really turned out to be a whole lot of nothing.

Franson to Detroit for a 4th round pick (Z4)

 

[Champ Kind]

The Franson deal really turned out to be a whole lot of nothing.

I hate to have to agree with you, but you're right.  Sometimes if it's too good to be true....

On the other hand, the deal got rid of Lebda.  And that's something we can all get behind.  ;D

 

[Zee]

The Franson deal really turned out to be a whole lot of nothing.

I hate to have to agree with you, but you're right.  Sometimes if it's too good to be true....

On the other hand, the deal got rid of Lebda.  And that's something we can all get behind.  ;D

Sure but how much better is Franson than Lebda?  It's more like a Lebda part 2 situation.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

The Franson deal really turned out to be a whole lot of nothing.

I hate to have to agree with you, but you're right.  Sometimes if it's too good to be true....

On the other hand, the deal got rid of Lebda.  And that's something we can all get behind.  ;D

Sure but how much better is Franson than Lebda?  It's more like a Lebda part 2 situation.

: Brett Lebda was terrible, Franson is just not very good.

 

[maplesyrup]

I don't get the hate for Franson. IMO, what we've seen isn't the finished product and what he is now isn't that bad.

 

[Corn Flake]

The whole team came unglued last night early in the 2nd. Franson was just one part of it. I'm not ready to say the guy is a flop, even though I do think he should be traded due to the glut of d-men.