Posts tagged agency
7 Reasons #84 Should Stay
Jul 26th
Editor’s Note: There’s been a lot of discussion amongst fans whether it’s in the comments, or forums or Twitter or things like that which state the Leafs should trade Mikhail Grabovski, and that he’s expendable with the acquisitions of guys like Kris Versteeg, or that he can be packaged with Tomas Kaberle for a greater return or things like that. This is a post I made way back in April, one of my first here at LHQ, stating why we should keep Grabovski, at least for one more season. Pretty much all of the points still stand. Enjoy.
Whether it’s TSN’s Off-Season Game Plan or just another thread on the HF Boards, the consensus is that Mikhail Grabovski could be shipped out of town. But why?
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think he’s the greatest offensive stud or an answer to any position longterm, I don’t think he’s going to score 30 goals or dish 50 assists, I don’t think he has any shot at ever topping 55 points in a season. I don’t really like his cap hit, his contract, his attitude or his ethic. I don’t like his defense, his rushes or even his hair. But put all those negatives aside, and Mikhail Grabovski is a guy who could be integral in helping the Maple Leafs reach the playoffs next season. How?
Here’s how: More >
Colby Revisited
Jul 20th
On July 1st 2010 Brian Burke and Co flexed their proverbial management muscles and inked versatile grinder Colby Armstrong to a blah blah blah blah blah. Great, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to the point.
As most of you know I try to keep my articles on the shorter side, just because well, reading a lot can get…boring. Uh, anyways, that means I’m gonna try and keep this article short and get my point across in a number of brief paragraphs, so again, let’s get on with the show.
When Colby Armstrong initially signed with us I was disappointed for a number of reasons: whether it was the fact that we were paying a guy who had just tallied up 29 points three million dollars, whether it was the fact that we were giving him that money for three years, whether it was the fact that he’s a right-winger or whether it was the fact our cap space was slowly diminishing, it really doesn’t matter. None of the reasons I hated the Colby Armstrong signing matter anymore, because guess what: I don’t hate it anymore.
Impending Doom Through the Looking Glass
Jul 18th
If the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs have under two-million in cap space currently isn’t scary enough for a team that just finished 29th in the league this past season, perhaps the fact that it only gets worse from here once the team actually truly hopes to be competitive should scare off some of you.
What I mean when I say it only gets worse is that the Leafs are gonna be entering a bit of a logjam at the end of the 2011-2012 season. At this point in time the Maple Leafs will be forced to deal with inking new contracts for old players, being forced to resign the likes of potentially key free agents Kris Versteeg, Nikolai Kulemin, Jonas Gustavsson, Francois Beauchemin, Keith Aulie, Korbinian Holzer, Jussia Rynnas and Marcel Mueller among others.
Leafs Ink Lebda
Jul 7th
Update: 2 years, 1.45 per.
Yep, Brian Burke has wasted no time this off-season bringing in guys with fake last names. Whether it’s Bill Sweatt, Joey Crabb or Brett Lebda, Burke seems to be intent on making us suffer with commentating that was already frsutrating enough on account of Joe Bowen’s dreadful rendition of “GrrrRRRRrrrabouvvsskii”. But I regress, it appears the Toronto Maple Leafs have added to their defensive depth by signing the former Stanley Cup Champion (Red Wings) to a…to a…uh…well, we don’t know the terms, but the Leafs Twitter account told us they signed him, so we’re gonna go on that.
When I first heard the news I didn’t have the overwhelming joy that I had when I found out the Leafs acquired my future new jersey in Kris Versteeg, but I didn’t exactly have the overwhelming dissapointment when the Leafs signed the “decent” grinder in Colby Armstrong. Granted, that could change when I find out the terms of the contract, but as long as he isn’t making more than 1.5 I’d say it’s a decent signing. Oh, I should probably mention that we do know he signed for two years.
Now, to the dismay of Chemmy from Pension Plan Puppets it appears that, as horrible as Lebda may be, he has good intangibles. These include being a drunk party animal and being a drunk party animal, which in other terms translates to him being a hilarious guy who will, if nothing else, be a “good locker-room guy”. Welcome aboard the Character Express, also known as the Leafs 2010 off-season ventures in which they have now acquired three guys, each with varying degrees of skill but all with “good intangibles”. I’m sure you’ll fit right in Brett.
Good news for the Leafs is that Lebda can really skate, so should Tomas Kaberle be dealt this summer it looks like the Leafs blueline won’t be full of pylons after all. And yes, if Tomas Kaberle is dealt it appears the Leafs will continue to eat Jeff Finger’s contract til the bitter end. Ah well, he can earn his money from the press box.
Just so you know, Lebda had 8 points, 24 PIM, 39 hits and a respectable 41 blocked shots in 63 games last season. Intangibles below:
Do You Know What Day It Is Today?
Jul 7th
No, it’s not my birthday, that’s two months from now. It is however the potentially historic anniversary of one of the most recent landmarks in Leafs Nation’s fabled existence. Today’s anniversary marks what started great, went to poor, and ended great again. It’s an anniversary that both pointed towards better things to come and still represents that very same thing. It’s a date of hope, much as it was the very first time we experienced what we can now say is something very promising indeed: today marks the one-year anniversary of the acquisition of the Monster. Today, my friends, is Monster Day.
Unrestricted Free Agency: Day One
Jul 1st
In the weeks leading up to free agency I made it clear that there were a few people I didn’t want on this team: Raffi Torres, Colby Armstrong and Dan Hamhuis. Torres is just a mess of a human and a player, Armstrong is an unneeded right-winger, and Hamhuis is an unneeded defenseman.
Which is why I’m very happy to announce the status on all three players in regards to the Toronto Maple Leafs: Vancouver outbid Toronto for Dan Hamhuis, and…are you ready? Colby Armstrong signed with the Leafs!
Yep, that’s right, the so-called gritty right-winger previously of the Atlanta Thrashers and Pittsburgh Penguins has signed with the blue and white for three years, making three million dollars in each of those three seasons. Armstrong put up just 29 points last season, and in his final season with Pittsburgh he had just 24 points in 54 games playing along the league’s top centers in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Yeah, serious questions have to be asked when it comes to this kids offensive abilities.
On the other hand, Armstrong’s a pretty gritty kid, and a character kid at that. His countless interviews on Hockey Central over the last year were hilarious, and he seems like a real loveable kid. He can play at both ends of the ice and, according to some analysts should make a pretty good net presence.
But along the likes of Kessel, Versteeg, Kulemin, Sjostrom, Brown and Orr, Armstrong becomes the seventh right-winger on this team, and he appears to be an overpaid one at that. This might not end badly, but I’m really not sure I like this one.
We Have a Trade to Announce…
Jun 30th
Photoshop is Jeff’s, not mine
EVERYTIME I DIVE IN MY POOL, ITS HARD TO BE HUMBLE
WHILE I DO A BREASTSTROKE IN AN UNDERGROUND TUNNEL AND I COME
UP ON THE OTHERSIDE
IN A JACUZZI BEING GREETED BY TWO GIRLS THAT ARE WEARIN’ MAH JERSEY
THEY GIVE ME LOTS OF HUGS AND KISSES ASK ME WHAT MY WISH IS
I SAY “GO AND GET YOUR FRIENDS CAUSE THERE’S GONNA BE A PARTY”
AND IN THE END THE STANLEY CUP IS A DREAM AND I’M (INAUDIBLE WORDS)
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