Around the league (signings, RFAs injuries)

[Tiger]

I am shocked Gillis didnt sign Booth to a 4 year 20 million NMC NTC before he got canned...

Booth is not Swedish..

[ClamRussel]

It seems to be that Weird Dude Booth will not get another contract in the NHL, if only just one GM out there felt the same about Weird Dude as some of Booths CC loyalists but hmmmm it doesn't seem to be, but all is not lost, at least the bear baiter, workout junkie will have plenty of time to work out the kinks in his new found passion -'tension line walking'. David Booth, the Canucks were quite honoured to pay you all those well deserved millions and I'd like to thank NTC Gillis for making it happen

LoL, not a loyalist Dudester, just feel someone will pick him up for their 3rd line at a bargain bin price...and not a PTO. But we shall see...

That is all.

I don't think Weird Dude has any "loyalists" on this board.

[ClamRussel]

Booth will fit into a bottom 6 role with a team pretty easily for $1.5mil or less. I would be surprised if he doesn't get a contract

Not so sure about that. Seems like the type of guy that might get an invite to camp and try to prove he's still got it. Can't see many teams just gifting him a contract at this stage.

After his strong finish to the season (when he finally got healthy) he shouldn't need to be on a tryout. The guy isn't a 30+ goal scorer anymore but he is big, hits, hustles & can score 20+ if he stays healthy. Perhaps Detroit brings him home. He certainly brings more to the table than Bertuzzi did the past few years.

Seriously? Bertuzzi certainly "brought more to the table" than Booth.

Bertuzzi has that net presence, size, and toughness that Booth has never had. Despite being 10 years older he's also been a better producer. Even last year they put up nearly identical PPG. He also made less than half of what Booth did. You can't say a guy that is paid to be a bottom-6 player, putting up bottom-6 numbers brings less to the table than a guy paid to be a top-6 player while putting up bottom-6 numbers. One is doing his job, the other fucking sucks.

Bertuzzi was basically performing as expected, given his age and contract. Booth was an utter failure as a hockey player during his time in Vancouver. I'd suspect, given that guys like Ribiero and Hetley are going for $1M, that Booth will likely need to play for under 800K or show up to camp on a tryout.

Oooooooooooooh

He just needs to do exactly what he did in the final three months of last season when he was healthy, a puck-possession winner, and an effective bottom-six player on what became a surprisingly decent Canucks third line.

http://www.theprovince.com/touch/sports/hockey/canucks-hockey/Botchford+million+Booth+Toronto+Maple+Leafs/10053189/story.html?rel=894638

It seems to be that Weird Dude Booth will not get another contract in the NHL, if only just one GM out there felt the same about Weird Dude as some of Booths CC loyalists but hmmmm it doesn't seem to be

[Island Nucklehead]

Oooooooooooooh

Not sure the Leafs are an example of a team that makes sound managerial decisions, Clam. I didn't see many teams giving him a contract, but it kind of figures one of the most inept management groups out there would go there. Well done.

[herb]

Not sure the Leafs are an example of a team that makes sound managerial decisions, Clam. I didn't see many teams giving him a contract, but it kind of figures one of the most inept management groups out there would go there. Well done.

Nonis/Burke were always famous here in my eyes for going after the cheap reclamation project. You know, the guy who scored 20+ goals once or twice back a few years ago and could conceivably do it again (Bulis, Rucinsky, Pyatt, Isbister, Carter). Or the washed up "top 4" d-man who could conceivably be decent again (Carney, Weinrich). It worked with Anson Carter, but that was about it.

[Mondi]

Booth and Raymond did nothing here. The Leafs (and Flames) are welcome to them.

I guess Raymond had a good season, but subsequently he was't a very useful piece.

[ClamRussel]

Oooooooooooooh

Not sure the Leafs are an example of a team that makes sound managerial decisions, Clam. I didn't see many teams giving him a contract, but it kind of figures one of the most inept management groups out there would go there. Well done.

Well I guess that all depends on what kind of season he has. If he stays reasonably healthy & plays like he did for the Canucks in the new year I say it will be a steal. If he flops it's a pretty low risk contract.

[Reefer2]

Eller signed with Montreal.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=457837

I wish I was born a hockey player instead of so good looking.

Not a bad cap hit but still, $3.5M for a player who has had 1 good season.

[Betamax]

So, a little twitter dispute going on by some Boston media guy .....

via: https://twitter.com/HackswithHaggs/stat ... 9422443520

Joe Haggerty @HackswithHaggs
@DaveLozo @mc79hockey I think Iginla is borderline HOF w/out a Cup. Great stats player on largely garbage teams don't really do it for me

8:53 AM - 25 Jul 2014

Anyway, someone on twitter as a retort .... found an article he had written when Iggy was still with the Bruins:

via: https://twitter.com/PeteBlackburn/statu ... 1892673537

Pete Blackburn @PeteBlackburn
Iginla was a surefire HOFer in November. I wonder what the hell happened?



9:35 AM - 25 Jul 2014

and

via: https://twitter.com/PeteBlackburn/statu ... 7688740864

Pete Blackburn @PeteBlackburn



Still a surefire HOFer in May.

9:39 AM - 25 Jul 2014

Is it fair commentary to believe that Iggy is a "borderline HOF" w/out a Cup?

Personally, I think it's b.s. commentary. Iggy is a sure fire 1st ballot HOFer. He wasn't the GM and it wasn't exactly his fault that he was surrounded by, duh, the "garbage teams" around him.

[Strangelove]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=458259

The Toronto Maple Leaves signed restricted free agent defenceman Jake Gardiner to a five-year contract on Tuesday.

According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the deal is worth $20.25 million with an average annual value of $4.05 million per season.

LOL stupid Leaves...

[ClamRussel]

Wwwwwwwowza!!

[Strangelove]

Wwwwwwwowza!!

Yeah, I see a lot of Leafers lapping this up as some kind of next generation moneypuck Kyle Dumbass thing.

"If he's a player you believe in..." stupid Leafers say, "... lock him up to a lower cap-hit while you can!"



Now, normally a team gives a guy in Gardiner's position a two-year bridge deal at... say... $2.5m per.

Then after those two years they still control the player and have a better idea of where he tops out.

IF he's awesome, you can lock him up (hopefully at a bit of a hometown discount) for 8 more years.

2 years + 8 years = 10 years (age 23/24 to age 33/34)

The way the Leaves have done this, they have 5 years of Gardiner, after which he is free to become a UFA.

Silly Leaves, 10 years > 5 years if he's "a player you believe in".

Gardiner will play his last game for the Leaves under this contract at age 28.

Add to that the fact Gardiner has only played 167 NHL games to date

... and the fact he's a career defenseman who has yet to learn to play DEFENSE.

See, apparently he has a very low hockey IQ...

... which leads us to the other possibility -> this contract becomes a bit of an albatross.

Yup, one way or another...

... a few years from now they'll be hanging Kyle Dumbass in effigy at the Centre of the Universe.

To be honest though, I'm worried about them having a lottery ticket in the McDavid Sweepstakes.

[Jovocop]

To be honest though, I'm worried about them having a lottery ticket in the McDavid Sweepstakes.

I would not worry too much. The Leafs always find ways to just miss the playoffs without being a lottery team...

[Betamax]

To be honest though, I'm worried about them having a lottery ticket in the McDavid Sweepstakes.

I would not worry too much. The Leafs always find ways to just miss the playoffs without being a lottery team...

duh, all teams that miss the playoffs are part of the Draft Lottery for the 1st overall pick .................

[Jovocop]

To be honest though, I'm worried about them having a lottery ticket in the McDavid Sweepstakes.

I would not worry too much. The Leafs always find ways to just miss the playoffs without being a lottery team...

duh, all teams that miss the playoffs are part of the Draft Lottery for the 1st overall pick .................

Yes, but 1% vs 99% type of odds...