Confirmed with Link: Josh Leivo signs for a 1 year, 925k

Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
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I guess we'll see how it goes as soon as some of those top 7 are purged, but I think Babcock on record saying that Leivo's a top 9 player, reports of other teams inquiring and getting a "prohibitively high" price on him, him giving up his leverage to go UFA to stay here all point to him getting some assurances of opportunity. If he was just a placeholder, wouldn't we have taken something in return for him and let one of our other placeholders (ones that are more versatile, like Fehr or Soshnikov maybe) fill that pressbox seat?

ultimately this argument gets settled for us by next season or sooner, but I'm definitely not reading the tea leaves the same way

How I see things exactly too.

The only forward UfA I can see the Leafs signing is a centre to replace Bozak, too many in-house wingers to turn to older and more expensive versions come July. There's going to be 2-3 winger spots up for grabs.
 

Randy Randerson

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Jul 28, 2016
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I think he stayed and took the 1 way contract because he isn't confident he gets one from another team. He mentioned security was important for him and that's why he re-signed here.
I don't believe the Leafs are giving anyone assurances on playing time, let alone someone of Leivo's stature.
As for something in return, I don't think anyone wants him enough to give up more than a 5th or 6th pick.

I think there is value in having a guy you can sit in the pressbox, practice with the team, fill in on spot duty 5 or 10 games a season all while keeping a positive outlook. That wasn't Fehr. But it might be Sosh too.
when teams are calling asking to give up an asset to get you at 24 years old, you're getting a one way contract as a UFA when they can get you for free. His agent would have to be a moron to think otherwise, and I'd bet that 20 teams would be giving him a real look if it got to that

the most discussed trades were around a 3rd round pick on the trade forum, fans of other teams thought that was fair. The "can't put stock in what fans think" caveat applies, but there was enough good posters who value appropriately in on it that it was worth something. So the benchmark for "prohibitively high" to me means at least 2nd rounder, probably 1st

He's been a scorer at every level he's playing, including as good of a scorer as Johnsson at the same level and the same age (6 months younger), and he's had the measurable success that hits the radar of every analytics department in the league. Half the teams in the league can afford to take a flyer on a young player because they're not in real contention, another handful are contending and right up against the cap. When guys like Jordan Weal are getting 2 year, 3.5M contracts on less games played and less production than Leivo's had, it's crazy to think that he wasn't going to land in an NHL lineup as a UFA and likely using Weal as the benchmark for what he'd be getting. Hell, Seth Griffith and Jordan Weal are NHL regulars because of exactly the same (but not as good) analytics impact

anyway, that just doesn't pass the smell test for me, I think you'd find that you would be in a very minority opinion on that
 
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White Shadow

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Jan 7, 2016
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If you're wondering when I decided this conversation was no longer worthwhile...it was 1st rounder and Leivo in the same sentence.
 

Randy Randerson

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If you're wondering when I decided this conversation was no longer worthwhile...it was 1st rounder and Leivo in the same sentence.
"prohibitively", as in; the price you give when you don't actually want to sell

btw - I was interested to see what the common perception of whether Leivo was getting a full time NHL job so I polled it. 100% yes thus far, so if you're wondering who's opinion on this is the outlandish one, it looks like its yours: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...g-an-nhl-job-if-he-got-to-ufa-status.2413415/
 
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White Shadow

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Jan 7, 2016
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We're clearly on the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to Leivo, that's cool. I don't however need to canvass to feel validated. Here's a hot take, home team fans over-rate their own.

I noticed you didn't put up a poll, do you think Lou had the nerve to risk his reputation and ask for a 1st rounder for Leivo? That would be your end of the pendulum.
 
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Randy Randerson

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Jul 28, 2016
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Hamilton
We're clearly on the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to Leivo, that's cool. I don't however need to canvass to feel validated. Here's a hot take, home team fans over-rate their own.

I noticed you didn't put up a poll, do you think Lou had the nerve to risk his reputation and ask for a 1st rounder for Leivo? That would be your end of the pendulum.

I'm here for conversation, not validation. The incorporation of external info into your opinion might help that opinion to hold up to scrutiny though.

I don't know why you think that asking way more for an asset than it's worth would damage anyone's reputation. I can tell you that it happens in my business often within a group of people who have to deal with eachother often and literally across generations, and no one gets their feathers ruffled or hesitates to call the next time they see an asset that they want in the possession of the same person who gave them a "prohibitive" price last time. "I don't want to sell, but I would for ____"
 

hockeywiz542

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May 26, 2008
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Leivo gave us some insight into that. On the surface, it seemed a bit unusual that a player who, to some degree, seems trapped within the organization would choose to extend his contract to the end of next season rather than become an unrestricted free agent in July.

Why would he do that? He’s not dressing much. Wouldn’t he want out?

Tough call for the young man, for sure, and it helped that he had an experienced adviser in agent Ian Pulver, who has seen the NHL business develop from a number of perspectives over the past 20 years. Leivo concluded that it was better for him to stay in Toronto and fight for work rather than take a chance in free agency that he might find a better home.

“He’s from the Toronto area, he wants to make it here and be part of what they’re doing,” said Pulver. “He’s prepared to wait his turn to perform on a regular basis. If he gets a repeated chance to do that, he believes he can have success here.”

In other words, Leivo decided the grass wouldn’t necessarily be greener somewhere else, that the Leafs are now an organization worth being part of and that an opportunity for a bigger payday would be enhanced if he took this deal now.

Needless to say, this is exactly the situation Brendan Shanahan, Lou Lamoriello and Co. are hoping to create.

Remember, the Leafs are heavily influenced by people who were once in the New Jersey (Lamoriello) or Detroit organization (Mike Babcock, Jim Hiller). Shanahan, meanwhile, was part of both. Both the Red Wings and Devils during their heydays were exceptionally good at accumulating talent, keeping that talent as long as possible and creating the conditions under which, in some cases, talent was convinced to stay and play for below-market salaries.
 

MR4

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Oct 20, 2014
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Def should at least be put in over Sosh when we're switching someone out, Sosh looks pretty bad
 

mmalady

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Jan 31, 2013
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minor tidbit but Leivo took Riellys(sick) spot with Hainsy at practice today..wondering if having a forward replace a D at practice is common...i personally havent seen the leafs do it before...especially when we have extra D...probably nothing but would be interesting to see if Leivo gets the ice time he wants ..playing D ..lol
 

Gabriel426

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Jun 30, 2015
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Leivo will be the big RHD we needed.
Think his skating needs to be better for him to switch. Kap is probably the one winger I can see to have success as a Dmen due to his speed and his skills.
 

Battle Lin

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Dec 18, 2015
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another year of sitting around for leivo just like last year, at least with marlies hes getting games in and playing hockey, but he cant even be sent down

sucks for him man, but when he gets his random chances here and there its not like hes taken full advantage of it
 

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