Post-Game Talk: Murray's first Win as a Leaf!, 5-2 leafs

[Dekes For Days]

For reference...

Sparks, AHL, age 22-24, 2015-2018
66-22-4 (121 point pace)
0.930 SV% (0.936 in his final year)
Calder Cup Champion
AHL Goalie of the year

Most people would kill for a goalie prospect like that.
Sometimes it works out in the NHL. Sometimes it doesn't. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

 

[Petrus]

For reference...

Sparks, AHL, age 22-24, 2015-2018
66-22-4 (121 point pace)
0.930 SV% (0.936 in his final year)
Calder Cup Champion
AHL Goalie of the year

Most people would kill for a goalie prospect like that.
Sometimes it works out in the NHL. Sometimes it doesn't. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

When you see numbers like that you gotta give Sparks the opportunity. The potential reward long term outweighed the risk of games lost to a backup.

 

[AllDay28]

Sorry missed the question

You lose to waivers the player that will give you nhl franchise the best chance of winning.

It's pretty easy to see that it was McElhaney both on past and the performance that he had in the seasons after. McElhaney had been over a .910 for 4 of the previous 5 seasons

Your role as a GM is in part to work with your coach as well. You don't undermine him to take a gamble that sparks would work out.

geez.. talking about .900+ save when the dude played a dozen games a year...

 

[rocketman588]

View attachment 609054



geez.. talking about .900+ save when the dude played a dozen games a year...

Yet we pushed so much of the blame last year on goalies like Kallgren who played fewer games, interesting.

Guess goaltending only matters to some if it's absolving Dubas of blame

 

[saltming]

No, I watch the game and come to an educated opinion, but I don't ignore all of the relevant information at the same time. The fact is that, as a young, Calder Cup-winning, AHL goaltender of the year, he was worth a shot as our backup over a mid-30s journeyman waiver claim approaching UFA. That is undeniable. And while it wasn't always pretty, he actually started off that year relatively well, despite your false claim that he was garbage from game 1.

It's really easy to play Captain hindsight and claim he doesn't have what it takes over 4 years after the decision had to be made. Seems a lot of people here didn't watch him in the AHL.

Yes, he was never able to establish himself in the NHL. But that doesn't change the fact that you don't throw away a mid-20s goalie prospect that had a "superb AHL career", and just won a Calder Cup and AHL goalie of the year with your team. Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn't. But the fact that it doesn't sometimes doesn't mean you make a beyond stupid decision and throw them away before you even give them a chance.

I do understand that logic but also you would think that the goalie coach would have seen some red flags? Maybe that's part of the reason he's gone?
Imo, my very humble opinion, it should always be what's best for the team. If sparks was seen as capable of making the jump, then great, but at no point did I, an amateur arm chair GM, see NHL potential in him and it wasn't a small sample size. He never got better.
Again that's my eye test and I might be biased.
So, if the Leafs thought he was the answer at backup, thank God Briere is gone

 

[uncleben]

Off topic now

Let's gear up for the new game!