Trades, Rumours, Expansion and Free Agency? Interview Week

[LeafsNation75]

 

[Cor]

Connor Brown
Zachary Hyman
Antoine Bibeau
Garret Sparks
Seth Griffith
Justin Holl
Sergei Kalinin

All need to be qualified.

My guess is that Bibeau, Kalinin, and possibly Holl are all unqualified and allowed to walk. Chance for Griffith, but considering they took him back from FLA last season makes me think management likes him enough.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Soshnikov + 2nd is my starting offer.

Not sure how that would stack up. I mean he did just sign as a UFA a year ago, which unless someone offered more and he turned it down likely means nobody saw him worth any more than he's getting. As well as the fact that IIRC he didn't have a great looking year, besides for the fact his advanced stats still look great but Florida is taking a turn away from those after a weird year in management.

I'd be willing to improve on that offer, but have a limit and it depends specifically on what guys/picks Florida would want.

I don't think I would even offer that much.

I think Florida would be happy to get him off of the books with Ekblad, Pysyk and Petrovic on the right side right now. They could use that cap space to sign a good LHD in FA or get one from elsewhere. I would at least start lower and go from there.

I would probably start with Marincin + Soshnikov + prospect and see if that would do it for them.

 

[Kiwi]

Connor Brown
Zachary Hyman
Antoine Bibeau
Garret Sparks
Seth Griffith
Justin Holl
Sergei Kalinin

All need to be qualified.

My guess is that Bibeau, Kalinin, and possibly Holl are all unqualified and allowed to walk. Chance for Griffith, but considering they took him back from FLA last season makes me think management likes him enough.

I think they will bring back Holl and Kalinin
The Marlies will need them both imo

Bibeau may be in some danger though

 

[SprDaVE]

Like last off-season, we will not know who got qualified or not. Leafs will not announce it.

So just assume the obvious are qualified. I think the only 2 not qualified would be Bibeau and Kalinin.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Like last off-season, we will not know who got qualified or not. Leafs will not announce it.

So just assume the obvious are qualified. I think the only 2 not qualified would be Bibeau and Kalinin.

considering the Leafs had to qualify either Sparks or Bibeau before the expansion draft protection lists were filed 8 days ago and we still haven't found out this is probably right

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Connor Brown
Zachary Hyman
Antoine Bibeau
Garret Sparks
Seth Griffith
Justin Holl
Sergei Kalinin

All need to be qualified.

My guess is that Bibeau, Kalinin, and possibly Holl are all unqualified and allowed to walk. Chance for Griffith, but considering they took him back from FLA last season makes me think management likes him enough.

All except Kalinin and Bibeau. They'll want Holl and Griffith for the Marlies. The other three are for the Leafs more so than anything. Kalinin will likely want to go back to Russia anyways, and he was more for temporary depth, while Bibeau should be brought back on an AHL deal at best.

Smith is going to replace Kalinin on the Marlies as well.

 

[showtime8]

I think that Holl had a pretty solid year and has really grown a lot from getting his first AHL deal.

IMO, Holl gets 1 more year with the Marlies.

I know that the Marlies will need another goalie, but I don't think that Sparks or Bibeau have done much in terms of getting another contract. AHL deal likely for either one of those.

I would only qualify Brown, Hyman & Holl.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I think that Holl had a pretty solid year and has really grown a lot from getting his first AHL deal.

IMO, Holl gets 1 more year with the Marlies.

I know that the Marlies will need another goalie, but I don't think that Sparks or Bibeau have done much in terms of getting another contract. AHL deal likely for either one of those.

I would only qualify Brown, Hyman & Holl.

One of Sparks or Bibeau had to be qualified, and Sparks has definitely earned another contract. He was one of the top goalies in the league. All of the goalies who had better stats them him were either older (sometimes by a lot), didn't play as much, or had much better defenses in front of him.

 

[pspot]

Jvr and marincin for pysk and mackenzie
Florida adds a 3rd or something

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Jvr and marincin for pysk and mackenzie
Florida adds a 3rd or something

That's pretty steep for a bottom 6er (who is 36 and they probably want keep since he's captain) and a bottom pairing defenseman.

 

[showtime8]

One of Sparks or Bibeau had to be qualified, and Sparks has definitely earned another contract. He was one of the top goalies in the league. All of the goalies who had better stats them him were either older (sometimes by a lot), didn't play as much, or had much better defenses in front of him.

So here's my question for you, what do you fully expect out of Sparks next year?

Are you going for AHL depth, 1st call-up in case of injury or do you hop he has a back-up role with the Leafs?

 

[Leafin]

I think we end up signing a backup with NHL experience. Sparks probably continues his development with the majority of the games for the Marlies.

We have the cap space to overpay a guy and i'd like to ensure we have a good backup in case of injury to Andersen. A short term overpay.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

So here's my question for you, what do you fully expect out of Sparks next year?

Are you going for AHL depth, 1st call-up in case of injury or do you hop he has a back-up role with the Leafs?

I expect him to be in a battle for the backup job with whomever we sign, McElhinney or otherwise. If he wins it, then I expect him to be the backup. If not, I expect him to be the #3 and injury call up.

Due to expansion, we had to qualify him anyways. I'm not really upset, because I look at the alternatives and there are not many guys of Sparks' quality with upside in FA, if any at all. Teams would probably jump on him.

 

[LeafChief]

Kalinin will not be qualified.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I think we end up signing a backup with NHL experience. Sparks probably continues his development with the majority of the games for the Marlies.

We have the cap space to overpay a guy and i'd like to ensure we have a good backup in case of injury to Andersen. A short term overpay.

Only guy I would pay more than 950k to would be someone who can play a lot of games well if Andersen gets injured. Elliott, Mason or Miller.

We aren't bringing Bernier back.

Otherwise, I don't think we should have dead cap if Sparks wins the job in training camp. If Enroth proved anything, getting good numbers one year does not mean it transfers. Even if they So Nilsson, Kinkaid, McElhinney, Condon, Johnson or Kuemper for <= 950k.

 

[gabeliscious]

mcelhinney for bu goalie. give him 1.5 x 2 years.

 

[showtime8]

I expect him to be in a battle for the backup job with whomever we sign, McElhinney or otherwise. If he wins it, then I expect him to be the backup. If not, I expect him to be the #3 and injury call up.

Due to expansion, we had to qualify him anyways. I'm not really upset, because I look at the alternatives and there are not many guys of Sparks' quality with upside in FA, if any at all. Teams would probably jump on him.

I think that the back-up goaltender position is very important.

My guess is that the Leafs will be asking to get another 65 games out of Andersen. So that means 17 games from any back-up.

Last year, the Leafs only got 7 wins from their back-up. That's not enough. We all know the struggles of Enroth and they quickly dumped him. Bibeau came up for a couple games and then they brought in McElhinney.

The Leafs need to be sure of who is going to be the back-up and commit for the year (of course based on stats).

To me, there's too many question marks with Sparks. I'd have to pass and keep him as the 3rd goalie.

 

[Kiwi]

mcelhinney for bu goalie. give him 1.5 x 2 years.

Hell no
1 year and cheap or go after someone better

 

[A1LeafNation]

Hell no
1 year and cheap or go after someone better

nilsson

 

[Oskar The Groucho]

Nilsson will be signed hes only 26

 

[Leafin]

Yea we should be counting for near 20 games from the backup. I don't want us wasting possible wins on trying to find out whether a backup is good enough or not.

Find one that is good enough and pay the man. We have enough cap space to make this happen in the short term.

IF i recall correctly Enroth was coming off injury. Along with being small he didn't work out. Find a good backup.

 

[Hymanbrah]

Jvr and marincin for pysk and mackenzie
Florida adds a 3rd or something

That's a terrible deal for the Leafs.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

Maybe we sign a stop gap RD for 1 year and give Liljegen 10 games.

Shattenkirk 1 year 10M

What about a 1 year 10 AAV deal for Shatty

He probably wants a career contract. So term, even if it means he only makes 7 mill a year.

He'll probably get 7x7.

Agreed. Another pipe dream.

A player at his age is trying to get a maximum term contract.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

So how much are people willing to pay for Demers?

Soshnikov + 2nd is my starting offer.

Not sure how that would stack up. I mean he did just sign as a UFA a year ago, which unless someone offered more and he turned it down likely means nobody saw him worth any more than he's getting. As well as the fact that IIRC he didn't have a great looking year, besides for the fact his advanced stats still look great but Florida is taking a turn away from those after a weird year in management.

I'd be willing to improve on that offer, but have a limit and it depends specifically on what guys/picks Florida would want.

So, its down to Demers now?

Demers is 29 years old, has four years left on his contract that he signed just last year at $4.5 m AAV. Florida didn't even protect him in the ED.

He's good offensively, but not defensively. Last year Demers was responsible for 2.71 goals against in 60 minutes, which ranked highest among defense men who played more than 50 games for the Cats.

I'd say something about being patient, but doubt it would have any impact.