I never said they had to share the details of ongoing negotiations. I said the negotiations should be long over and a reason as to why they are not should be shared. I don't expect all the details, nor do I even want them.
What I want is Matthews to have been signed like every other draftee was. Or if Lou Lam has reasons why they have to wait, share those.
"We are talking with Matthew's camp and have explained to them that while we will have a contract in place long before camp. There are priorities within the roster that have to be addressed first before we can complete with those negotiations." Great!! We know the Leafs have some roster moves still to make and once those are done Matthews can be signed. Everyone is happy!
I also think it is fair that if Lou Lam is so quick with breaking trades as you stated, then he should be as quick to announce which RFA's have been qualified.
- You contradict yourself! You state he should be the one announcing trades but say he should not be anouncing RFA signings??? which is it.
As for sharing the plan when appropriate, a short time after the RFA qualification window is appropriate. HE didn't share.
But we'll have to agree to disagree. I'm not going to debate with someone that assumes they're some intellectual superior and that other people are too simple minded to know the difference between a public/private company.
So, have all other 29 draft picks in the first round been tendered a contract yet? Because if not. then not ever other draftee has been signed.
Lamoriello does not have to share 1 iota of why he hasn't signed Matthews yet with you. You don't have to air everything in public. It's not a power struggle, it's not ego - it's keeping what needs to be in house, in house. As everyone has stated before - there have some (recent) 1st ova's who didn't sign until deep into the summer. Ekblad didn't sign until September. the last 4 Leafs high end prospects (didn't sign until the end of July
minimum). I don't remember any threads popping up demanding that JFJ, Burke, and Nonis explain themselves and tell us why they haven't signed on the dotted line yet.
You should be intelligent enough as a fan to realise what is going on without having to be hand-held by Leafs management and explain why some things are done first. I don't need Lou to tell me that there are other priorities to deal with first and foremost before signing their draft pick. it's there. it's obvious. And despite your "but we have a right to know." both Shanahan + Lamoriello said they are talking, but they don't want to discuss further than that, per policy. They don't want to talk through every blessed thing through the media. Look at how many times players here have had their negotiations or contract talks dragged out in public. that backwashes onto the the player. the leafs want to create a safe environment. This is part of it.
You get mad that Lou broke a trade and they shouldn't do that. (what?). Lou literally just finished the trade. before he went down and talked to the media. did you expect him to call Leafs PR, wait 10-15 minutes for PR to tweet about it, and let the reporters get that information, and
then go down and talk to them? Or does it not make more sense for Lou to do what he did - finish the transaction, go to the media, and give them something else to talk about and be available for that?
And in that little transaction, you could easily pick up the reason why the Leafs didn't announce whom they QD'd. Lou probably called players to let them know they aren't part of the organization. That. would generally take a while. (and it doesn't seem like to me that Lou would also want them reading it online before they've been talked to).He said that he called Bernier twice (once to announce the trade), and then again to make sure he digested it and was okay with everything.
And you ultimately found out anyway. so what exactly is the glitch? they weren't hiding it forever, it was going to be public knowledge?
There are a lot of things that the internet has provided (thanks general fanager, and trade tracker, and everything) that gives us all the pertinent information. But that doesn't mean every organization spills their cookies in regards to that information. as I've said I know of only two GMs who literally has full disclosure like you want. And generally speaking - those two are laughed at. Hard. Just like we were laughed at when Burke banged his chest and always needed to have a quote-moment, and Nonis basically sat there and discussed everything he was doing so you could literally predict deals and knew why it wouldn't work.
A wise man doens't show his hand, until it's time to reveal, and a wiser man doesn't tell his techniques so the opponent know how to prepare for next time. It's not ego. It's not a power trip. It's having respect for the people involved to have the reasons of things withheld (both during and after). It's not giving information out unnecessarily. You spoke about having rights and needing to know. You don't
need to know. You
want to know. There is a significant difference. Knowing at 10am the day after QD vs. 4:00pm the day of QD doesn't change the situation, or the fact you know. it's just when you knew.
They don't "want" the spotlight at all. That's why you can count on one hand how many times Shanahan is seen or speaks about the Organization, and the only time Lou speaks are like times like these. They come out they explain a trade, or a massive situation, and then they do what you want. Let the PR do it.
Matthews will sign his contract.
he'll get everything he's entitled to.
and it will be done when it's ready to be done.
that's really all anyone needs to know.
