Confirmed with Link: Calvin Pickard, McBackup, Placed on Waivers

[supermann_98]

Leafs don't have a back to back until November 9-10.
Will Sparks play before that?

First weekend they play Ottawa on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday

 

[Not My Tempo]

I’m hard-pressed how anyone could possibly spin this as a good thing.

It’s obviously not a good thing, but it is what it is. We were probably always going to lose 2/3 of them.

 

[DarkKnight]

Our depth is gone just like that. I think Sparks would have been claimed as well, so now it's a matter of waiting and seeing if Dubas made the right judgement call on this one.

Honestly I think he calculated that both wouldn’t get claimed.

 

[The Podium]

Wheres the asset management on losing two goalies on the waiver wire?

Established NHL starters are traded for nothing, backups are acquired on waivers. Happens every year, that’s how we got McBackup in the first place.

I’m sure if there was a deal to be made, dubas wouldve made it

 

[hector morrison]

Having a long career as a backup is nothing to sneeze at. There are only 62 NHL goalie jobs. I'd be fine if Sparks can give us a few years of solid backup.

Hopefully McElhinney and Pickard clear and those guys (plus Kaskisuo) can keep pushing. Sparks may have won the backup job but now he's gotta earn keeping it.

It is a relatively rare occupation,but he is unproven at the NHL level! This team is trying to win a cup. If Sparks sucks,the chances of winning go down. A gamble by Dubas,to be sure! Not sure the basis for the decision. Maybe he gambles that Mac doesn't get claimed?

 

[Trapper]

I guess from that tweet it depends on who you thought was the weakest of the 3.
To say we would lose Sparks is fine (to protect him) if you think he's the best out of all of them.
I guess management does.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I guess from that tweet it depends on who you thought was the weakest of the 3.
To say we would lose Sparks is fine (to protect him) if you think he's the best out of all of them.
I guess management does.

Yup and time will tell if it was the right move

 

[DopeyFish]

Wheres the asset management on losing two goalies on the waiver wire?

We were going to lose 2 no matter what

 

[supermann_98]

Over 100 NHL games played:

NAME	GP	Sv %
Cory Schneider	370	0.920
Matt Murray	111	0.917
Ryan Miller	737	0.915
Jonathan Bernier	289	0.914
Jake Allen	219	0.913
Jason Labarbera	187	0.907

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Under 100 NHL games played:

NAME	GP	Sv %
Niklas Svedberg	19	0.920
Brad Thiessen	5	0.858

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Above are the career NHL stats of each AHL goalie of the year winner. According to NHL.com, the league average in save percentage last year was .913. With that in mind, only Jason Labarbera had a below league save percentage with 100 NHL games played. In comparison, McBackup has been a career below average goalie, having is best seasons with the Leafs.

Is Niklas Svedberg still playing? I’d take him over Sparks and I have no clue who he is

 

[LeafChief]

**** *** Dubas !!!!!

Take it easy.

We lost 2 backup/AHL level goalies.

People are freaking out like these are important pieces. If Andersen were to get hurt, would you be comfortable with ANY of Sparks, McBackup or Pickard? Likely not. We'd have to make a move regardless if that were to occur.

 

[hector morrison]

Carolina claims Curtis McElhinney off waivers, Philadelphia claims Calvin Pickard.

Nice move rook.

This could backfire for Kyle if Sparks is not great!

 

[Suntouchable13]

I know everyone is pissy about it and I am not real high on Sparks but it is probably the best case scenario. Two of the goalies were gonna go, might a swell lose a guy they were only gonna have for a year over a guy that they could have for 5 more. It may not work out but it is the gambles you have to take.

I wouldn't have been ok if we lost Sparks and Pickard while keeping Mac.

 

[Liminality]

Didn’t matter who was waived, 2/3 were gone. I though McBackup would be the least likely but with Darling out Carolina needed to make a claim.

That's the thing here, we were losing out on 2 goalies either way. People overreacting to this are just choosing to be that way.

 

[Liminality]

Take it easy.

We lost 2 backup/AHL level goalies.

People are freaking out like these are important pieces. If Andersen were to get hurt, would you be comfortable with ANY of Sparks, McBackup or Pickard? Likely not. We'd have to make a move regardless if that were to occur.

He does that often.

 

[Liminality]

Also

 

[LeafChief]

Everyone take a breather.

Take a look at our lineup and you'll realize that losing one of our two backups and the AHL backup is NOT the end of the world.

 

[dangomon]

That's the thing here, we were losing out on 2 goalies either way. People overreacting to this are just choosing to be that way.

Agreed, the only thing that changes based on Kyle's decision is who's our backup. Our depth was always going to be destroyed no matter which goalie he chose. Have to think the 35 year old, who was our waiver pick up two years ago, would clear over two younger goalies with AHL success, didn't happen and that's just the way it goes.

 

[DarkKnight]

We can debate back-and-forth but one thing is clear to me if you don’t understand importance of a back up in a parity league, you really don’t get it.

 

[DarkKnight]

Where are all these guys now saying we’re losing two anyways yesterday I don’t recall hearing that at all?

 

[BackPassChampions]

We'll be fine.

 

[DarkKnight]

In reality I think we all assumed at least one of them would pass waivers.

 

[Subway Schenn]

Take it easy.

We lost 2 backup/AHL level goalies.

People are freaking out like these are important pieces. If Andersen were to get hurt, would you be comfortable with ANY of Sparks, McBackup or Pickard? Likely not. We'd have to make a move regardless if that were to occur.

True, but the question is who has the most potential to succeed in the backup role this year (or long-term, on the flip side - if they didn't want to lose the player)?

Did Dubas shop Mac and Pickard? Was he hoping to sneak one or both through waivers?

As long as Sparks is the better goalie now and/or in the long run (hopefully both), we should be happy.

On the flip side, what's the worst that could happen this year? Sparks completely tanks and we are left looking for a replacement on the waiver wire or for a late pick? Meh. Long-term, the regret I suppose could be picking Sparks over Pickard.

This is assuming we don't get Mac or Pickard back in a couple of weeks.

 

[MyBudJT]

Sparks was not terrible in his first NHL stint... he struggled in his second NHL stint...


Sparks First NHL Stint:
November-mid December: 3-1-0 2.58GAA .915 SV% (Not bad for a 22YO goaltender on a league worst NHL team)

Sparks' Second NHL Stint:
late February-early April: 3-8-1 3.17GAA 0.884SV%
He started his first two games on his second stint well (2.08GAA and .920 SV%), but the team didn't do him any favours

First seven NHL games played in:
3-3-0 2.42GAA and .916 SV%

To Furthur my point here...

Sparks had a good FIRST 7 NHL games... followed by a bad 10 NHL games...

Both extremely small samples, so we shouldn't be so quick to judge. Lets wait to see how he does in the NHL after 3 years of maturing.

Just a little bump... We would have lost two goaltenders guaranteed... I'm really glad we kept Sparks.

 

[Liminality]

Where are all these guys now saying we’re losing two anyways yesterday I don’t recall hearing that at all?

There's always a risk involved. It just happened under these circumstances that teams with goalie injuries needed a backup. Can pretty safely say now that since these two have been claimed that Sparks would have been claimed too. That would have been the biggest loss.

 

[BackPassChampions]

Dubas made the right call. Sparks has been very good in the AHL. I'm well aware this doesn't always transpire into the NHL but something has to give with him. He has such potential.

I'd rather lose an aging backup than a young backup who has been extremely good in the AHL. He would have been picked up 100%