Garrett Sparks

[Warden of the North]

I mean no team will pick him up unless they want to get the next year 1 AO.

His contract can be entirely buried in the AHL.

 

[Egghead1999]

His contract can be entirely buried in the AHL.

I know that;
give me a team that will take this unnecessary gamble

 

[Zybalto]

Sure does speak to how bad he's been. I predict we have another candidate in camp and we won't see a repeat. If we do hold on to him next year then I'll see it as a flaw in Dubas he can't admit a mistake.

There was a hit on TSN a couple weeks ago, sentiment around the league is that he's a horribly flawed goalie. People who know goaltending can see it, let's hope our GM cuts bait. He isn't an NHL goalie.

Sparks has the stats of an average backup goalie this year, his first year in the NHL.

Pretty much what was expected no?

He was kept as it was the smart thing to do and he earned his shot with his play in the A. In hindsight, it may have been the wrong thing for this year but you have to keep the young prospect in that situation over the guy with only a couple of years left. Sparks had two games of great relief coming cold off the bench and really got hung out to dry last night with guys cruising in wide open in the slot. It actually could have been worse early on as he made some great saves.

I want this team to be competitive long term. McBackup was pretty much Sparks most of his career until he figured it out late. Let Sparks have his chance. This team has thrown away so many players that have come back to bite us it is maddening. Stop listening to the Toronto sports media has been the lesson of the last 15 years IMO.

I'm not saying hes the right fit for the team but recency bias, while always bad around here, has reached new heights.

 

[Mess]

Sure does speak to how bad he's been. I predict we have another candidate in camp and we won't see a repeat. If we do hold on to him next year then I'll see it as a flaw in Dubas he can't admit a mistake.

There was a hit on TSN a couple weeks ago, sentiment around the league is that he's a horribly flawed goalie. People who know goaltending can see it, let's hope our GM cuts bait. He isn't an NHL goalie.

McElhinney posted some of the best numbers in the NHL last year with a .934 sv% and 2.14 GAA and 3 SO while winning 11 of the 18 games he appeared in, on the way to a Leafs all-time best franchise mark.

As a analytics guru I'm sure Dubas understood the value of those stats, however it appears he let personal preference and the desire to reward and promote from within cloud better judgement. Babcock was not all that pleased with the decision and praised McBackup as he departed out the door, as Leafs loss is Carolina's gain.

If the Leafs lose game #7 in Boston this year because this decision cost them home ice, than you and I will be able to connect the dots here as to one of the reasons why and it will be tied to the Sparks decision before the season even started.

 

[DarkKnight]

McElhinney posted some of the best numbers in the NHL last year with a .934 sv% and 2.14 GAA and 3 SO while winning 11 of the 18 games he appeared in, on the way to a Leafs all-time best franchise mark.

As a analytics guru I'm sure Dubas understood the value of those stats, however it appears he let personal preference and the desire to reward and promote from within cloud better judgement. Babcock was not all that pleased with the decision and praised McBackup as he departed out the door, as Leafs loss is Carolina's gain.

If the Leafs lose game #7 in Boston this year because this decision cost them home ice, than you and I will be able to connect the dots here as to one of the reasons why and it will be tied to the Sparks decision before the season even started.

I said in October if we lose home ice by a couple points don't tell me a backup doesn't matter. Sparks is 7-7, McBackup 11-5 last year, under identical circumstances. In a zero sum parity league, every single point counts, only a fool dismisses the "backup" as irrelevant.

And here we sit.

 

[Warden of the North]

I know that;
give me a team that will take this unnecessary gamble

I dont know every teams goalie situation.

What I do know is every team needs at least 4 goalies under contract and a player making league minimum isnt a terrible chance to take.

 

[Al14]

It will be interesting to see what happens with Sparks elsewhere.

He just might end up as an AHL journeyman.

Dubas might have been smarter to have traded him right after he won the Calder Cup. Oh well, water, bridge etc.

 

[ManosArriba]

Why gamble when you didn't have to? Why take a chance when the upside is what you already had? Freddie isn't exactly old, nobody sees Sparks as an heir apparent, so what was the point apart from "rewarding from within". Even there has McBackup not proved his worth to the organization last two years?

Dubas added risk where non existed and it's burning him. McBackup will still be in this league when Sparks is in the Swiss league.

Take a look at Mcbackups stats when he was the same age as Sparks, it took him years to find his game.

 

[93WrapAround]

Take a look at Mcbackups stats when he was the same age as Sparks, it took him years to find his game.

I don't know McBackup's early years situation but it could be argued that we don't really have the time for him to take years to find his game. Let some other team take that time and develop him. We need a capable backup goalie as early as now. This HAS to be addressed at the latest for next season.

 

[KE19]

Take a look at Mcbackups stats when he was the same age as Sparks, it took him years to find his game.

We want to contend. This isn't the place for Sparks to find his game.

 

[Superstar]

We want to contend. This isn't the place for Sparks to find his game.

"This isn't the 'try' league; it's the 'get it done' league." - Josh Donaldson

 

[fahad203]

He has been given every opportunity to win that back up role
Right now he's losing it. There's nothing in his game that I can honestly say you know what, if he works on that he can turn it around

Fundamentally he's not there. Completely overplaying to not reading the plays properly

Last night during our PP, he froze the puck. He needed to read the play better considering we were still in the game at that point
Game against Tempa, he could have come out and play the puck, he didn't.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

It will be interesting to see what happens with Sparks elsewhere.

He just might end up as an AHL journeyman.

Dubas might have been smarter to have traded him right after he won the Calder Cup. Oh well, water, bridge etc.

This is the thing about Dubas that scares me. He insisted on Sparks over Mac...he kept Justin Holl (who is Frankie Corrado 2.0) and just wants to promote the guys HE FOUND from the marlies. It is a concern going forward i have to admit.

 

[justafan22]

He finished 4th in Vezina voting last year. Lol.

*playoffs last year he was bad

 

[justafan22]

This is the thing about Dubas that scares me. He insisted on Sparks over Mac...he kept Justin Holl (who is Frankie Corrado 2.0) and just wants to promote the guys HE FOUND from the marlies. It is a concern going forward i have to admit.

He didn't draft sparks

 

[justafan22]

Sparks has the stats of an average backup goalie this year, his first year in the NHL.

Pretty much what was expected no?

He was kept as it was the smart thing to do and he earned his shot with his play in the A. In hindsight, it may have been the wrong thing for this year but you have to keep the young prospect in that situation over the guy with only a couple of years left. Sparks had two games of great relief coming cold off the bench and really got hung out to dry last night with guys cruising in wide open in the slot. It actually could have been worse early on as he made some great saves.

I want this team to be competitive long term. McBackup was pretty much Sparks most of his career until he figured it out late. Let Sparks have his chance. This team has thrown away so many players that have come back to bite us it is maddening. Stop listening to the Toronto sports media has been the lesson of the last 15 years IMO.

I'm not saying hes the right fit for the team but recency bias, while always bad around here, has reached new heights.

Oh, another thing is, McElhinney would've been gone next year anyways if he was this good.

leafs couldn't have afforded him.

 

[Leaf4Life]

Sparks sucks. Not sure what the debate is about.

I reiterate my comment from weeks ago.

 

[fahad203]

*playoffs last year he was bad

If you are referring to Andersen, he has played the most of any playoff starters last year
Even this year he leads all playoff goalies in most minutes played

If you don't think that takes a toll on you then I don't know what to tell you

 

[justafan22]

If you are referring to Andersen, he has played the most of any playoff starters last year
Even this year he leads all playoff goalies in most minutes played

If you don't think that takes a toll on you then I don't know what to tell you

Yes, but that's the coach's fault.

He had a sub 900% sv in the boston series.

 

[Zybalto]

If you are referring to Andersen, he has played the most of any playoff starters last year
Even this year he leads all playoff goalies in most minutes played

If you don't think that takes a toll on you then I don't know what to tell you

So bad he flew to a different timezone and won goalie of the tourney at the worlds stopping 50 a night.

He wasnt tired.

 

[Matthews34]

Mike McKenna got picked up.

Has any waived goalie made it through waivers in season this year?

Sparks AHL pedigree is strong enough I doubt he makes it through.

That’s a big reach. The only reason he got claimed was all the Flyers goalies were injured since then he’s cleared waivers but good try.

 

[jrgtml67]

Anyone blaming him for last night needs to watch the first period again. 2 goals I thought were him. Mostly the one that was going wide and he completely moved past the post (duclair goal). The other was the one where it look like he fell..got a piece of it. But guys..wake up it's our team D and the fact we are missing 2 of our best defense

 

[Menzinger]

Oh, another thing is, McElhinney would've been gone next year anyways if he was this good.

leafs couldn't have afforded him.

Yep.

I can’t think of a bigger waste of money than spending more than league minimum to a million dollars on a backup

 

[TheShape]

There's nothing in his game that I can honestly say you know what, if he works on that he can turn it around

Fundamentally he's not there. Completely overplaying to not reading the plays properly.

I don’t mean to pick on Sparks, but he really is THAT bad. Not an NHL caliber goaltender. Maybe the guy is lights out in practice everyday but it doesn’t translate into games?

I really don’t understand what Dubas sees in him.

 

[hector morrison]

So bad he flew to a different timezone and won goalie of the tourney at the worlds stopping 50 a night.

He wasnt tired.

Yeah ,i'm not easily convinced it's a physically tiring thing...it can't be,but mentally i'm sure it can be. Thing is,last years playoff made me wonder if Freddy has what it takes upstairs!