Is contract management our biggest issue?

[Tarmore]

I read a lot here about how many contracts Toronto has and how close to the limit but how many contracts do the other teams in the league have?

Perspective would be great.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I read a lot here about how many contracts Toronto has and how close to the limit but how many contracts do the other teams in the league have?

Perspective would be great.

Good point, I'd be interested as well. Always nice to have perspective.

 

[Mad Brills*]

Leafs can't trade holland unless they get just a pick back.

can't dump him for a similar ufa

 

[HockeyGuruPitka]

Good point, I'd be interested as well. Always nice to have perspective.

45.6 is league average. Most teams are no where near the amount of contracts we have designated to demoted NHLers

 

[Tarmore]

45.6 is league average. Most teams are no where near the amount of contracts we have designated to demoted NHLers

So if the average is 45.6 it stands to reason a couple of teams are in atleast the same situation as us with 48?

 

[deletethis]

Chicken Little nonsense.

The Leafs currently have 48 (or 49 depending upon the Cowen ruling).

They have only 28 under contract for 2017-18.

There are at most 4 RFAs (Brown, Leipsic, Hyman, Zaitsev) that are definite re-signs plus a few maybes (Bibeau, Loov, Corrado, Sparks) and 9 UFAs with close to a zero chance of re-signing with the organization (Laich, Michalek, Greening, Robidas, Hunwick, Polak, Smith, Enroth, Campbell). There is plenty of cap space available for next season to pay bonuses, re-sign RFAs and possibly sign the right sort of UFA(s).

No UFA is turning down a contract from the Leafs due to some perceived mistreatment. This is a made up issue. If anything, eventually a young rising team with young stars becomes a haven for the bargain basement vet signings looking for one last shot at a Stanley Cup.

The team couldn't possibly be in a much better situation going forward minus the Horton anchor. The biggest challenge this organization faces is how to spread the money amongst its young rising stars.

 

[SprDaVE]

Chicken Little nonsense.

The Leafs currently have 48 (or 49 depending upon the Cowen ruling).

They have only 28 under contract for 2017-18.

There are at most 4 RFAs (Brown, Leipsic, Hyman, Zaitsev) that are definite re-signs plus a few maybes (Bibeau, Loov, Corrado, Sparks) and 9 UFAs with close to a zero chance of re-signing with the organization (Laich, Michalek, Greening, Robidas, Hunwick, Polak, Smith, Enroth, Campbell). There is plenty of cap space available for next season to pay bonuses, re-sign RFAs and possibly sign the right sort of UFA(s).

No UFA is turning down a contract from the Leafs due to some perceived mistreatment. This is a made up issue. If anything, eventually a young rising team with young stars becomes a haven for the bargain basement vet signings looking for one last shot at a Stanley Cup.

The team couldn't possibly be in a much better situation going forward minus the Horton anchor. The biggest challenge this organization faces is how to spread the money amongst its young rising stars.

Have a star.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

I read a lot here about how many contracts Toronto has and how close to the limit but how many contracts do the other teams in the league have?

Perspective would be great.

Good point, I'd be interested as well. Always nice to have perspective.

Sometimes, unless of course it breaks or dispels notions, dreams and wishes that people hold.

 

[Rogie]

Firstly thanks for taking the time to post.

Now to address some of your comments. I probably didnt portray my concern properly as its not so much a focus on the number of contracts however how these contracts are being handled.

Its hard not to like the direction this team is headed. However Lou is obviously treating these people and players like they are simply numbers. Obviously this is a business and he is treating it as such, however there needs to be a level of humanity when approaching any job. By having so many NHL players demoted to our farm system (laich, greening, enroth, michalek) and constant contract/job disputes (Holland, Corrado, Lupul, Robidas, Cowan etc) one cant believe this makes Toronto seem like an alluring destination for any type of free agent. Not to mention players that are required to waive their NMC in order to accept a trade to Toronto.

in response to your 5th point, yes there are a lot of players from 2015 still playing in the CHL however most of these players have no other choice. its either CHL or NHL. Its the same problem we would have been facing with Marner had he not came to camp and played well. Where as players like Bracco and Brooks have AHL options. In my opinion when you have players that are clearly more skilled then their peers, and adjusting to a more physical style game is the most needed area of development then they should be playing in the Marlies.

I think you've raised some valid points definitely. However, I'd agree with the majority who have posted that contract spots are really no problem.

Mostly, we're still getting out from the bad decisions of prior mgmt who made a lot of bad contracts and in order to shed them, along the way, we took some bad contracts bad, but, contracts that will soon expire - as in the case of Greening and Michalek at least.

On the topic of not being humane, the Leafs (and in part, if not fully Lou's decision) gave Enroth a 1 year 750,000 - 1 way contract, so, he gets same salary in the A.

I think that was pretty fair and humane on Lou's part. If it was business only, and if he saw Enroth purely as a number, he might have negotiated a lower salary or even a 2 way contract and a lot of AHLers make around 70,000 per year.

As it was, regardless if Enroth stuck with the team (should he falter), he knew from the start of this season he would be earning 700,000 for this year whether he was waived or not. Would he have been offered a better deal from another team? Perhaps, but, maybe not.

And, on the topic of Lupul, well, I'm not seeing Lupul having any contract dispute or conflict with his current financial windfall situation.

 

[Amadeus]

Would Houston entertain the idea of Marcus Stroman for Alex Bregman?

They've really stocked up but their pitching is subpar.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

We can't discount some of the reasons why we are close to the contract limit.

It's not at 48 for fun, it's because we made decisions that benefitted the club now and going forward, such as taking on Greening, Michalek... etc to rid ourselves of an awful contract.

So maybe we miss out on an opportunity this time round to take on some deadwood for an incentive, but only because we've already done it.

If this is our biggest issue then we truly are heading in the right direction, because it wont even be an issue come the summer.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!

 

[TLeafsFan]

No.

/thread

 

[Ricky Bobby]

Now to address some of your comments. I probably didnt portray my concern properly as its not so much a focus on the number of contracts however how these contracts are being handled.

Its hard not to like the direction this team is headed. However Lou is obviously treating these people and players like they are simply numbers. Obviously this is a business and he is treating it as such, however there needs to be a level of humanity when approaching any job. By having so many NHL players demoted to our farm system (laich, greening, enroth, michalek) and constant contract/job disputes (Holland, Corrado, Lupul, Robidas, Cowan etc) one cant believe this makes Toronto seem like an alluring destination for any type of free agent. Not to mention players that are required to waive their NMC in order to accept a trade to Toronto.

Cowen was being shopped as a buyout candidate last year. Greening was in the AHL when we acquired him.

Enroth was given every opportunity to be our back up and sucked. However, he's still collecting an NHL wage which I'm sure he's happy about.

Corrado I agree that they should let go.

The NHL is a cut throat business where players have short careers. Players know this. Other teams also makes similar moves and have disputes with players over contracts and playing time. Just everything gets magnified in the Toronto market + we're Leafs fans.

When Arizona demotes a vet like Z. Michalek they stuff Bolland on LTIR or buyout Vermette cause he won't waive his NTC just nobody talks much about it.

 

[Macallan18]

lol, with winning the Cowen arbitration, and trading Holland, this thread is so five minutes ago!
Still haven't solved my number 1 issue, another GOOD RHD

 

[Apotheosis]

Not even close. We have a lot of cap coming off the bill this offseason with the contracts expiring. Those guys will be replaced from within.