Confirmed with Link: Leafs re-sign Sparks to a 1 year 750k contract

[Xanner]

Name that goalie.

How about you ask me that sometime in sept before training camp to see if the leafs signed a depth goalie in free agency.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Name a team in the league that would be comfortable if their starting goalie went down for an extended period of time.

easy. Tampa.

 

[Al14]

Vesa Toskala?

I'll take Sparks 10 out of 10 times over Toskala!

 

[Daisy Jane]

Same things as some players who have been mailing it in for months *cough* Matthews *cough* . Some fans seem to think people are complaining about 1 game or something, but when the pattern becomes so apparent then there is likely a problem there, production aside.

Same thing applies here. On paper, Sparks numbers are ok for a backup. However scouting him, he swims worse than Riemer with worse positioning than Gustavsson. He relies on his reflexes to make saves which is not any sort of long term way to stay in the league.

And to make matters worse, McBackup outplayed him last year AND in pre-season, but Sparks was gifted the job because of his age. It completely crapped all over the entire "accountability" thing they had been preaching all this time.

that's basically my issue with it. (well with everything you've said).
i don't think Sparks should have the job, I don't think Sparks should be the back up next year . but as I said i just feel if anyone has to say anything that's not. *swoon, isn't this team so amazingly dreamy* it's "lol why can't you just enjoy the team."

easy. I can enjoy the team, and point out the flaws at the same time.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Cheap depth, at worst.

 

[FlareKnight]

Oh joy. Another year of Sparks. And let's not kid ourselves, that's exactly what this is heading towards. Sparks is Dubas' guy. There's nothing he can do to lose that job. Even if you bring some guys in and they outplay him...he's still going to be gifted the job just like he was this year.

 

[diceman934]

Calgary, San Jose, and Washington (2nd, 5th, and 6th in the NHL in points right now) all have backups with worse than Sparks's .902 SV%.

Calgary it is this years starter that is worse.
The caps backup is far better he has played in 23 games and is 14-4 with .901. SAN Jose their back up has a worse sv percentage in many more minutes. So perhaps SAN Jose has gotten worse back up goaltending

 

[Trapper]

easy. Tampa.

Boston.
Halak has a .924 save percentage in 32 games.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Or it's the other way around, because I didn't see even a tenth of all this complaining about his game before his contract.

Either way, this is not the place for that discussion.

I've been beating this drum since December, but regardless when he signs a deal to make him the highest valued forward in the league, he better damn well play at least near the top of the league. He's been painfully average in every category for a while now.

 

[Blufreezy]

Why?

He’s a more athletic version of Andrew hammond. He is above himself. He will come back to earth as everyone does.

 

[7even]

Oh joy. Another year of Sparks. And let's not kid ourselves, that's exactly what this is heading towards. Sparks is Dubas' guy. There's nothing he can do to lose that job. Even if you bring some guys in and they outplay him...he's still going to be gifted the job just like he was this year.

We have no money to upgrade and this is a dirt cheap signing, what do you want as this point

 

[Kamiccolo]

that's basically my issue with it. (well with everything you've said).
i don't think Sparks should have the job, I don't think Sparks should be the back up next year . but as I said i just feel if anyone has to say anything that's not. *swoon, isn't this team so amazingly dreamy* it's "lol why can't you just enjoy the team."

easy. I can enjoy the team, and point out the flaws at the same time.

Most of us are just not happy with being a playoff team anymore. That shine has started to wear off. We want to get out of the first round and we are seeing the same habits that Boston ate alive last year for months on end.

We just want the team to win is all.

 

[Loosie]

There are many quality back ups. We simply have the worse

We don't not have the worst.

 

[diceman934]

Factually incorrect. He is 47th in Save Percentage, and 51st in GAA of 69 goalies, who have played at least 10 games.

Ok. My opinion is that he is the worse as he is playing on a top team after looking only SAN Jose is getting worse back up goalie tending of the top teams.

 

[socko]

watch this video and think of Sparks

 

[Trapper]

We have no money to upgrade and this is a dirt cheap signing, what do you want as this point

People somehow want 40 million spent on 4 forwards and still have A quality players making 1 million.

 

[Cor]

I've been one of Sparks' major detractors, and even I'm not freaking out over this. It's a cheap deal. He can still be waived or traded when/if we find a better option.

It was the right move at the time, and no hindsight is going to change that.

There were plenty of people saying that McBackup should retain the backup job back in September.

It's not hindsight lmao

 

[Schenn]

This is fine.

 

[socko]

We have no money to upgrade and this is a dirt cheap signing, what do you want as this point

Oh, little song, little dance, Dubas's head on a lance.

 

[Spirit of 67]

This is just bookkeeping.

This does not mean he will be the back up next season.
In fact, it makes the deal easy to trade to a team who may wanna take a chance on him. If it fails, you aren't on the hook after next season.

Not really much to read into this other than protecting an asset.

 

[ACC1224]

We don't not have the worst.

If he isn't the worst, isn't it enough that he would even be in that discussion?

 

[Canada4Gold]

Solid deal, cheap 2nd goalie if he wins the job next year, and if he doesn’t then it counts for nothing. No downside except for those who illogically wanted Sparks gone at all costs, but those are the type of people who boo Gardiner and want him gone at all costs(hating the player rather than realizing the no downside aspect, he’s not being gifted a spot 6 months in advance) too so there’s really no helping them.

The Oilers would have given him a 3 years 3.5 million dollar contract.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

his effort level, his give a crap meter, his willingness to get hit, all of it has been garbage for months. Matthews was always able to take over games, lately he is invisible until he makes 1 play that goes in and then back to coasting.

Since his injury from Trouba.

 

[Loosie]

If he isn't the worst, isn't it enough that he would even be in that discussion?

He's not though. He's average among backups.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

We should celebrate Dubas' first non-overpay.