Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign Andrew Campbell to NHL Deal.

[Trapper]

I think you need an update on what depth means. I'm not talking about our top end talent, I'm talking about how many players we carry that could play at the NHL level.

We have Polak, Marincin, Robidas, Percy, Granberg, Loov, Brennan and Harrington from #5 down. That's 12 NHL-capable players, all better or similar to Campbell. That's depth.

I guess the reason is that they want Percy, Granberg, Loov and Harrington to stay in AHL and develop the whole season.

I consider these bodies more than the actual meaning of depth.
Depth to me means if someone gets hurt or whatever, players can step in and pick up the slack.
Lundqvist got hurt in NY, Talbot came in. Ryan got hurt in Ottawa, Stone came in. Kane was out, Teravainen was solid.
If Kadri/Bernier/JVR/Rielly get hurt, game over right now.

 

[KGL]

Sorry, but more than half of those guys you listed are NOT nhl-calibre. Polak, marincin, robidas, percy, granberg, loov, brennan, they're not NHL-caliber.... and don't say Im just a troll, im not trolling, they legitimately aren't nhl level players which is why we are projected to be a top-3 lottery team. Take off the leafs-goggles.

Incorrect. Polak is NHL quality. He's a bottom pairing player at best but he is an NHL defenceman. Marincin also, has pretty good numbers. Percy is close, has looked quite good. Loov is getting closer. Agreed on Robidas and Brennan though.

 

[Gabriel426]

From a rebuilding stand point, if more AHLers play for the Leafs, it will increase their chance at the lottery.

 

[King85Kong]

Percy better make the team.

There's no appetite for that around here. The plan is to sign vets, that way we can shelter our young players from the cruel world of the NHL.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

There's no appetite for that around here. The plan is to sign vets, that way we can shelter our young players from the cruel world of the NHL.

Yeah, way to become successful...

Percy better make the team, he almost did last year.

 

[Zybalto]

Watching him play the other day, I wasn't that impressed with the results but he was working his ass off out there. I wonder if his desire and work ethic came into play with him getting the upgraded contract? Send a message to other players?

 

[Bullseye]

Never been a Lou Lam fan with his stupid contracts and signings in Jersey. I was not overjoyed to see him hired here. Hopefully this is not the first of many questionable Lou moves.

On the other hand, I imagine there's something in this player that we don't see otherwise they don't make a move like this.

 

[deletethis]

Being that he was already under an AHL contract, it makes little sense to spend a contract spot unless he is signed with the intention to play in the NHL this season.

 

[Zybalto]

Yeah, way to become successful...

Percy better make the team, he almost did last year.

He still has a chance to make the team but I've got a feeling he's running up against the fact management is looking for defence first defenders and not another two way guy like Dion/Gards/Reilly. This has given the advantage to Marincin and Harrington, two other guys that played NHL hockey last year.

Presonally, I'm all for using him over Robidas or Polak but theres issues with making that happen as well.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Anyone know how many contracts this puts us at?

 

[67Cup]

Anyone know how many contracts this puts us at?

46, I think. They were at 49, gained 4 spots in the Grabner trade and added this one. But I may be wrong about the starting point.

 

[ToneBone03]

46, I think. They were at 49, gained 4 spots in the Grabner trade and added this one. But I may be wrong about the starting point.

We signed Boyes too so that would bring us to 47 contracts?

Also, the reason we signed this guy is so that we don't have prospects bouncing up and down between the NHL and the AHL. Everyone needs to relax.

 

[Doc300c]

46, I think. They were at 49, gained 4 spots in the Grabner trade and added this one. But I may be wrong about the starting point.

Added Boyes as well. 47

 

[Jack Bauer]

I consider these bodies more than the actual meaning of depth.
Depth to me means if someone gets hurt or whatever, players can step in and pick up the slack.
Lundqvist got hurt in NY, Talbot came in. Ryan got hurt in Ottawa, Stone came in. Kane was out, Teravainen was solid.
If Kadri/Bernier/JVR/Rielly get hurt, game over right now.

Exactly.

Every team can name off 5 AHL callups. Doesn't mean they're all of the same calibre, however.

At the start of a rebuild depth is what you lack the most.

 

[Canada4Gold]

We signed Boyes too so that would bring us to 47 contracts?

Also, the reason we signed this guy is so that we don't have prospects bouncing up and down between the NHL and the AHL. Everyone needs to relax.

but they could have not included Nilsson in the Isles trade and used him as the up and down guy since they din't think he was worth more than a contract spot.

 

[Parkdale]

but they could have not included Nilsson in the Isles trade and used him as the up and down guy since they din't think he was worth more than a contract spot.

You have to believe that the Islanders had a say in who they wanted in the trade and it wasn't going to be the bottom contracts on the Leafs' list. Nilsson would well have been the key to the trade from the Islanders' perspective.

 

[Canada4Gold]

You have to believe that the Islanders had a say in who they wanted in the trade and it wasn't going to be the bottom contracts on the Leafs' list. Nilsson would well have been the key to the trade from the Islanders' perspective.

maybe a little but the Isles ridded themselves of cap and salary they didn't want, and could have hampered them. That was their benefit. They didn't likely do it for the prospects coming back.

 

[Bluelines]

So we get rid of decent prospects so we can sign a #7 D-man in Campbell? Makes no sense to me. Our depth on defense seemed great.

If by depth you mean we have a lot of people who play defence, I'll give ya that but numbers don't equal legitimate NHL depth. We got Phaneuf, Rielly and Gardnier on any given night they could look like top pairing d-men or bottom pairing dmen...its a toss of the dice what ya get from them 3.... the rest are barely 7th dmen on a decent team.

 

[Canada4Gold]

If by depth you mean we have a lot of people who play defence, I'll give ya that but numbers don't equal legitimate NHL depth. We got Phaneuf, Rielly and Gardnier on any given night they could look like top pairing d-men or bottom pairing dmen...its a toss of the dice what ya get from them 3.... the rest are barely 7th dmen on a decent team.

adding Campbell doesn't solve that though. He's just another body we can plug back there. Like you said, not legitimate NHL depth.

If we were going for not legitimate NHL depth I would have rather kept Nilsson. At least he's not legitimate NHL depth that at least has a tiny shred of hope to maybe be a legitimate bottom pairing guy eventually. Unlike Campbell.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Sorry, but more than half of those guys you listed are NOT nhl-calibre. Polak, marincin, robidas, percy, granberg, loov, brennan, they're not NHL-caliber.... and don't say Im just a troll, im not trolling, they legitimately aren't nhl level players which is why we are projected to be a top-3 lottery team. Take off the leafs-goggles.

Polak is quite comfortably an NHL player, Marincin too. There are no arguments for how they are not. The rest are capable of playing at the level.

Instead of these pale insults of yours, try using some arguments instead.

Like the following, see where we can actually have a discussion, Trapper and I?

I consider these bodies more than the actual meaning of depth.
Depth to me means if someone gets hurt or whatever, players can step in and pick up the slack.
Lundqvist got hurt in NY, Talbot came in. Ryan got hurt in Ottawa, Stone came in. Kane was out, Teravainen was solid.
If Kadri/Bernier/JVR/Rielly get hurt, game over right now.

Sure, depth can mean several things. In this instance, we are talking about depth as in alternatives to get called up in case of injuries. That's the only kind of depth that is interesting when discussing a signing of Campbell, to be honest. We sign him to provide organizational depth, when that was something we already had.

The answer can really only be that they don't want any of the kids to have to come up in case of injuries.

 

[dimi78]

He's not replacing them directly. The intention behind trading Finn and Nilsson wasn't because they had a great player in Campbell.

Campbell will be the callup placeholder (aka the bi***) without having to yo-yo a prospect like Percy, Loov, etc. If they need a defender to sit in the press box for a long road trip, Campbell is a lot better to call up then a young player with potential is it not?

He's not very good and let's hope we don't get to see him too much if at all.

No it's not better. What is it with everybody that don't get the importance of NHL EXPERINCE for young guys? Especially when being an injury call up is the real first chance into becoming and earning an NHL job.
Further more whatever happen to earning your job? Both Percy and Loov down right to Valiev and Harrington have been better than this bum why does he get the reward of NHL pay check? You guys forget that even the youngsters would like to get paid?

This is an old man Lou the games past my over decision written all over the place. As much of change that has happen bringing Lou in brought this organization back to it's methods that got this team in the position it is today. Nothings changed I'm afraid but they still have some time to prove me wrong. The start of the season who they sent down based on merit of earning it will say a lot because right now if they do what it looks like they're doing they've contradicted themselves as a management team and there is no point in following the Leafs this year.

Rebuilding teams don't make it impossible for there youth to make the team they make them the focal point.

 

[Bluelines]

adding Campbell doesn't solve that though. He's just another body we can plug back there. Like you said, not legitimate NHL depth.

If we were going for not legitimate NHL depth I would have rather kept Nilsson. At least he's not legitimate NHL depth that at least has a tiny shred of hope to maybe be a legitimate bottom pairing guy eventually. Unlike Campbell.

Fair enough , my guess is there is something in all those players that we traded that Hunter didn't like, be it work ethic, how they read a play, skating abilities, who knows?. For all we know his agent could have said Nilsson didn't want to play in Toronto, forcing our hand. Could have been a number of reasons why he was traded.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

You have to believe that the Islanders had a say in who they wanted in the trade and it wasn't going to be the bottom contracts on the Leafs' list. Nilsson would well have been the key to the trade from the Islanders' perspective.

Well considering Finn and Beck would have been more than enough value wise to get Grabner, Nilsson was not a key piece. He was just a low producing, but still very good, defenseman that obviously did not fit into the future. He would have had to go up against Loov, Harrington, Percy and Granberg next year. He probably was at the bottom of that list and since he would have had to go through waivers, he was thrown in.

I still would have preferred shipping Frattin and keeping him over Campbell though.

 

[Nithoniniel]

No it's not better. What is it with everybody that don't get the importance of NHL EXPERINCE for young guys? Especially when being an injury call up is the real first chance into becoming and earning an NHL job.
Further more whatever happen to earning your job? Both Percy and Loov down right to Valiev and Harrington have been better than this bum why does he get the reward of NHL pay check? You guys forget that even the youngsters would like to get paid?

This is an old man Lou the games past my over decision written all over the place. As much of change that has happen bringing Lou in brought this organization back to it's methods that got this team in the position it is today. Nothings changed I'm afraid but they still have some time to prove me wrong. The start of the season who they sent down based on merit of earning it will say a lot because right now if they do what it looks like they're doing they've contradicted themselves as a management team and there is no point in following the Leafs this year.

Rebuilding teams don't make it impossible for there youth to make the team they make them the focal point.

It's not Lou, it's what the management team has been talking about for a year now. No up and downs, prospects develop until they are ready and then they compete for a permanent spot.

I don't think this is making it any harder or easier for youth to make the team in the long run. It's just a different philosophy on what the best way to develop is. NHL experience, as you mention, versus stability, that our management team wants.

 

[cupcrazyman]

We should be cherry picking Babcock's former players.