Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign Smithson to NHL contract

[Mr Scarface*]

Not young. but soft. What happens to flesh as it gets older? Gets softer. Look at the devils. Not hard. soft. not hard. Smithson? Hard. McLaren, Orr, Clarkson? Hard. JvR? Semi-hard. Leafs will take it to them.

You got it. Made me look from a different perspective. That's a pretty great outlook right there sir. There are so many different approaches and philosophies in this thing.... But I didn't see the devils or even know) their closely or good enough. Now I see and my mind is more open. This is one of the biggest reasons I'm in the internet and also at hfboards. A Very big NHL fan I am and have been for ages.

 

[The Podium]

I honestly feel illiterate, are some of these posts even English?

Hard. Not Soft.
Some Yoda-like sentences

Weird...

 

[KuleminFan41]

This isn't relevant. Smithson isn't a career AHL player. He hasn't played in that league for nearly a decade. He's going to be an upgrade over Smith on the 4th.

For some people, if you don't bring in that super star prospect it just doesn't matter

 

[Donato]

Liles was already on waivers so they didn't need to put him through again

Yes. When he went down to the AHL.. But I checked to make sure.. In the New CBA players don't require to go through re entry waivers on the way in to the NHL

 

[indigobuffalo]

How about Greg Mckegg call up ? Why bring a old man up.. Watch Carlyle play him 12 minutes a night

Luke Schenn didn't wave hello, because he wasn't ready for it.

 

[namttebih]

I honestly feel illiterate, are some of these posts even English?

Hard. Not Soft.
Some Yoda-like sentences

Weird...

Some homoerotic.

 

[Asif16*]

We must have some of the most illiterate group of posters here on HF.

 

[Pitt the Elder]

Pointless. This guy was cut by Edmonton for not being good enough. What does he provide that someone like Greg McKegg doesnt?

 

[Kyle Doobas*]

This guy was cut by Edmonton for not being good enough.

I don't know how much faith we should be putting in the decisions of the Oilers' management group.

They seemed to like him in Nashville, if only as a fourth-line faceoff/PK guy.

 

[Duke Silver]

Pointless. This guy was cut by Edmonton for not being good enough. What does he provide that someone like Greg McKegg doesnt?

588 games of NHL experience, faceoff ability (57% in over 3000 faceoffs) and penalty killing ability.

But yeah, let's bring up 21-year-old centre with 71 games AHL experience and give him tough minutes. McClement and Kulemin can just double-shift for the penalty kill.

 

[Mr Scarface*]

By the way, don't they play country music in both Edmonton and Nashville?

Notice how it all comes together in life. It's a perfect circle for some.

 

[Pitt the Elder]

588 games of NHL experience, faceoff ability (57% in over 3000 faceoffs) and penalty killing ability.

But yeah, let's bring up 21-year-old centre with 71 games AHL experience and give him tough minutes. McClement and Kulemin can just double-shift for the penalty kill.

You honestly think the 4th line, with the facepunchers on it, gets tough minutes??

Oh yeah, those 4-5 minutes per game must be really tough.

 

[WildcatMapleLeafs28]

Steckal type guy that can win faceoffs for a half dozen games or so until Bozak is back...

I'd rather have given someone else a chance (McKegg or maybe even Crescenzi) to see what they could do.

Colton Gillies or Chad LaRose would have been two other cheap options I would preferred.

 

[Duke Silver]

You honestly think the 4th line, with the facepunchers on it, gets tough minutes??

Oh yeah, those 4-5 minutes per game must be really tough.

Wait, you want to bring McKegg up to play him for 4-5 minutes a game? I thought he would at least be playing third-line minutes in your scenario.

So just to clarify, your answer is to bring up a 21-year-old offence-first centreman with no NHL experience to play between two facepunchers for 4-5 minutes per game?

Sounds like a great development strategy. Top notch stuff.

Oh wait, I have a better idea: sign a defensive specialist veteran for pennies who is one of the league's best faceoff-men, is known to be reliable on the PK, and can fill the void on the PK left by Bozak/Bolland's injuries, allowing McClement to move up the lineup to fill the shutdown third-line centre role.

 

[Gallagbi]

Pointless. This guy was cut by Edmonton for not being good enough. What does he provide that someone like Greg McKegg doesnt?

Defense, faceoffs and PKing. If they wanted an offensive center in this role they would have just kept Smith up.

 

[Pitt the Elder]

who is one of the league's best faceoff-men,.

210 draws won over the average in 558 gms played meaning he’s won 1 extra draw ever 2.67 games. Obviously a huge need for this team, that 1 faceoff win every 3 games.

 

[Duke Silver]

210 draws won over the average in 558 gms played meaning he’s won 1 extra draw ever 2.67 games. Obviously a huge need for this team, that 1 faceoff win every 3 games.

This is hilarious. First off, where did you get those numbers? Secondly, it's about improving our own faceoff ability. The Leafs' best faceoff taker is McClement at 54%. Our remaining options are/were Bozak at 46.2% (injured), Kadri at 43.7%, Smith at 42.9% (worse option) and Bolland at 41.3% (injured).

By all means, focus on that one part of my post, though. Your argument is becoming narrower and narrower. McKegg's a better option playing 4-5 minutes between two face-punchers, apparently. Because we're having a real tough time scoring, right?

You have yet to provide a compelling argument for why McKegg is a better option than Smithson, considering this team's needs at the moment. In fact, all you have done is shown your own ignorance about Smithson's abilities, the way teams are constructed in general and the development of prospects in just a few short posts.

Leafs Nation: Always trying to outsmart the general manager.

 

[Faltorvo]

You honestly think the 4th line, with the facepunchers on it, gets tough minutes??

Oh yeah, those 4-5 minutes per game must be really tough.

You don't see PK as tough minutes?

PK is probably the toughest minutes in all pro sports

Save for Soccer/Football tenders on penalty kicks.

 

[Faltorvo]

This is hilarious. First off, where did you get those numbers? Secondly, it's about improving our own faceoff ability. The Leafs' best faceoff taker is McClement at 54%. Our remaining options are/were Bozak at 46.2% (injured), Kadri at 43.7%, Smith at 42.9% (worse option) and Bolland at 41.3% (injured).

By all means, focus on that one part of my post, though. Your argument is becoming narrower and narrower. McKegg's a better option playing 4-5 minutes between two face-punchers, apparently. Because we're having a real tough time scoring, right?

You have yet to provide a compelling argument for why McKegg is a better option than Smithson, considering this team's needs at the moment. In fact, all you have done is shown your own ignorance about Smithson's abilities, the way teams are constructed in general and the development of prospects in just a few short posts.

Leafs Nation: Always trying to outsmart the general manager.

Shame on you DS,

that last line is uncalled for.

What a boring board this would be if we all turned into sycophantic yes men.

 

[RonEllisFan]

All you grammar and spelling police can go find a english language forum, this is a hockey forum, a few of us don't speak english good, I mean well. Really, relax, it's the internet.

 

[Faltorvo]

All you grammar and spelling police can go find a english language forum, this is a hockey forum, a few of us don't speak english good, I mean well. Really, relax, it's the internet.

All i have to say on that topic is

Jacques Demers


BOOM! end of story, end of relevant comparable between wons gramma and spelting.

Me thinks JD new a thing or too about the game.

 

[dfunk]

I tried scanning through the pages and also capgeek but haven't found anything

Is there any word on the conract $$?

 

[Duke Silver]

Shame on you DS,

that last line is uncalled for.

What a boring board this would be if we all turned into sycophantic yes men.

And what a civil board this would be if people thought logically before questioning every single move and treating the Leafs like a video game roster.

This fanbase could learn to pick their battles better.

Kicking up a stink over McKegg vs. Smithson for the 4th line centre position is not one of them.

 

[Mess]

Leafs are one of the worst face-off teams in the NHL, so hopefully Smithson can improve on that a little.

 

[Pitt the Elder]

Sigh...

This is hilarious. First off, where did you get those numbers?

They're his faceoff statistics. Look it up.

Secondly, it's about improving our own faceoff ability. The Leafs' best faceoff taker is McClement at 54%. Our remaining options are/were Bozak at 46.2% (injured), Kadri at 43.7%, Smith at 42.9% (worse option) and Bolland at 41.3% (injured).

First of all, faceoff statistics are way overblown. A guy who's "excellent" at faceoffs by winning 57% wins maybe 1 or 2 faceoffs every 3 games more than average. Second of all what happened to "faceoff master" Bozak? I thought that was one of the reasons Nonis overpaid a 3rd liner?

By all means, focus on that one part of my post, though. Your argument is becoming narrower and narrower. McKegg's a better option playing 4-5 minutes between two face-punchers, apparently. Because we're having a real tough time scoring, right?

Sure it is, it's not just your mind getting narrower and narrower.. Yes he is, because he's in the system, already on a league minimum contract, and why not give a prospect some exposure? While we're at it, why are we playing 2 useless players anyway? Why not ice a proper 3rd line?

You have yet to provide a compelling argument for why McKegg is a better option than Smithson, considering this team's needs at the moment. In fact, all you have done is shown your own ignorance about Smithson's abilities, the way teams are constructed in general and the development of prospects in just a few short posts.

McKegg is in the system on a cheap contract already, instead of adding another contract for a terrible player to a cap crunch team. My ignorance of Smithson's abilities? What abilities? He's awful, and not an upgrade over anybody in the system.

Seems like you're the one displaying your own ignorance about how good hockey teams are constructed.

Leafs Nation: Always trying to outsmart the general manager.

Not difficult when your general manager isn't very good most of the time. I think I'm smarter than a potato, are you?