Confirmed with Link: Maple Leafs Announce Qualifying Offers | 3 RFA's become UFA's

[Cor]

Per various twitter sources (Shilton, Johnston)

Qualified; Zachary Hyman, Connor Brown, Garret Sparks, Justin Holl


Unqualified; Seth Griffith, Antoine Bibeau, Sergey Kalinin

Click to read more...

 

[Mr Hockey]

Per various twitter sources (Shilton, Johnston)

Qualified; Zachary Hyman, Connor Brown, Garret Sparks
Unqualified; Seth Griffith, Antoine Bibeau
Unknown; Justin Holl, Sergey Kalinin

Pretty much as expected.

 

[TLeafsFan]

It's been a really good offseason so far.

It wouldn't surprise me if Griffith isn't qualified.

I do imagine we hang on to Bibeau.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Leafs PR Twitter to the rescue

 

[Canada4Gold]

So whenever those contracts get worked out that'll put us at 41 contracts before UFA and potential prospect signings like Brooks and Dzierkals which should be plenty of room, we only need a backup goalie, a couple D and a forward or 2.

 

[TMLegend]

Bye, bye Bibeau. The Leafs hardly knew thee. 2 career GP for reference.

 

[stickty111]

And finally we dont have to see Bibeau again.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Should've qualified Griffith, he was very important for the Marlies.

 

[showtime8]

Don't get the hate towards Bibeau? He's a career AHL goalie.

Also, I could see the Leafs signing Griffith to a 2 year, 2 way deal if he would accept it. Give him a bit more in the AHL than he would get elsewhere.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I thought Griffith would be qualified, but maybe they feel like going with a lot more kids. He would have been good mentorship for a very young group up front. It's a lot of guys who would be rookies or sophomores.

Unless the Leafs bring in a different vet, this means Timashov, Walker, Piccinich, Dzierkals, etc. have a better shot at an NHL job.

Mentors:
C Ben Smith
LW/RW Clune (depth)
LW/C Findlay (depth)
RD Holl (Captain)
RD UFA
RD Valiev (3rd year)
RW Lindberg (3rd year)
C Gauthier (3rd year)
G Sparks (4th year) or Backup with NHL experience
+ any other depth guys we bring in. That's not exactly a deep mentor group considering:

(Assumptive) Rookies:
RW Piccinich (+ former captain)
LW/C Aaltonen (although he is a 93' so he's one of the older guys)
LW Grundstrom (minus a few playoff games)
RW Bracco
C Brooks (former captain)
C Toninato (94' + former captain)
LW Walker
RW Dzierkals
RW Korostelev (if he comes on AHL deal)
LD Desrocher (if he comes on AHL deal)
G Kaskisuo (minus a few games)
LD Borgman (if not in NHL)
LD/RD Rosen (if not in NHL)

Sophomores:
LW Johnsson
LW Moore
LW/RW Timashov
C Cameranesi
LD Dermott
LD Nielsen

A good chunk of the mentors we have are depth guys

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Don't get the hate towards Bibeau? He's a career AHL goalie.

Also, I could see the Leafs signing Griffith to a 2 year, 2 way deal if he would accept it. Give him a bit more in the AHL than he would get elsewhere.

I can still see him being given an AHL deal, but maybe they'll go for a 96' with some size and more skill from the CHL to groom in the ECHL instead. Add some age variance and bridge the gap.

93' Sparks
93' Kaskisuo
(94' Bibeau)
98' Woll
99' Scott

As for Griffith, he would have been a nice piece to round off the mentorship group which lacks bodies, but I guess they want youth playing more. A lot of these guys are character players... Former captains and assistant captains, guys who work really hard, etc. Perhaps they feel, despite only have one or two years in the AHL, that these guys (combined with Smith, Holl, etc.) can lead by example for the true rookies.

I guess they learned the hard way last year and now know how things work enough to let those new guys get used to it. I have no problem playing guys with NHL potential over career AHLers, I just hope they don't get overwhelmed or anything (hence we need a depth guys with experience who are character guys in the room, like Clune).

 

[Menzinger]

Sparks was always the bettet goalie than Bibeau. Glad to see they've held on to him, still think he can make it as an NHL backup. I

 

[LeafChief]

Pretty much as expected.

 

[Leafidelity]

Not too surprising about Bibeau - I knew they wouldn't go into another year with 3 goalies.

 

[member 262271]

Yep, no surprises. You gotta feel for Bibeau but he didn't show enough consistency at the AHL level to merit much, good luck to him.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Surprised Griffith can't stick

 

[deletethis]

41 contracts including the unsigned, qualified RFAs. That's a lot of room to add contracts.

 

[tokyoite]

Bibeau may end up in Vegas or KHL

 

[firstemperor]

Only locks were Brown, Sparks, Hyman IMO.

 

[MJ65]

As expected - I am not surprised even a bit

 

[Al14]

Why was Loov traded for Sergey Kalinin?

I don't get the reason for this trade?

 

[deletethis]

Why was Loov traded for Sergey Kalinin?

I don't get the reason for this trade?

Freeing up a contract slot perhaps. Also Loov is a wee bit of loose cannon, witness his interview before the 2016-17 season where he engaged with the interviewer about drug use. While I usually personally find guys like Loov entertaining and interesting individuals, Lou runs a tight ship.

 

[Cor]

Why was Loov traded for Sergey Kalinin?

I don't get the reason for this trade?

Marlies needed Center depth

 

[Stephen23]

A little disappointed we didn't qualify Bibeau as I still think he has a very bright future as a likely backup. Having watched him live destroy my Mooseheads (and vastly outplay Fucale) and go on to become the QMJHL Playoff MVP/Top Goalie in the Memorial Cup. But I trust management. Wish Antoine all the best and hopefully he gets a shot at the NHL.

 

[Bullseye]

Bibeau's fall from grace is disappointing.

I had really high hopes for this kid. His M-Cup year was amazing. Hope he battles through and ekes out a career somewhere.