Confirmed with Link: Maple Leafs re-sign Ben Smith for 1 year, $650K

[waingr0]

As a life long Leaf fan, the Habs could sign me to league minimum and I'll try to step on the ice and take any Leaf they want out of hockey permanently. Hey I could use the money. And what's going to stop me? Oh... Matt Martin is. Not only don't I want any part of that, if I take out Matthew's knee... Martin might do the same to our players ...and that's something the Habs don't want. Maybe the Habs rethink their goon strategy. The Capitals might of played tough, but didn't play dirty against the Leafs. Now against the Penguins, they're take liberates. This whole fantasy land some fans have to think there's isn't players out there willing to scoop out Mitch Marner's eye and bat it into the stands is hilarious.

LOL.

(Nice white death avatar)

 

[thewave]

Who cares?

I'd bet Vegas takes Marincin anyway

Sure hope they do. I just know they aren't taking our Jake!

 

[Warden of the North]

People are forgetting this clause in the draft rules...
"The Las Vegas franchise must select players with an aggregate Expansion Draft value that is between 60-100% of the prior season's upper limit for the salary cap."

To reach at least 60% of the Cap, Vegas cannot just draft cheap young prospects. Martin's contract would not keep them from taking him. I think he would very likely be taken, if exposed. I am reasonably certain that the Leafs would not want to risk that. Evidence? This signing, for one thing.

Fehr is more likely because of his shorter term, at 2mAAV

 

[Nithoniniel]

As a life long Leaf fan, the Habs could sign me to league minimum and I'll try to step on the ice and take any Leaf they want out of hockey permanently. Hey I could use the money. And what's going to stop me? Oh... Matt Martin is. Not only don't I want any part of that, if I take out Matthew's knee... Martin might do the same to our players ...and that's something the Habs don't want. Maybe the Habs rethink their goon strategy. The Capitals might of played tough, but didn't play dirty against the Leafs. Now against the Penguins, they're take liberates. This whole fantasy land some fans have to think there's isn't players out there willing to scoop out Mitch Marner's eye and bat it into the stands is hilarious.

In modern times, there's pretty much no difference between teams that have an enforcer and teams that doesn't in how often they are victimized by cheap shots. The scenario you talk about doesn't happen.

 

[SprDaVE]

He's a fine depth AHL call up if it comes to that. Meh.

 

[Walshy7]

He's a fine depth AHL call up if it comes to that. Meh.

He does take one of the 50 contracts though which sucks. I also hope he isn't considered NHL depth too. I would rather the paper his contract is written on, on the ice than Ben ****ing smith

 

[deletethis]

We Leafs fans might be missing how well set up the team, either through management guile or serendipity, has turned out to be for this expansion draft. The team isn't going to expose any player worth more than a middle round draft pick. When I see some other franchises, they are honestly being forced to make some tough decisions on valuable commodities. The next expansion draft, however, is going to be a painful one...

 

[thewave]

We Leafs fans might be missing how well set up the team, either through management guile or serendipity, has turned out to be for this expansion draft. The team isn't going to expose any player worth more than a middle round draft pick. When I see some other franchises, they are honestly being forced to make some tough decisions on valuable commodities. The next expansion draft, however, is going to be a painful one...

Beyond painful next go around.

 

[The Iceman]

they're actually going to protect martin. Why in the world would vegas ever pick him over one of rychel or leipsic? It would never happen. Now we're giving them their choice of the two instead of ours.

lets start a new thread.
It is called rychel and leipsic were not being protected no matter if we signed smith or protected martin

 

[egd27]

lets start a new thread.
It is called rychel and leipsic were not being protected no matter if we signed smith or protected martin

LOL yup.....so much angst over a couple of AHLers.

Every team in the league has to lose a player but we keep our entire forward core and top 4 D and there's hand wringing.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Who cares about Leipsic and Rychel? Meh, I don't really care much for Ben Smith or Matt Martin but come on.

 

[Ash35]

So this is why we had to suffer through 40 games of Ben Smith?...

Yeah we played him 40 games and Vegas won't take him anyway.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

Who cares about Leipsic and Rychel? Meh, I don't really care much for Ben Smith or Matt Martin but come on.

It's more that now theres a good chance that both Smith and Martin will stay on the team rather than getting rid of both.

 

[SEER]

I saw this thread yesterday.. and was going to ask why they would do this..,
but then I remembered the other factor for this Draft..

Maybe some people will now see why Lou (the genius) has kept players like
Greening, Smith, Laich, Letourneau-Leblond & Michalek in the system for..

 

[ACC1224]

It's more that now theres a good chance that both Smith and Martin will stay on the team rather than getting rid of both.

I'd put the chances of Smith playing another game for the Leafs at around 0.

 

[Anthrax442]

In other news.....

 

[67Cup]

The point of the signing is not that Vegas would draft Smith. That would be very unlikely. It's so that the Leafs don't have to expose someone else they would mind losing. As things are set up now, my guess is that Vegas would take Marincin, or a younger marginal NHLer with a fairly slim chance of makng the Leafs, or, if they need a bigger contract to get to the 60% of the Cap requirement, Fehr. I think the organization could bear the loss of one of those players without excessive tears.

Good asset management, IMO

 

[Bullseye]

Babs is breathing easier now. At least he has a 4th centre he knows in addition to the Goat once Boyle doesn't sign. This is slightly tongue-in-cheek but...

I wonder how far down the Leafs centre depth Smith really is assuming Nylander is not playing centre at all this year:

Matthews
Kadri
Bozak
Gauthier/Smith
Kalinin

 

[moon111]

In modern times, there's pretty much no difference between teams that have an enforcer and teams that doesn't in how often they are victimized by cheap shots. The scenario you talk about doesn't happen.

How often was Matthews, Nylander, or Marner rag-dolled like Crosby? Exactly.

 

[Bullseye]

How often was Matthews, Nylander, or Marner rag-dolled like Crosby? Exactly.

Wanna add Freddie Andersen to that list? Frequently.