Rumor: Sparks On The Block

[Sittler 27]

Preseason stats mean little but going off of them Pickard was 2-0 with 1 goal against. He wins the backup role based off this.
McBackup had a horrible 2nd preseason game as did the whole team.
Sparks was horrible in both of his appearances and during an interview expressed that this was his first summer he has taken off playing goal. Played forward in a summer league...brilliant. 5.81 GAA and .750 save%

And Marleau was the teams leading point getter.

Good post, very true

 

[ITM]

How is this AHL superstar still on the block, why has no one offered us the moon and stars by now? 30 other GM's clearly see something our GM does not see...

Because new information over an entire NHL season in which he participated confirmed his reasonable AHL promise wasn't going to be fulfilled?

 

[Kiwi]

Because new information over an entire NHL season in which he participated confirmed his reasonable AHL promise wasn't going to be fulfilled?

It's amazing how often people bat 1000 when they are using hindsight

I still think we made the correct decision with the information available at the time

Didn't work out but **** happens

 

[ITM]

It's amazing how often people bat 1000 when they are using hindsight

I still think we made the correct decision with the information available at the time

Didn't work out but **** happens

Amazing is one word for it, lol.

And I agree. Let's say that both options were equally reasonable. If one option holds promise for a longer career, isn't that enough of a tipping point to risk losing the other?

Things happen. As Leafs fans, we should be extra mindful of our mismanaged, this to say, squandered goaltending history. Gerry Cheevers and Bernie Parent come to mind. Sometimes it's Felix Potvin. Sometimes it's Garret Sparks. We move on. It's not tough. Or at least, it shouldn't be within a fan base.

 

[GardinerTheForward]

Preseason stats mean little but going off of them Pickard was 2-0 with 1 goal against. He wins the backup role based off this.
McBackup had a horrible 2nd preseason game as did the whole team.
Sparks was horrible in both of his appearances and during an interview expressed that this was his first summer he has taken off playing goal. Played forward in a summer league...brilliant. 5.81 GAA and .750 save%

And Marleau was the teams leading point getter.

If you watched the games you would know who the best goalie was. Everyone on HF knew who was best based on the preseason games. They did this by watching them play, not watching the stats.

Seems like you brought up stats to cause controversy

 

[DarkKnight]

How is this AHL superstar still on the block, why has no one offered us the moon and stars by now? 30 other GM's clearly see something our GM does not see...

Maybe because what we've heard continually from people who've asked around the league, Sparks is considered a fundamentally flawed goaltender. Someone might take a flyer on him, for nothing.

Also, who needs hindsight when you had foresight last year. Odd.

 

[diceman934]

Maybe because what we've heard continually from people who've asked around the league, Sparks is considered a fundamentally flawed goaltender. Someone might take a flyer on him, for nothing.

Also, who needs hindsight when you had foresight last year. Odd.

I would have gladly said I was wrong if Sparks proved it to me. He was used as a tank goalie is all anyone should have needed to know. He had not improved at all, he had a fantastic team in front of him the year we won the AHL championship and he looked lost in many games as he always had. It was among the stupidest decisions we made in a while. We were at a win now position you keep the better goalie no matter the age. It was not himdsight at all it was a fact that he was not even our 3rd best goalie.

 

[Mr Hockey]

I still don't understand how they let him back up an NHL team and he looks like a f***ing beer league goalie, did the goalie coach not see it when analyzing video or just watching the guy, it was comical at times watching Sparks

 

[The CyNick]

I still don't understand how they let him back up an NHL team and he looks like a ****ing beer league goalie, did the goalie coach not see it when analyzing video or just watching the guy, it was comical at times watching Sparks

It was the GM who couldn't see it. May have been a vision issue.

 

[The Iceman]

If you watched the games you would know who the best goalie was. Everyone on HF knew who was best based on the preseason games. They did this by watching them play, not watching the stats.

Seems like you brought up stats to cause controversy

You should not be awarding a goalie a spot based on what happens in parts of 2 preseason games eye test or stats regardless.
Watching them play Calvin Picard was the best preseason goalie and there was zero chance of him sticking.

 

[deletethis]

At this point, I think the healthiest thing for both the organization and the player is that he gets second chance in another pro organization. If there are no takers for Sparks, maybe the Leafs could source out a team in Europe looking for a goalie. I'd be satisfied with getting back the asset of a freed contract slot.

 

[Thissiteisgarbage]

Wasn't his biggest fan but if a guy is "AHL goalie of the Year" the season prior - I'm not sure what you have to do to receive at least a shot in the bigs. Too bad he blew it. He looked a lot more solid in net in the AHL. Might be he just folded under the pressure...

 

[Zybalto]

Man, folks are too hard on Sparks. The contrast to having a top ten keeper in Anderson + his first real shot at the league (no, I dont count his being thrown to the wolves a couple years ago) and some act like he was the worst keeper in the league or something. This city is damn rough on players sometimes.

Out of the 71 goalies that played at least 500 minutes last year, he was 51st in save%. Not great but the Leafs wernt exactly an amazing defensive team and the guy earned his shot. Now we're moving on.

I wish him well in the future.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Man, folks are too hard on Sparks. The contrast to having a top ten keeper in Anderson + his first real shot at the league (no, I dont count his being thrown to the wolves a couple years ago) and some act like he was the worst keeper in the league or something. This city is damn rough on players sometimes.

Out of the 71 goalies that played at least 500 minutes last year, he was 51st in save%. Not great but the Leafs wernt exactly an amazing defensive team and the guy earned his shot. Now we're moving on.

I wish him well in the future.

Very well stated. and Sparkie is a real good kid. very polite to all. he had a bad year like most nhl rookies. but lets cream him and Dubie and throw them in jail. it is sickening to be blaming an nhl rookie goalie and GM for loss of like 5-8 points over a season. we all liked MAC a good London kid. in hindsight yes he would have improved team.

 

[ManosArriba]

If you watched the games you would know who the best goalie was. Everyone on HF knew who was best based on the preseason games. They did this by watching them play, not watching the stats.

Seems like you brought up stats to cause controversy

So if it was Binnington or Matt Murray instead of Sparks and Mac outplayed them in camp you would keep Mac and put Cup winning goalies on waivers?

 

[mashedpotato]

Shades of Pogge and Rask.

We had McBackup, Sparks and that other kid - I can't remember his name but he had a couple of bad starts - and we stayed with Sparks.

 

[diceman934]

Man, folks are too hard on Sparks. The contrast to having a top ten keeper in Anderson + his first real shot at the league (no, I dont count his being thrown to the wolves a couple years ago) and some act like he was the worst keeper in the league or something. This city is damn rough on players sometimes.

Out of the 71 goalies that played at least 500 minutes last year, he was 51st in save%. Not great but the Leafs wernt exactly an amazing defensive team and the guy earned his shot. Now we're moving on.

I wish him well in the future.

He played on a top team the Leafs. You would expect his save percent to be higher as you would expect his gaa as well. He is not a sound goalie, his save selection is horrid.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Shades of Pogge and Rask.

We had McBackup, Sparks and that other kid - I can't remember his name but he had a couple of bad starts - and we stayed with Sparks.

Pogge and Rask that was a much different issue. I don't want to get into it but some people wanted the good Canadian kid who won WHL MVP and WJ gold. Sometimes resumes look really really good and playing on stacked teams makes you look really really good. TBH I probably would have made the same mistake when Leafs made their decision.

 

[diceman934]

So if it was Binnington or Matt Murray instead of Sparks and Mac outplayed them in camp you would keep Mac and put Cup winning goalies on waivers?

How is that the same in any way shape or form?

 

[JT AM da real deal]

but Rask for Raycroft OMG that was brutal

 

[diceman934]

Pogge and Rask that was a much different issue. I don't want to get into it but some people wanted the good Canadian kid who won WHL MVP and WJ gold. Sometimes resumes look really really good and playing on stacked teams makes you look really really good. TBH I probably would have made the same mistake when Leafs made their decision.

All the players knew they made the wrong decision. Heard it from the horses mouth. The only person who wanted Sparks was Dubas. Babcock stated in a presser that he chose McBackup.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

All the players knew they made the wrong decision. Heard it from the horses mouth. The only person who wanted Sparks was Dubas. Babcock stated in a presser that he chose McBackup.

New GMs and old GMs make mistakes everyday just like the rest of us ...

 

[Zybalto]

He played on a top team the Leafs. You would expect his save percent to be higher as you would expect his gaa as well. He is not a sound goalie, his save selection is horrid.

He earned his shot and we gave him a full year to see how he would develop at the NHL level.

Calgary and San Jose were other top teams with worst save% than Sparks. Whats their excuse?

In hindsight, theres an argument that 35 year old McBackup was the better choice but you have to gamble on the young guy there, and I cant be the only one to have noticed that McBackup was one of the worst goalies in the league the last month of the season and almost cost the Hurricanes the playoffs and lost any chance at being a starter for them in the post season....but we didnt really need him and even if we had him, it wouldnt have made a difference in the standings.

All this turned out to be a non-controversy IMO.

 

[diceman934]

New GMs and old GMs make mistakes everyday just like the rest of us ...

Not like that they do not. He was not capable and no amount of hope was going to change that. When you have better you keep the better player as there is no need to hope.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Not like that they do not. He was not capable and no amount of hope was going to change that. When you have better you keep the better player as there is no need to hope.

He was trying to create a culture of HOPE in the minors ... these kids are the future ... without HOPE of making it to the SHOW there is no future