Rumor: Sparks On The Block

[Leafs1991]

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

He's a beer league goalie to you? Someone who's played professional hockey (NHL and AHL for him) is not a beer league level of player.

 

[Leafs1991]

Sparks playing was such an inconsequential part to the results of the season. If Andersen got hurt, and he had to play more than 40 games of the season and didn't play well, I could understand why you'd all be upset but the overreaction to a backup goalie who didn't affect the standings for the team in the end is laughable. Big whoop, they could've maybe gotten a few more wins if they had someone better. Sparks wasn't the problem. Could they get someone better? Sure. But you all need to stop acting like he had a huge impact on the season.

 

[diceman934]

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.

Lol. Wrong.

 

[Leafs1991]

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.

Agreed on both those quotes.

 

[Mr Hockey]

He's a beer league goalie to you? Someone who's played professional hockey (NHL and AHL for him) is not a beer league level of player.

I may have slightly exaggerated, get a grip and chill out

 

[JayfromNB1219]

We finna get our dorkios traded treal hard son! For real baby1 ! Y'all get it! right!! Right!! We finna make room for the marner!! he ours for life son! 10 years! Sentence! Never out! Believe DAT DERE!!!!!!!! :fire: :pump: :fist: :fisting: :tough: :nails: We TRADING EVERYBODY WE DON*T LOVE!!!

what in the G-D awful Fck is this post?

 

[Zybalto]

Lol. Wrong.

Shrewd point.

Cant argue with that logic.

 

[JayfromNB1219]

I've always kind of been in love with Mike Smith. He had a poor year this year which could see him come in at a lower price. 1.5M or less per for 2 years would be a good look for next year.

Smith the Sieve of Calgary fame...yeah no...his best years are gone and I really don't think he'd be any upgrade on Sparks...now Smith during his little run in Arizona I would be all for

 

[diceman934]

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

The hope has been clearly created. With all the marlies who graduated. Not every drafted player makes the NHL or even gets an opportunity. Hope is one thing, but it has to have a reasonable chance of success.

 

[diceman934]

Shrewd point.

Cant argue with that logic.

If you can not figure it out then what is the point. It was not the back up that had bad save percentage but the starter

 

[Zybalto]

If you can not figure it out then what is the point. It was not the back up that had bad save percentage but the starter

It wasnt like Calgarys backup was tearing up the league either but Dell was brutal, worse than Jones.

Sparks .902 is a hell of a lot better than Dells .886 on a team that finished ahead of the Leafs in the standings.

Dont have to talk down to me on this.

 

[Bluelines]

It wasnt like Calgarys backup was tearing up the league either but Dell was brutal, worse than Jones.

Sparks .902 is a hell of a lot better than Dells .886 on a team that finished ahead of the Leafs in the standings.

Dont have to talk down to me on this.

Our dog's breakfast was better than Calgary's dog's breakfast... comforting words. Awesome what do we win for not having the worst back up?

 

[JT AM da real deal]

The hope has been clearly created. With all the marlies who graduated. Not every drafted player makes the NHL or even gets an opportunity. Hope is one thing, but it has to have a reasonable chance of success.

If you win playoff MVP in the highest level in the minors and you don't make it up then it sends a signal to the troops that the Leafs are not the place to be in the NHL

 

[lovemyleafs]

This bum couldn't even fetch us an 8th round pick if one existed.
He's that bad.

 

[DarkKnight]

Sparks playing was such an inconsequential part to the results of the season. If Andersen got hurt, and he had to play more than 40 games of the season and didn't play well, I could understand why you'd all be upset but the overreaction to a backup goalie who didn't affect the standings for the team in the end is laughable. Big whoop, they could've maybe gotten a few more wins if they had someone better. Sparks wasn't the problem. Could they get someone better? Sure. But you all need to stop acting like he had a huge impact on the season.

Go compare 11-5 record 2017-18 McBackup, versus 8-9 2018-19 Sparks, then go look at the standings, then recall where we played Game 7 this year, then you might start to get a clue that backups actually matter, especially in a parity league where every point counts. Just asinine to say they don’t matter.

 

[diceman934]

If you win playoff MVP in the highest level in the minors and you don't make it up then it sends a signal to the troops that the Leafs are not the place to be in the NHL

Horse poop. He may have cleared waivers last year. He was not all that good as a AHL goalies. He had the best team money could buy playing in front of him.

He was horrible in every NHL camp and when he played 20 plus games he helped us get to the bottom of the league. Everyone knew it. The only signal it sent by keeping him was that our GM was not ready to be an NHL GM. Everyone in the organization knew he was not an NHL caliber goalie last year.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Horse poop. He may have cleared waivers last year. He was not all that good as a AHL goalies. He had the best team money could buy playing in front of him.

He was horrible in every NHL camp and when he played 20 plus games he helped us get to the bottom of the league. Everyone knew it. The only signal it sent by keeping him was that our GM was not ready to be an NHL GM. Everyone in the organization knew he was not an NHL caliber goalie last year.

Not everyone knew it. Sure Babs was against it but there is a 3 way rule which runs da Leafs and if Babs and Dubie disagree then it goes up for a final decision.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Go compare 11-5 record 2017-18 McBackup, versus 8-9 2018-19 Sparks, then go look at the standings, then recall where we played Game 7 this year, then you might start to get a clue that backups actually matter, especially in a parity league where every point counts. Just asinine to say they don’t matter.

Team played a larger part than anything in the difference. The team gave McElhinney far better efforts than the majority they gave Sparks this year. If the team wants to continue to play like they did in front of Sparks, they shouldn't expect better than a .500 record unless we are investing in a starter.

Horse poop. He may have cleared waivers last year. He was not all that good as a AHL goalies. He had the best team money could buy playing in front of him.

He was horrible in every NHL camp and when he played 20 plus games he helped us get to the bottom of the league. Everyone knew it. The only signal it sent by keeping him was that our GM was not ready to be an NHL GM. Everyone in the organization knew he was not an NHL caliber goalie last year.

There are just so many things wrong with this that I think it would be faster to tell you what you got right...

I guess he did play 20 plus games on a team that got us to the bottom of the league. It was arguably the worst team iced in a decade but I guess he was on that team. I guess he may have cleared waivers too, but seeing as though an inferior goalie in Pickard did not clear waivers, I would say there are not enough stupid GM's out there to let him pass through.

That's about it.

 

[Zybalto]

Our dog's breakfast was better than Calgary's dog's breakfast... comforting words. Awesome what do we win for not having the worst back up?

Another chance to gamble on the voodoo that are goalies?

Look at Binnington this year.....and even he was a train wreck before he went god mode.

What if Sparks becomes like McBackup and kicks around the league with awful numbers and turns it around in his mid thirties?

Who knows?

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Another chance to gamble on the voodoo that are goalies?

Look at Binnington this year.....and even he was a train wreck before he went god mode.

What if Sparks becomes like McBackup and kicks around the league with awful numbers and turns it around in his mid thirties?

Who knows?

Look at McHappy with Sens ... carried team to playoffs then signed deal ... then useless
No one can really know for sure until they get their chance ... there have been some god awful skaters in NHL who could score too ... and defenders who could not skate

 

[sparxx87]

If you win playoff MVP in the highest level in the minors and you don't make it up then it sends a signal to the troops that the Leafs are not the place to be in the NHL

Or it could just mean they won’t hand you an NHL job by default?

Most players expect to earn their opportunity, not have it handed to them... twice.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Or it could just mean they won’t hand you an NHL job by default?

Most players expect to earn their opportunity, not have it handed to them... twice.

Did you know that the 2nd hardest trophy to win in pro sports is the Calder Cup? To say it was not earned just shows you were never a player.

 

[sparxx87]

Did you know that the 2nd hardest trophy to win in pro sports is the Calder Cup? To say it was not earned just shows you were never a player.

I never said he didn’t earn the CC, it was in reference to an NHL spot. AHL credentials don’t automatically qualify you for the NHL. There’s a considerable step between the AHL and NHL and it’s one he’s never appeared capable of making. Many aren’t surprised to be where we’re at. It was very predictable.

Full credit to Sparks. He was a late round pick and he worked to become a solid AHL goalie... but that’s kind of where his ceiling appears to be unless he pulls off some Andrew Hammond type stuff down the road.

 

[Bluelines]

Another chance to gamble on the voodoo that are goalies?

Look at Binnington this year.....and even he was a train wreck before he went god mode.

What if Sparks becomes like McBackup and kicks around the league with awful numbers and turns it around in his mid thirties?

Who knows?

What if eh? I wouldn't doubt that eventually Sparks becomes a decent NHL back up, goalies tend to take longer to develop than skaters but unfortunately for him (us?) we don't have time to let him develop in the big's... Say he has a great summer, comes in and stones every shooter in preseason, I have zero issues with giving him the back up role... I also have zero issues with dumping him tomorrow for a 7th round pick. For me it comes down to what have you done for me lately.

 

[Bluelines]

Did you know that the 2nd hardest trophy to win in pro sports is the Calder Cup? To say it was not earned just shows you were never a player.

Not even close...