Rumor: Sparks On The Block

[JT AM da real deal]

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.

Of course it is a MASSIVE step. But virtually every 1st rounder gets a shot irrespective of performance. At least he earned his shot due to his performance at highest level of hockey outside the NHL. My point was every guy on that Marlies team knew they won the Cup because of Sparky. That is why he was voted playoff MVP and virtually every player and coach on his team said as much.

So he had a bad camp. You know who had worse camps- Marleau, Hainsey and AJ. All 3 of those guys had BRUTAL camps.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Of course it is a MASSIVE step. But virtually every 1st rounder gets a shot irrespective of performance. At least he earned his shot due to his performance at highest level of hockey outside the NHL. My point was every guy on that Marlies team knew they won the Cup because of Sparky. That is why he was voted playoff MVP and virtually every player and coach on his team said as much.

So he had a bad camp. You know who had worse camps- Marleau, Hainsey and AJ. All 3 of those guys had BRUTAL camps.

Johnsson was playoff MVP, actually. Sparks was GOTY.

 

[Tak7]

You would have to think there are some serious character issues in play here with Sparks.That is certainly what I would think from the outside looking in and watching this unfold.

Lots of goalies struggle with confidence and it shows in their play, but almost never is anyone banished from their own team and told to stay away completely until you have your act together.

After all that, you announce he is on the trade block, suggesting you don't want him back on the team any longer.

Can't imagine Dubas phone is ringing off the hook with interest, with that wringing endorsement.

Simply place him on waivers and see if any bites, if not no need to man the phones in hopes of a trade.

It's hard to disagree - from the outside, it looks exactly like you've explained it; like there's some breakdown in his character or relationship with the team.

I thought him calling out his team was unusual and out-of-place in March. Wonder if that was related to how this thing has developed over the proceeding months?

 

[sparxx87]

Of course it is a MASSIVE step. But virtually every 1st rounder gets a shot irrespective of performance. At least he earned his shot due to his performance at highest level of hockey outside the NHL. My point was every guy on that Marlies team knew they won the Cup because of Sparky. That is why he was voted playoff MVP and virtually every player and coach on his team said as much.

So he had a bad camp. You know who had worse camps- Marleau, Hainsey and AJ. All 3 of those guys had BRUTAL camps.

Earn a shot, yes. A roster spot despite never looking like he belongs? No.

Skaters are a little different and two of the three were long established NHL’ers. Not quite the same thing. You can afford to give a skater a bit of time to get his legs.... a goalie in the same situation can be incredibly unforgiving.

I’m in no way trying to diminish his accomplishments at that level.. but he has done nothing at the NHL level to earn a roster spot. It was handed to him on a team that’s thin at the position behind their starter.

He was deserving of his AHL accolades but he’s been very fortunate for his time in the NHL so far.

 

[saltming]

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?

Didn't Binnington start the season in the AHL?

 

[GardinerTheForward]

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.

Disagree. McElhinney was the best by far. Certainly better than Pickard

 

[GardinerTheForward]

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?

Show me Sparks’ cup run, or track record of NHL potential.

Also I was discussing with another poster what metric is best for deciding the goalie that had the best camp. Not sure how you bridged the gap

 

[Menzinger]

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.

And despite that record Babcock didnt even give McBackup 20 games. Hes a coach who only cares about his starter.

Sparks was a gamble which didn't pay off, but he still went .500 which is basically all a team needs their backup goalie to do.

The Leafs had home ice advantage in game 6 with the opportunity to win the series. Let's not not try and blame away this playoff outcome on Sparks.

 

[Zybalto]

Didn't Binnington start the season in the AHL?

Binnington story is way better than that. Before the start of the 2017-2018 season, he cleared waivers, lost his job in the AHL and refused to report to the ECHL and the Blues found a job for him when another team needed an AHL keeper and took him in on loan.....the Providence Bruins.

So awesome.

 

[DarkKnight]

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.

Total bullshit, did you even watch the early games wherein Sparks had to do basically nothing? He won three games against teams that turfed their coach shortly thereafter, abysmal teams that we dominated. Lol.

 

[diceman934]

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.



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.

Pickard is a better goalie. There goes your theory right out the window. Sparks has never been a good goalie. Better effort from the team is pure fantasy.

 

[Leafs1991]

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

I am calm and chill. I'm still going to call out ridiculous comments like that though.

 

[Leafs1991]

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.

There was barely a difference in those standings point-wise...Toronto also hasn't advanced past the 1st round in 3 consecutive years. Should the previous two years Mcilhenny played be blamed on him then given the early exits? In which he didn't play a single game in the playoffs? It's asinine to fully blame the backup goalie. I'm not saying Sparks is a great or good goalie, but to make it out like he's garbage or even blame him for the playoff exit is ludicrous.

 

[Stephen]

Weird, I was just on Kijiji and didn't see the listing...

 

[Mr Hockey]

I am calm and chill. I'm still going to call out ridiculous comments like that though.

The post was ridiculous in the real world in a serious conversation, but not here, have fun and enjoy

 

[sparxx87]

Weird, I was just on Kijiji and didn't see the listing...

Wrong spot.

Try 1-800-got-junk

 

[Leafs1991]

The post was ridiculous in the real world in a serious conversation, but not here, have fun and enjoy

I've seen your post history. You're not exactly someone who makes "jokes" on here.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Pickard is a better goalie. There goes your theory right out the window. Sparks has never been a good goalie. Better effort from the team is pure fantasy.

So then why did Sparks outplay him for the past two years then? Pickard was one of the worst goalies in the NHL last year, far worse than Sparks, and never looked better than Sparks on the Marlies the year before that.

So I think you know absolutely nothing and are just making up trash to push a hopeless agenda built on bias and fallacy.

 

[Bluelines]

There was barely a difference in those standings point-wise...Toronto also hasn't advanced past the 1st round in 3 consecutive years. Should the previous two years Mcilhenny played be blamed on him then given the early exits? In which he didn't play a single game in the playoffs? It's asinine to fully blame the backup goalie. I'm not saying Sparks is a great or good goalie, but to make it out like he's garbage or even blame him for the playoff exit is ludicrous.

Reread his post, you interpreted it incorrectly, the other poster was inferring that if we had better performance from our back up we could have had home ice in the playoffs.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Total bull****, did you even watch the early games wherein Sparks had to do basically nothing? He won three games against teams that turfed their coach shortly thereafter, abysmal teams that we dominated. Lol.

Yes, I did. He had to do a lot more than "basically nothing".

 

[JT AM da real deal]

So then why did Sparks outplay him for the past two years then? Pickard was one of the worst goalies in the NHL last year, far worse than Sparks, and never looked better than Sparks on the Marlies the year before that.

So I think you know absolutely nothing and are just making up trash to push a hopeless agenda built on bias and fallacy.

Pickard was Sparks backup when they played together with Marlies. Keefe threw in Pickard to give Sparks a rest that's it. It started out as a battle for #1 and it was quickly decided by Keefe.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Pickard was Sparks backup when they played together with Marlies. Keefe threw in Pickard to give Sparks a rest that's it. It started out as a battle for #1 and it was quickly decided by Keefe.

I know, because Sparks was the far better goalie.

 

[diceman934]

So then why did Sparks outplay him for the past two years then? Pickard was one of the worst goalies in the NHL last year, far worse than Sparks, and never looked better than Sparks on the Marlies the year before that.

So I think you know absolutely nothing and are just making up trash to push a hopeless agenda built on bias and fallacy.

It is a fact. One has played over 100 NHL games with a better save percentage the other a lot less games with a worse save percentage. GGA was better as well.

 

[nsleaf]

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?

Same thing you win with the best back or the worst back up.....nothing.

 

[BlueForever75]

Carolina is being rumored to not bringing back or being in any rush to bring back both goalies from last year.

Maybe Sparks is included in a larger deal when we get one of their RHD.

Kapanen, Sparks and Timashov for Pesce

Sparks instantly becomes Carolina's backup for a fraction of the cost and bring Sami's son along with him to sell tickets!!!!