The Curious Case of Dave Bolland
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The Winter Soldier
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The only other UFA Center worth pursuing this summer is Paul Statsny, and he is going to get 6.5M+ for 5 or 6 years.
You can't compete without competent Centers in the NHL, we saw this when Bozak and Bolland were out.
That's the position this team is in.
Considering Leafs had Grabovski at 5.5 x 5.
Bolland at 5 x 7 is still better. Don't sign him, Nonis will have to deal for a Center. They are not cheap. Let him go, we get no assets in return. Trade him, then this team has no plans winning in the playoffs. Take your choice.
You can't compete without competent Centers in the NHL, we saw this when Bozak and Bolland were out.
That's the position this team is in.
Considering Leafs had Grabovski at 5.5 x 5.
Bolland at 5 x 7 is still better. Don't sign him, Nonis will have to deal for a Center. They are not cheap. Let him go, we get no assets in return. Trade him, then this team has no plans winning in the playoffs. Take your choice.
janesy12
Leafs Nation
I agree Bolland is a key piece to our team going forward. Nonis acquired him to be a long time Leaf as a hometown boy. I think a 4x4 deal is fair. 4 years, 4 mill per. If Bolland gets 5 mill +, wtf does Kadri get next year?
Its a weird situation. If we trade him the most we'll get is a 2nd rounder.... I'm one of those people that think he's more valuable to keep for a playoff run. A decent playoff run is more valuable than a 2nd rounder. If we can't strike a deal before July 1st, then cut your losses. Take a chance.
Its a weird situation. If we trade him the most we'll get is a 2nd rounder.... I'm one of those people that think he's more valuable to keep for a playoff run. A decent playoff run is more valuable than a 2nd rounder. If we can't strike a deal before July 1st, then cut your losses. Take a chance.
613Leafer
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I think a lot of people question the Leafs chances of winning in the playoffs even WITH Bolland. At least if your goal is the SC, and not to just win a round or two.
Yes, adding an upgrade at Centre would be a difficult thing to do. But that doesn't mean we should just commit longterm to what we have and stop trying to find an upgrade.
Yosho
Logic
The term he's seeking is brutal.
He'll have to play some great hockey in the remaining 22 games, and help carry this team into the post-season, for me to wrap my head around that.
He'll have to play some great hockey in the remaining 22 games, and help carry this team into the post-season, for me to wrap my head around that.
The Winter Soldier
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We got lucky in Bozak, we signed him, and he has become a key member of the #1 line at only 4.2 for this season and 4 more after this.
Kadri is a guy that is going to demand 5M+ for 5 plus years next summer. This is the decision Nonis and co have to make, and soon. Commit to Kadri or commit to Bolland.
Only room for one of them on this team beyond next season. This is a key moment in the Leafs core for the next 5 years where we make a cup push or stay with the pretenders.
The Winter Soldier
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Anton Thun represented Letang and Bergeron recently in their contract extensions.
Both got 8 years and both got 6.5 and 7.25
This agent is a mercenary.
Both got 8 years and both got 6.5 and 7.25
This agent is a mercenary.
Gary Nylund
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Well if the choice really is between Kadri and Bolland then it's Kadri and it's nowhere near close. Bolland is a 3rd line centre, expecting him to ever be more is foolish and that's why trading for him wasn't a smart long-term move. I've said it a hundred times - we're not winning anything this year and thus should be making moves with a goal of contending a few years down the road.
stakesishigh
how swede it is
Trade Bolland.
I want him nowhere near this team for anything remotely close to what is rumoured. His demands are pure insanity.
I want him nowhere near this team for anything remotely close to what is rumoured. His demands are pure insanity.
613Leafer
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Agreed. Bolland has ONE season over 40 points. He also got plenty of time on the 2nd line in Chicago with some VERY good wingers, better then Lupul/Clarkson/Raymond/etc, which would be his wingers in Toronto.
He has a really bad injury history, and even when healthy hasn't shown an ability to be a top 6 C. He's a really solid 3rd line C (when healthy), but at 5M? That's just too much.
Punch Drunk Loov
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TheOtherSide
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I would not take Bolland at anything more than his current contract. When he got his current contract he was just finishing his sophomore season in which he put up the highest point totals of his career. Since then? He has had an injury history which includes back surgery, a concussion, an ankle injury which iirc requires him to where a custom skate for the rest of his career. Isn't this the guy that got demoted to 4th line duties for the Blackhawks last year?
I'm sure that he will end up getting somewhere around 4 million per year, but i certainly hope it isn't from the leafs. We are already up against the cap, the last thing we need is to sign another captain intangibles for a ludicrous contract. He's a 3rd liner. Pay him like one.
I'm sure that he will end up getting somewhere around 4 million per year, but i certainly hope it isn't from the leafs. We are already up against the cap, the last thing we need is to sign another captain intangibles for a ludicrous contract. He's a 3rd liner. Pay him like one.
ShaneFalco
Registered User
as they put it on the hotstove......
"..... the Leafs could soon find themselves with the one of the most expensive forward corps in a year’s time once Nazem Kadri is due up for a contract, and we can question whether or not it would be strong enough down the middle justify that (the goal is winning a Cup, remember). Meanwhile, the Leafs have been getting their excellent goaltending at a bargain price (that won’t last much longer) and their defence is pretty young, incomplete, in need of improvement, and soon to be in need of some new contracts."
"..... the Leafs could soon find themselves with the one of the most expensive forward corps in a year’s time once Nazem Kadri is due up for a contract, and we can question whether or not it would be strong enough down the middle justify that (the goal is winning a Cup, remember). Meanwhile, the Leafs have been getting their excellent goaltending at a bargain price (that won’t last much longer) and their defence is pretty young, incomplete, in need of improvement, and soon to be in need of some new contracts."
Leafidelity
Best Sport/Worst League
I think it'd be wise to keep Bolland for a potential playoff run, even while knowing he may not re-sign. At the same time, I wouldn't be mad if we flipped him at the deadline for some value. We've now got both Holland and Kulemin who can fill in for him. Might not do AS good a job, but I'm comfortable with either of those guys as our 3rd line centre.
All depends on the return we'd get though. Him coming off a serious injury isn't going to help.
The Winter Soldier
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2 ways of looking at this, if Bolland wasn't hurt, his contract demands might be beyond our means. Having played 15 games and looking like a core player for us when he was in, don't think anyone would argue his impact in those games before he was hurt makes the a very difficult call. Nonis, Loiselle, and Poulin have to make the right decision. I will say this, I want more players that can play in both ends of the ice.
Being more like Boston's blueprint and less like Edmonton's one way skill players is a good thing.
Bolland is good but let's not make him anything more than he is, a third line center.
His shooting percentage is 22.2 right now and he had 6 goals in 15 games and doesn't shoot the puck much.
Bolland needs to go now or in the offseason if he wants that kind of money. Not worth it.
We already overpay for most of our players, let's not make it harder than usual.
How will we ever know how good Holland can be if we give him 5 minutes of ice time. We need to look for cheaper options.
Liferleafer
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- Feb 9, 2011
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I wouldn't trade him. I let him play this year and the playoffs, see how he performs. His value to the team during that time is more than the crap return we would get right now. If he performs well...you figure it out in the offseason.
Is Bolland's agent nuts. What makes him worth a 7/8 year deal, around 5 million. Holland can play 3c for much cheaper. In a cap world you can't be giving out contracts. Clarkson robbed us last year. Let's not make the same mistake again.
Bozak, Kadri and Holland down the middle is good. If it comes down to either Bolland or Kadri, you take Kadri every time. He is our only centre capable of carrying a line and creating consistent offense.
It was nice having you Bolland, best of luck on your new team next year.
Bozak, Kadri and Holland down the middle is good. If it comes down to either Bolland or Kadri, you take Kadri every time. He is our only centre capable of carrying a line and creating consistent offense.
It was nice having you Bolland, best of luck on your new team next year.
Fogelhund
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Bolland played 15 games for us... that's it. Pretty hard to say he is a critical part of our future, and success, particularly when our pre-Olympic record was 11-2-1.
He's had a serious injury, and may never fully recover from it. He is such a valuable player, that Chicago had him on the 4th line, and gave up on him for the 51st, 117th in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth rounder in the 2014 Draft. Heart and Soul local boy, sure, whatever...
Over the last few years he's played 39/82 games, 61/82 games, 76/82 games, 35/48 games, 15/60 games.
Chicago traded him, because he was marginally useful for them at his current cap hit, and knew he would be asking more than they would pay him, for his value. Chicago didn't think that he was a key to winning the cup, and traded him for a few lower picks.
I get wanting to win now, but I'd rather try and get Statsny at $6.5 million, than Bolland at $5 million.
He is just not worth $5 million in this cap era, not at about .5ppg average over the last few seasons... +- (not an exact calculation), when he misses a ton of games, and we've adjusted and done well without him. He is basically an unknown as to what you are going to get with him, post-injury.
I'd say keep him, but he isn't getting any $5 million unless he set's the world on fire on our way to the Stanley Cup finals.
He's had a serious injury, and may never fully recover from it. He is such a valuable player, that Chicago had him on the 4th line, and gave up on him for the 51st, 117th in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth rounder in the 2014 Draft. Heart and Soul local boy, sure, whatever...
Over the last few years he's played 39/82 games, 61/82 games, 76/82 games, 35/48 games, 15/60 games.
Chicago traded him, because he was marginally useful for them at his current cap hit, and knew he would be asking more than they would pay him, for his value. Chicago didn't think that he was a key to winning the cup, and traded him for a few lower picks.
I get wanting to win now, but I'd rather try and get Statsny at $6.5 million, than Bolland at $5 million.
He is just not worth $5 million in this cap era, not at about .5ppg average over the last few seasons... +- (not an exact calculation), when he misses a ton of games, and we've adjusted and done well without him. He is basically an unknown as to what you are going to get with him, post-injury.
I'd say keep him, but he isn't getting any $5 million unless he set's the world on fire on our way to the Stanley Cup finals.
letang is a 50+ point defenseman.
bergeron is a selke winning, multiple nominated 50-60 point two way center who is ace on the face off.
bolland is a far cry from these two players. what bollands agent is asking for is basically a contract for a 2nd line player. in order for bolland to get that he would need to prove that bolland is a 2nd and not a 3rd line center.
imo there is no data to support bolland being a 2nd line player.
in todays nhl;
top line stars/ first line player like kessel, giroux, getzlaf, etc make in the $8 million range.
2nd line players like bergeron, lupul, eriksson get in the $5 -$6.5 million range
3rd line payers (good ones) should be getting in the $3-4 range
bolland has proven in the past that he can be clutch. he is a good player, and he does bring a lot of things beyond just putting up points but i dont see how nonis can possibly give him that length of a contract.
imo the 3rd line is an important line for the leafs. we need spots that we can break in our young players and prospects and insulate them a bit. with the amount of players signed long term it is going to be difficult for young players to break into the leafs and for management to be able to move the players signed because of their contracts.
Bolland is not going to be much of a factor this season after coming off that injury.
I would offer him 4 years and $16 million maximum.
I would offer him 4 years and $16 million maximum.
