Confirmed Signing with Link: [TOR] Joe Thornton signs with the Maple Leafs (1 year, $700K)

[X66]

I’ve liked some of the Leaf moves this summer but this one is an odd one.

They already have Spezza.

Neither guy is a winger.

Reminds me of when they had the best centres in the league with Sundin, Lindros and Allison.

Just five years too late.

Spezza played wing in the playoffs, Engvall became center and that was one of the leafs best lines.

To me it’s obvious, the leafs believe they can put thronton in a position to succeed, like easy minutes and 2nd pp time.

But what they want most is the voice in the locker room.

Spezza and Thornton will not be asked to play huge roles, which can potentially benefit both, it did for Spezza last year.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

I think Leafs gonna be just fine

Forwards:
Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Mikheyev-Tavares-Nylander
Kerfoot-Jumbo-Simmonds
Robertson-Engvall-Spezza

Defense
Rielly Brodie
Muzzin Holl
Dermott Bagosian

Goalies
Andersen
Campbell

Who will be let go to find the money to sign Mikheyev and Dermott ?

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

The views of the HF poster are generally correct in that, yeah good team but until they start winning rounds they’re nowhere near a “good chance” at a cup.

it’s not like there is an order: win 1, then 2, then 3 rounds etc. If that were the case tampa wouldn’t win for 3 more years. this is the exact kind of simplistic thinking i was referring to.

 

[holy]

Lmao I gotta hand it to Leafs fan, they don’t back down from anyone. They’re making fun of Tampa for winning the cup now, hahahah.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Lmao I gotta hand it to Leafs fan, they don’t back down from anyone. They’re making fun of Tampa for winning the cup now, hahahah.

They could only win after resting for so long

 

[unitedstars87]

I’d like to see the Leafs sign Chara!

I wonder how many pages that will generate?!

More views than SC finals

 

[OldCraig71]

Spezza played wing in the playoffs, Engvall became center and that was one of the leafs best lines.

To me it’s obvious, the leafs believe they can put thronton in a position to succeed, like easy minutes and 2nd pp time.

But what they want most is the voice in the locker room.

Spezza and Thornton will not be asked to play huge roles, which can potentially benefit both, it did for Spezza last year.

I'm sorry and I wish you all due respect but why do 4 guys earning nearly 40 million dollars need inspiration? Is 10 mill not what it used to be? I watched the performance against the working man's Blue Jackets and I saw a frightened group, heck I could sense it just watching on TV. Adding a few old guys is not going to push them over the top, they need a better mix for those big dollars or nothing changes! No real playoff standouts in that forward group.

 

[moog35]

I don’t understand the hate for this signing and I hate the leafs. 1 year cheap contract for an effective 4th line centre who brings leadership and can be moved up the lineup if needed. And oh ya he’s not soft as butter like the 4th liners they have had the last 2 years minus Clifford. Thornton will actually stick up for himself and doesn’t get pushed around. Mathews and Marner should take notes

 

[93gilmour93]

Who will be let go to find the money to sign Mikheyev and Dermott ?

Dermott is getting traded in my opinion and the leafs have the money to sign Mikheyev now

 

[biturbo19]

The Spezza experiment has worked out better than anyone could have hoped for. There’s no risk to signing these grizzled old vets, especially when your core is still very young.

The "risk" is that your bottom-6 may "play well" but still not be particularly well equipped for the grinding job that actually needs to get done. And you get eliminated from the playoffs immediately.


Like...yes, Spezza last year and now Thornton this year, are certainly still "good enough players" to handle some minutes, put up some points, play a little bit of powerplay even. But what they're not really as cut out for, is those PK minutes, DZone starts, a big "energy shift" to generate a spark when a team is a bit flat, etc. It's where building a truly good Team, isn't just about collecting a hodgepodge of high skill "good players". There are other niche skillsets that are important too.

 

[Notsince67]

Dermott is getting traded in my opinion and the leafs have the money to sign Mikheyev now

Why would they keep Holl for a controlled Dermott who is a better dman, a decent 3rd pair and a person they could sign for below his cap hit?

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

It’s a bit sad this has more replies than the Pietrangelo signing. It’s a depth signing for league minimum, it’s not a good or bad move.

I hope the gamble pays off and I think it will but it’s still a relatively nothing signing.

 

[Geecko]

They could only win after resting for so long

The Leafs rested as long and still could not pass through 1 playoff round.

 

[Oxbow Lakes]

I mean... I like the signing. A seasoned HHoF vet playing for his childhood team and trying to win the cup with them? Sure, a good deal!

Whatever else happened in this thread... geez. We reaaaally like arguing over the pettiest shit, don’t we?

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Has to be a record for a $700k signing.

Not for a player who used to be a star+...

 

[93gilmour93]

Why would they keep Holl for a controlled Dermott who is a better dman, a decent 3rd pair and a person they could sign for below his cap hit?

Because the left side is Rielly Muzzin and eventually if not this year Sandin. The leafs have tried Dermott on the right side and it just doesn't work. Trade the asset to a team where he fits better

 

[dubey]

Why are you repeating yourself ?

No new material ?

And here I was waiting with bated breath...

As valid as ever

I wonder what Saku Koivu is doing right now... obviously no Jumbo Joe but he could be that MTL #1C

 

[Notsince67]

Because the left side is Rielly Muzzin and eventually if not this year Sandin. The leafs have tried Dermott on the right side and it just doesn't work. Trade the asset to a team where he fits better

Dubas said dermott to the right

 

[93gilmour93]

Dubas said dermott to the right

I heard that also but I think the leafs are looking at this right now.

Rielly Brodie
Muzzin Lehtonen
Sandin Holl/Bogosian

I just don't see the fit for Dermott after the moves. I think he becomes part of a multi player trade with Toronto and a mystery team as of now.

 

[Pyrophorus]

I heard that also but I think the leafs are looking at this right now.

Rielly Brodie
Muzzin Lehtonen
Sandin Holl/Bogosian

I just don't see the fit for Dermott after the moves. I think he becomes part of a multi player trade with Toronto and a mystery team as of now.

I just don't want to trade the dman, who has the most defensive aspects on the team.
Otherwise its a great 6.

 

[Pyrophorus]

Because the left side is Rielly Muzzin and eventually if not this year Sandin. The leafs have tried Dermott on the right side and it just doesn't work. Trade the asset to a team where he fits better

I don't believe this is correct, since it was a fair amount of consternation, of why they don't.
He did it in Erie and the CCC. Dubas said it will be tried this year.

 

[Kylie Sven Opossum]

I don't understand all static about this signing. Leafs signed a league-average offensive producer for league minimum salary. This is great value, and a good signing; what downside? lol.. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[X66]

I'm sorry and I wish you all due respect but why do 4 guys earning nearly 40 million dollars need inspiration? Is 10 mill not what it used to be? I watched the performance against the working man's Blue Jackets and I saw a frightened group, heck I could sense it just watching on TV. Adding a few old guys is not going to push them over the top, they need a better mix for those big dollars or nothing changes! No real playoff standouts in that forward group.

It's not about inspiration, it's about helping with pressure. One could even argue that the more money you make as a young player the more pressure that falls on you.

What made the group frightened? They scored pretty much all of their goals from the greasy areas and that's where they generated most of their chances.

 

[Mitchy]

That's great and all, but I rarely see you ever actually discuss hockey. It's more or less spell/grammar checking people, or one liner quips.

You'd think somebody who's watched hockey for 60+ years would have more to add, but apparently not.

Imagine being 70+ and spending your days trolling on HF. I don't know if that's sad, hilarious or both.

 

[OldCraig71]

It's not about inspiration, it's about helping with pressure. One could even argue that the more money you make as a young player the more pressure that falls on you.

What made the group frightened? They scored pretty much all of their goals from the greasy areas and that's where they generated most of their chances.

They could not overcome a much weaker Columbus team, I don't know if it was correct to say that they played scared but they certainly didn't look like a confident group in my opinion.