News Article: Toronto Maple Leafs opt to tinker, while other teams splurge on free agents

[Tyler Biggs*]

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014...ker-while-other-teams-splurge-on-free-agents/

TORONTO – On the afternoon National Hockey League teams spent a half-billion dollars on free agents, the wealthiest franchise in the game opted to pick at the fringes, buying a 37-year-old recovering from a broken leg, and repatriating two wingers who have not scored 10 goals in a season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs still have new contracts to sign, more vacancies to fill, but their approach this off-season remains inscrutable. They missed the playoffs last year, but have angled neither for a rebuild nor a retooling. They have instead seemed to be tinkering.

They have made minor upgrades on defence. They have changed out goal-scorers for that sense of familiarity up front. It can feel a little like buying new floor mats when what the car really needs are new tires and a transmission to let it drive forward to give goaltender Jonathan Bernier a little peace and quiet every now and again.

Click to read more...

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

Love Leo coming back. He loves to hit - and when he gets hit - it makes him want to hit more. We lost so much toughness in the past year.

 

[Holymakinaw]

I really hope we can give Bernier a little "peace & quiet now & then" this upcoming season.

 

[SprDaVE]

Hoping for the young players to take the next step and some players to bounce back.

Leafs can't win. Spend too much? Desperate losers. Take a more conservative approach? Not good enough losers.

 

[91Stammer*]

Nothing new or unexpected. It's the same ol' media and it's crap. Leafs did a good job for not buying a lot of dead weight and the summer is not done yet. Free agency just started so we can't be so sure.

 

[CDN24]

With 16 million to sign 9 guys I thought the problem might be the dollars, starting to look like the problem may be finding the 9 guys.

Kulimen, Bolland,Mason, Gunnarson, mclement,Gleason, Ranger and franson possibly gone. with only Frattin, Pollak Robidas coming back so far. Not a lot of desirable UFA's left and i don't see that many NHL ready prospects in the system. bring in 3 kids maybe but much more than that will make for a long season.

 

[Stats01]

Don't listen to any of this garbage in the media. One minute they're saying to go young and tank the next they're saying we should've gone out and spent money. The media in this city is embarrassing and are a bunch of trolls. They make trash articles up to garner attention and replies...I guess I'm doing exactly what they want me to do. But it truly is amazing that we have very very very few writers/reporters in this city that are legit. I don't trust the media in this city at all when it comes to the Leafs.

Fixing issues by "splurging" in free agency is exactly what got us in this mess to begin with. What Nonis did was good, not great but good. And that's ok. Spending money is not important to our success. Relieving some of these contracts or letting them run their course is what they should do, there is nothing we can do about what has happened in the past but we can change the outlook for the future. The media in this city can **** off!

 

[King Mapes]

Id rather do nothing than give out ridiculous deals. Only top guy I wanted was Stastny

 

[Stats01]

Id rather do nothing than give out ridiculous deals. Only top guy I wanted was Stastny

It's another garbage article..no surprise.

 

[Stats01]

I will agree with one thing in this article however..this team is in the middle of rebuilding and going for it and it's not good. I rather them rebuild but doing nothing in free agency or at least nothing big is the next best thing.

 

[GoonieFace]

It's another garbage article..no surprise.

Its actually true to a certain extent. After listening to tub o' goo Nonis on the radio, it seems that squeaking into the playoffs is the ultimate goal here. That is flawed thinking at its best. I dont see the point of bringing 37 year old crippling defenceman onto this team at this point. Its a chance to bring some young players along and get them some experience. The Leafs are a fringe playoff team at best, and thats if Bernier stands on his head. Its time to stop spinning in circles, and blow this team up the right way. Time to stink hard for a couple of years and draft some high end talent, not fill holes with aging veterans when they are capable guys on the Marlies to fill those spots.

 

[leafs in five]

capped out team: play the kids

 

[HoweHullOrr]

Hoping for the young players to take the next step and some players to bounce back.

Leafs can't win. Spend too much? Desperate losers. Take a more conservative approach? Not good enough losers.

I think their current (as in recent/this summer) strategy is leaning more towards a rebuild/big retool. They are just doing it silently which is a good idea. So far, they haven't gone out and landed a big-splash, anchor (dead weight) contract. "So far" are operative words.

 

[Mess]

Perhaps Shanahan during his evaluation recognized how poor and how much money Leafs GMs have spent on bad UFA signings Komisarek, Connolly, Armstrong, Clarkson etc during this current failed rebuild that he said "enough is enough". A common theme is at least Leafs didn't do anything stupid and sign bad contracts like they usually do calling it a minor success in that respect.

Perhaps Shanahan recognized that most successful NHL teams are built through the draft process and instructed Nonis to start drafting better and playing the kids. Start gearing up for the 2015 entry draft to reshape the franchise.

Perhaps Nick Kypreos was right and Toronto has become a wasteland and not a very attractive place for UFA players to desire to play. Even local Ontario kids Bolland, McClement etc would prefer to leave instead of play for their home teams any longer.

Perhaps doing nothing was the best course of action as damage control analytics might suggest. Certainly the new course is different than the last one as the Leafs are doing the opposite of what they did in the past.

 

[SarcazemKadri]

Much like the leafs themselves, Toronto's media is hilariously inconsistent.

 

[Todd Skill]

Perhaps Shanahan during his evaluation recognized how poor and how much money Leafs GMs have spent on bad UFA signings Komisarek, Connolly, Armstrong, Clarkson etc during this current failed rebuild that he said "enough is enough". A common theme is at least Leafs didn't do anything stupid and sign bad contracts like they usually do calling it a minor success in that respect.

Wasn't Shanahan pushing hard for Bolland though? I think Florida saved the Leafs from themselves. If it's true that they offered something like $5mil x 5, the only credit I give them is for not going from ridiculous to outrageous by outbidding Florida. They can say that the Leafs 'opted' to tinker, but thinking they got lucky more than anything.

 

[gabeliscious]

got to look at the end game........mcdavid/eichle

 

[Kubus]

I see this as a nod to our young guys like Kadri, Gardiner, Rielly, Holland. I think we brought in some vet support to help these guys out. And we left a few spots open for other kids to try and make the team.

I would rather lose with these kids than to overpay for a UFA...again.

I see us running with our kids as a win/win situation. Either they figure it out and we start winning, or we get to add another good pick.

 

[Teeder9]

With 16 million to sign 9 guys I thought the problem might be the dollars, starting to look like the problem may be finding the 9 guys.

Kulimen, Bolland,Mason, Gunnarson, mclement,Gleason, Ranger and franson possibly gone. with only Frattin, Pollak Robidas coming back so far. Not a lot of desirable UFA's left and i don't see that many NHL ready prospects in the system. bring in 3 kids maybe but much more than that will make for a long season.

Same . I will agree with the part about not rebuilding or retooling. It reminds me of my Dad asking for a different color screw driver because the one he had broke

 

[Daisy Jane]

the thing with "playing the kids" is that you still want them to develop properly and have veteran presence around them. that's why Shanahan wanted Bolland, and why he went with other older presences. it gives the kids some more leeway to press and challenge, without having to be the GO TO people.

 

[Daisy Jane]

again to me a lot of this is very much - the Leafs can't win. Leafs go all out "why didn't the leafs exercise caution." this year the Leafs exercise caution "why didn't the leafs become more aggressive."

it's so obvious they're creating holes so the marlies can play - and Mirtle and everyone is complaining that it's not enough and we need to get more players to fill holes.

forget the fans unable to handle a rebuild - the freaking media doesn't know what it wants.

 

[Pholus]

I see this as a nod to our young guys like Kadri, Gardiner, Rielly, Holland. I think we brought in some vet support to help these guys out. And we left a few spots open for other kids to try and make the team.

I would rather lose with these kids than to overpay for a UFA...again.

I see us running with our kids as a win/win situation. Either they figure it out and we start winning, or we get to add another good pick.

I agree. Edmonton is a good example of how it takes more than just drafting a bunch of skilled young guys for a successful rebuild. The moves made so far seem to be gathering some good vets to help mentor our young prospects for when they make the jump to the NHL

 

[Joey Hoser]

As if we should have given Bolland and Niskanen 11 million dollars for a decade...

 

[Pholus]

forget the fans unable to handle a rebuild - the freaking media doesn't know what it wants.

I disagree, the media knows exactly what it wants: to make the Leafs seem like a terrible organization. Why else would they come out with negative comments for every single move the Leafs make. One day when the Leafs win the Cup, the media stories will not be 'Leafs win Stanley Cup', they will be 'what took so long?'

 

[Joey Hoser]

I disagree, the media knows exactly what it wants: to make the Leafs seem like a terrible organization. Why else would they come out with negative comments for every single move the Leafs make. One day when the Leafs win the Cup, the media stories will not be 'Leafs win Stanley Cup', they will be 'what took so long?'

"Leafs fans relish in mediocrity of one Stanley Cup victory in 48 years."