Will Leafs Pursue Stamkos? Part 2

[Stephen]

It actually quite amazing that for like 20plus yrs, the Leafs only really had like 5-7successful seasons. And yet, they never seem to be able to draft anyone who at anytime a top 10 players in the league or at their positions. Oh wait, they always seem to trade them away.

It's actually pretty crazy how the JFJ era turned into a Mike Milbury multi decade nightmare.

 

[GoodNewfieBoy]

Exactly. This goes back to the whole LeBron in Cleveland idea which started this whole Stamkos mess in the first place.

Stamkos is going to come here and he's going to help bring along Kyrie Irving as a star player (Marner, Nylander, Rielly), while attracting other stars like Kevin Love (Future RFAs/UFAs like McDavid?!). That's the whole point. To want to go somewhere important and be the game changer. Not stay on a team that thinks Kucherov has surpassed you - true or not.

This is another important point. People look at it as Stammer coming here by himself. He would attract everyone else in the league too, with Babs and the stars coming.

Not hard to see! Screw you Dregs!

 

[Faltorvo]

Glory more than money since the Buffalo deal was rumour to be as good as the Leafs.

oh glory could very well have been the tie breaker, no doubt.

if the money was on par

where the teams are now and moving forward, one can argue both are extremely similar with Buff having a 1 year head start I'd argue

maybe living in TO appealed a little more to him and his family?

 

[Daisy Jane]

I'll say this again.

until it happens, I'm going to think that Stamkos will make it work with Tampa (though it seriously sounds like that door is closing) - and who knows what happens. But Shanahan has quite the silver tongue. You can count on one hand the amount of people who told him no - and most of those people had legit reasons (see Kelly McCrimmon).

My main concerns are still there - but the major one was "bad contacts". with Dion gone, you can roll the money dice on Stamkos. (if anything - mostly due to the fact that A: we need to hit the floor - look at capfriend/fanager - we barely have a team past next year). and the Leafs mandate has always been partial NMCs. (and if we want to play the newport sports card - Meehan would know this with Dion/Kessel/Clarkson - so that would be a "known factor" - and if it WASN'T working - Stamkos would want to leave anyway).

everything else is just a debatable risk. but again - Dion being gone makes it more palatable.


This years UFA class isn't even that bad either.

So we go per-se.
Stamkos [centre]
Willie Mitchell [Defense]
Goligoski [defense]
Boedker?
Nielsen?


Pluck a goalie (Bishop next year)
aggressive trading....

we'll see what happens

 

[Rayzorexe]

I'm completely staying away from any expectation that Stamkos will become a Leaf mainly to keep myself from becoming disappointed when it doesn't happen.

 

[trellaine201]

Yes and Dreger knows! No Stamkos to TO *Rolls* eyes

 

[saminator]

Also I dont know why this seems very similar to the babcock situation. All reporters saying babcock would never come to the leafs, hes trying to win now blah blah blah.... If hes not signed by July 1st im not saying hell be a leaf but i think theyll have a shot

 

[HEAVY DUTY]

dreger's stupid article on tsn has no substance. i mean really? all he could come up with is a team to win stanley cups repeatedly with and if can play centre? smh. yes those are important points, but to rule out the leafs cause of it is stupid.

people kept saying babcock wouldn't come here. even bobby mac said babcock wouldn't come here on the morning of the day of his decision. saying babcock wanted to win now and leafs weren't ready to win now. and yet here he is coaching the leafs.

shanahan is a great salesman. everyone in the nhl and media seem to underestimate his abilities. he convinced mark hunter, kyle dubas, babcock, and Lou to come to toronto and to be a part of something special. do you think anyone of them would have come here with burke being in-charge? fat chance. i have no doubt in my mind that shanahan will do the same with stamkos. sure he'd have to endure 2-3 losing seasons before the leafs can start winning but its about the final goal that makes the leafs an alluring destination. lifting that cup here would be the greatest accomplishment in the nhl ever. and the allure of being the hometown boy who gets to do it will bring stamkos here to toronto in july IMO.

 

[Gary Nylund]

dreger's stupid article on tsn has no substance. i mean really? all he could come up with is a team to win stanley cups repeatedly with and if can play centre? smh. yes those are important points, but to rule out the leafs cause of it is stupid.

people kept saying babcock wouldn't come here. even bobby mac said babcock wouldn't come here on the morning of the day of his decision. saying babcock wanted to win now and leafs weren't ready to win now. and yet here he is coaching the leafs.

shanahan is a great salesman. everyone in the nhl and media seem to underestimate his abilities. he convinced mark hunter, kyle dubas, babcock, and Lou to come to toronto and to be a part of something special. do you think anyone of them would have come here with burke being in-charge? fat chance. i have no doubt in my mind that shanahan will do the same with stamkos. sure he'd have to endure 2-3 losing seasons before the leafs can start winning but its about the final goal that makes the leafs an alluring destination. lifting that cup here would be the greatest accomplishment in the nhl ever. and the allure of being the hometown boy who gets to do it will bring stamkos here to toronto in july IMO.

There's a lot of truth here IMO. I think some people are hugely underrating how attractive the idea of winning the cup in Toronto might be for Stamkos. For a Toronto boy, there's just nothing that compare to this. It either means something to him, or it doesn't. But if it does, then it's hard to measure just how much it could mean.

 

[AlMo]

They bring up a valid point. How do you weigh being the hometown hero vs. playing for a winning team right away? Some players will choose the hometown hero, others will choose a winning team. Let's be honest, losing sucks. It's emotionally draining even in beer league, let alone the NHL.

What about both? Ask Dougie Gilmour what its like and he didn't even win a cup here.

 

[Stephen]

I feel like Toronto's already starting to turn a corner in popular imagination. It was fun hearing McDavid fawn on about the Leafs crest on TV, and you get the sense that this team is a bit of a sleeping giant. Shanahan is King Arthur who has pulled the sword out of the stone. Now he needs to fill out the round table.

 

[ACC1224]

Glory more than money since the Buffalo deal was rumour to be as good as the Leafs.

The city core of Toronto is a much nicer place to live than downtown Buffalo which would also have played a part.

 

[Daisy Jane]

There's a lot of truth here IMO. I think some people are hugely underrating how attractive the idea of winning the cup in Toronto might be for Stamkos. For a Toronto boy, there's just nothing that compare to this. It either means something to him, or it doesn't. But if it does, then it's hard to measure just how much it could mean.

well Shanahan is so.. I don't know? silver-tongued for good. even thinking about when they were looking for assistant coaches and a few of them said no (like Dineen, and Oates etc), all you ever heard was. "boy... was it EVER hard to tell him no - Toronto sounds like they are on right track". and mostly I think the "no" was coming from

A: Babwatch. (ergo - the chances of them being unemployed in a year was great) and
B: Oates wanted a head coach position. (and honestly, working with Q, don't blame Dineen there)

basically since then - the only person who said "no thanks" was Kelly McCrimmon - and who knows if that was a real "no thanks" or more of "just give me a year"

everyone else is like "boy, we talked to Shanahan, then it just took a lot longer, then we'd want to become part of the hive mind, resistance is futile "

and Shanahan (being part of the other side of equation - Toronto boy who wanted to play for Toronto, but timing never worked out because they were never "ready" for him (or going in a different direction)) - could really appeal to that angle for Stamkos. it sounds like now - it really bums Shanny out that he never wore the jersey.

 

[Pookie]

Of course folks don't like Dreger's article.

He said it wasn't likely and gave valid reasons for having that "belief."

As if the hope that Stamkos will come here is fueled with anything other than the opposite "belief."

 

[Pookie]

There's a lot of truth here IMO. I think some people are hugely underrating how attractive the idea of winning the cup in Toronto might be for Stamkos. For a Toronto boy, there's just nothing that compare to this. It either means something to him, or it doesn't. But if it does, then it's hard to measure just how much it could mean.

Some points:

1. A Cup would still be a Cup though. Is it extra special based on where?

2. We call him a local boy but for the last decade he's been splitting time in Sarnia and then has been in the USA. Something like 40% of his life has been lived somewhere other than here.

3. How bloody likely is it that this team would win a Cup over his 7 years? From worst to Cup winner in 7 years? It took the Penguins 7 years and they weren't dead last in the NHL in year 1 (2001). And it took Crosby and Malkin and winning the draft lottery to make that happen. Took the Hawks 12 years from the start of when they missed the playoffs.

7? For this team? In an era where UFAs are typically over 30 and trades are based on caps? With 18 UFAs or RFAs not signed including both goaltenders beyond the next 2 seasons?

 

[BayStreetBully]

What about both? Ask Dougie Gilmour what its like and he didn't even win a cup here.

If he can turn a franchise around right away like Gilmour did, there is no problem. If he can't, then he has to choose one or the other. Because he doesn't get both otherwise.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Some points:

1. A Cup would still be a Cup though. Is it extra special based on where?

2. We call him a local boy but for the last decade he's been splitting time in Sarnia and then has been in the USA. Something like 40% of his life has been lived somewhere other than here.

3. How bloody likely is it that this team would win a Cup over his 7 years? From worst to Cup winner in 7 years? It took the Penguins 7 years and they weren't dead last in the NHL in year 1 (2001). And it took Crosby and Malkin and winning the draft lottery to make that happen. Took the Hawks 12 years from the start of when they missed the playoffs.

7? For this team? In an era where UFAs are typically over 30 and trades are based on caps? With 18 UFAs or RFAs not signed including both goaltenders beyond the next 2 seasons?

If you have to ask, then you wouldn't understand any explanation anyone could possibly give you.

 

[Daisy Jane]

If you have to ask, then you wouldn't understand any explanation anyone could possibly give you.

right?

 

[teeder333*]

I feel like Toronto's already starting to turn a corner in popular imagination. It was fun hearing McDavid fawn on about the Leafs crest on TV, and you get the sense that this team is a bit of a sleeping giant. Shanahan is King Arthur who has pulled the sword out of the stone. Now he needs to fill out the round table.

NO smarter prose, has ever been poster here. Ever. Lets just keep it at that.

 

[Confucius]

If Tampa wins, Stamkos would be staying there. He would have to have played a big roll in the win. The resulting euphoria would cause the two sides to come together with a new deal.

 

[teeder333*]

posted sorry. And this is the ultimate post. No other post need be posted for three years. Go to sleep.

 

[Gabriel426]

I feel like Toronto's already starting to turn a corner in popular imagination. It was fun hearing McDavid fawn on about the Leafs crest on TV, and you get the sense that this team is a bit of a sleeping giant. Shanahan is King Arthur who has pulled the sword out of the stone. Now he needs to fill out the round table.

And Stamkos is Lancelot?

Even today, I still think McDavid will hit UFA asap and sign with the Leafs. Things might change in the next few yrs, but if McDavid is hitting UFA this summer, he will sign with the Leafs.

 

[BooRadley]

Wasn't it Cathal Elliot that first wrote Babcock would be coming to Toronto? I think he was the first. I wonder if he has any scoops on Stamkos.

 

[Gabriel426]

Some points:

1. A Cup would still be a Cup though. Is it extra special based on where?

2. We call him a local boy but for the last decade he's been splitting time in Sarnia and then has been in the USA. Something like 40% of his life has been lived somewhere other than here.

3. How bloody likely is it that this team would win a Cup over his 7 years? From worst to Cup winner in 7 years? It took the Penguins 7 years and they weren't dead last in the NHL in year 1 (2001). And it took Crosby and Malkin and winning the draft lottery to make that happen. Took the Hawks 12 years from the start of when they missed the playoffs.

7? For this team? In an era where UFAs are typically over 30 and trades are based on caps? With 18 UFAs or RFAs not signed including both goaltenders beyond the next 2 seasons?

Normally, you have solid arguments but saying winning a Cup in TO is the same as say TB is way off. Just like KC winning the WS was great and the city love each players...but if the Yanks is to win one, it is on another level.

Local boy or not, it has more to do with the team he cheers and loves since childhood. It doesn't matter where you lived....Heck, isn't Subban a Habs fan even though he lived in TO all his life. Beside, I only visited Milan, Italy, twice in my lifetime, but due to my dad, I am a die hard Milan fans even if they are as crap as they are now. Trust me, if you think the Leafs had trouble with Burke and others running the show before, try having an owner like Berlu and a CEO like Galliani.

Lastly, you can't count this yr as Year 1, actually, we will never know when is Year 1 till Leafs win the Cup. Since I doubted any team would go, this is Year 1 of our Cup run.... When we look back at the Hawks, some say drafting Keith was Year 1, some say being out of the playoffs, some say it was drafting Kane.....it all depends on when they win the Cup. If the Leafs win the Cup say in 2018, while Bozak is still around and is the longest serving Leafs, would Year 1 be the year that Leafs signed Bozak?

 

[Gabriel426]

Of course folks don't like Dreger's article.

He said it wasn't likely and gave valid reasons for having that "belief."

As if the hope that Stamkos will come here is fueled with anything other than the opposite "belief."

I don't think any one ever likes Dreger's article. To me he is just a level better than Simmons and Jonas.