Lu helps us get to the middle, but prevents us from getting to the top.

I've been to the middle enough as a Leafs fan. I need more.
- Atomic Wedgie

Reimer/Scrivens FTW!

poor guy, gets thrown into a #1C role when he will never be a #1, he is a solid #3 though
- peddy-93

Did a fairly decent job in the #1 spot to. Hes a good hockey player, probably should be a #2 guy more than a #3.

Reimer/Scrivens FTW!
- Pecafan Fan

Reimer is very religious, have some respect please

On behalf of everyone who is so damned worked up over it, here's the deelio:

You will love Lu for two years. Unfortunately, those two years won't amount to jack, because the Leafs have no centres.

For the next 3 years after that, there is great potential the Lu would start to decline. You'll then wonder why we made a deal for a guy with a big cap hit, NTC and contract that goes on until the next Mayan end of the world.

And by about the end of 5 years, you won't know what is more terrifying: Lu continuing to suck and take up cap space, or him retiring and taking up Leafs cap space (yeah, check Elliott Friedman's blog - if Lu retires, the Leafs end up holding half the bag).

Lu helps us get to the middle, but prevents us from getting to the top.

I've been to the middle enough as a Leafs fan. I need more.
- Atomic Wedgie

How does having a veteran netminder prevent them from getting to the top?
So he will be an expensive back-up in 5 years, that is about how long it will take to draft and develop the next starter.

On behalf of everyone who is so damned worked up over it, here's the deelio:

You will love Lu for two years. Unfortunately, those two years won't amount to jack, because the Leafs have no centres.

For the next 3 years after that, there is great potential the Lu would start to decline. You'll then wonder why we made a deal for a guy with a big cap hit, NTC and contract that goes on until the next Mayan end of the world.

And by about the end of 5 years, you won't know what is more terrifying: Lu continuing to suck and take up cap space, or him retiring and taking up Leafs cap space (yeah, check Elliott Friedman's blog - if Lu retires, the Leafs end up holding half the bag).

Lu helps us get to the middle, but prevents us from getting to the top.

I've been to the middle enough as a Leafs fan. I need more.
- Atomic Wedgie

Lu gives the team time to develop more of its youth while giving the youngsters a real plausible chance at playoff hockey. You're also assuming that the Leafs won't be contenders in 3 years time. Its quite possible considering the Leafs have alot of cap space next year and there is a bumper crop of FA's ready to hit. Factor in that the kids we have will be 3 years older, so its not far fetched to think that the Leafs with some shrewd moves can be contending in 3 years time.

Did a fairly decent job in the #1 spot to. Hes a good hockey player, probably should be a #2 guy more than a #3.
- Leafland

Grabo solidified the #2 spot, if we had a #1C having grab bozak steckel to finish out the lineup at center is pretty good to me

And Frattin and Kadri and maybe even give Joe Colborne a sniff. People may have forgotten, but the Rangers got Nash.

Pittsburgh looks pretty good.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it probably isn't going to be the Leafs' year to win the Stanley Cup, so let's see what the kids can do.
- Atomic Wedgie

Trust me, it stinks at the Ricoh every time he is on the ice.

... Waiting to hear from the people who gave me sh1t before last season for suggesting this guy would not get more than a cup of coffee at the NHL level.

Lu gives the team time to develop more of its youth while giving the youngsters a real plausible chance at playoff hockey. You're also assuming that the Leafs won't be contenders in 3 years time. Its quite possible considering the Leafs have alot of cap space next year and there is a bumper crop of FA's ready to hit. Factor in that the kids we have will be 3 years older, so its not far fetched to think that the Leafs with some shrewd moves can be contending in 3 years time.
- faceto27

I don't want that "lot" of cap space to be reduced by 5 million.

I don't want our draft pick to get worse, with still no shot at anything significant.

I don't want that "lot" of cap space to be reduced by 5 million.

I don't want our draft pick to get worse, with still no shot at anything significant.
- Aetherial

You can not get a decent goalie for anything less than 5 million. In real dollars, Luongo is not over priced

Reimer/Scrivens FTW!
- Pecafan Fan

Shut up smelly Habs fan. You just enjoy FreaGomez and Freakaberle.

I don't want that "lot" of cap space to be reduced by 5 million.

I don't want our draft pick to get worse, with still no shot at anything significant.
- Aetherial

Also, if you get rid of Reimer in the process, then the cap hit on Luongo is actually just over 2 million. Is Luongo not worth the 2 million as a solid upgrade over Reimer?

You can not get a decent goalie for anything less than 5 million. In real dollars, Luongo is not over priced
- faceto27

You can get a decent goalie for less. Maybe not one who is going to steal you a championship... but the team is nowhere near being in a position where that incremental difference matters much.

Also, if you get rid of Reimer in the process, then the cap hit on Luongo is actually just over 2 million. Is Luongo not worth the 2 million as a solid upgrade over Reimer?
- faceto27

not for 10 years or whatever it is

Lu gives the team time to develop more of its youth while giving the youngsters a real plausible chance at playoff hockey. You're also assuming that the Leafs won't be contenders in 3 years time. Its quite possible considering the Leafs have alot of cap space next year and there is a bumper crop of FA's ready to hit. Factor in that the kids we have will be 3 years older, so its not far fetched to think that the Leafs with some shrewd moves can be contending in 3 years time.
- faceto27

the Leafs do not have a high level goaltending prospect....if they plan on getting a starter it will be thru FA or trade. You simply can't find goalies of Luongo's calibre on the market.
Which means you draft one in the next couple years, which will take upwards to 4-5 years to develop.
So, for the next 4-5 years at least we have consistent goaltending like Cujo, Belfour gave us...and then we have a great veteran presence to guide the next starter.
It isn't anywhere near the catastrophic scenario that gets painted on a daily basis around here.

Shut up smelly Habs fan. You just enjoy FreaGomez and Freakaberle.
- Aetherial

What a year this is gonna be!

the Leafs do not have a high level goaltending prospect....if they plan on getting a starter it will be thru FA or trade. You simply can't find goalies of Luongo's calibre on the market.
Which means you draft one in the next couple years, which will take upwards to 4-5 years to develop.
So, for the next 4-5 years at least we have consistent goaltending like Cujo, Belfour gave us...and then we have a great veteran presence to guide the next starter.
It isn't anywhere near the catastrophic scenario that gets painted on a daily basis around here.
- Barx

100% bang on

not for 10 years or whatever it is
- Aetherial

i say we tank for this half season and get a lottery pick, mackinnon please, and although Drouin is not a center, he is one heck of a player

On behalf of everyone who is so damned worked up over it, here's the deelio:

You will love Lu for two years. Unfortunately, those two years won't amount to jack, because the Leafs have no centres.

For the next 3 years after that, there is great potential the Lu would start to decline. You'll then wonder why we made a deal for a guy with a big cap hit, NTC and contract that goes on until the next Mayan end of the world.

And by about the end of 5 years, you won't know what is more terrifying: Lu continuing to suck and take up cap space, or him retiring and taking up Leafs cap space (yeah, check Elliott Friedman's blog - if Lu retires, the Leafs end up holding half the bag).

Lu helps us get to the middle, but prevents us from getting to the top.

I've been to the middle enough as a Leafs fan. I need more.
- Atomic Wedgie

The retirement cap hit is a strike, but it's not a strike out. Two million over 3 years is the most likely penalty and that's just not that bad. Hell, Tucker and Army are eating that right now.

The big variables in this debate should be his talent/ability and his cost (players and/or picks). If you believe he's got 5.5 good years left as a starter then I completely respect the argument that Burke should do it at a good price. If you believe his best years are behind him and he's on the decline then I respect the argument that it will never be worth it.

Haven't watched him enough myself ...

You can get a decent goalie for less. Maybe not one who is going to steal you a championship... but the team is nowhere near being in a position where that incremental difference matters much.
- Aetherial

where?
how long since the Leafs had a goalie?
Belfour.

How does having a veteran netminder prevent them from getting to the top?
So he will be an expensive back-up in 5 years, that is about how long it will take to draft and develop the next starter.
- Barx

By having them finish 9th this year instead of 14th.

Seriously, the Leafs are going to suck this year. I'm sorry to break this to you, but they are going to suck.

They sucked last year, and while every other GM made moves to make their teams better, Burkie fiddled while watching the CBA process burn.

He traded Schenn for JVR (we were actually OK at wings - we need a centre) and signed the awesome McClement (you are lying to me if you said you know who he was).

Seriously, that's all Burke did to make the team better.

If Burke's plan is to do nothing and let the kids develop, great. Let's do that. I'm actually on board.

If his plan is to panic at the last minute because he hasn't done jack (let's call it Kessel deal redux), I'm not on board. Because last time he did that, it was a disaster. A franking disaster.

I know this pill is going to be bitter, but you really are better off swalling it: the Leafs suck right now. Getting Luongo will get them a bit better. They need to be worse this year, so they can be much better in the years to come.

What a year this is gonna be!
- Pecafan Fan

Habs are gonna surprise people.

Markov will play and Price will steal some early for them. A fast start could mean a playoff spot this year.

Leafs are gonna surprise people by being every bit as bad under Carlily as they were under Wilsnot.

i say we tank for this half season and get a lottery pick, mackinnon please, and although Drouin is not a center, he is one heck of a player
- peddy-93

Barkov

i say we tank for this half season and get a lottery pick, mackinnon please, and although Drouin is not a center, he is one heck of a player
- peddy-93

I have wanted this team to go in the crapper for years now.

I see no hope now, or even in the near to mid range future.

By having them finish 9th this year instead of 14th.

Seriously, the Leafs are going to suck this year. I'm sorry to break this to you, but they are going to suck.

They sucked last year, and while every other GM made moves to make their teams better, Burkie fiddled while watching the CBA process burn.

He traded Schenn for JVR (we were actually OK at wings - we need a centre) and signed the awesome McClement (you are lying to me if you said you know who he was).

Seriously, that's all Burke did to make the team better.

If Burke's plan is to do nothing and let the kids develop, great. Let's do that. I'm actually on board.

If his plan is to panic at the last minute because he hasn't done jack (let's call it Kessel deal redux), I'm not on board. Because last time he did that, it was a disaster. A franking disaster.

I know this pill is going to be bitter, but you really are better off swalling it: the Leafs suck right now. Getting Luongo will get them a bit better. They need to be worse this year, so they can be much better in the years to come.
- Atomic Wedgie

If only there was a way that the league was structured so that weaker teams could eventually become stronger and compete. If only that were possible.

If only there was a way that the league was structured so that weaker teams could eventually become stronger and compete. If only that were possible.
- Aetherial

I see what you did there