either way both signings are leverage for fransons agent. if he wants a big contract, he has the ammo to lobby for it.

before this season wilson used him as a 7th dman, carlyle gives him icetime and he excels. it all works in fransonns favour
- joel878

this is probably the best time for us to trade him. might as well sell when he is at his highest trade value. who knows if he can replicate what he did this year. the shortened season might have helped.

yea but what center is available though? its better to draft one and let them develop like we did with kadri. get a kid like monahan who wants to be here and he will stay with us.
- matt1337

developing another center puts another few years on a talented core before he's ready. better to add to the group we have now, the rebuild has already taken place.

i'll continue banking on the idea that not all players need to be 'available' before they can be traded. i'll keep hoping for another phaneuf, lupul/gardiner type deal myself.

Not a chance T.O spends what it would take to get Bernier.

I think with Rielly, Percy, Finn and Blacker in the pipeline we are covered on defense in the future. If 2 of them make it we will be in good shape.

But we need a first line centre with some size. Kadri is not the answer, or Bozak or Grabo or anyone in the system.

Colborne might be a 3rd liner, 2nd liner if we are lucky so I think the focus has to be in acquiring the guy we can count on for a number of years to be "the guy"

It's going to cost a ton but we have to do it.
- Rang

Lupul - Weiss - Kessel
Clarkson - Kadri - JVR

this is probably the best time for us to trade him. might as well sell when he is at his highest trade value. who knows if he can replicate what he did this year. the shortened season might have helped.
- matt1337

i don't disagree, but him leaving leaves another big hole that would need to be filled.

maybe colorado wouldn't mind drafting mackinnon, keeping stastny and o'reilly.. and trading duchene for blueline help. franson, #21, and a decent prospect might be an appealing start.

I am going to call BS on this one...this directly contradicts the direction Nonis and Co. have stated they are going by acquiring a veteran back-up to insert into the Leafs crease. Slow days between SCF games...Reimer is just fine; find him a Vokoun-lite, or stick with Scrivens and do a 60/40 split and run with the hot hand.
- Deeps27

The aspect of this I don't particularly like is the mention of Liewicki possibly being part of the reason for the interest in Bernier. Liewicki wouldn't know a goalie from groundhog. Just stay the f*ck out of the hockey decisions and build your condos.

Lupul - Weiss - Kessel
Clarkson - Kadri - JVR
- Bo

The aspect of this I don't particularly like is the mention of Liewicki possibly being part of the reason for the interest in Bernier. Liewicki wouldn't know a goalie from groundhog. Just stay the f*ck out of the hockey decisions and build your condos.
- fifty__missions

Agree

Reimer was (frank)ing awesome this year on a team that gave up a lot of shots. Didn't he have the highest sv% a Leafs' goalie has had in decades? I truly don't understand why we don't just roll with the goalies we have. Giving up assets from other areas makes no sense to me.

Reimer was (frank)ing awesome this year on a team that gave up a lot of shots. Didn't he have the highest sv% a Leafs' goalie has had in decades? I truly don't understand why we don't just roll with the goalies we have. Giving up assets from other areas makes no sense to me.
- Zezel

yep, Reimer deserves his shot

I'd prefer a vet back up for Reimer instead

like kulemin or not, he's not going to be worth the 5-6 mil he'll draw on the open market.
- joel878

no way he gets that. $3M I bet. $4M at most.

no way he gets that. $3M I bet. $4M at most.
- Dirte

clarkson? im almost willing to bet on 5+.

comment wasn't about kulemin.

clarkson? im almost willing to bet on 5+.

comment wasn't about kulemin.
- joel878

ahh. Then yes I agree.

ahh. Then yes I agree.
- Dirte

would love to have the guy, but he reaks of one of those horrible free agent contracts. a big majority of them are, but his situation seems extra stinky.

would love to have the guy, but he reaks of one of those horrible free agent contracts. a big majority of them are, but his situation seems extra stinky.
- joel878

yup. He's a pretty good player, but he's gonna get paid for what he brings, plus the offense that he'll never bring again.

Mike Augello: Report: Leafs And Flyers Interested In Kings Bernier
- mikeinbuffalo

WHY?!

All this Luongo, Kipper, Bernier stuff is starting to get bizarre. I'm not sure how serious any of it is, but where there's smoke, there's fire.

They clearly aren't willing to roll with Reimer/Scrivens. Shame. They took a gamble this year and it paid off. And now they're still willing to blow assets and money on pursuing the wrong areas?

A center, Dave. You need a CENTER.

Take whatever you were going to throw at LA for Bernier and give it to Colorado for Stastny.

clarkson? im almost willing to bet on 5+.

comment wasn't about kulemin.
- joel878

Datsyuk just got $7.5 per year for 3 years.

I'm not saying he's a comparable at all, but it is interesting to think how these numbers might set the market.

I assume a guy like Kessel is probably looking at 7 or so. Maybe he gets Datsyuk money on account of being younger and in his prime.

And Voynov got around 4.2 million. How does that impact, say, Franson?

yup. He's a pretty good player, but he's gonna get paid for what he brings, plus the offense that he'll never bring again.
- Dirte

two years ago, he had 12 goals and was a -20. at age 29 he scores 30, puts up 3 goals in 24 playoff games.. and people are screaming for the leafs to back the money truck up to him.

his 30 goal season is 8 better than colby armstrongs second last before contract year, and literally the only standout between the two. armstrong actually managed to have higher assists totals, and be a hgher plus player with the trashers before he got his contract to.

whoever gives that guy 5 mil + for 5 years.. is an idiot.

WHY?!

All this Luongo, Kipper, Bernier stuff is starting to get bizarre. I'm not sure how serious any of it is, but where there's smoke, there's fire.

They clearly aren't willing to roll with Reimer/Scrivens. Shame. They took a gamble this year and it paid off. And now they're still willing to blow assets and money on pursuing the wrong areas?

A good Defenseman, Dave. You need a DEFENSEMAN.

Take whatever you were going to throw at LA for Bernier and give it to Colorado for Stastny.
- Leeman4Gilmour

two years ago, he had 12 goals and was a -20. at age 29 he scores 30, puts up 3 goals in 24 playoff games.. and people are screaming for the leafs to back the money truck up to him.

his 30 goal season is 8 better than colby armstrongs second last before contract year, and literally the only standout between the two. armstrong actually managed to have higher assists totals, and be a hgher plus player with the trashers before he got his contract to.

whoever gives that guy 5 mil + for 5 years.. is an idiot.
- joel878

I have to reluctantly agree. As much as I'd like to see Clarkson wearing Leafs blue, he is a one year wonder.

It's kind of baffling to me that so few people realize this. The fact that his breakout year came so late in life is troublesome, too.

Jason Blake put up 40 in his mid-thirties and we got burned by that in the worst way.

Datsyuk just got $7.5 per year for 3 years.

I'm not saying he's a comparable at all, but it is interesting to think how these numbers might set the market.

I assume a guy like Kessel is probably looking at 7 or so. Maybe he gets Datsyuk money on account of being younger and in his prime.

And Voynov got around 4.2 million. How does that impact, say, Franson?
- Leeman4Gilmour

i imagine datsyuks sets a range for kessels. logan coutures contract will set a line to i bet.

voynov and josi's contracts are going to make franson a little richer than i'd hoped. may be a good time to trade him? not a fan of the hole it leaves, but franson, #21, and a prospect may be an attractive start for landing a center.

the way our organization is built, filling fransons spot from the pipeline may be done quicker than getting a #1 center from it.

two years ago, he had 12 goals and was a -20. at age 29 he scores 30, puts up 3 goals in 24 playoff games.. and people are screaming for the leafs to back the money truck up to him.

his 30 goal season is 8 better than colby armstrongs second last before contract year, and literally the only standout between the two. armstrong actually managed to have higher assists totals, and be a hgher plus player with the trashers before he got his contract to.

whoever gives that guy 5 mil + for 5 years.. is an idiot.
- joel878

well, he was on pace for high 20s again this year. Look at his game log though. 10 goals in the first month, then gone for the rest of the year.

I have to reluctantly agree. As much as I'd like to see Clarkson wearing Leafs blue, he is a one year wonder.

It's kind of baffling to me that so few people realize this. The fact that his breakout year came so late in life is troublesome, too.

Jason Blake put up 40 in his mid-thirties and we got burned by that in the worst way.
- Leeman4Gilmour

there is a big reason guys like him hit the free agent market.

we can definitely use a player like him, just not him.. unless he loves toronto enough to take a 2 year deal. that may be a different story.

I have to reluctantly agree. As much as I'd like to see Clarkson wearing Leafs blue, he is a one year wonder.

It's kind of baffling to me that so few people realize this. The fact that his breakout year came so late in life is troublesome, too.

Jason Blake put up 40 in his mid-thirties and we got burned by that in the worst way.
- Leeman4Gilmour

Talking about Clarkson..he brings a lot to the table...tough/scores/gets dirty...BACKS UP HIS TEAMMATES...hell he could be our captain ( as we watched our Captain back down from this guy )...if we can get him without having to give up anything back...I say go for it...IMO