Clarkson is going to be a fan favourite here. A Tuckerish Clark with some Roberts qualities.
- systemtool

- 1979AD

i hope so.

but i think it will happen, i think clarkson will shine in TO.

Errrrm?

"RUGBY CANADA NAMES BRIAN BURKE TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS?

Errrrm?

"RUGBY CANADA NAMES BRIAN BURKE TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS?
- markmark

Truculence....

Errrrm?

"RUGBY CANADA NAMES BRIAN BURKE TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS?
- markmark

he played Rugby at Harvard... apparently well.. not varsity though.

i hope so.

but i think it will happen, i think clarkson will shine in TO.
- big_dion

He's our type of player, that's for sure and a strong candidate to be my first jersey purchase since Roberts.

He's our type of player, that's for sure and a strong candidate to be my first jersey purchase since Roberts.
- 1979AD

It will be my first since my Clark Jersey.

I hate to be a buzz-kill guys but I think we need to temper the expectations on Clarkson a bit here. I'm hoping he does all the things you guys are saying but damn..... chillllll and let him play a couple games at least. It will soften the blow if he doesn't live up to the expectations.

I hate to be a buzz-kill guys but I think we need to temper the expectations on Clarkson a bit here. I'm hoping he does all the things you guys are saying but damn..... chillllll and let him play a couple games at least. It will soften the blow if he doesn't live up to the expectations.
- markmark

If he doen't live up to expectations, the fans will revolt.

I hate to be a buzz-kill guys but I think we need to temper the expectations on Clarkson a bit here. I'm hoping he does all the things you guys are saying but damn..... chillllll and let him play a couple games at least. It will soften the blow if he doesn't live up to the expectations.
- markmark

first BIG free agent we have brought in since Lindros.

the kessel pickup was a trade, as was the lupul and JVR.

expectations are high, and he will live up to the realistic ones! 20 goals, 20 asssists but a mean SOB who does it all.

DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!

" Maple Leafs general manager, Dave Nonis, elected to use a compliance buyout on Grabovski who a) is a very good player; b) can play in any situation; c) drives possession; d) can be effective even when playing with 4th liners and most importantly; e) is better than Tyler Bozak.

What is done is done, I suppose.

What shocks me as much as the buyout is the fact that Grabovski still remains available. Why? For a few reasons:

1. Grabovski could step right into a top-6 role on many teams
2. He has as many or more 5 vs. 5 goals as Taylor Hall, Milan Lucic, Ilya Kovalchuk, Anze Kopitar, Daniel Sedin, Claude Giroux, Jeff Carter, Marian Hossa and Joffrey Lupul, among many others, over the last two seasons.
3. He can help out on the power play or penalty kill
4. He's a very good possession player. Believe it or not, some NHL teams look at advanced stats a lot which makes it even more surprising that no team has signed him yet." - T. Cordell

first BIG free agent we have brought in since Lindros.

the kessel pickup was a trade, as was the lupul and JVR.

expectations are high, and he will live up to the realistic ones! 20 goals, 20 asssists but a mean SOB who does it all.
- big_dion

As of right now, IMO, he is a meaner Kulimen.

DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!

" Maple Leafs general manager, Dave Nonis, elected to use a compliance buyout on Grabovski who a) is a very good player; b) can play in any situation; c) drives possession; d) can be effective even when playing with 4th liners and most importantly; e) is better than Tyler Bozak.

What is done is done, I suppose.

What shocks me as much as the buyout is the fact that Grabovski still remains available. Why? For a few reasons:

1. Grabovski could step right into a top-6 role on many teams
2. He has as many or more 5 vs. 5 goals as Taylor Hall, Milan Lucic, Ilya Kovalchuk, Anze Kopitar, Daniel Sedin, Claude Giroux, Jeff Carter, Marian Hossa and Joffrey Lupul, among many others, over the last two seasons.
3. He can help out on the power play or penalty kill
4. He's a very good possession player. Believe it or not, some NHL teams look at advanced stats a lot which makes it even more surprising that no team has signed him yet." - T. Cordell
- markmark

if i was given 18 million for nothing, just got married, and was pissed off at how i was let go...id go on my honeymoon, try not to think about it at all.

id then see what teams were interested, talk to my wife and figure out if we wanted to move our kids out of TO (where she is from). He will get around 3-4 million i assume, and has probley been getting a bundle of lowball offers because most teams are screwed cap wise. other teams may be waiting for a player to be moved or traded or whatever (things are very slow for all teams).

grabo will end up somewhere, and will be a good nhl'er for the rest of his career.

bottom line is, with Carlyle running the show in TO...grabo has no place, even though he is better than bozak, and believe it or not, bolland may be a better for for a third line center, but grabo is better than him overall, and by quite a bit.

As of right now, IMO, he is a meaner Kulimen.
- markmark

meaner yes, but he goes HARD to the net.

he has killed the leafs as a devil...i cant remember how many goals vs, but i do know he was a leaf killer! good to have him on our team, and he can drop the mits, we know kuli cant lol

I hate to be a buzz-kill guys but I think we need to temper the expectations on Clarkson a bit here. I'm hoping he does all the things you guys are saying but damn..... chillllll and let him play a couple games at least. It will soften the blow if he doesn't live up to the expectations.
- markmark

I don't know who's expecting consistent 30 goal seasons from this guy. 20 would be about right along with lots of sandpaper, making space for line-mates, and crashing the net.

Kadri sounds like a dink. Said that he's been more than fair in these negotiations and now it's up to the Leafs. Makes me think that he hasn't budged at all, especially now he's saying its become a distraction. But in reality he has no options.

I don't know who's expecting consistent 30 goal seasons from this guy. 20 would be about right along with lots of sandpaper, making space for line-mates, and crashing the net.
- 1979AD

yep, thats what you should be expecting.

i think he makes kadri and lupul have an easier time on the ice, time will tell!

Kadri sounds like a dink. Said that he's been more than fair in these negotiations and now it's up to the Leafs. Makes me think that he hasn't budged at all, especially now he's saying its become a distraction. But in reality he has no options.
- iTOLDu

i think kadri is being screwed around more than hes screwing the leafs around..

yes it was a 48 game season, he scored 2 hatricks and was almost PPG...

4 mil is too much
2 mill is to little..

somewhere in between, is it really that hard? it is, because nonis already has all this $ tied up...not kadri's fault, he did his job, on the ice where it counts.

Kadri sounds like a dink. Said that he's been more than fair in these negotiations and now it's up to the Leafs. Makes me think that he hasn't budged at all, especially now he's saying its become a distraction. But in reality he has no options.
- iTOLDu

he's just saying whatever his agent tells him to say

both him and his agent know that they have no leverage.. so they are going for the only one that they can.. public opinion.

they only way they can bargain is to make the leafs look cheap in the public's eyes so that Nonis and Co. will have to face public scrutiny and pressure.

it wont work, but i dont blame them for trying

i think kadri is being screwed around more than hes screwing the leafs around..

yes it was a 48 game season, he scored 2 hatricks and was almost PPG...

4 mil is too much
2 mill is to little..

somewhere in between, is it really that hard? it is, because nonis already has all this $ tied up...not kadri's fault, he did his job, on the ice where it counts.
- big_dion

kadri needs more then a 48 game stint to prove his worth

not to mention the last month of the season he only mustered 3 points

when he was bumped up in the lineup and started facing tougher D his production severely waned.

i am 100% sure Nonis is pointing to this fact during negotiations

I don't know who's expecting consistent 30 goal seasons from this guy. 20 would be about right along with lots of sandpaper, making space for line-mates, and crashing the net.
- 1979AD

Time will tell. I'm more referring to people wanting him as captain and expecting him to be a 5mil+ player when (again IMO) I think he fits the pay-scale of maybe a 3.5mil player.

he's just saying whatever his agent tells him to say

both him and his agent know that they have no leverage.. so they are going for the only one that they can.. public opinion.

they only way they can bargain is to make the leafs look cheap in the public's eyes so that Nonis and Co. will have to face public scrutiny and pressure.

it wont work, but i dont blame them for trying
- Dozzer

Bingo.

Time will tell. I'm more referring to people wanting him as captain and expecting him to be a 5mil+ player when (again IMO) I think he fits the pay-scale of maybe a 3.5mil player.
- markmark

clarkson is worth 5.. remember what chara did to reimer in the playoffs?

notice how the leafs didnt have anyone that was very good at doing that?

thats where clarkson comes in.. the space he will open up for his linemates and crash and banging in the opposition goal mouth will make him worth every penny

the other thing about clarkson is he's a leaf fan.. he's gonna go balls out every game.. and that will push the rest of the guys to up their game

i think kadri is being screwed around more than hes screwing the leafs around..

yes it was a 48 game season, he scored 2 hatricks and was almost PPG...

4 mil is too much
2 mill is to little..

somewhere in between, is it really that hard? it is, because nonis already has all this $ tied up...not kadri's fault, he did his job, on the ice where it counts.
- big_dion

I would want a greater sample than just 48 games before he cashes in on the big $$$$.

kadri needs more then a 48 game stint to prove his worth

not to mention the last month of the season he only mustered 3 points

when he was bumped up in the lineup and started facing tougher D his production severely waned.

i am 100% sure Nonis is pointing to this fact during negotiations
- Dozzer

of coures he needs more than 48 games, i couldnt agree more.

but really, wilson was in charge before this, and he wasnt given a fair chance!

yep his production did slow down towards the end of the season, big time...but, that being said, it was only 48 games, maybe he went on a hot streak towards the end in a full season! we'll never know haha

nonis still has time, and im sure kadri will be signed, franson is the guy im not 100% sold on (who will be a leaf).