Exactly right, that pitch - plus bringing in guys like Sittler and Clark to show that they can have excellent incomes after hockey which will not be the same in other markets as well as giving him a feeling of being part of very important club. That plus not working with a douche bag like Murray.
- winsix

Murray's going to show up in a van with "free candy and free money" written on the side.

Polak is garbage. We don't need garbage

Rielly beat up and playing with hunwick?? A litre dramatic today are we?
- Arctic_AARDVARK

http://stats.hockeyanalys...p=1&sort=PCT&sortdir=DESC

Go Ireland!
- systemtool

Irish are choking..

For all those whining about the draft round 2-7: please put things in perspective.

Main objective for draft is to find future top 6 FWs and Top 4d-men and a starting goalie.

We've got 30 teams in league.

Top 6 FWs: 30 x 6 = 180. Let's make it an even 200.
Top 4 D-men: 30 x 4 = 120
Starting goalies: 30 x 1 = 30. let's make it 40.

Thats 360 players.

Let's say the average career length of those top players is 10 seasons.
This means, that every draft year 36 of the top guys will be retiring, and will be replaced by new guys (from previous drafts).

This means that every season, a team needs to draft 1.2 NHL top guys (top 6fw/top4 d/starting goalie) for it to be an 'expected draft' and over that to be a better draft than expected.

Over 5 drafts, that's 6 players that eventually will be top guys in NHL (with on average 10 playing seasons).

Last 5 drafts for Leafs: Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Rielly all seem like 'sure bets' for the top player category. (and actually to all be in category of top3 fw / top2 D-men, so high quality; normal for top10 picks).

Out of the 2012 - 2016 drafts, if more than 2 players become top4 D / starting goalie / top 6 fw, the Leafs have done better than expected in the draft..

Seems quite probable that Leafs will indeed accomplish that:

potential top 6 FW: Brown / Bracco / Timashov
potential top 4 D: Loov / Valiev / Dermott / Nielsen
potential starting goalie: Bibeau / Woll

In addition, Leafs recently added Kapanen, Lindberg, Rychel, Leipsic as well through trade; draft picks from the same drafts that have some options to make top6 fw role as well..

Conclusion: every year, only about 36 players from draft will be impact players in NHL. if during 5y you have added more than 6 guys to your team, you've done well. Leafs by reasonable deduction already have 4 of these guys from last 5 drafts.
Let's all hope a few more of the list above make it to the same category - only time can tell.. (but really can't speak about 'bad draft' right now just bc Leafs drafted some overagers or big guys).

Bob McCown ‏@FadooBobcat 21h21 hours ago
Do the Leafs have a plan to pay Stamkos 3.5M in non-cap dollars per year thru marketing? Told the proposal has been vetted!

Irish are choking..
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Good

Elliotte Friedman ‏@FriedgeHNIC 2m2 minutes ago
Alexander Radulov could not find an NHL team willing to pay his asking price. He has signed with KHL Salavat.


Good (frank)ing riddance...
- lumlums

They were drooling to sign him.

They were drooling to sign him.
- Atomic Wedgie

Oh my...

They were drooling to sign him.
- Atomic Wedgie

He'll be on a line with Victor Pavlov.

He'll be on a line with Victor Pavlov.
- Canada Cup

Is Mark Bell available?

Is Mark Bell available?
- Atomic Wedgie

I wonder what longtime HB poster Rang has to say on the matter...?

Go Ireland!
- systemtool

Yup. Not looking good at all

Leafs being sued by draftkings for copyright infringement.

Leafs being sued by draftkings for copyright infringement.
- Bigzby

Therefore draftkings is owned and operated by a buffalo sabres fan.

That Eichel v Matthews article summary.

Granato wont pick one over the other but follows that up with giving matthews a decisive 7-2 victory in the categorized skills battle

expect Hartikainen to come back to NA and play for Leafs upcoming season.

expect Hartikainen to come back to NA and play for Leafs upcoming season.
- MaximusAurelius

He'll have a shot at camp. Along with 9000 other players fighting for a handful of spots.

expect Hartikainen to come back to NA and play for Leafs upcoming season.
- MaximusAurelius

Where are you hearing that?

Where are you hearing that?
- Garnie

- MaximusAurelius

oh, I thought you read it somewhere

Does that ball happen to show where Stammer is going to sign?

expect Hartikainen to come back to NA and play for Leafs upcoming season.
- MaximusAurelius

Should probably change your location now, Max.

Where did you climb?
- The Law

Mount Niblock at lake louise. Not a terribly difficult one... about 8-9 hours up and down

oh, I thought you read it somewhere

Does that ball happen to show where Stammer is going to sign?
- Garnie

Don't need the crystal ball to know that Stamkos will sign with Leafs.

Leafs offer at least as good a team as Detroit, Buffalo, Mtl (seems like biggest competitor for LEafs in Stamkos signing to me).
Best staff (coach) and facilities.

Money, Leafs is cleary the best option, even at 3million less per year in contract.

Signing with Leafs, in Endorsements Stamkos could earn 5-8million a year for sure.
There's a thousand other ways he could make money by signing with leafs.
He could even set up his own clothing line, named something like 'finally home' and make some good money off of that as well..

To me it seems like a no-brainer to sign with his 'home team'; in particular for a guy that wants to prove he belongs in HHOF (bringing a cup to Toronto as the new Captain would probably do that).

Mount Niblock at lake louise. Not a terribly difficult one... about 8-9 hours up and down
- DarcyTucker16

Don't they have ski lifts?

Should probably change your location now, Max.
- Phenom

yeah.. true.
at least i got matthews right