Don't group us altogether, every fan base has its special ones.

I would have loved to have stammer play for the leafs. I would have understood why he wanted to come to Toronto, and I understand why he would want to stay in Tampa. We still have alot to be excited about in Toronto, and I hope stamkos gets his cup in Tampa while we are building. Most rational fans would feel the same I'm sure.
- joel878

Stay on the path that shanahan and Lou have you on the leafs will get there. I've been watching them they are building the right way for once making good decisions. Getting Anderson was a great trade and key. Drafting marner and Mathews are big building blocks! Reily is a good top pairing defenseman as well. Now it's just about building the depth like yzerman did.

stamkos is a dumbass. Just like Nash go live in anonymity. Both wont amount to much.

Stamkos left money on the table based on what MLSE and the extra media contract offered to NOT be the captain of the Leafs. To win in his hometown.

Oh well. I would prefer we spend the money on a guy like Tavares anyway.

I bet good money he doesn't win poop in Tampa.
- 13LEAFS01

3 teams stand heads and shoulders above the rest in the east. Tampa, Pittsburgh, Washington...in that order. Toronto may get there, but they're better off continuing they're rebuild from within. To say Tampa won't win anything is moronic. If they beat the Pens in game 7 they're most likely Cup champions right now.

No one knows what transpired in the time other teams could talk to him, maybe we won't know at all, Stammer won't talk down other teams or fan base but will stick with the unfinished business. It's a lot easier to listen to what people say than what you think, who knows maybe their pitch told him they're a few years more away from contending than he wanted. Any player living through a rebuild will tell you it's not the easiest time of their career, he's done that here maybe he just doesn't want to do it again for a few dollars more, not like he's hurting for money anyway. Either way if he left we would have respected his decision and were prepared for it, he was already here for eight years and had a right to choose where to plays. All this other nonsense about being jilted and a coward etc is just crap. Not many players ever play in their home market, winning the Cup is the number one reason they play, right now his chances are better in Tampa that's all.

Stamkos resigned with Tampa bay because he wants to win championships and play for a team who drafted him his whole career not because he can't embrace the media ... He won't win in Toronto and he knows it
- RileyB77

Definitely wouldn't win for a long time in Toronto since they are rebuilding. Look forward to seeing him stay with Tampa. The Toronto fans are just disappointed but they will get over it when they start thinking about Tavares and McDavid in a few years.

Great deal! Jealous

No one knows what transpired in the time other teams could talk to him, maybe we won't know at all, Stammer won't talk down other teams or fan base but will stick with the unfinished business. It's a lot easier to listen to what people say than what you think, who knows maybe their pitch told him they're a few years more away from contending than he wanted. Any player living through a rebuild will tell you it's not the easiest time of their career, he's done that here maybe he just doesn't want to do it again for a few dollars more, not like he's hurting for money anyway. Either way if he left we would have respected his decision and were prepared for it, he was already here for eight years and had a right to choose where to plays. All this other nonsense about being jilted and a coward etc is just crap. Not many players ever play in their home market, winning the Cup is the number one reason they play, right now his chances are better in Tampa that's all.
- tpd11

I agree. At the end of the day, we as fans get attached to "our" teams but to the players it's a job. Stamkos, like everyone who works, wants the best pay but also the best work life balance. In Toronto he will always be under the microscope, always have people taking pictures, asking questions when he is out to eat or walking around the city. In Tampa he goes out to dinner, he can golf during the season, he can just live his life and still compete for a championship. I think fans expect the players to love their teams as much as the fans do but they don't...it's a job. For anyone to call Stamkos a coward is nuts, go quit your job and go to a far more stressful job for the same pay. If you don't you're a coward. I am waiting for the Lightning to now announce Kucherov has been signed and the season can begin!

What did I miss?

Obviously Stamkos realized he couldn't handle the pressure of playing in a real hockey market. So stay in TB where he can hide rather than go somewhere where he would be on call 24 X7 but could be a legend. Guess this is a good move for a coward.
- rebel

This is the exact reason he put his tail between his legs and stayed in Tampa.

Leafs want good men and not just good players, This man does not deserve to wear to wear the Maple leaf on his chest..


Stampkos you dam right im bitter....I hope you break your other leg

So you know whats blowing my mind about this

I knew taxes were a big factor, but i never really did the math on how MUCH tampa has an advantage over other teams (not complaining) just sorta crazy when you think about it

it hit me when i thought about it this way, Detroit would have to pay Stamkos 11m to really have him make the same amount as 8.5m in tampa, 2.5m more, to MAKE THE SAME

so lets say detroit signs 2 giant players like toews and kane, and we have a cap hit of 22m between the 2 of them, 11 per player per year

we would have 5 million less than tampa would to play with because of taxes and all the players would make the same, so tampa could go out sign the same 2 players at 8.5m and have an EXTRA FIVE MILLION to sign additional players..

thats insanely good for tampa

ALSO this is for in the US (detroit) taxes, this isnt even taking into consideration canadian dollar/taxes so Toronto would have had to pay him 12.6m per year for it to equate to 8.5 in tampa

so two high end players at 12.6m a year being the SAME amount a player makes in tampa at 8.5, means tampa has an EXTRA 8.2 MILLION ... think about that thats another 1st like foward in salary cap advantage

So you know whats blowing my mind about this

I knew taxes were a big factor, but i never really did the math on how MUCH tampa has an advantage over other teams (not complaining) just sorta crazy when you think about it

it hit me when i thought about it this way, Detroit would have to pay Stamkos 11m to really have him make the same amount as 8.5m in tampa, 2.5m more, to MAKE THE SAME

so lets say detroit signs 2 giant players like toews and kane, and we have a cap hit of 22m between the 2 of them, 11 per player per year

we would have 5 million less than tampa would to play with because of taxes and all the players would make the same, so tampa could go out sign the same 2 players at 8.5m and have an EXTRA FIVE MILLION to sign additional players..

thats insanely good for tampa

ALSO this is for in the US (detroit) taxes, this isnt even taking into consideration canadian dollar/taxes so Toronto would have had to pay him 12.6m per year for it to equate to 8.5 in tampa

so two high end players at 12.6m a year being the SAME amount a player makes in tampa at 8.5, means tampa has an EXTRA 8.2 MILLION ... think about that thats another 1st like foward in salary cap advantage
- digitalbath

You think state taxes out of pocket for most states is ~23% of their total income? Btw, many states don't have state income tax..like Texas (Dallas).

Also, you know athletes have to file in each state they play in, right?

You think state taxes out of pocket for most states is ~23% of their total income? Btw, many states don't have state income tax..like Texas (Dallas).

Also, you know athletes have to file in each state they play in, right?
- Blackstrom2

I would not say many states. For the NHL it is Panthers, Stars, Predators and Lightning. That is a very small amount. For the Lightning and Panthers they play each other more often too so for those two teams they pay income tax for probably 35 games per season compared to other teams not paying income tax on probably 5-10 games. It's a big advantage the Lightning and those other three teams have as far as I see it. Once you get a winning team it is easier to keep and attract players because of the income tax, golfing during the season doesn't hurt either.

You think state taxes out of pocket for most states is ~23% of their total income? Btw, many states don't have state income tax..like Texas (Dallas).

Also, you know athletes have to file in each state they play in, right?
- Blackstrom2

yes, i used the TSN stamkos calculator and thats what it told me taxes would be for said teams

yes, i used the TSN stamkos calculator and thats what it told me taxes would be for said teams
- digitalbath

Taxes are a big part but to make the same amount Stamkos would have needed $11m from Detroit only because of taxes and length of contract, 8 years in Tampa vs 7 years in Detroit.

Taxes are a big part but to make the same amount Stamkos would have needed $11m from Detroit only because of taxes and length of contract, 8 years in Tampa vs 7 years in Detroit.
- Kucherovski

I know, but im saying if we pay him 11 and you pay him 8.5 you have another 2.5 million to use for signing additional players, or RFA or whatever than we would, even tho he makes the same amount, when you add that up across the salary cap its a huge advantage over detroit and a MASSIVE advantage over teams like Toronto or Montreal

Imagine Chicago had kane and toews but both at 8.5 a year and having 5 million every year to help them with cap relief, they wouldnt be shipping out players left and right every year, it would be hard to manage sure, and they would lose players sure, but 21m vs 17m every year a crazy huge

I know, but im saying if we pay him 11 and you pay him 8.5 you have another 2.5 million to use for signing additional players, or RFA or whatever than we would, even tho he makes the same amount, when you add that up across the salary cap its a huge advantage over detroit and a MASSIVE advantage over teams like Toronto or Montreal

Imagine Chicago had kane and toews but both at 8.5 a year and having 5 million every year to help them with cap relief, they wouldnt be shipping out players left and right every year, it would be hard to manage sure, and they would lose players sure, but 21m vs 17m every year a crazy huge
- digitalbath

Agree, the major component though is the extra year. Taxes may be about $500k, which is a lot of money but not like the extra year.

Agree, the major component though is the extra year. Taxes may be about $500k, which is a lot of money but not like the extra year.
- Kucherovski

I know the extra year, i guess im not talking about stamkos exclusively, i mean every player in tampa vs other teams more specifically canadian teams, if your cap hit was 73m and theirs was 108m you would say thats completely unfair right? but they have to pay stamkos (or any other player 48% more ..... for them to make the SAME.......FOURTY EIGHT!) so really them having a cap of 108 wouldnt be all that crazy

I know the extra year, i guess im not talking about stamkos exclusively, i mean every player in tampa vs other teams more specifically canadian teams, if your cap hit was 73m and theirs was 108m you would say thats completely unfair right? but they have to pay stamkos (or any other player 48% more ..... for them to make the SAME.......FOURTY EIGHT!) so really them having a cap of 108 wouldnt be all that crazy
- digitalbath

Not that high. The income tax rate in Michigan is 4.25% so the contract would have to be 4.25% higher annually which would be $380k more per year to make the same amount, roughly. In Illinois they have a flat tax of about 3.75% so about $320k more annually. Yes those extra $300k can add up to $1m more but it's not 48%.

Not that high. The income tax rate in Michigan is 4.25% so the contract would have to be 4.25% higher annually which would be $380k more per year to make the same amount, roughly. In Illinois they have a flat tax of about 3.75% so about $320k more annually. Yes those extra $300k can add up to $1m more but it's not 48%.
- Kucherovski

I was comparing to Toronto in that scenario, they need to pay him 12.6 to match his 8.5, thats 48% higher

I was comparing to Toronto in that scenario, they need to pay him 12.6 to match his 8.5, thats 48% higher
- digitalbath

Well in Tampa there is no income tax so Stamkos pays the federal tax only, about 40%. In Toronto, and correct me anyone if I am wrong, I think the tax rate for Stamkos would be about 50% so 10% more in Toronto. Again I think that calculator looks at total compensation and that would take into consideration the extra year in Tampa vs 7 years in Toronto.

Now comes the back-pedaling from TO fans -

He had a bum shoulder anyway.
He had a bum leg anyway.
He has blood clots anyway.
He's got character issues anyway.
His 10-year contract from Crowley is almost up, anyway.

Those splat sounds you keep hearing are people jumping from rooftops in downtown TO.
- GalacticStone

Every post before this was one from Leafs fans was congratulating you guys... don't be that guy.

Edit: I see where the richards in our fanbase came out after this though, now.

Well in Tampa there is no income tax so Stamkos pays the federal tax only, about 40%. In Toronto, and correct me anyone if I am wrong, I think the tax rate for Stamkos would be about 50% so 10% more in Toronto. Again I think that calculator looks at total compensation and that would take into consideration the extra year in Tampa vs 7 years in Toronto.
- Kucherovski

DAMN you are right, i keep forgetting that thing has it at 7 years not 8, so my math is wrong, im a dummy i got worked up for nothing haha

DAMN you are right, i keep forgetting that thing has it at 7 years not 8, so my math is wrong, im a dummy i got worked up for nothing haha
- digitalbath

Your point is valid just not to the quantity you had it. 10% more per year in Toronto would be $850k more, two players with decent cap hits then it gets up to Toronto is paying $1m more per year for the same amount of players. $1m is a decent chunk for 3rd and 4th line players so Tampa does have an advantage if length of contract is the same.

Lightning buyout Matt Carle.

Lightning buyout Matt Carle.
- tpd11

There is $3.6 that will probably go right to Killorn.

Stammer has the right to go where he wanted.

Seemed like a d-bag move to string leafs fans along.
- 50 Mission Cap

Umm Leafs had a few days to talk to him

Bolts were talking with him for a year

He earned the right to hear what others had to say, doesn't mean he was stringing them along.