Toronto Maple Leafs: Signings, Marner, Enroth

Each Monday I post a new “Goals, Assists, and Penalties” where I give you my two cents on the weeks news around the NHL and Toronto Maple Leafs. I break it down into Goals (positive news), Assists (generally positive news or something is lacking, and Penalties (negative news). These are purely my subjective opinions.

Goal: Signing all five of the Toronto Maple Leafs RFA’s. Martin Marincin, Josh Leivo, and Connor Carrick got two year deals at an AAV of $1.25M, $750,000, and $612,500, respectively. Frank Corrado and Peter Holland were signed to 1 year deals at $650,000, and $1.3M, respectively.

Goal: Signing two year deals with Marincin, Carrick, and Leivo. This allows the Maple Leafs to put them on the expansion draft eligible list. Why is this good? Because with too many players on expiring contracts after this season (which would make them ineligible for the expansion draft), there is potentially the case where a team would have to risk losing a player that they would rather protect, only in order to have enough players to satisfy the requirements to be put on the expansion draft eligible list (ie. enough games played in past two seasons).

Assist: Entry-level contract to…Trevor Moore? My hesitation here is simple, I had no idea who the guy was before a couple of weeks ago and know even less about him now. My other hesitation is that he is a forward and we need need to be taking some flyers on defensemen if we are going to be taking some risks. But if Leafs management like him, I like him. I’ll let him prove himself.

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Penalty: All quiet on the Jhonas Enroth front. He would have been a perfect back-up. Did Lou bail because word got out that they were interested in him? That would deserve a ‘penalty’ because if he were the best choice before the rumor got out, wouldn’t it still be the best choice? But I digress, maybe Lou wasn’t even interested in the first place and the rumour was false.

Goal: Milan Michalek could be a great trade deadline sell.

Goal: Tavares saying he wouldn’t expect to become a Maple Leaf in a couple of years when his current contract is up. This is good if only so we don’t have to endure the Stamkos saga all over again. Stamkos 2.0.

(10 game) Penalty: Don Henderson, the ref who was hit by Dennis Wideman this past season underwent neck surgery and friends worry his career is over. Watch the video here.

Goal: Tyson Barrie re-signed with the Avalanche for 4 years and $22M. Comparable to Reilly’s deal with the Leafs.

Penalty: I keep seeing defensemen out there and wonder if trading JVR for them would make sense. Fowler? Barrie? Shattenkirk? JVR is too solid to give up no matter the influx of offensive talent we are about to get in the next couple years at forward. But then again, could we afford him once his contract is up? Should we trade him now? No, lets wait until he plays with Matthews and scores 30+ goals and get an arm and a leg for him. Yes, now I am thinking straight.

Penalty: Denial. Bettman denies of any proof linking concussions and brain disorder CTE. Did the NHL just fall behind the NFL, of all organizations, in denying links of concussions to brain disorders? Shameful. Bettman will come to regret this one. He should make the NHL lead the way on this discussion, not deny it. See here for more on this.

Goal: T-mobile arena in Las Vegas laid ice for the first time this past week. Maybe they will have to stop putting so much ice in my drinks every time I visit. Leave a little room for my drink, would you.

Next: Maple Leafs Second Buy-out Period

Under Review: Mitch Marner’s near future. Will he play his way onto team Maple Leafs? Or will he have to play keep away in a league where he has clearly outgrown. Either way, I just hope that it becomes an obvious decision come training camp.

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