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Sparks signs 1-year extension

Next season the league minimum is $700k, so at this price-point it's kinda silly to expect a great back-up goalie anyway (yeah, yeah, they lost the McBackup bet). I'd expect the Leafs to still bring in a 3rd goalie so there's competition at camp next season, and if the other guy wins out then they can bury Sparks without any cap hit.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Next season the league minimum is $700k, so at this price-point it's kinda silly to expect a great back-up goalie anyway (yeah, yeah, they lost the McBackup bet). I'd expect the Leafs to still bring in a 3rd goalie so there's competition at camp next season, and if the other guy wins out then they can bury Sparks without any cap hit.

I can see him getting the leash that Fredrik Gauthier gets. And Dubas flexing some influence this offseason to get the coaching staff cycling through more players throughout the year to keep everyone fresh for the stretch drive and (hopefully) deeper playoff run.

Sparks behind a platoon of Marlies grads playing together for each other, bolstered by our usual top 9 is what I'm envisioning.
 
We haven't seen Sparks have to take the net for any extended period because of an injury to Freddie.  Heck, we got more of a look at Hutchinson in consecutive games than Sparks, didn't we?  Until you've seen that, you don't really know what you've got.
 
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
We haven't seen Sparks have to take the net for any extended period because of an injury to Freddie.  Heck, we got more of a look at Hutchinson in consecutive games than Sparks, didn't we?  Until you've seen that, you don't really know what you've got.


Yeah Sparks could have had a chance to get a run when Andersen was hurt and he got hurt too from a Nylander shot in practice. Just didn't line up for Sparks this season. That said, it's a small contract and can be buried if he falls flat next season so it's worth the shot.
 
Full credit to McBackup for building off his good stats over the 39 starts his previous two years.

I didn't love losing him but I completely understood why we chose Sparks over him.  750K doesn't hurt the cap and realistically they can easily replace him if during free agency a much better option shows up at a cheap price.

 
L K said:
750K doesn't hurt the cap and realistically they can easily replace him if during free agency a much better option shows up at a cheap price.

Yeah. If anything, this contract screams "3rd-string goalie" to me.
 
bustaheims said:
L K said:
750K doesn't hurt the cap and realistically they can easily replace him if during free agency a much better option shows up at a cheap price.

Yeah. If anything, this contract screams "3rd-string goalie" to me.

the money is good...even if he is sent down to give the Marlies goaltending next year....i wonder if he would get claimed on waivers..
 
caveman said:
bustaheims said:
L K said:
750K doesn't hurt the cap and realistically they can easily replace him if during free agency a much better option shows up at a cheap price.

Yeah. If anything, this contract screams "3rd-string goalie" to me.

the money is good...even if he is sent down to give the Marlies goaltending next year....i wonder if he would get claimed on waivers..
Who knows how good/bad he'll be. If they're sending him down I don't think they'll care.
 
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
We haven't seen Sparks have to take the net for any extended period because of an injury to Freddie.  Heck, we got more of a look at Hutchinson in consecutive games than Sparks, didn't we?  Until you've seen that, you don't really know what you've got.

I think we know what we got. A goalie with poor rebound control who loses his post if he comes out past the crease. 

Sparks cannot be the backup next year if giving a Andersen more nights off is to be taken seriously. 
 
Given the weird pattern of goaltender development and the general inconsistency of goaltender play I think it's pretty misguided to ever say you'll know how a goalie will do next year, especially when a goalie is 25 and getting their first real taste of NHL play.
 
lc9 said:
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
We haven't seen Sparks have to take the net for any extended period because of an injury to Freddie.  Heck, we got more of a look at Hutchinson in consecutive games than Sparks, didn't we?  Until you've seen that, you don't really know what you've got.

I think we know what we got. A goalie with poor rebound control who loses his post if he comes out past the crease. 

Sparks cannot be the backup next year if giving a Andersen more nights off is to be taken seriously. 

Has anyone from team actually said they want to give Andersen more nights off?

Or is that something that fans and media talk about and assume the team feels the same way?
 
Deebo said:
lc9 said:
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
We haven't seen Sparks have to take the net for any extended period because of an injury to Freddie.  Heck, we got more of a look at Hutchinson in consecutive games than Sparks, didn't we?  Until you've seen that, you don't really know what you've got.

I think we know what we got. A goalie with poor rebound control who loses his post if he comes out past the crease. 

Sparks cannot be the backup next year if giving a Andersen more nights off is to be taken seriously. 

Has anyone from team actually said they want to give Andersen more nights off?

Or is that something that fans and media talk about and assume the team feels the same way?

Does anyone from the team need to say it?
 
Deebo said:
Has anyone from team actually said they want to give Andersen more nights off?

Or is that something that fans and media talk about and assume the team feels the same way?
Door #2 Monty.
 
Deebo said:
Has anyone from team actually said they want to give Andersen more nights off?

Or is that something that fans and media talk about and assume the team feels the same way?

Even when he had McBackup posting a .934 Sv% last season Babcock still started Andersen in pretty much every single game. Safe to think the quality of the back-up isn't what's driving Babcock's mentality there.
 

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