• For users coming over from tmlfans.ca your username will remain the same but you will need to use the password reset feature (check your spam folder) on the login page in order to set your password. If you encounter issues, email Rick couchmanrick@gmail.com

The Lupul Situation

Kin

Kin

New member
So something that's popped up in a lot of the off-season discussions is the idea that Lupul is effectively done as a Maple Leaf. But more than just from a perspective of the Leafs wanting to move on from him there seems to be this general sense that the Leafs will essentially do with him what they did with Robidas.

But doesn't that seem unlikely? Lupul's 32. His career, you assume, isn't over unless he's actively contemplating retirement. Robidas, who it's safe to say wasn't going to earn another NHL contract no matter what, could probably be told to stay home and earn the paycheck without much consequence. I'd think Lupul, who got shut down for a sports hernia and not a chronic and debilitating condition, will probably want to play past the age of 34 if he's able.

So what do people think happens with Lupul? With the understanding that jokes about Lou Lamoriello "making people disappear" were kind of funny the first time but not really.
 
I think we are all in agreement that if Lupul could remain healthy, then he would be a major asset, but he is always injured or playing in pain. God if he could just get one great season in he would definetly net a good asset for a playoff bound team. That is a huge if however.
 
If he's cleared, he'll probably play, which will lead to injuries, which will lead to the IR again. If he has any gas in the tank the following year, they might be able to move him, might not, same result is likely. So yeah, Loupul.
 
I was looking for an update on Lupul and the last one came from April: https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/eh-game/maple-leafs-notes--robidas-set-to-retire--lupul-recovering-from-surgery-232228708.html

Lupul underwent sports hernia surgery in February and missed the remainder of the season. According to Lupul?s agent, Peter Semonick, the 32-year-old is progressing well.

?His recovery is going fine and he's doing light workouts right now,? Semonick said. ?I believe he just started skating lightly - everything is light right now.?

Semonick said there was no concern over his client not being ready for the start of training camp or his availability to play next season.

?Nothing other than the surgery he just had,? Semonick said.
Click to expand...

If he had surgery in February, started lightly skating and working out in April, and still wasn't ready to go for training camp in September then something would definitely be seriously wrong I'd imagine.

I think people read too much into Lou's quote about Lupul being an "unknown" next season. He didn't really clarify, and he could have just as easily been referring to the fact that they might be trying to move him or something. Anyway, I don't think we'll be seeing any funny business with this one. If Lupul wants to continue his career, which he likely will, then he won't be getting Robidas'd.
 
I just assumed he'd be back, scoring at a pace for 20 or so goals this year until he gets hurt. There's little trade value because of his injury history, even if he doesn't get injured this year, which is a big if. So he'll play as much as he's able until his contract runs out.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
I was looking for an update on Lupul and the last one came from April: https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/eh-game/maple-leafs-notes--robidas-set-to-retire--lupul-recovering-from-surgery-232228708.html

Lupul underwent sports hernia surgery in February and missed the remainder of the season. According to Lupul?s agent, Peter Semonick, the 32-year-old is progressing well.

?His recovery is going fine and he's doing light workouts right now,? Semonick said. ?I believe he just started skating lightly - everything is light right now.?

Semonick said there was no concern over his client not being ready for the start of training camp or his availability to play next season.

?Nothing other than the surgery he just had,? Semonick said.
Click to expand...

If he had surgery in February, started lightly skating and working out in April, and still wasn't ready to go for training camp in September then something would definitely be seriously wrong I'd imagine.

I think people read too much into Lou's quote about Lupul being an "unknown" next season. He didn't really clarify, and he could have just as easily been referring to the fact that they might be trying to move him or something. Anyway, I don't think we'll be seeing any funny business with this one. If Lupul wants to continue his career, which he likely will, then he won't be getting Robidas'd.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I imagine that 32 year old isn't quite ready yet to change his career from hockey to modelling.
 
I wonder if we can at least ditch Lupul at the expansion draft. He'll only have 1-year left on his deal and his salary will only be $3.75mil (as opposed to his cap hit of $5.25mil). If there's a cap floor that Vegas will have to achieve then I'm sure they'll be looking for options like that. He's also a veteran guy, and generally seems well liked wherever he goes.

That'll probably all be dependent on Lupul being healthy for at least half of the season though.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
I wonder if we can at least ditch Lupul at the expansion draft. He'll only have 1-year left on his deal and his salary will only be $3.75mil (as opposed to his cap hit of $5.25mil). If there's a cap floor that Vegas will have to achieve then I'm sure they'll be looking for options like that. He's also a veteran guy, and generally seems well liked wherever he goes.

That'll probably all be dependent on Lupul being healthy for at least half of the season though.
Click to expand...

I've been kinda thinking the same things, concerning reasons to hold onto Bozak and Lupul. 2 active player contracts we have that can be left unprotected.

Unless of course we get a good futures package for Bozak from a team looking to shore up their center depth.
 
Besides always being hurt, I lost hope in Lupul when the media started to get to him. Challenging a instagram heckler to a fight, threatening to sue TSN, "Get familar with no comment". Yes, the heat was on and some bad stuff happened but he got sucked down the rabbit hole and didn't handle the bad times well. I feel it showed his true character and it wasn't pretty. Great player during the 5 minutes he was healthy.
 
I don't think it's a joke that Lou will find some way to make his contract go away.
 
cabber24 said:
Besides always being hurt, I lost hope in Lupul when the media started to get to him. Challenging a instagram heckler to a fight, threatening to sue TSN, "Get familar with no comment". Yes, the heat was on and some bad stuff happened but he got sucked down the rabbit hole and didn't handle the bad times well. I feel it showed his true character and it wasn't pretty. Great player during the 5 minutes he was healthy.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure he could be called a great player last season when healthy.  He appeared to do a lot of floating IMHO, likely trying to avoid injury.
 
An instagram post obviously doesn't equal a formal complaint but hypothetically if Lupul appealed this and a 3rd party deemed him medically cleared that would put the Leafs in a crap-load of trouble on cap circumvention, right?  Like lose a bunch of 1st round picks kind of bad.
 
Nik the Trik said:
Lupul accurately describes what we all know is going on:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/joffrey-lupul-calls-leafs-instagram-says-cheat/
Click to expand...

The comment in question has been deleted (or never was - deleted being more likely), but, I question it. I have no doubt the Leafs - and every other professional sports team - bends the rules as much as possible. As Mark Grace is credited with saying, it you ain't cheating, you ain't trying hard enough. They're absolutely working in the grey areas. That's well accepted.

That being said, if Lupul truly believed he was healthy enough to pass a physical, why wouldn't he be pursuing a grievance against the team? Two full seasons of being not being deemed healthy enough to hit the ice has to have a significant negative impact on his earning potential going forward. If he really wants to play, why wouldn't he be doing everything in his power to get back on the ice? Based on the evidence we have, seems to me like either he's not actually healthy enough to play, or he's de facto retired already. So, why throw shade?
 
bustaheims said:
The comment in question has been deleted (or never was - deleted being more likely), but, I question it. I have no doubt the Leafs - and every other professional sports team - bends the rules as much as possible. As Mark Grace is credited with saying, it you ain't cheating, you ain't trying hard enough. They're absolutely working in the grey areas. That's well accepted.

That being said, if Lupul truly believed he was healthy enough to pass a physical, why wouldn't he be pursuing a grievance against the team? Two full seasons of being not being deemed healthy enough to hit the ice has to have a significant negative impact on his earning potential going forward. If he really wants to play, why wouldn't he be doing everything in his power to get back on the ice? Based on the evidence we have, seems to me like either he's not actually healthy enough to play, or he's de facto retired already. So, why throw shade?
Click to expand...

2 things. First, I don't really think you can look at things players say on Instagram and Twitter and then say "You know, this doesn't seem like it was carefully crafted for a net gain for his career" and resultingly doubt its veracity. People say impolitic stuff online.

But beyond that, if Lupul did file a grievance what is the ultimate positive result? He enters into a protracted grievance process that ultimately is about a matter of opinion. Then if he wins and, on merit, the Leafs either play him on the 4th line or send him to the AHL(or press box him) where he's unlikely to do much to make a case for his next contract. Meanwhile he earns a reputation around the league as someone who causes trouble for his team. Then, when his deal is up, he's still someone who, again on merit, isn't likely to get a deal much beyond a PTO or a one year deal near the minimum.


 
But moving beyond the "why" I think we can all agree that the "what" here is pretty unassailable. I think we can all agree that the standard for "medically healthy enough to play" is probably different for guys like Robidas or Lupul than it would be for someone younger, with a better contract and who the team really wanted to get back into the line-up.
 
Lupul would 100% be riding AHL buses if he did get medical clearance. He knows that. His life seems far more interesting as things stand right now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

About Us

This website is NOT associated with the Toronto Maple Leafs or the NHL.


It is operated by Rick Couchman and Jeff Lewis.
Back
Top