The Official 2011/2012 Armchair GM thread

[Kin]

I really don't have an answer to that. Do you?

I'm just searching for the internal logic behind your position. If Connolly has value, which you've said, and if trading Connolly would get you a return, albeit an insufficient one, as you've said then you wouldn't need to bribe a team to take him, which you've also said.

 

[maplesyrup]

If Connolly has value, which you've said, and if trading Connolly would get you a return, albeit an insufficient one, as you've said then you wouldn't need to bribe a team to take him, which you've also said.

No, I said I hoped he had some. Now I'm asking you what you think... Does he? Now, if he does than unless you want an "insufficient" return (and I'm not sure why you'd do that) then yes, you would need to "bribe a team" or add a kicker.

 

[Kin]

No, I said I hoped he had some. Now I'm asking you what you think... Does he? Now, if he does than unless you want an "insufficient" return (and I'm not sure why you'd do that) then yes, you would need to "bribe a team" or add a kicker.

I think there are two separate issues that you're kind of awkwardly trying to wedge together. The first is the team in the immediate sense and whether or not they should be looking at upgrading over Connolly. The second is payroll implications going forward.

Personally, I think those are valid issues but I don't think either one has much to do with trading Connolly. If you want to lose Connolly's salary to sign free agents, you can bury it or buy it out. If you want to improve on Connolly for this run, there are better ways to do it with assets that are more flexible and valuable than Connolly himself and it's not like the team is so wedged against the cap that you couldn't add a player of a reasonable quality anyway(although, again, if clearing space is a priority you can waive Connolly).

 

[Tigger]

Connolly is just fine where he is.

For this year, yes. I agree. What about next? Maybe you do "just waive him." I don't know if it's as simple as that. - Maybe it is.  :-\

I don't think Burke would do that if he was still playing with some quality ( like he is now, I also think people are being far too dismissive of his contributions because of his contract ) but if all you're worried about is moving him 'insufficient' returns are perfectly fine, I mean what is sufficient if all you need is cap space?

 

[Etiam Vultus]

Tim Connolly:  25 points in 41 games, +1 (playing primarily on the third line)
Brad Richards:  35 points in 50 games, -2 (playing top line)

If we are freaking out about having Connolly's contract for one more year, how would we feel if we were Rangers' fans?

 

[maplesyrup]

Tim Connolly:  25 points in 41 games, +1 (playing primarily on the third line)
Brad Richards:  35 points in 50 games, -2 (playing top line)

If we are freaking out about having Connolly's contract for one more year, how would we feel if we were Rangers' fans?

Well, considering where the Rangers are in the standings, I'm not sure it matters a ton to Rangers fans that Richards is having an off year. He's going to be their #1 centre for a long time and as far as the Leafs are concerned, the search continues...

 

[Kin]

Tim Connolly:  25 points in 41 games, +1 (playing primarily on the third line)
Brad Richards:  35 points in 50 games, -2 (playing top line)

If we are freaking out about having Connolly's contract for one more year, how would we feel if we were Rangers' fans?

I'd imagine we'd feel pretty good if we were Rangers fans, what with the team being a pretty good bet to win the President's Trophy.

 

[L K]

Tim Connolly:  25 points in 41 games, +1 (playing primarily on the third line)
Brad Richards:  35 points in 50 games, -2 (playing top line)

If we are freaking out about having Connolly's contract for one more year, how would we feel if we were Rangers' fans?

Well, considering where the Rangers are in the standings, I'm not sure it matters a ton to Rangers fans that Richards is having an off year. He's going to be there #1 centre for a long time and as far as the Leafs are concerned, the search continues...

While offensive production is certainly something that you want from a guy making Richards' money, he was also signed to be their #1 center and be a defensive presence and a veteran leader that their roster lacked.

 

[maplesyrup]

Tim Connolly:  25 points in 41 games, +1 (playing primarily on the third line)
Brad Richards:  35 points in 50 games, -2 (playing top line)

If we are freaking out about having Connolly's contract for one more year, how would we feel if we were Rangers' fans?

Well, considering where the Rangers are in the standings, I'm not sure it matters a ton to Rangers fans that Richards is having an off year. He's going to be their #1 centre for a long time and as far as the Leafs are concerned, the search continues...

While offensive production is certainly something that you want from a guy making Richards' money, he was also signed to be their #1 center and be a defensive presence and a veteran leader that their roster lacked.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the contract and time will tell if it works out for them over the long haul but for the time being, so far so good.

 

[princedpw]

Time will tell about Richards contract. 

In terms of this year, I should note that the Rangers play a very defense-first game that may suppress the number of points that their forwards score in order to lower goals against.  So, in terms of contribution to the team winning percentage, 35 points on the Rangers is probably not equivalent to 35 points on the leafs -- 35 points on the Rangers is likely both harder to achieve and worth more because both the rangers and their opposition score so much less.  How much harder to achieve and how much more is pretty hard to say.  I doubt at the beginning of the season that the Rangers anticipated Richards scoring so little or their team being this high in the standings with such a relatively small output from him.

 

[Corn Flake]

Between Connoly, Armstrong and Komisarek that's over 12 million dollar in cap space the Leafs are effectively wasting. That's awful

Just say the name Ville Leino a few times.... there.  Not so painful is it?

 

[Britishbulldog]

Between Connoly, Armstrong and Komisarek that's over 12 million dollar in cap space the Leafs are effectively wasting. That's awful

Just say the name Ville Leino a few times.... there.  Not so painful is it?

;D

I never thought that I would see a contract as bad as Jason Blake's.

 

[Corn Flake]

Between Connoly, Armstrong and Komisarek that's over 12 million dollar in cap space the Leafs are effectively wasting. That's awful

Just say the name Ville Leino a few times.... there.  Not so painful is it?

;D

I never thought that I would see a contract as bad as Jason Blake's.

Blake's deal looks like a steal compared to Ville's.

 

[bustaheims]

Blake's deal looks like a steal compared to Ville's.

Seriously. At least Blake had a number of 20+ goal seasons on his resume.

 

[Erndog]

All summer long I battled with a Sabres fan buddy of mine how awful Leino and his contract were.  He kept coming at me saying he'd rather have Leino play and do nothing than watch Connolly sit on the sidelines and eat the cap space.

I told him he was nucking futs that he'd rather take Leino's deal over Connollys.  The Sabres basically married the guy and are stuck with him for 5 more years while we only have Connolly for 1 more.

Crazyness

 

[maplesyrup]

All summer long I battled with a Sabres fan buddy of mine how awful Leino and his contract were.  He kept coming at me saying he'd rather have Leino play and do nothing than watch Connolly sit on the sidelines and eat the cap space.

I told him he was nucking futs that he'd rather take Leino's deal over Connollys.  The Sabres basically married the guy and are stuck with him for 5 more years while we only have Connolly for 1 more.

Crazyness

I've made it clear how I feel about Connolly and his contract over the last few days but I'd rather have two Connollys than one Leino.

 

[Kin]

I told him he was nucking futs that he'd rather take Leino's deal over Connollys.  The Sabres basically married the guy and are stuck with him for 5 more years while we only have Connolly for 1 more.

Yeah, but on the other hand the nature of Connolly's deal means that for him to be valuable to the Leafs he needs to be producing right now and next year. Leino's deal obviously doesn't look good right now but it's year one of a six year deal. He's got a lot of time to be a valuable player for them.

 

[Erndog]

I told him he was nucking futs that he'd rather take Leino's deal over Connollys.  The Sabres basically married the guy and are stuck with him for 5 more years while we only have Connolly for 1 more.

Yeah, but on the other hand the nature of Connolly's deal means that for him to be valuable to the Leafs he needs to be producing right now and next year. Leino's deal obviously doesn't look good right now but it's year one of a six year deal. He's got a lot of time to be a valuable player for them.

and if they both suck for the duration of their deals (and they both have so far) we get divorced with a minor wound while the Sabres have internal bleeding, hemmoraghing, in the ICU.

So I guess Komisarek still has some time to make his deal not look so terrible eh?

 

[Kin]

and if they both suck for the duration of their deals (and they both have so far) we get divorced with a minor wound while the Sabres have internal bleeding, hemmoraghing, in the ICU.

Sure, but it's year one of a six year deal and it's a team that's seen a lot of players having crummy years. That's not really much to go on.

So I guess Komisarek still has some time to make his deal not look so terrible eh?

Sure. If he turns it around now he'll only have stunk for half of his deal.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Tim Connolly:  25 points in 41 games, +1 (playing primarily on the third line)
Brad Richards:  35 points in 50 games, -2 (playing top line)

If we are freaking out about having Connolly's contract for one more year, how would we feel if we were Rangers' fans?

Well, considering where the Rangers are in the standings, I'm not sure it matters a ton to Rangers fans that Richards is having an off year. He's going to be there #1 centre for a long time and as far as the Leafs are concerned, the search continues...

While offensive production is certainly something that you want from a guy making Richards' money, he was also signed to be their #1 center and be a defensive presence and a veteran leader that their roster lacked.

I'm sure to some degree, Connolly was also signed for similar reasons.