The love for Getzlaff on this board fascinates me, especially the talk about giving him a max contract.
Last year in 82 games he had 11 goals (11! Half as many as Grabovski, who has the worst contract in history according to some) and 57 points. He hasn't had a 20 goal season since 2008/09 (he had some injuries in two of those seasons, playing just 66 and 67 games).
He is definitely a high risk player. The Leafs either have to give up significant assets to get him in a trade, or significant cap space to sign him as a free agent.
I can just imagine some of the comments and threads on this board if he has an 11 goal season if a Leafs uniform with a massive, maximum value contract.
With all that said, if he becomes a free agent they have to do everything they can to sign him.
To me, he's the very much a - YEAH! but... - player. They absolutely have to try and get him if he's available, but, he could be a diminishing asset - even at a young age.
The love for Getzlaff on this board fascinates me, especially the talk about giving him a max contract.
Last year in 82 games he had 11 goals (11! Half as many as Grabovski, who has the worst contract in history according to some) and 57 points. He hasn't had a 20 goal season since 2008/09 (he had some injuries in two of those seasons, playing just 66 and 67 games).
He is definitely a high risk player. The Leafs either have to give up significant assets to get him in a trade, or significant cap space to sign him as a free agent.
I can just imagine some of the comments and threads on this board if he has an 11 goal season if a Leafs uniform with a massive, maximum value contract.
With all that said, if he becomes a free agent they have to do everything they can to sign him.
To me, he's the very much a - YEAH! but... - player. They absolutely have to try and get him if he's available, but, he could be a diminishing asset - even at a young age.
How did he do the 4/5 seasons prior to that? He was a ~PPG player. We can't start judging players based on 1 or 2 seasons, we have to see the whole body of work. This season Getzlaf is looking great again. All their stars had down year last year, doesn't mean they're crap. If you're really gonna be critical about points..Getzlaf at his worst is what Grabovski is at his best.
Even when we're talking about style, Getzlaf isn't comparable to Grabovski. Getzlaf is a playmaking center, an attribute Grabovski sorely lacks. The whole fascination is based on the fact that we need a big ~PPG playmaking center for Kessel, and Getzlaf bring all those to the table. I'm fine with him scoring 11 goals if he has 60 assists to go along with it.
I'm fine with tanking and drafting our own #1C by the way But if we were to retain Kessel and keep building on what we have, Getzlaf seems like the best option to me.
I'd go 7,8 years at 8.5m cash per in a heart beat.
You and every other team in the league. It's either you go all-in for him or you pass up the only opportunity to land a genuine first line center for the foreseeable future.
Nope - ask Brad Richards. We offered more than the Rags and he still said no.
That would be false:
Quote:
"We made a very substantial offer to Brad Richards," Burke said Wednesday during the Leafs' prospect camp. "What we offered I don't think is material. We lost out on the Brad Richards sweepstakes for two reasons -- one, we didn't offer as much money as other teams and more importantly we didn't structure the contract like other teams did.
Turns out we actually offered the same for the first six years of a potential deal, but Burkie wouldn't go beyond that - Brad's avg cap hit would have been higher had he gone with us.
Turns out we actually offered the same for the first six years of a potential deal, but Burkie wouldn't go beyond that - Brad's avg cap hit would have been higher had he gone with us.
Yea, i'm more inclined to believe the TSN article with actual Brian Burke quotes.
We shall see, if history says anything Philly will make a attempt before the deadline to land Getz, we will see how attached he is to LA, Nonis has to empty the tank this is the guy.
While I don't deny the leafs are an ideal destination still for players, they have to prove they they are making moves to win (like Minny did by signing Parise + Suter together).
I don't think Brad Richards wanted to go anywhere besides New York, regardless. He is seemingly embracing the outside of hockey lifestyle + reunited with Torts.
Looking at top centres around the league, franchise calibre players.... Theyve almost exclusively been drafted by their teams. #1 Centres essentially never get traded, Thornton is literally the only example, unless you count guys like M. Richards, Carter, Ribeiro, etc. who i consider to be 1B guys. Even in free agency, B. Richards is the only example.
Crosby, Giroux, Tavares, Bergeron, Spezza, Backstrom, E. Staal, Stamkos, Toews, Datsyuk, Duchene, Sedin, RNH, Getzlaf, Kopitar, etc were all drafted by their respective teams.
So we can do what Buffalo did, and roll the dice on a good C prospect, but not quite an elite one (something comparable to Hodgson, such as Coyle for example). Personally i want the Leafs to just acquire more 1st rounders for this draft. We have some guys to sell, this is a superb draft, we need to try and get a top top C prospect, and i cant see teams trading guys like Huberdeau, Galchenyuk, Granlund, etc to us, so we probably have to draft one ourselves.
Every year the same story, sign a #1C as UFA. The odds are it's not happening.
The most probable way to get a #1C is to draft one.
But keep on dreaming.
I think getting a #1 dman to play beside Dion is a far bigger priority.
Will there be one available this July? We can't pass up on great players because it's not the ideal situation. Or because we MIGHT draft one instead. It's that kind of mentality that leaves this team standing alone out in the cold. Like I said before, I'll take a sure thing over a slim chance any day.
But if we were to retain Kessel and keep building on what we have, Getzlaf seems like the best option to me.
