Reading the Tea Leafs: Jeff Finger

by Chemmy on Aug 31, 2008 1:00 PM EDT in Reading the Tea Leafs Comment 28 comments

Following on the success of two other dormant series PPP and I have decided that in order to fill the gap in NHL news that we'll take a look at each of the current Leafs, possible Leafs on the Marlies, and prospects. We'll recap their performance last year, what we can expect from them, and how they can win our hearts (hint: signing the contract was a good first step...unless your name is Bryan McCabe). We have no idea how long of a series this will end up being or how consistent it will be but with two of us expect it to only be half as half-assed and twice as timely.

At the 2:57 mark, Jeff Finger scores a goal, on the other team's net. Think about the possibilities.

Contract Status (according to NHL Numbers)
$3.5M salary, $3.5M cap hit, UFA July 1, 2012

Age (as of October 1, 2008)
28, born December 18, 1979

NHL Seasons
One and a quarter (ugh)

Run of the Mill Biographical Information

**2007-2008 Stats and Team Ranking**

**(Scoring rates via** **Behind The Net**)
Counting Stats	Total/Rank	Category	5-on-5	5-on-4	4-on-5
Games Played	72	TOI/60	16.09	1.03	2.19
Goals	8	Pts/60	0.73	1.62	0.38
Assists	11	GFON/60	3.00	4.85	0.38

Marital Status

Apparently he's dating this guy's daughter. Judging by this I would assume that he walks the line.

Former Leaf he'd have to play like in order to be christened a deity

With his contract? He has to play like Borje Salming, and Al Iafrate combined in to one. No fewer than 50 goals, 100 assists, and a +150 on the season will do. Welcome to Toronto Jeff.

That's not really a joke, I think that's what people think Finger needs to do (to take a cue from Fox News and presume what other people may possibly be presuming, but hey this is a blog not right wing propaganda news).

It's probably best to look at this signing as replacing Hal Gill. The Leafs need some big body shutdown defenders, and here's hoping Jeff Finger can fill those shoes. N.B. Hal Gill has really big feet...

Biggest Question Marks
Jeff Finger has played 94 NHL games and is 28 years old. There are honestly too many question marks to name.

2007-2008 Summary

72GP, 8G, 11A means his scoring line looks about the same as Jamal Mayers'. He also played in 5 playoff games with the Avalanche, picking up 2 assists and going -2.

Looking at his GFON/60 stats, Finger seems like a competent power play d-man. It will be interesting to see him skating with Kubina on the first power play unit.

Projected 2008-2009 role/team

Finger got the big contract, he'll be logging big minutes on the Leafs blue line and seeing power play time. Here's hoping the pressure of playing in Toronto doesn't crack him and he can live up to the money we're paying him. $3.5m isn't an enormous contract this summer but Jeff Finger is a virtual unknown and that's always unsettling.

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Comments

We have always been at war with Jeff Finger.

by handknit on Aug 31, 2008 1:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Poor Finger

There is no way he doesn’t get hounded by the media.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Aug 31, 2008 1:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Poor Finger

I wouldn’t worry about Finger too much. All these finger jokes and speculations and dumb baseless stories about him will be gone the minute Finger blasts (insert hated player’s name here) via a similar play Bell did on Alfie last year. And unlike the gentle giant, Gil, Finger will be banging all game long, night in and night out! – Sorry one more joke! :)

by Coach Dunbar on Aug 31, 2008 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If he’s laying the body then I’ll be smiling. Most other fans will be confused about why a Leaf defenceman is running into players from the other team instead of out of their way but we’ll know.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Aug 31, 2008 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Serious Finger

NIce overview. I’m hoping he starts the year lookin’ like Sylvain Lefebvre and finishes the year lookin’ like Bob Rouse. I’m not expecting him to get points, just hoping he shows up for work and means business.

by general borschevsky on Aug 31, 2008 1:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

PP

He’ll definitely be getting a share of the powerplay time but the tough thing is that Kaberle will likely get the massive bulk (ie 1:50 out of 2:00 if possible). Kubina likely is the next guy and then probably Finger and Carlo (until he’s injured).

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Aug 31, 2008 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bob Rouse was awesome.

That is all.

Down Goes Brown - Because it's technically possible that things may get better before we all die.

by Down Goes Brown on Aug 31, 2008 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I must say I’m amazed you found a youtube video on Finger, even if it is just 5 seconds. Most Avs fans find it hard to care about him.

Good luck, he’s your expensive problem now

26 Card Jet

by Tommelot on Sep 2, 2008 1:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’m a real internet pro.

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Sep 2, 2008 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

From an Avs Fan

I liked Jeff Finger but he was kind of a jack-of-all-trades type of d-man. He’s really physical and has a decent shot. He sometimes has probelms with positioning and outlet passes. His biggest flaw I think is his speed. His days in Colorado were numbered when he was beat trying to touch for icing, in which, would have prevented the OT goal for Minnesota.

Overall, hes okay for a 5th or 6th defenceman but man is he expensive for that position! I think he is a long shot to be christened a deity.

InYoFace Hasek! InYoFace

by InYoFace on Sep 2, 2008 2:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The Leafs are stacked with fast, slick puck moving defensemen who can shoot; Kubina, Kaberle, Stralman. The Leafs need a big guy who can throw hits.

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Sep 2, 2008 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Finger’s not tiny but he won’t intimidate anybody with his size. He does check like a madman, though, and was the most physical d-man on the Avs until Ruslan Salei showed up and Adam Foote came back.

Go Avs! Let's get some goals!

by Joe Dunman on Sep 2, 2008 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ruslan FTW.
Man I loved watching his physicality on D. Never knew him before we acquired him, and now I can’t think of Avs D without him

26 Card Jet

by Tommelot on Sep 2, 2008 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm, sounds like a shorter and more agressive Hal Gill. The good thing for him will be that he’ll likely be paired up with one of our slick skating defencemen which will hopefully counteract his slow footspeed.

But he hits a lot right?

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Sep 2, 2008 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, he can hit. He is not very likely to drop the gloves but he does pay with some meanness (is that a word?). His numbers might be a little scewed due to the fact that he was really the only physical D-man the Avs had until they picked up Salei and Foote. After that, he didn’t seem as physical anymore IMO.

InYoFace Hasek! InYoFace

by InYoFace on Sep 2, 2008 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

His two qualities are that he can hit (play physical) and he is willing to shoot from the point. That was a problem the Avs had last season, Finger was the only guy who seemed willing to shoot the puck from above of the circles. He’s a good 5th/6th D-man and could be a good 3rd/4th D-man. Still, he’s a little costly if he doesn’t improve from where he’s been with the Avs.

Now and then we had the hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be PIRATES.
-Mark Twain-

by Americanario on Sep 2, 2008 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Still, he’s a little costly if he doesn’t improve from where he’s been with the Avs.

Yeah, that’s the big gamble. If he can toss in a few more points, settle down the PK, and hit people then he’ll be ok (relatively speaking, the media will still hate him).

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Sep 2, 2008 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

p.s.

Thanks for dropping by and giving us some info.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Sep 2, 2008 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No problem.

Oh, you weren’t talking to me, as I was just trolling this thread? Sorry….

26 Card Jet

by Tommelot on Sep 2, 2008 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

you too!

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Sep 2, 2008 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he does pay with some meanness

Well that’s a little music to our ears. Our defence is long on skating, short on hitting.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Sep 2, 2008 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You will definitely like Jeff Finger, in that case. Assuming he picks up where he left off in Colorado, of course.

I think that the one player who most benefited from Joel Quenneville’s coaching style was probably Finger. The emphasis on positional play over mobility and physicality over finesse is a style tailor-made for Jeffy.

Go Avs! Let's get some goals!

by Joe Dunman on Sep 2, 2008 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

More Finger Food

Finger and the Rangers Aaron Voros seem to have a little thing going – they’ve fought 3 or 4 times in the AHL and NHL.

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Sep 2, 2008 4:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

another thing that I didn’t see mentioned above is that he can be pretty good about getting under the skin of other players without drawing penalties.

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Sep 2, 2008 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm having a player like that will be a different feeling from last year (Darcy lost that gear when he started thinking about goals).

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Sep 2, 2008 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, come on!
We’re trying to cheer you lot up because you just spend 3.5M on a 5D, and now you tell us Darcy is going to suck? Thanks for THAT swap then…

I’m only kidding, but what should Avs fans expect from Darcy? Was he really losing his qualities and showing signs of aging, or d’you think he just had the wrong linemates?

26 Card Jet

by Tommelot on Sep 3, 2008 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs