Boy, every piece of garbage that comes into the market and you gotta buy it!

It's apparently official according to Kevin McGran and the Toronto Star has never steered me wrong. Well, except for that one time they hired Damien Cox and kept employing him despite getting my daily hate mail every day since I could read.

Anyway, Steve takes a look at Christian while Alex Tran wonders if Burke might face some tough decisions in his quest to sign more NCAA players.

almost 3 years ago PPP 34 comments 0 recs |

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I watched Cool Hand Luke last night.

Takin it off boss.

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

by Chemmy on Mar 31, 2009 11:45 AM EDT reply actions

Hands down, that is one of my all time favourite movies…I watched Airport ‘77 the other night (don’t ask) and everytime George Kennedy came on the screen I’d say, “If my boy says he can eat 50 eggs, he can eat 50 eggs.”

Bitter Leaf Fan: a life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan comments on the team, the media and the exasperation...

by mf37 on Mar 31, 2009 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions

What we got here is a failure to communicate.

"We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into Iraq"
- Major Mike Shearer

by article1 on Mar 31, 2009 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions

One of the all-time great Guns and Roses lyrics.

Wait, what?

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on Apr 1, 2009 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Goddamn what a great movie….The world is a worse place with no Paul Newman.

“John-boy, lemme tell you something. You know, them chains ain’t medals. You get ’em for making mistakes. And you make a bad enough mistake, and then you gotta deal with the Man. And he is one rough old boy.”

Ron and Fez Noon to Three

by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 1, 2009 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions

I was doing work in a photo archive today and one of the first photos I pulled out was an amazing shot of Paul Newman stepping off a plane in Australia. He had a beard and a maniacal grin, it was a great shot…(I also saw the autopsy photos of Bonnie and Clyde, which were not so great…)

Bitter Leaf Fan: a life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan comments on the team, the media and the exasperation...

by mf37 on Apr 1, 2009 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions

More importantly...

Does this mean that we’ll be treated to regular Hanson Brothers intermission shows?

Wings fan by birth. Leafs fan by empathetic association.

by SkinnyFish on Mar 31, 2009 11:56 AM EDT reply actions

From the Star

First, there was the Hanson Brothers. Now there’s the Hanson son.

So does this make him Hansonson?

Good signing. Now go get the other two.

Leaf, the universe and everything.

by 1967ers on Mar 31, 2009 12:01 PM EDT reply actions

Curious...

some are saying he’s 202 lbs, some are saying he’s 225.

that’s a big difference.

"Ninety percent of the game is half mental."
The Left Coast Lock

by blurr1974 on Mar 31, 2009 12:04 PM EDT reply actions

Alex Tran at MLHS was saying it apparently is the discrepancy between when he entered the NCAA and now, with presumably TSN (who listed the 225) being more up to date.

by lordosis on Mar 31, 2009 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions

thats a big dude

Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option

by JaredFromLondon on Mar 31, 2009 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions

That’s a great point by Alex at MLHS about the Leafs running out of room to sign new contracts.

Meanwhile, the mainstream guys make Slapshot jokes.

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on Mar 31, 2009 12:05 PM EDT reply actions

I had been wondering why the Leafs were talking buyouts. There’s the answer. Hopefully nobody is signed out from under them in the meantime.

Leaf, the universe and everything.

by 1967ers on Mar 31, 2009 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, they’ll have the rights to the kids their drafted but as Alex mentioned it’s with Gilroy and Bozak that it could hinder them. That’s another reason for getting Antro and Moore out at the deadline.

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

by PPP on Mar 31, 2009 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions

SPC limits

We had a running list of the Leafs SPCs prior to the trade deadline (players with their junior teams don’t count in capped group of 50).

By my math, waiving Kronwall, trading Moore and Antro put the Leafs at 46.

Since then, they’ve re-signed Harrison (47), Hanson (48), who else have they signed that’s not playing major junior?

Bitter Leaf Fan: a life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan comments on the team, the media and the exasperation...

by mf37 on Mar 31, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions

the only potential (please no) re-signs that are currently with the Leafs are May and Gerber

Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option

by JaredFromLondon on Mar 31, 2009 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions

50 Contract Limit...

The 50-contract limit has an interesting distinction in that the limit pertains to the season(s) for which a contract is valid. All NHL player contracts expire on June 30. The year varies from contract to contract, but the day remains the same (as we’ll discuss more when we look at player contracts in later editions of the feature). Knowing it has expiring contracts coming off its 50-contract maximum, a team can sign players to contracts for the following season. By doing so a team may have more than 50 different players signed to valid SPCs, as long as 50 or fewer are signed to valid SPCs for that current season AND fewer than 50 SPCs on tap for the upcoming season.

by PeterZezel on Mar 31, 2009 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions

the reference on that is

Source

by PeterZezel on Mar 31, 2009 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Interesting, nice find.

So is there any reason why one of the good NCAA players wouldn’t want to sign a contract that kicked in next year? Would it cost them money?

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on Mar 31, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Here’s the CBA text on proffering an SPC for the following year, it’s the second sentence that matters here as the Leafs are pursuing unsigned draft choices/ draft related unrestricted free agents:

50.8 (d) No Club or Player may enter into an SPC that does not cover at least the
then-current League Year. The foregoing does not apply to an SPC entered into pursuant
to Section 50.5(f) above, or to Unsigned Draft Choices or Draft Related Unrestricted Free
Agents, who shall be permitted to sign an SPC during the period fromMarch 1 through
June 1 immediately preceding the League Year in which such SPC is to take effect.

Bitter Leaf Fan: a life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan comments on the team, the media and the exasperation...

by mf37 on Mar 31, 2009 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions

But it’s still the team and player’s choice, correct?

I guess what I’m getting at is that if Bozak or whoever really wants to play in the NHL this year, the Leafs may not be an option.

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on Mar 31, 2009 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Yup. Depending on where the Leafs are with their 50/90 SPC limit, they may not be able to sign an NCAA prospect that wants to play this year.

Bitter Leaf Fan: a life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan comments on the team, the media and the exasperation...

by mf37 on Mar 31, 2009 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions

… unless they kill Ryan Hollweg?

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on Mar 31, 2009 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions

It sounds crazy, but it just might work…

Bitter Leaf Fan: a life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan comments on the team, the media and the exasperation...

by mf37 on Mar 31, 2009 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions

We could position the back of a hockey jersey at the edge of a cliff…

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on Mar 31, 2009 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions

ole

Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option

by JaredFromLondon on Mar 31, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions

My understanding....

is that any NCAA player that signs late in the year like this to play a couple games does so on an “Amateur Tryout” where they just get a small stipend for their services and it doesn’t count against the contract cap and then their contract starts the following season.

They don’t specifically mention an ATO here, but when they Hanson signed a two-year contract, I’m sure it means next year and the following year, not this year and next year.

by WCHBlog on Mar 31, 2009 1:50 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks for the further clarification…for a moment I thought your username was a shout-out to Working Class Howard (WCH) Berger.

Bitter Leaf Fan: a life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan comments on the team, the media and the exasperation...

by mf37 on Mar 31, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks for the clarification!

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

by PPP on Mar 31, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Just to be sure.

We are going to exhaust the near infinite numbers of jokes that are now available, aren’t we?

"We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into Iraq"
- Major Mike Shearer

by article1 on Mar 31, 2009 10:02 PM EDT reply actions

I don’t see any reason why we ought to change our normal MO

You've had all your word nourishment for one day.

by Mattblack on Apr 1, 2009 2:56 AM EDT up reply actions

The 2 year deal

is for the next two seasons. He is also receiving a bonus in each year.

If he isn’t signed to a SPC until “next” season, and he’s currently with the buds on an ATO I’m guessing that means he doesn’t count against the 50. It also likely means based on what Burke is saying that none of the other players would be either.

The thing about all the younger players is that they’re subject to the entry level contract restrictions so cost isn’t really the issue. Playing opportunity and direction of the franchise probably means more to them. Bozak is rumoured to have heavy connections with Ottawa by the by… so I’m not entirely sure if the Leafs are in the running with that one.

Gilroy is more likely methinks, but he’s also the oldest of the bunch and that makes me question his numbers a bit. He’s 25 years old already… so being dominant in the NCAA isn’t as impressive to me as it would be if he was 22.

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."

- Sir Winston Churchill

I'm pretty sure he's talking about the Leafs.

by Steve Burtch on Apr 1, 2009 12:10 AM EDT reply actions

He’s 24 and will turn 25 in July.

http://www.goterriers.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/gilroy_matt00.html

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

by Chemmy on Apr 1, 2009 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Also

I think, if the CBA was explained properly to me, that Gilroy actually falls outside of the entry level contract system so that situation could get bid up.

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

by PPP on Apr 1, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions