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# Leafs Relinquish Rights to Joel Champagne
- URL: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/leafs-relinquish-rights-to-joel/
- Published: 2010-06-02T12:55:17.000Z
- Updated: 2010-06-02T12:55:17.000Z
- Author: Jason Orach
- Tags: #chorus, #Import 2023-04-05 11:27

As pointed out by our diligent links post maker the Leafs have likely passed on signing prospect Joel Champagne which means he will go back into the entry draft. As a blogger I feel like it's my job to ask "why?".

> Champagne finished with 13 points in 16 games, dropping their semi-final matchup against Saint John in 6 games. He was one of the top faceoff men through the course of the playoffs as well, taking the second most in the Q with 436; [Kelsey Tessier](../../nhl/players/88148/Kelsey%5FTessier) had 559 in an extra 5 games played. Champagne finished with a 58.5% efficiency in the circle, third among players with more than 100 faceoffs taken. I would expect him to jump to the Marlies next year. - [Carl Peelash](http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2010/5/13/1470128/maple-leafs-prospects-in-the-chl)

Worth noting here is that Joel Champagne at 20 years old is 6'4" and 220lbs. He's a center who's excellent in the dot and seems like a good candidate to be a third line energy guy.

Maybe as a prospect he was lazy defensively, maybe as a prospect Champagne didn't hit enough; these things are irrelevant. Brian Burke has said he wants some big kids to play his style of game and passing on Joel Champagne while handing a contract to Brayden "Playdough ankles" Irwin (to quote mf37) seems like a terrible move.

We traded [Jiri Tlusty](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/54287/Jiri%5FTlusty?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) for a big kid in the QMJHL: Phillippe Paradis. Let's compare their stats:

|        | Champagne |    |    |     | Paradis |    |    |     |
| ------ | --------- | -- | -- | --- | ------- | -- | -- | --- |
| Season | GP        | G  | A  | Pts | GP      | G  | A  | Pts |
| 1      | 62        | 6  | 16 | 22  | 45      | 11 | 12 | 23  |
| 2      | 70        | 18 | 22 | 40  | 66      | 19 | 31 | 50  |
| 3      | 52        | 24 | 37 | 61  | 63      | 24 | 20 | 44  |
| 4      | 65        | 38 | 41 | 79  | \-      | \- | \- | \-  |

Remember that Champagne is three inches taller than Paradis and also appears to be better on the faceoff dot. I asked Mirtle to ask around on this for us so hopefully we'll hear an answer on this, but on a Wednesday morning it's hard to understand this move and one wonders about Brian Burke's plan here.