Late Night Quick Hits
Couple of intriguing tidbits from HB/ESPN’s Andy Strickland: Defenseman Jeff Finger WANTS to be sent down to the AHL to save a few bucks? Are the Leafs planning to place forward Jamal Mayers on waivers soon?
- Jeff Finger would rather play in the AHL than sit in the pressbox at the NHL level in order to avoid losing escrow money from his paycheck: “NHL players received back only 5% of the escrow money taken from the players last season. Players have 13.5% escrow taken out of their paychecks this year. Players in the AHL with one way NHL contracts have zero escrow money taken out of their checks.” Blogger’s Note: What’s this guy doing in a suit when the Leafs are trotting out Garnet Exelby every night? Pointless, averaging just over 10 minutes a night with a -5 rating. Finger hasn’t exactly shined so far this season but he’s shown over the past two years that he can be comfortably relied on as a top four defenseman for 20 minutes a night. The danger of sending down Finger is that he’d be snapped up in a second on re-entry waivers at a $1.75M cap hit.
- Andy also hears that the Maple Leafs may be preparing to place oft-scratched forward Jamal Mayers on waivers. He speculates that a number of teams would be interested in his services as a “tough veteran presence”. Blogger’s Note: Not really surprising news here. Mayers has seen his ice-time reduced by over a third since being acquired by Cliff Fletcher a couple summers ago. The now 35 year old Toronto native carries a $1.33M cap hit through the rest of the season and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.
November 6th, 2009 at 1:50 am
Good!!!
Send them both down; call up Bozak & Stalberg to play with Kessel.
November 6th, 2009 at 1:58 am
I agree with Kyle0118. It is time to let the youth play, I think Hanson should be up here as well.
November 6th, 2009 at 2:02 am
I think Hanson should stay down for the year. Let him keep tearing it up and realize his place in a power forward role. Next year he can come in and be an effective 3rd liner and if he keeps up his point production could be bumped even higher!
November 6th, 2009 at 2:12 am
Finger:
Finger should be getting more playing time and that is a certainty. What is equally certain is that he won’t be getting that that playing time any time soon. Finger’s future with this team is as tradebait and he will be offered up as such (if he isn’t already being offered) to any team that requires depth at defense at the deadline or to a team that encounters injury in the interim.
Where Exelby may not be at the same level defensively as Finger is, the thinking goes that with Beauch, Komi and Schenn all in a position to play a “Fingeresque” style of game Finger has been made redundant. Exelby who brings the physical intangibles Burke is looking for to the table as a result will be getting the nod over him in most situations. What is of paramount importance for this Leaf organisation moving forward is that we keep Finger healthy so that when the time is right we can deal him for whatever maximum return we can get for him. Finger is underated and is an excellent fallback if we encounter injury as well but for now and the forseeable future he is merely square peg that cannot fit into a round Brian Burke hole. Look for Frogren to replace him in the pressbox the instant his is sent packing.
Jamal Mayers – stats 2009 thus far…
Tied for 434th in the league in goals (0), 417th for assists (1) and for 578th in shots (4).
Yes he’s seen limited playing time but we have Rosehill/Primeau and as such Mayers has become superfluous. If it were up to me we would already have waived him and taken a run at Shanahan. Brad May was far more effective as a tough, physical veteran presence then Mayers has ever been. In order for Mayers to be even somewhat effective he needs to play on a semi- skilled line 3 and on our offensively challenged team there is no fit for him whatsoever. I would be interested to see who exactly would take a run at picking him up on re-entry, I seriously doubt there would be that many teams. If Brian’s gotta pay him for the year then he’ll want something back for him, even if it is a 4th or a 5th. If he can be dealt he then he will be but there is not much interest in Mayers atm and there won’t be until the deadline comes around To be honest I think you would be hardpressed to get a 3rd for him.
All the Best Leafers and Leafettes,
Realitycorp
November 6th, 2009 at 2:14 am
I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. I still think Finger is better than Xlb, but apparently RW doesn’t. Removing those 2 bodies out of the press box will free up around 4.8 in cap space. Bozak up after a few more games and Stalberg/Tlusty shortly after. If need be, Oreskovich/Frogren/Mikus could be called up to fill in a defensive void. The tides are starting to turn…
November 6th, 2009 at 2:28 am
Finger = XLB with offense and puck skills….but naw lets keep Exelby..lol
November 6th, 2009 at 3:05 am
Ponikarovsky-Grabovski-Kessel
I don’t care what RW says about Grabovski hanging on to the puck. He hangs on to it long enough to allow his linemates to get into position to score. This line would be DYNAMITE.
November 6th, 2009 at 7:36 am
@Ksavz: Using the logic you are here is only one step removed from suggesting that the Leafs could use 7 of the best 10 defense-men in the league because they are better than Garnet Exelby irregardless of the cap hit or actual salary. Your approach, to keep this short, isn’t useful in the SALARY CAP age. There is a cap saving of 2+mil. by using Exelby, which allows us more to use in acquiring offensive talent, something everyone wants. Some can’t wait the required time it takes for this to transpire, so their impatience and lack of understanding leads them to declare that Brian Burke and his Harvard brain is an idiot and they could do better in the snap of their fingers. Outside of using some magic dust or an old video game, it can’t be done their way. And magic dust should only be used on special occasions like when we’re a contender. Exelby is a 3rd pairing d-man who give us the huge hit, with some liabitities. Finger is a top 4 who doesn’t fit into BB’s plans, who most of us think is, at least, slightly overpaid. The key here is salary cap strategy, and if teams are good(and possibly lucky) at it their chances of success are better. If they’re not, they’re screwed and some team will get the opportunity to pick them clean, getting a highly useful player at less than market value. We are that team, and when the time comes Burke pounces and we get better. This is not year 1 of the salary cap so I don’t understand why some people here haven’t got their heads around it yet. It’s really just simple common sense. Build the best defense you can at the lowest cap hit. I guess it’s easier to screech that Burke is an idiot, “I could do better.” etc., than actually doing some thinking. Lack of understanding or a refusal to accept the obvious (perhaps because of player preferences) leads to negativity and frustration. That these people don’t get it is a sign of foolishness , beware of their advice. I ‘m very comfortable with BB in the big chair even if I wouldn’t approach all things the same. Half of what he says is just part of being the horsetrader he is and we need him to be. He will try to maneover into a position of strength whenever possible and when his position is weaker he will still adopt an attitude of strength and try not to blink first. That’s why we still have Ian White. I personally don’t mind his talking to the media as it deflects attention away from the players who don’t need extra pressure from some of the know it alls and nitwits writing and talking in this town. The Leafs will always be our team and to the rest of you jaded cynical negative “fans”???, who needs you. I will be happy, however, to give you a helping hand back on to bandwagon when the time comes. Thanks for coming out.
November 6th, 2009 at 7:53 am
@ realitycorp: re Finger: Been there, done that, but it’s hard to get through, so of course I agree with you. One question. Does Frogren have to clear waivers for the Leafs to use him (barring injury call-up). I think so because of his age but I’m not sure.
November 6th, 2009 at 8:25 am
heck, Finger may actually be better than Beauchemin …he blocks shots, hits, and has a decent shot. …Beauch may have a better shot, but he doesnt get to use it or hit the net that often
November 6th, 2009 at 8:44 am
@ mydnyte
Not sure I agree that Finger is a better defender than Beauchemin (all around). Having said that, with all the talk and hoopla surrounding Beauchemin, I was expecting a whole lot more. Like his ‘wicked shot’ from the point, for instance. What good is a hard shot if you can’t hit the broad side of a barn. There’s maybe a few players in the NHL who can beat a goalie cleanly with a point shot. Even then the goalie needs to be at least partially screened.
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In my eyes Beauchemin’s problem is still that he’s trying to kill the puck. Ian White for instance, continues to get shots off, which are hard, but very tip-able. Think about it, if you’re a forward looking to tip a shot, what’s more easy to tip? A 102 mph slapper that makes you fear for your life, or a 90mph shot that gives you enough time to get your stick out, or at the very least move out of the way.
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When Beauchemin starts taking something off his shot, maybe they’ll start going in.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:04 am
“Couple of intriguing tidbits from HB/ESPN’s Andy Strickland”
Hockey Buzz. That’s all you need to know.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Who is going to trade for Finger if he is in the AHL? His cap situation is similar to that of Blake if we send him down his cap comes back after 1 year and he has more than one year left on his contract. He needs to play if we plan on trading him. I personally think he is a top 4 defenceman but I don’t see him playing that for the leafs, If thats the case, what is the best way to way to move him and his 3.5 cap hit? I would suggest the press box or the AHL is not optimal. Who wants a player at 3.5 million who doesn’t play?
November 6th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Fair point, PPP… But Strickland is one of the very few semi-legit writers there, isn’t he? And these points do in fact make sense. Anyway, seems like the Finger-Exelby swap stopped after the Leafs got their win in Anaheim, which I believe Exelby was in for, so he got to stick. Would probably be a different story if Finger happened to be the one in there for that one (siiiiiigh) win.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:20 am
@ PPP haha I love the HockeyBuzz hate. Anytime someone links to that site on the PPP site, all PPP users freakout like someone just set off a bomb. It’s hilarious.
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re: Finger
He’s better than Exelby, but because of cap he will probably be traded or demoted, while Exelby stays. Although if you lose Finger to re-entry waivers, 1.75M cap hit plus Exelby’s 1.392M cap hit = what’s the point?
November 6th, 2009 at 9:23 am
I guess it does free up space to re-up White for next year though.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Now this is some good news. Send them both down. exelby is better than Jeff Finger, so might as well get rid of finger. We no longer need Mayers service anymore as we have Colton Orr. Dump him as well.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:28 am
it is baffling. Finger has at least proven to be a very serviceable, albeit overpaid dman. He’s tough, blocks shots, can produce offensively and seems to possess good character. Exelby is completely useless. I’d argue that Finger would be no worse than Beauchemin or Komisarek frankly. And how do you trade Finger when he’s perceived as overpaid but cant crack this lineup when they are the worst in the league-and the worst defensive team no less. What kind of value is that creating for him? I’d rotate Beuachemin,Komisarek and Finger and let the chips fall where they may.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:43 am
@Bob- Finger’s salary still counts against the cap…what exactly are you saying? and as I stated above how do you create “value” for the guy when he’s perceived as overpaid and can’t even crack our lineup? when we cant keep the puck out of our own net? If that’s your argument then why are Blake, Stajan and Stempniak playing? shouldn’t they just sit and wait for a trade too so we can create cap space for better talent?
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Exelby could barely make the Thrashers? he was on their 5-6 D pairing. You cant possibly argue that Exelby is anywhere near the Dman Finger is. Finger is overpaid no doubt, but so is Komisarek.
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Finger isn’t Burke’s signing. He went out and signed two guys who were/are “supposedly” better at playing the same type of game as Finger. the problem is they haven’t been any better than Finger would be to this point so what kind of message does that send the team? is that the accountability RW has preached since he got here? No it reeks of nepitism. Finger deserves better…as does Luke Schenn.
November 6th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Exelby over Finger? The cap management is the same whether the player sits in the press box or dresses, and it’s hard to build trade value for a guy sitting with reporters. Then again, Burke doesn’t show much interest in maximizing trade value.
This is just stupid and smells bad…and raises the question of whether Burke is simply trying to justify the acquisition. Somewhat the same with Primeau, who’s done exactly….what?
Not impressed.
November 6th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Finger should be playing each night. He is a solid D man. Right now Schenn should have a place in the press box. Schenn somehow forgot his physical game that he played last season. Till this season he was a hitting machine. Now he thinks he is Kabs out there. I think the press clippings from a year ago went to his head. Lets face it he is not going to tear up the NHL in points so he better focus on his defensive and grit game fast!!
I like what XLB brings each night…and that is the threat of the other team getting a player laid out on the ice trying to skate accross our blueline. There has to be something to stop other teams from waltzing accross our blueline. Yes his game at times this season has stunk but that was when the goaltending was God awful.(see Toskala)
i would be really happy with a third pairing of Finger and XLB right now. Let Schenn get hungry and work hard for his ice time. Something I really don’t feel he is doing right now. And yes I get that you don’t want a kid sitting for too many games in his development but lets face it Schenn’s game isn’t there this season. No grit or solid defensive play.
November 6th, 2009 at 11:15 am
If Finger wants to play in the minors, then play him there. Don’t place him on re-call, because that’s just terrible cap management to pay 50% of his contract for no reason. If he wants to whine, give him his wish, and let him help the Marlies.
November 6th, 2009 at 11:19 am
@mattb….i agree if he goes down there in no way you can recall him. Someone will for sure snap him up.
November 6th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
The Leafs overpaid to draft Schenn, who was in the risky category of defensive defenseman.
Risky – because if he doesn’t turn out to be Scott Stevens, that pick tastes like dog food.
Seeing him buried at the bottom of the D on the worst defense in the league is another Leaf disappointment. Unless he sprouts wings and learns Al Macinnis’ slapshot the pick looks like a wasted Luke Richardson-type pick.
Schenn seems like a nice enough fellow, and while his attitude is positive, he was not worthy of his draft position (skating, offense both middling). If someone wants to overpay for him, do it – for we need to restock our forward lines majorly.
Especially, at center.
November 6th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
@HHT
So you would trade/package Schenn in a deal for a good young first line center?
November 6th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
How is it that people read that Mayers will be waived and Finger wants to play in the minors…..but they here Leafs will call up Hanson?
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think people! The top three lines are set!
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If Finger goes down and Mayers is gone…it will not open up any places to play!!
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Blake – Mitchell – Kessel
Poni – Grabo – Kuli
Stempniak – Stajan – Hagman
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where will Hanson, Bozak, Stalberg … etc play?
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its unbelievable that all fans can think about is calling people up…the Leafs have points in 5 straight….let this team play for a while and see what happens!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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if his happens its just cap relief! PERIOD!
November 6th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
@danvertising
Well, it is a pretty shitty website and every click through to that cesspool gives The Fraud more money and some people have morals about that kind of thing.
As for Strickland, he also declared that the league was moving back to home whites and that Pronger had definitely, for sure, been traded to LA. He’s about as reliable as anything else on that site.
November 6th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
@paso: I’ll try another time to get back to you, probably not today. Enjoy the game.
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