Toskala and Bell headed to the ACC
I was in meetings all day and didn't find out about this deal until 2:10 PM: Toskala and Bell for the Leafs' 2007 1st (moves to 1st in 2008 if San Jose can't get the player they want) and 2nd round picks plus the Leafs 4th round pick in 2009.
First thought: meh.
Second thought: Good thing draft picks and home grown talent are so essential in today's NHL as, for the second time in his four year tenure, JFJ deals away the Leafs' first round pick.
After about three minutes consideration: It's nice to have Toskala to challenge Raycroft and Toskala's cap hit is fine, but he's an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
I also have a strong feeling Bell is Jeff O'Neill redux at $500K more per season. No doubt Leaf fans everywhere will be projecting him as a 40 goal scorer, just as the did with O'Neill (memories of Derek King, anyone?).
And my concluding thought: a conditional first, second and fourth round pick seems a bit high - especially if the player San Jose wants isn't available. If San Jose can't get their man, the pick moves to 2008, a draft many are calling the deepest in years - comparing it to the very robust 2003 entry draft.
With the signing of Carlo (a great deal, IMHO) the Leafs cap situation now looks like this:
12 Forwards: $20,111,000
- Antropov
- Belak
- Bell
- Devereaux
- Kilger
- Pohl
- Ponikarovsky
- Stajan
- Steen
- Sundin
- Tucker
- Wellwood
7 Defence: $19,671,000
- Colaiacovo
- Gill
- Kaberle
- Kubina
- McCabe
- White
- Wozniewski
Raycroft: $2,000,000
Toskala: $1,375,000
Belfour's Buy-out: $770,000
SUB-TOTAL: $43,927,000
Cap room remaining: approximately $4million (presumes a $48M cap with some flex room)
Still to sign: Williams (RFA minimum salary $557,000)
Remaining cap room best guestimate: $3+ Million
This deal is pathetic.
ReplyDeleteThis all happened because Ferguson traded away the best goalie prospect in the world (look it up at hockeysfuture.com) for a guy who had the worst GAA in the league the year before; this year, he was in the bottom three in the major goaltending categories. Raycroft was a failure.
Now, to supplant him, Ferguson again trades a first round pick - along with a second and 4th. AND they took on a player in Bell who has a heavy salary for his contributions, and whom SJ wanted free from.
Toronto was doing SJ a favour for taking him on, but SJ managed to extract an extra pick out of it.
Biron cost Philly a second-rounder; why is Toskala, a career backup, worth a first and a second?
My thought is that Toronto is never going to truly contend until they get a bonafide #1 in the mold of Belfour; there are no FA's like him available. Failing that - trade for one. Nashville is vulnerable right now, and the rumour was Vokoun could be had. He was my pick - a true #1 goalie who could go the distance.
So - if you're not going to go after a guy like that, and we agree that Toskala isn't a bonafide #1 - why waste your priceless assets on him? Sign a FA goalie (Joseph all but begged to sign for the minimum) and strengthen in other ways, and wait for your chance to land the true star goalie.
Now, Ferguson has tied himself to 2 guys who have never proven they have what it takes to go deep in the playoffs, AND has ONE pick in the first two rounds in the next two drafts (don't forget he wasted a 2nd-rounder dealing for Yannic Perrault). AND he gave away his 2005 first-overall pick in Rask.
You deal those kinds of picks if you're getting a proven veteran back, with an eye to making a Cup run. See the deadline deals this year for reference. Teams thinking they had a shot dealt 1st rounders for cagey vets.
If you're surrendering this much of your future, you need WAY, WAY more in return than the question marks Raycroft and Toskala represent.
It's a joke of a trade. Ferguson managed to add heaps of salary (I agree Bell is just another O'Neill), with no guarantees of star performance, AND gave up his best picks. I can't stand this clown. These are the actions of a man desperate to keep his job; doesn't MLSE understand what they're doing by keeping him around? YARGHH!! *head exploding*
Isnt Kronwall signed to a two-year one-way deal? You dont have him listed under defense. Also doesnt Domi's buy-out last year still affect the cap?
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