01-07-2020, 02:13 AM
From John Ferguson Jr. Stanley Morgan Jersey . to Cliff Fletcher (part II) to Brian Burke to Dave Nonis, the annual free agent frenzy has been nothing short of a recurring nightmare for Maple Leaf general managers (recent) past and present. Each and every July 1st signing has brought with it excitement and all too large expectations only to fizzle into one pricey disappointment after another. Now helming another rebuild in Calgary, Burke often described the day in disastrous terms for the NHLs management community, decrying the slew of exorbitant contracts with "unrealistic values and unrealistic term…that bite you right in the butt at some point". Value, all too important under the confines of a cap system and best found in homegrown products, is never harder to find than on July 1st – a day that sees the contracts get larger and sillier with each passing year. It began in earnest for the Leafs shortly after the outset of the cap era in the summer of 2006. John Ferguson Jr., fighting for a job that would soon run its course, plugged two holes on the Toronto defence that July with a pair of expensive free agent additions. Formerly a member of Tampas Cup winning squad in 2004, Pavel Kubina was inked for four years and $20 million and Hal Gill, once a towering defender in Boston but far less effective under the free-flowing rules of the league post-lockout, raked in more than $6 million for three years. Both were overpaid from the outset – especially in the case of Kubina, one of many to struggle under the weight of an onerous contract – and both were eventually traded. 2007 Jason Blake came next. Scoring more frequently as an Islander in 2006 than at any other point in a 13-year career, Blake – age 33 – signed with the Leafs for five years and $20 million in the last significant move of the Ferguson Jr. era. Blake, predictably, could not live up to the expectations of such a large contract, never coming close to 40 goals again; he was dealt to Anaheim alongside Vesa Toskala for J.S. Giguere in 2010. 2008 Mostly forgotten now, but of considerable damage to the organization during a brief 10-month tenure, Fletcher continued the free agent plight in 2008. Maybe even more stunning now than it was then, Fletcher handed former Avalanche defender Jeff Finger, he of 94 games of NHL experience, four years and $14 million. Finger played 62 forgettable games in a Leaf uniform, was eventually buried in the minors, never to be heard from again. Joining Finger in the free agent trot that day was Niklas Hagman, a Finnish winger who scored 27 goals the year prior in Dallas. Hagman also cashed in under Fletcher, lured for four years at a bloated $12 million. Though he scored 42 goals in two seasons with the Leafs, Hagman was consistently inconsistent, soon to be dealt to Calgary in the famed Dion Phaneuf trade. 2009 Still months from pulling the trigger on the noisiest (and most controversial) move of his busy Toronto tenure – the hotly debated Phil Kessel trade – Burke sought a big and ultimately failed splash in his first summer as the Leafs front man. It was all about truculence then and truculence he got. There were the four years and $4 million pitched to former Rangers heavyweight, Colton Orr; five long years and $22.5 million to Mike Komisarek; three years at just over $11 million for Francois Beauchemin. Orr lingered as a mostly unused tough guy for Ron Wilson before being briefly banished to the minors (he eventually returned to the NHL). Komisarek, a step or two slow for the speedier new game, tumbled quickly under the burden of a deal he could never live up to and was bought out by the organization last summer. Beauchemin eventually found his game, but not in Toronto. He returned to the Ducks in the Jake Gardiner-Joffrey Lupul swap, finishing fourth in the 2013 Norris Trophy voting. 2010 Still trying to fill various holes through free agency, Burke added the veteran grinder Colby Armstrong from Pittsburgh the following summer (three years, $9 million). Armstrong never found much health as a Leaf though and preceded fellow free agent signee, Komisarek, on the buyout line. 2011 Tim Connolly recorded just 42 points in his final go-around in Buffalo, but still landed $9 million for two years in the summer of 2011. Connolly never hit the desired mark of No. 1 centre for the Leafs (he had 36 points in 70 games), was demoted to the Marlies after a year and is now out of the NHL. 2013 And then last summer there was David Clarkson, the first signee of Nonis as Leafs GM. In perhaps the worst deal of the aforementioned bunch, Clarkson landed in his hometown for seven years and more than $36 million on July 1st, 2013. Year 1 was an all-out nightmare and while theres every chance of a bounce-back of some kind in Year 2, his talents are unlikely to ever match the value of an incredibly burdensome contract. Clarkson was just the latest in a line of July 1st blunders. The fundamental flaw in continually swinging big in free agency is the lacking value the process ensures – players are almost always overvalued on Day 1 of the contract. As demonstrated yet again by the L.A. Kings earlier this summer, team building (and sustained success) is best accomplished through successful draft and development, not pricey spending on a mistake-laden day. And so while impending UFAs like Paul Statsny may appear to solve long-standing needs, Nonis (and Brendan Shanahan) would be wise to approach with caution. The answer, especially in Toronto, is almost never found on July 1st. Player Contract End Result Pavel Kubina 4 years, $20M Traded Hal Gill 3 years, $6.25M Traded Jason Blake 5 years, $20M Traded Jeff Finger 4 years, $14M Demoted Niklas Hagman 4 years, $12M Traded Colton Orr 4 years, $4M Demoted * Mike Komisarek 5 years, $22.5M Bought Out Francois Beauchemin 3 years, $11.4M Traded Colby Armstrong 3 years, $9M Bought Out Tim Connolly 2 years, $9M Demoted David Clarkson 7 years, $36.75M N/A Tom Owen Jersey . The Canadian defensive tackle suffered the injury on Monday and had tests done on Tuesday. He was a potential starter on the defensive line but head coach Mike OShea said he wasnt even thinking about the ratio when he got the news. Ty Law Jersey . Kenny Miller scored from the penalty spot and Camilo Sanvezzo came off the bench to add two late goals as the Whitecaps kept their playoff hopes alive with a 3-0 victory over the sagging Impact on Saturday afternoon. http://www.custompatriotsjersey.com/cust...-221f.html . - Zac Leslie scored two goals and assisted on two more, and Justin Nichols made 34 saves as the Guelph Storm blanked the Kitchener Rangers 6-0 in Ontario Hockey League action on Sunday.COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Michael Sam was just another recruit when he left his small Texas hometown and arrived in Missouri. Playing for the Tigers, he turned into a private loquacious leader ready to make a trailblazing announcement. The defensive star wants to become the first openly gay NFL player. "I told him: This is going to be mammoth," coach Gary Pinkel said Monday, a day after Sam came out to the world. "I dont have a word, OK, for how big this is going to be." Its a bigger deal for the older generation. Sams teammates and acquaintances easily made the adjustment, plus he proved himself on the field. "Hes a leader," former 49ers great running back Roger Craig said. "I would definitely welcome him on my team. Id play with him any day. I like people who stand up for themselves." Sam revealed he was gay at one of the football teams get-acquainted dinners last summer hosted by Pinkel and assistant coaches. The next day, Pinkel said, Sam told the entire team. Realizing the enormity of the situation, Pinkel left the next move up to the senior who blossomed into one of the best defensive ends in the country -- and one surrounded by teammates who didnt worry one bit about sexual orientation or reveal his secret until he came out on Sunday. Athletes across the campus approve. "Love is love," basketball guard Jordan Clarkson said. "Thats their personal life." Pinkel, athletic director Mike Alden and other school officials applauded Sams courage Monday at Faurot Field. As a backdrop, the first two letters of Sams last name were etched in snow to join the giant "M" just beyond the north end zone. "Pretty cool," Pinkel said. Coaches and Sam agreed that making an announcement during the season might be a distraction. It was Sams call to skip all the weekly media days and postgame news conferences, too, the better to avoid the risk of the topic coming up. Sam broke his silence prior to the Cotton Bowl and the conversation stayed on football, just like he wanted. Sam was prompted to make his decision to come out after the Senior Bowl, where it became apparent the players sexual orientation was widely known. This meant a declaration just days before the NFL ccombine and shouldering the pressure that goes along with the historic declaration. Steve Spurrier Jersey. "Its very clear that everybody in the NFL knew," said Howard Bragman, a consultant hired by Sams agent to help manage the announcement in the media. The NFL and many others, including the White House, publicly applauded Sams decision. President Barack Obamas spokesman, first lady Michelle Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden all called him a courageous and inspirational athlete. But now, after a few high-profile interviews, its back to silent Sam. The fifth level of the stadium was jammed with dozens of reporters for Mondays news conference but there was no sign of the star attraction. Bragman said Sam was travelling Monday to a camp at an undisclosed location where hell prepare for the combine. Though hes been a most reticent public speaker, Pinkel described Sam as a virtual chatterbox. "He drove me crazy a lot of times, he doesnt shut up sometimes," Pinkel said with a chuckle. "He talks and talks and talks. "You always know hes in with my secretary because I can hear him and I have to close the door -- I cant concentrate." Sam arrived at Missouri without fanfare. Rivals.com gave him just two stars when he was coming out of Hitchcock High School. He had 10 career starts before his breakout senior season. The All-America defensive end led the Southeastern Conference with 11 1/2 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. He was the co-SEC defensive player of the year. But Sam has been projected as a mid-level NFL draft pick, probably because hes a bit undersized at 6-foot-2 and 255 pounds and is likely headed for a transition to outside linebacker. Pinkel doesnt think the announcement will hurt Sams draft status. "Our team was able to move past it and work together," defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski said. "So why shouldnt a bunch of professional football players be able to do the same thing?" There have been a few NFL players who have come out after their playing days, including Kwame Harris and Dave Kopay. "There will be some adjustments that will have to be made, sure," Craig said. "I think it will be a learning curve for the whole league." ' ' '