So Boston easily won the Kessel deal? I have no idea how anyone could claim this. The 2010 draft after #6 is terrible, and 2011 is projected to be even worse.

If the Bruins don't get a top 5 this year, the Leafs are easily ahead on this deal.

Kessel is only 22, and a top 5 pick in a very strong draft 3 years ago, and is exactly what Boston is lacking right now. Savard is not looking the same as last year. He has no one to pass too. And Boston is looking for a scoring winger and their GF is way down.
- RogerRoeper

Boston had to clear cap space, and this was in part the reason someone (Kessel) had to be moved, so that those remaining could be kept. Acquiring top two round draft picks is always a good thing as they can be used to draft for the future, or be used in another trade to bring in someone at the deadline.

toronto paid a high price to get something they desperately needed................image where the leafs would be without him...........so who can say who wins a trade, you have to wait for all the draft picks are used, in whatever manner, and that will not be for a few more years.

Boston had to clear cap space, and this was in part the reason someone (Kessel) had to be moved, so that those remaining could be kept. Acquiring top two round draft picks is always a good thing as they can be used to draft for the future, or be used in another trade to bring in someone at the deadline.

toronto paid a high price to get something they desperately needed................image where the leafs would be without him...........so who can say who wins a trade, you have to wait for all the draft picks are used, in whatever manner, and that will not be for a few more years.
- Doppleganger

I know...god forbid a trade be good for BOTH teams.

Let's not forget losing Kessel was also effectively a salary dump. That plays into the factors of who won and who lost a little bit.
- bureforearthsprez

The guy didn't even have a contract. I wouldn't classify him as a salary dump like Gomez was.

Boston had to clear cap space, and this was in part the reason someone (Kessel) had to be moved, so that those remaining could be kept. Acquiring top two round draft picks is always a good thing as they can be used to draft for the future, or be used in another trade to bring in someone at the deadline.

toronto paid a high price to get something they desperately needed................image where the leafs would be without him...........so who can say who wins a trade, you have to wait for all the draft picks are used, in whatever manner, and that will not be for a few more years.
- Doppleganger

I agree, it'll take years to determine who wins this trade.

But I will say Boston didn't really have to clear cap space, they made a decision that Kessel wasn't worth what he wanted. They then proceeded to give Morris 3 million and Lucic 4.15 per season. We'll see if they spent their money wisely in time to come as well.

Boston had to clear cap space, and this was in part the reason someone (Kessel) had to be moved, so that those remaining could be kept. Acquiring top two round draft picks is always a good thing as they can be used to draft for the future, or be used in another trade to bring in someone at the deadline.

toronto paid a high price to get something they desperately needed................image where the leafs would be without him...........so who can say who wins a trade, you have to wait for all the draft picks are used, in whatever manner, and that will not be for a few more years.
- Doppleganger

Don't you think that Burke could have signed a UFA (ie.: Cammalleri) and not lose almost 3 first round picks (considering their 2nd rounder will be very high)?

Don't you think that Burke could have signed a UFA (ie.: Cammalleri) and not lose almost 3 first round picks (considering their 2nd rounder will be very high)?
- hello_there

he did go after cammalleri and he said no because he did not want to play in the same city he lives in during the summer months.

Don't you think that Burke could have signed a UFA (ie.: Cammalleri) and not lose almost 3 first round picks (considering their 2nd rounder will be very high)?
- hello_there

couldn't Gainey have signed a third line centre instead of giving up assets for Gomez? He easily could have gotten one for less than $7.5M.

Salary dumps only work if they save cap space. Considering they were already at the cap before he even signed, there was no salary to dump...
- p_zub

You're really thick headed.

Don't you think that Burke could have signed a UFA (ie.: Cammalleri) and not lose almost 3 first round picks (considering their 2nd rounder will be very high)?
- hello_there

If you can find a 22 year old who has scored over 35 goals as a UFA, then you can b!tch about how stupid Burke is for not signing him.

You're really thick headed.
- bureforearthsprez

I guess it depends on your definition of a salary dump. It's normally used to describe a trade where the team gets rid of an overpaid player, that isn't doing much more than occupying cap space. From that perspective, it's not a salary dump.

They weren't really 'dumping' salary. He wasn't signed, and they didn't have much of a choice.

I guess it depends on your definition of a salary dump. It's normally used to describe a trade where the team gets rid of an overpaid player, that isn't doing much more than occupying cap space. From that perspective, it's not a salary dump.

They weren't really 'dumping' salary. He wasn't signed, and they didn't have much of a choice.
- prock

Theoretically they were going to have to sign him for around $5m. That was a given. It doesn't take a genius to fill in $5m beside his name next to your cap chart, and then to use that to make the assertion that trading him is a salary dump.

I don't really consider a salary dump as trading an overpaid player, just trading a salary in order to accommodate other players. Ehrhoff and Lukowich were traded to the Canucks as a salary dump, and I don't think they are overpaid.

Theoretically they were going to have to sign him for around $5m. That was a given. It doesn't take a genius to fill in $5m beside his name next to your cap chart, and then to use that to make the assertion that trading him is a salary dump.

I don't really consider a salary dump as trading an overpaid player, just trading a salary in order to accommodate other players. Ehrhoff and Lukowich were traded to the Canucks as a salary dump, and I don't think they are overpaid.
- bureforearthsprez

Okay. Well, I think that's where people will disagree with you. Based mostly on the terminology. Kessel doesn't fit the normal profile of a salary dump. Scott Gomez, Mark Bell, those are the players that normally fit the salary dump profile.

they had to deal him because of salary concerns. They didn't WANT him and his cap hit off the roster, like other players (Gomez).

Okay. Well, I think that's where people will disagree with you. Based mostly on the terminology. Kessel doesn't fit the normal profile of a salary dump. Scott Gomez, Mark Bell, those are the players that normally fit the salary dump profile.

they had to deal him because of salary concerns. They didn't WANT him and his cap hit off the roster, like other players (Gomez).
- prock

Am I the only one who thought the Ehrhoff and Lukowich trade was a dump?

Meh!

Am I the only one who thought the Ehrhoff and Lukowich trade was a dump?

Meh!
- bureforearthsprez

It was a dump...they had to remove players in order to fit Heatley under their already tight cap space. Lukowich was definitely the salary dump, Ehrhoff was more a casualty of the fact they had good depth of D and obtaining a player like Heatley was a greater concern to them.

he did go after cammalleri and he said no because he did not want to play in the same city he lives in during the summer months.
- sniper12

Very interesting. I didn't know that. It would somehow justify Burke's move although I still think he gave up too much.

It was a dump...they had to remove players in order to fit Heatley under their already tight cap space. Lukowich was definitely the salary dump, Ehrhoff was more a casualty of the fact they had good depth of D and obtaining a player like Heatley was a greater concern to them.
- p_zub

Yeah, I'd see it that way too. Lukowich was the dump. Ehrhoff was what they had to give up to make the dump happen.

Don't you think that Burke could have signed a UFA (ie.: Cammalleri) and not lose almost 3 first round picks (considering their 2nd rounder will be very high)?
- hello_there

A UFA has to want to play for a team before he decides to sign with them. There are players, for whatever reason, that do not want to play in certain markets.

A UFA has to want to play for a team before he decides to sign with them. There are players, for whatever reason, that do not want to play in certain markets.
- Doppleganger

I think overall Toronto has a hard time getting good local players to play for them, and Cammalleri is from the GTA. I'm not sure why some people seem to always suggest otherwise. I can't really list any top UFA's from the GTA who have signed in Toronto recently.

I actually think the same thing sort of applies to Montreal too, since as of right now I can only think of great players from Quebec who were either traded or drafted by the Habs, but no UFAs who have signed there in the last 20 years.

Maybe I'm totally wrong here, I don't know. Maybe it's just a coincidence even if my observations are correct.

I think overall Toronto has a hard time getting good local players to play for them, and Cammalleri is from the GTA. I'm not sure why some people seem to always suggest otherwise. I can't really list any top UFA's from the GTA who have signed in Toronto recently.

I actually think the same thing sort of applies to Montreal too, since as of right now I can only think of great players from Quebec who were either traded or drafted by the Habs, but no UFAs who have signed there in the last 20 years.

Maybe I'm totally wrong here, I don't know. Maybe it's just a coincidence even if my observations are correct.
- daeth

Any UFA who has grown up in a fishbowl pressure packed market like Montreal and toronto has a good idea how their life will be IF they signed there..........and it has to factor into their decision. Then there is the Taxes, which are a big factor as well.

I'll bet Daniel Briere has a fairly normal life in Philadelphia, and can walk down the street unrecognized, but it would be like living in a zoo if he had chosen to play in Montreal.

In toronto, the last two free agents (Blake and Kessel) came to toronto most likely without knowing the intensity of the microscope their every move would be under...........and they did not grow up in Canada.

(yeah I know Kessel was traded as a RFA, and then signed)

I'm pretty sure I read Burke did not go over 5 million in his offer for Cammalari. His comment about playing in Toronto came after he didn't get a great offer from the Leafs.

I'm pretty sure I read Burke did not go over 5 million in his offer for Cammalari. His comment about playing in Toronto came after he didn't get a great offer from the Leafs.
- RogerRoeper

Source?

Source?
- hello_there

What does it matter? If he did refuse to go over $5M, I don't think it's very smart. I'd take Cammalleri at $6M.

Source?
- hello_there

I can't find any now, but I know I read he didn't go as high as Montreal did.

I can't find any now, but I know I read he didn't go as high as Montreal did.
- RogerRoeper

as much as it sucks to say it, I'd rather have Cammalleri at $6M plus the picks than Kessel at $5.4M.

as much as it sucks to say it, I'd rather have Cammalleri at $6M plus the picks than Kessel at $5.4M.
- prock

Easily. Kessel is not even any better than Cammalleri as it stands now (could change in the future), so having the picks as well would've been huge.