Comments on: More Kaberle News + Leafs UFA Wants

By: LeafsneedSteen

LeafsneedSteen — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:50:53 +0000

If he's this 6 million dollar steal, you'd think he'd get a look. Again, he wasn't on anyone's radar until this post season.

We had a die heart Habs fan that took Markov, Gomez (based on his playoff history) and Halak. But thanks for confirming that no one expected the Habs to do anything against the Caps.

Calgary targeted Bowmeester and brought in Joikenen because they didn't value Cammalleri.

Another assumption on your part, I was on this site bashing Cammalleri all of last year, I've never been impressed by him. I not the one drinking the kool aid on him now that it happens to be fashionable.

By: LeafsneedSteen

LeafsneedSteen — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:43:12 +0000

I really think players could give a shit about fans and media. In Toronto and Montreal they roll out the red carpet for any player despite their performance. Montreal was surprisingly upbeat and embraced the role of the scrappy underdog this year, that isn't pressure.

When he signed he was percieved as a younger Blake like player, a quality 1st liner counted on to score 30+ (Blake clearly didn't live up to expectation).

What stings about Kessel are the picks, it all depends on next season where we finish. I don't want Cammalleri period.

You can babble about my ignorance, but I'm not failing into the hick trap of over valueing a guy when he's coming off the best stretch of his career. It's that short sighted thinking like this that lands guys like Briere, Drury and Campbell bloated contracts. Sure each player happens to offer a few bright spots but long term they're baggage.

He might hit 31 or 32, bfd.

By: albertateams

albertateams — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:49:53 +0000

Couldn't disagree more The Blake comparision is awful. The kessel one is miles closer.

I know Toronto hasn't been in the playoffs for a while but fans and the media are brutal. Its an absolute fact that those are the two toughest cities as far as being under the microscope and having pressure on you as a player, especially in the playoffs. If you can't see that then there is no point discussing anything.

Obviously you get some players that play well ahead of regular season pace. But non of those players were stars on there team either and didn't carry there team.

So you would rather have kessel no 1st round pick the next two years and no 2nd rounder this year. 9th round pick get a grip thats something only someone who is completely ignorant would say.

He missed 40 games but most of those were in those two seasons between very good years.

He stays healthy he will hit 30 no problem.

By: albertateams

albertateams — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:35:50 +0000

There are a lot of good players that don't make team Canada Carter, JAy-bo, phaneuf, Savard etc... Kessel wouldn't have if he was Canadian.

No body picked Camalleri in your pool probably because nobody thought they would go more than 5 games before washington eliminated them.

He's been a complete after though to leafs fans not so for Calgary, Montreal fans and gms. You just adhere to the TO media bubble.

By: LeafsneedSteen

LeafsneedSteen — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:36:15 +0000

Just to follow up, Cammelleri has some buzz for a hot streak in his career. I'll ask was he ever a threat to make team Canada? Funny, you'd think a guy who put up 39 goals would at least get a look.

As for the pressure of a playoff performance, in a hockey pool with elven people I was in, no one even thought to pick Cammalleri.

Face it, before this playoff run he's been a complete after thought for both GMs or fans.

By: LeafsneedSteen

LeafsneedSteen — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:15:45 +0000

As a commodity, Cammalleri was more Jason Blake than Phil Kessel. Not suggesting that Blake is a perfect comparison.

There is no pressure to play in Toronto, it's a complete country club atmosphere. Montreal this season had zero expectations after being bounced by Boston and an off season that turn off the fan base. They were a pleasent surprise.

Yeah, great players perform in the playoffs, that's why John Druce, Dave Lowry and Chris Kontos made it into the hall of fame, huh. That's a terrible argument.

Cammelleri isn't a six million dollar talent, I'm glad the Leafs don't have him. I wouldn't want to trade an 9th round draft pick for him and be saddled with his contract. His play is coming back to Earth and soon.

Again, you're taking my original post too literally, the point was that he is inconsistent (evidenced by his erratic production throughout his career), I've pointed this out several times.

His missed what 40 games due to injuiry in his career, it's not that many.

We'll see this season, I doubt he nets more than 30.

By: albertateams

albertateams — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:50:31 +0000

Calgary had the cap room to sign him when he indicated he would be going east they used that cap room on J-bo. The organization was really high on Cammaleri he just didn't want to stay in the west.

Completely agree with you about Gainey except the Cammalleri signing.

The Blake comparison was just awful different age, less proven at the time of his big contract, had one freak season and thats it. Its just a horrible comparison Blake and Cammalleri.

Toronto and Montreal are the two most pressure packed cities to play in the playoffs. It really doesn't matter if you are an 8 vs 1. If you don't preform the media and fans will tear you apart. Montreal overachieved, Halak and Cammalleri played great but isn't that what good players do they elevate their games during the playoffs.

I agree completely you take Kessel I was never arguing that fact. Kessel has more potential than Cammalleri for sure the whole point is Toronto had the ability to sign a comparable player right now for 5.5-6 million and still have 2 1st rounders and a 2nd.

It was illogical you said he had a good year then a bad year, and then said h was worth 6 million this year, but he had a better one the year before. Thats back to back good years not one good one bad. Its injury issues.

By: LeafsneedSteen

LeafsneedSteen — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:31:33 +0000

LA forced arbitration with him and then dealt him. Why would a rebuilding team give budding young star for mid first round pick? They didn't feel he was worth what he was asking (jpretty much like everyone else).

Calgary didn't want him otherwise they wouldn't have brought in Joikenen with a year left on his contract. That force Cammelleri to leave. Calgary wanted him for a decent price (like everyone else...)

Fine, Cammelleri looked like the best signing by Gainey compaired to a host of ugly signings and trades. Gomez, Gionta, Gill and Spacek is setting the bar low. He was another cog in a series of desperate signings. That's what happens when GM finds himself with 30 million dollars of cap space and three days to spend it. Gainey was openly working on what he called (not my words) 'Plan B'.

Blake isn't an aweful comparison, most GMs clearly had Cammalleri pegged as Blake type talent. Given that no one really was sold on Cammalleri as an elite player. Again I'll emphasize that he's rightly percieved as a gamble, one that paid off in the playoffs. Gainey did lose his job, the signing was suspect for most of the year.

Montreal was a cinderella run, it's assinine to suggest that it's a pressure cooker for an eigth seed to beat a one. It was a refreshing change in the atmosphere of Montreal to not be expected to win. Montreal overachieved as a whole, Halak and Cammalleri among others played above their heads.

If one had to choose between Phil Kessel or Mike Cammalleri, I don't think anyone would choose Cammalleri, why do you think that is?

You held me to my 'twisted logic' that would predict a great season following a weak one, when my position was that he's inconsistent. That was a hack job, I won't argue a strawman.

By: albertateams

albertateams — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:34:34 +0000

LA got a decent return for a guy that was coming off an injury and would be a UFA after the season. Calgary wanted to sign Camalleri he wanted to go East though. Camalleri was not left overs he was easily a top five UFA forward.

I don't think there was much chance at all when Gainey made his moves I think it was pretty unanimous that Camalleri was his best signing.

I would be no more shocked than if kessel started potting 40 every year. Blake is an awful comparison. Blake never had more than 69 points, and didn't hit higher than 30 until he was 32 years old. Really just a bad bad comparison.

He's actually had 3 good season an 80 point campaign with LA, his one year in Calgary and this year. Zero expectation Montreal and playoffs never ever belong in the same sentence because when your talking hockey it doesn't exist. Halak is completely different cir*****stance.

Its not a crap shoot its not a given but neither is kessl getting 40 any time soon.

Expectations are a funny thing players rarely live up to them, I hope kessel can get 40 but its far from a sure thing and only slightly more probable than Camalleri.

I didn't misrepresent your original point just pointed out the flaws. Camalleri didn't play over his head this year, he had a better year the previous. He doesn't have a history of following up a good year with a bad, he has a history of getting hurt after a good year.

By: toronto-cruz

toronto-cruz — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:26:37 +0000

Folks, I've read this somewhere in a reply, and the guy was totally right...

why would a TO born (or MTL born for that matter) want to return to their city in their prime and sign a big contract?!?! Its a recipe for disaster. Said player will never live up to the hype, even if they put up a billion points, those fan bases would find a reason to hate them (see: any G in mtl, any Dman in TO; its what we do)

and cammalleri picked mtl for the following reason (think i read it on TSN last summer) "I live in TO, i dont want to work all winter there then have to live there all summer" (something like that)

Nash has it freaking good in CBJ, mad loot and obscurity.