Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign D Mark Giordano to extension (2 years, $800k AAV)

[Andrewcoursol]

On the Spezza plan. Beauty!

Very helpful for the leafs, this guy worth it for 2 years, helps solidify the blue line , veteran presence ,mentor, as a habs fan i was hoping it would have costs the leafs more, but it is also time the leafs got a break on a solid signing without overpaying, it will be interesting to see what the leafs do with Campbell, , enjoy the summer everyone .

 

[Menzinger]

Gio likely made Dubas' job easier.

But itss also worth noting JFJ/Burke/Noni's/Lou didn't exactly have a track record of doing something similar. In fact hard to name a single contract any of those previous GMs signed that mirrors what Gio just did. The Leafs in the cap era where noy a place where vets would come to sign cheap.

At the very least the current front office has created a team environment that's welcoming/makes these sorts of deals easier

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

Yes thanks for that "idiot."

He and Spezza are the only Leafs in the last 7 years that I’ve seen actually grind and care when it matters.

As an aside, wow, Dubas offered more and Gio gave back? I do not ever recall a player doing that…. But isn’t that a bit of an indictment on Dubas as a fail? Like I get that Gio is a good team guy but how do you offer more than the player wants?

I wasn't going to spend even a penny on Leafs. I guess I just have to buy Gio's jersey. Just this one thing and thats it

And am still pissed off. And Leafs management can still go F themselves.

I may need to do this as well, depending on what changes are made and if Nylander is paying elsewhere

 

[saltming]

He has a NTC so doubt he moves. The way I see it they have too many of the same type of dmen. Other than 55 and 8, they are average size, soft puck movers (assuming Holl will be moved). Need cap space to add a top 4 dman and Brodie would be my choice because Lily and Boosh's cap hit does not help much.

Well Rielly is 220 and an amazing puck mover, lili is listed at 192, but I think he's heavier and also a great puck mover so those 4 average over 200 lbs and have 3 above average puck movers.
The only one like Brodie, size wise, is sandin, and he is young enough to get stronger this offseason.
Brodie is a clean difensman that rarely makes a mistake, honestly can't see why you want him gone. It wouldn't be easy to replace him.
Rielly
Muzzin
Brodie
Giordano
Liljegren
Holl
Sandin
Get a little more depth and we are good.
Also on the side we have kids like kral and niemelä that will be pushing for a spot.
Re-sign boosh or a boosh-like player and we are gold

 

[saltming]

He and Spezza are the only Leafs in the last 7 years that I’ve seen actually grind and care when it matters.

As an aside, wow, Dubas offered more and Gio gave back? I do not ever recall a player doing that…. But isn’t that a bit of an indictment on Dubas as a fail? Like I get that Gio is a good team guy but how do you offer more than the player wants?


I may need to do this as well, depending on what changes are made and if Nylander is paying elsewhere

Gio could easily get Double what dubas offered on the market, and it looks good on dubas to offer as much as we could afford to spend.
Kudos to Gio for going the extra mile

 

[killer1980]

One of the few that looks like he is willing to pay the price to get the job done. Like him a lot as a stabilizing influence. Maybe he'll be able to convince the pretty boys just how much effort it takes to win.

 

[Gabriel426]

He and Spezza are the only Leafs in the last 7 years that I’ve seen actually grind and care when it matters.

As an aside, wow, Dubas offered more and Gio gave back? I do not ever recall a player doing that…. But isn’t that a bit of an indictment on Dubas as a fail? Like I get that Gio is a good team guy but how do you offer more than the player wants?


I may need to do this as well, depending on what changes are made and if Nylander is paying elsewhere

Dubas offered the market value or close to for Gio and Gio took less due to home town discount. Honestly, if Dubas offered 800k, Gio might thought it was an insult and choose another team.

 

[The Masters]

 

[ToneDog]

Well Rielly is 220 and an amazing puck mover, lili is listed at 192, but I think he's heavier and also a great puck mover so those 4 average over 200 lbs and have 3 above average puck movers.
The only one like Brodie, size wise, is sandin, and he is young enough to get stronger this offseason.
Brodie is a clean difensman that rarely makes a mistake, honestly can't see why you want him gone. It wouldn't be easy to replace him.
Rielly
Muzzin
Brodie
Giordano
Liljegren
Holl
Sandin
Get a little more depth and we are good.
Also on the side we have kids like kral and niemelä that will be pushing for a spot.
Re-sign boosh or a boosh-like player and we are gold

Don't want him gone per say. Wanted his cap space to go towards a Parayko type dman which I believe is the piece we are lacking on D.

 

[saltming]

Don't want him gone per say. Wanted his cap space to go towards a Parayko type dman which I believe is the piece we are lacking on D.

Ahh I see and agreed. If we can upgrade or move lateral but add an element we lack, go for it

 

[hockeywiz542]

Why Mark Giordano made ‘a tremendous sacrifice’ to remain a Maple Leaf

By taking a severe hometown discount Sunday and signing a two-year, $1.6-million extension, Mark Giordano left general manager Kyle Dubas “thrilled" but that isn't a surprise to those who know Giordano.

www.sportsnet.ca

And the fan base should be equally ecstatic at Giordano’s we-before-me approach, which has granted Dubas some coveted wiggle room to hire a goaltender and award younger players (RFAs Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren and Pierre Engvall) with their deserved raises.

“Everything he does is done to help the team win, and that includes a tremendous sacrifice in this contract negotiation,” Dubas said.

The GM and the onetime Norris Trophy winner had agreed Saturday on a slightly higher AAV, near $1 million, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, when the impending UFA voluntarily offered to shave a little more off his salary to free up spending elsewhere.

Think about this.

Giordano raked $6.75 million this past season from Seattle and, down the stretch, Toronto.

His new $800,000 salary, a shade above the veteran minimum, signals an 88 per cent pay cut. True, it’s for his age 39 and age 40 seasons, but Giordano is still performing at a top-four level, and leaders of his ilk never fail to cash in on the open market.

“I’m definitely blessed to have had the career I’ve had so far and be in a position financially where I’m in a good spot. I wasn’t worried about hard negotiating or anything like that,” said Giordano, who’s earned roughly $62 million over his 1,024-game career.

“I want to be here. I love the team. And I wanted to do what I can do to help this team move forward and win. I’ll leave it at that.”

Not unlike Jason “I’d Take Less If I Could” Spezza before him, Giordano has reached that stage in his career where the only thing that matters is chasing a Stanley Cup.

His recommitment to Toronto is an endorsement of the roster Dubas has built and a bet that the elite top-end talent of John Tavares, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner is matched by a work ethic and competitiveness that will eventually lead to a breakthrough.

“The way they battled and competed is something special to watch from your top players, and I definitely think those guys can push this team over that line of winning or losing,” Giordano said.

“I believe in this team. I believe this team is a contender."

“It was a perfect fit.”

 

[Leafsfan74]

Gio could easily get Double what dubas offered on the market, and it looks good on dubas to offer as much as we could afford to spend.
Kudos to Gio for going the extra mile

Gio illustrating he understands how every dollar counts accepted less, not concerned with pride or status of seven figures. His desire to win far exceeded the extra sports car he could buy after his lifetime of great earnings. A true team first guy.

In life, when you have comfort you prioritize other factors such as famiily, legacy, dreams you cannot buy (yes they still exist) etc.

The gesture from Dubas was nice, Gio responded comparable to a guy at the restaurant arguing with another guy that HE will pick up the cheque for dinner. "No, I insist".

A classy move on top of the salary cut he accepted in order to do it his way.

It's easy for fans to root for guys like this, how can you not? You win with leaders. True leaders sacrifice. Always.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

Thats the real captain

Should have been AM instead of JT. I hope they give him the C next year to coax him into staying.

So much respect to Gio. Unlike that press conference hero Nick Foligno.

We dodged a major bullet by him scooting to Boston. If he signed here last summer it would have been insult on top of injury. He scored 13 points in 64 games. Engvall looks like a star compared to him for crying out loud.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Should have been AM instead of JT. I hope they give him the C next year to coax him into staying.


We dodged a major bullet by him scooting to Boston. If he signed here last summer it would have been insult on top of injury. He scored 13 points in 64 games. Engvall looks like a start compared to him for crying out loud.

And yet Dubas went after him and also signed Simmonds for 2 years

 

[Nineteen67]

So you think Leafs need 8 players. Um...ok.


agreed

I was being facetious.…..sadly it’s not too far off.

 

[fahad203]

Gio likely made Dubas' job easier.

But itss also worth noting JFJ/Burke/Noni's/Lou didn't exactly have a track record of doing something similar. In fact hard to name a single contract any of those previous GMs signed that mirrors what Gio just did. The Leafs in the cap era where noy a place where vets would come to sign cheap.

At the very least the current front office has created a team environment that's welcoming/makes these sorts of deals easier

Not sure if that's true
Partly because none of those teams ever actually chased many 35+ year old vets from Toronto or needed any

Back then there werent' players willing to sign one year deals or many players were even available. There are league wide one year deals because there are so many players looking for deals.

Simmonds only came because nobody else was gonna give him a contract and Dubas needed to fill some toughness

Same with Spezza. He keep signing one year deals because he doesn't want to play anywhere else. Not neccessarly because he has deals on the table and he's turning them down. Worked out for both parties

Gio is 38. As good as he is, his options are limited. But a very good signing.

All these contracts or home town boys you talk about. Are literally guys who are sailing into the sun. They are all from toronto, they are retiring or going to retire

Except for Bunting. Who signed a good deal. No doubt. But it's not like Bunting was a proven player coming of a 30 goal season. He was essnetially a nobody from Arizona who didnt' want to sign him. Luck for us.

None of those GM's needed to sign anyone for 1 year deals. They didnt' maxed up their caps and that wasn't the norm back then

 

[93Gilmour]

If the Leafs deliver a parade in the next two seasons Gio deserves a statue for this, class act glad he's on our blueline.

 

[Gabriel426]

Should have been AM instead of JT. I hope they give him the C next year to coax him into staying.


We dodged a major bullet by him scooting to Boston. If he signed here last summer it would have been insult on top of injury. He scored 13 points in 64 games. Engvall looks like a start compared to him for crying out loud.

Maybe that’s Nick doing for repaying the Leafs, lol.

 

[saffronleaf]

Looks like Gio pulled the reverse-Marner

 

[CelticDruid]

Looks like Gio pulled the reverse-Marner

Giordano signed himself to that deal hopefully others will do the same.

 

[HogTown06]

Next season from game 1 please play Gio and Lilly as a pair!

By game 82 they'll probably be our top pairing.

 

[zeke]

Gio likely made Dubas' job easier.

But itss also worth noting JFJ/Burke/Noni's/Lou didn't exactly have a track record of doing something similar. In fact hard to name a single contract any of those previous GMs signed that mirrors what Gio just did. The Leafs in the cap era where noy a place where vets would come to sign cheap.

At the very least the current front office has created a team environment that's welcoming/makes these sorts of deals easier

And this is even different than the Spezza situation - at least Spezza's first contract. Spezza came in blind as a free agent with no experience or knowledge of the Leafs players, coaches etc.

Gio otoh just had first hand experience with these players coach and front office and decided he wanted to stick with them for his final contract and final chance to win a cup.

Of course, Spezza also decided to re-up after his first year here too.

 

[2 Slick]

Gio giving the same type of Spezza discount because he wants to. How can you not love or respect that? He's still good too, so it's not like it's nothing. Him declining one million and asking to be paid less? Damn, super home town discount and then some,

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Next season from game 1 please play Gio and Lilly as a pair!

By game 82 they'll probably be our top pairing.

I still throw Sandin-Liljegren back together and elevate their role. See if they can handle 2nd pair matchups like they did on the 3rd pair last year. Need to start getting these kids into bigger spots.

 

[mapleleaf979]

Giordano is a great 3rd pairing guy right now. The leafs d core has other issues, like Muzzin's contract and trade Holl.

Reilly-Brodie
open-open
Giordano-Liljegren