Confirmed with Link: Rielly signs 8 year extension - 7.5M AAV

[ErnieLeafs]

Definitely took less than he had to, and didn’t handcuff the team. Hard to see this as anything but a solid deal for both sides.

 

[notbias]

Do you?

Don't really consider Kampf or Mikheyev 4th liners.

Spezza and Engvall are kind of in-between.

Simmonds is a 4th liner.

Amirov has first line potential.

You are making it seem like we have 5/6 players who are 4th liners in the bottom 6 in that scenario.

 

[ottomaddox]

Do any of you work at a job where the salary structure is the same as the Leafs? You know: a couple of really well paid people at the top surrounded by min. wage workers. It doesn't work unless you have more of a wide-spread middle class. Those mid-salary types (more like Muzzin and less like Kerfoot) have the ability to shine from time to time. If you have more of those guys you have more chances to have one of them shine. I am very happy Rielly remains a leaf. I really like him. I just worry that this is just more of the same: a stressed cap situation. Rielly getting 7.5 for 8 will no doubt add to the top heavy dysfunction. What can I say? Bitter sweet?

 

[GardinerTheForward]

I hate it. Mark my words this will become an albatross

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

Great deal even year 1 does not seem to be an overpay. as the years go by this contract will be just better and better. Rielly 8 years from now will still only be making 7.5.

Is Rielly going to age in reverse or what?

 

[ottomaddox]

Dubass with a big middle finger to the continued development of Sandin, Liljegren and Dermott.

I don't think they'll ever live up to a Morgan Rielly. Not even an aging Morgan Rielly.

 

[17 Clark]

Definitely took less than he had to, and didn’t handcuff the team. Hard to see this as anything but a solid deal for both sides.

It’s unfortunate other players on the team didn’t care as much whether people like it or not he is our number one defenceman and I think he should I got the caption C

 

[IPS]

You are making it seem like we have 5/6 players who are 4th liners in the bottom 6 in that scenario.

Yes, that is the definition of the word "almost". Kampf is most def a 4th liner (and I like him), a player in the identical mold of Riley Nash and Brian Boyle. Engvall is a 4th liner. Amirov is a complete unknown, he can't be called anything right now.

 

[notbias]

Do any of you work at a job where the salary structure is the same as the Leafs? You know: a couple of really well paid people at the top surrounded by min. wage workers. It doesn't work unless you have more of a wide-spread middle class. Those mid-salary types (more like Muzzin and less like Kerfoot) have the ability to shine from time to time. If you have more of those guys you have more chances to have one of them shine. I am very happy Rielly remains a leaf. I really like him. I just worry that this is just more of the same: a stressed cap situation. Rielly getting 7.5 for 8 will no doubt add to the top heavy dysfunction. What can I say? Bitter sweet?

What kind of post is this? Such a silly post.

Everyone's salary has been negotiated by a third party based on their performance.

I guess any job with commissions is set up wrong since it can create a great divide between good salesmen and average ones...

 

[zeke]

Yes, that is the definition of the word "almost". Kampf is most def a 4th liner (and I like him), a player in the identical mold of Riley Nash and Brian Boyle. Engvall is a 4th liner. Amirov is a complete unknown, he can't be called anything right now.

For the record, Spezza has spent the past couple years producing at a quality 2nd line rate, and the others you mention (other than Kampf) all at solid 3rd line rates. And with solid underlying two-way numbers.

But you were probably referring to some other factors.

 

[notbias]

Yes, that is the definition of the word "almost". Kampf is most def a 4th liner (and I like him), a player in the identical mold of Riley Nash and Brian Boyle. Engvall is a 4th liner. Amirov is a complete unknown, he can't be called anything right now.

Has Kampf ever been used as a 4th liner in his career?

Spezza produces like a 3rd liner if you want to use the production angel for Kampf, so he would be considered a 3rd liner.

Any way you want to define these players, at least 2 of them are 3rd liners and one we excluded, so worst case scenario 2/5 are 3rd liners.

 

[TIGERCOOL]

Not a fan. Not Rielly's fault and he took a fair contract but it was time to move on. Your #1 guy simply can't be this bad at playing actual defense. If he had an elite shot or good instincts I would forgive this, but literally all Mo does exceptionally is skate with the puck.

In any case, I guess he's our guy. Hope he relaxes now that this is done and continues to round out his game as he settles into his late 20s. My worst fear about a pure puck moving defenseman is that their value is completely nullified as they slow with age, and Rielly already looks significantly slower than he was a few seasons ago. We need him to change his approach or we're screwed.

Glad Mo's happy but I'm more concerned than ever about management's sensibility.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

I would have let him walk. Who are we getting rid of to pay for this?

EDIT: Before letting him walk I would try to trade him.

 

[Cor]

Glad he's staying. One of my favorite Leafs and seems he took a slight discount to make it happen. But, its going to be interesting to see how we navigate this.

I don’t see how we don’t trade Marner if we want to attempt at improving the overall balance lineup.

Like, yeah, we can trade Kerfoot, Ritchie, and replace them internally, but that continues to make us weaker depth wise and doesn’t open up that much cap space.

It’s possible to make it work, but it doesn’t allow for us to create a good lineup.

To me it’s obvious what we need to do.

 

[DraftSchmaft]

I hate it. Mark my words this will become an albatross

Nope. Look at the ages of defenceman in this pay bracket. Most are aging out already and the remainder will age out at the same time. Playing field remains even. If we don't give Rielly this contract we'd just be searching for another Rielly to give this exact same contract to. Someone like Krug @ 6.5 is a downgrade.

 

[hockeyes]

In a vacuum there is nothing wrong with the contract but it feels wrong in the big picture. I don't know what the right move was, but it probably involved some trades last summer instead of doubling down, and now tripling down.

 

[IPS]

Has Kampf ever been used as a 4th liner in his career?

He's been used as a 3rd liner on a very crappy Chicago team with horrible center depth.

Spezza produces like a 3rd liner if you want to use the production angel for Kampf, so he would be considered a 3rd liner.

Any way you want to define these players, at least 2 of them are 3rd liners and one we excluded, so worst case scenario 2/5 are 3rd liners.

Sure, have Spezza. I have no problem with that, he's a gem and we're lucky to have him. Mikheyev - we'll see if he can gain his offense back. Without it - he's a 4th liner in every sense, atleast on a legit contender.

 

[IPS]

I would have let him walk. Who are we getting rid of to pay for this?

EDIT: Before letting him walk I would try to trade him.

We're probably looking at the last year of Jake Muzzin in Toronto

 

[Nylander88]

Looks like a win-win to me. He for sure could have gotten more as a free agent. Left some money on the table, and clearly wanted to stay a Leaf for the long haul (if not become a career Leaf). Kerfoot is all but gone now come next season.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

I'm....shocked.

That's a hometown discount.

He easily gets more than $60M on the open market.

With the Kessel money off the books, and the cap going up ever so slightly, the margins are there to make it fit and not have to do major roster construction next summer.

I like it.

YAY! We get to keep the same underachieving team! Yay!

 

[Dragao6]

Definitely took less than he had to, and didn’t handcuff the team. Hard to see this as anything but a solid deal for both sides.

Yes maybe
The no trade may have something to do with that

 

[Knies iT]

I would have let him walk. Who are we getting rid of to pay for this?

EDIT: Before letting him walk I would try to trade him.

Nobody?

Kessel's retention comes off the books (1.2m) and there's a 1m increase in the cap ceiling (1+1.2 = 2.2m). Add that to Rielly's current cap hit of 5m and you're short only 300k on this deal without doing anything.

On top of this, you could still realistically upgrade Kerfoot in the off-season if he and Mikheyev are moved/walk (> 5m cap saving).

 

[Dragao6]

Mikheyev is gonna be gone
I’d trade Muzzin anyways and holl eventually this year
We need 2 more Brodie’s at 4M
Heard josh mason is worth a 2nd?

mrazek can go for campbells pay increase

there are things that can be done
Dubas has shown to be creative and we have a cap guy so let’s just be happy we don’t have to worry or talk about Reilly’s contract anymore
Maybe it also clears his head and he returns to what he’s capable of

 

[DraftSchmaft]

Not a fan. Not Rielly's fault and he took a fair contract but it was time to move on. Your #1 guy simply can't be this bad at playing actual defense. If he had an elite shot or good instincts I would forgive this, but literally all Mo does exceptionally is skate with the puck.

In any case, I guess he's our guy. Hope he relaxes now that this is done and continues to round out his game as he settles into his late 20s. My worst fear about a pure puck moving defenseman is that their value is completely nullified as they slow with age, and Rielly already looks significantly slower than he was a few seasons ago. We need him to change his approach or we're screwed.

Glad Mo's happy but I'm more concerned than ever about management's sensibility.

Keep in mind if he had all the stuff you say he lacks, he'd be making 10 mil, not 7.5. They know his weaknesses.

7-7.5 is exactly where he should be. I saw a lot of posts 1 or 2 months ago reasoning that 7.25 is the sweet spot and the reasoning made perfect sense. 250k over payment is negligible for Rielly

 

[diceman934]

By far the best long-term contract for a core player. Nice to see a player not bleed the team as much as possible.

Now get rid of Marner.

No JT needs to be dealt. He is not worth his contract never was.