ITM
Out on the front line, don't worry I'll be fine...
- Jan 26, 2012
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Perhaps, but again, tough to say what Bertuzzi's ask for Toronto was and how far it was from Chicago's offer.Leafs were probably far off on an AAV for Bert. This has been the repeated problem with a team handcuffed by the cap, sadly by some who can't win in the playoffs.
I would have paid him $5M AAV but Leafs couldn't afford it. They probably offered him $4.25 or $4.5 with less term, or, decided they could only have one of Bert or Domi and Domi came in far lower.
I think I'm on record saying I would have been prepared to offer them the average of each of their salaries last year. So I agree with Leafs' management walking away, again IF it was Toronto walking from Bertuzzi and not the other way around.
Credit where credit's due, Mess.Top line LW Tyler Bertuzzi signed at $5.5 mil by our new GM Treliving was an attempt to replace Zach Hyman that our past GM foolish mistakenly let walk thinking $5 mil was too much.
Tyler Bertuzzi scored 43 regular season points playing Hyman's LW position on the top line while Hyman racked up 54 regular season goals alone this past season.
We shouldn't be in this position, and there shouldn't be a Leaf fan alive that wouldn't prefer Zach back and locked in at $5 mil.
However now in damage control BT has to find another LW for the top line, and likely forced to pay MORE $$ for less production, which in turm makes the Leafs less Cup competive in a Salary Cap World. We're going to feel the impact of past GM incompetence for a long time still and new GM can only do so much to minimize the damage left behing that he inherited.
Big, heavy North-South hockey, with player willing to finish their checks and win puck battles and crash the net perfectly descibes Zach Hyman who would have fit hand in glove to new Coach Berube preferred style of play. Finding a suitable replacement will not be eazy.
You did champion Zach Hyman at $5M with a projection that saw totals well worth it.
Nobody could see McDavid's effect.
I think Hyman wouldn't have hit quite those highs, but its self-evident that Dubas galaxy-brained the hell out of that situation.