We are keeping politics out of this just to let you know i'm not supporting a guy that's a racist etc it's like supporting Hitler I'm not doing it ...

Anything else is good
- GERBE!!!75PTS

Politics? Racism? Hitler?

Did I miss something?

Yah I'm sure "they could find a way" but at what cost? Jamming guys like Sosh, Brown or Marner back down to their respective lower tiers?

Leafs need to sign a good bottom six vet instead of promising a roster spot to a college prospect with family ties to management.

I might be eating my hat over this position in a years time but until then ......
- Seanook

Hey... Might u don't want him, I'll gladly take Vesey on our team
If a team as good as Nashville was willing to insert him into their top6, I can at least find a spot for him in my top9
You've gotta make the kid "earn" it...
But he's got the talent.

Worth giving him a shot IMO

Maybe u have a Drouin situation on your hands if he doesn't play well, but u deal with that IF it ever comes up.
That's no different from any other player on the roster

This ^^^

I was just in the process of googling all the forgettable Hobeynobody winners and you beat me too it.

Somehow folks have found a fool proof way to gauge NCAA prospect worth that we haven't heard about.
- Seanook

Explain how signing the kid to an ELC deal would hurt?
It's 99% upside

Politics? Racism? Hitler?

Did I miss something?
- Seanook

Just a definition of trump nothing new

Just a definition of trump nothing new
- GERBE!!!75PTS

I agree with you
But stop f*cking bringing him up

Let's keep politics out of it

Explain how signing the kid to an ELC deal would hurt?
It's 99% upside
- jdfitz77

Let's be honest fans north of the border just don't pay attention to NCAA hockey players.

Had he been a CHLer they would know about him.

The fact is a team in the second round of the playoffs had him in their top 6 once his college season ended. The GM on a NHL team actually said that...but nobody has ever heard of him before...

That is not a slight against the poster who said nobody has ever heard of him, but NCAA athletes just don't get covered in Canada especially American ones.

Explain how signing the kid to an ELC deal would hurt?
It's 99% upside
- jdfitz77

If it makes sense for you guys then by all means have at it. I would temper my expectations though. There's quite a few Leafers drooling over the possibility of adding him as well. I'm just not one of them.

I also don't like the way he Richarded Nashville around. He excercised his right to go the route he did but it makes me wary about his mentality.

We are keeping politics out of this just to let you know i'm not supporting a guy that's a racist etc it's like supporting Hitler I'm not doing it ...

Anything else is good
- GERBE!!!75PTS

Okay. Give me a minute

If it makes sense for you guys then by all means have at it. I would temper my expectations though. There's quite a few Leafers drooling over the possibility of adding him as well. I'm just not one of them.

I also don't like the way he Richarded Nashville around. He excercised his right to go the route he did but it makes me wary about his mentality.
- Seanook

I can agree with the arguments about mentality. If you think he really pulled a "dirty" move in Nashville then skip him. Guys have been skipped for less and I didn't think much of it myself. I just can't buy the "not enough room" argument. Last place team that doesn't want an immediate top 6 player? And people can say what they want about previous winners; you have numerous scouts/other teams saying he is a legitimate top 6 forward in the NHL right now...thus the reason for the clamoring. I respectfully call bull if I may.

Okay. Give me a minute
- bluengold12

I'm ready DD has had the best ones let's see if you out do him

I can't believe no one's talking about Brian Burke vampire look

Let's be honest fans north of the border just don't pay attention to NCAA hockey players.

Had he been a CHLer they would know about him.

The fact is a team in the second round of the playoffs had him in their top 6 once his college season ended. The GM on a NHL team actually said that...but nobody has ever heard of him before...

That is not a slight against the poster who said nobody has ever heard of him, but NCAA athletes just don't get covered in Canada especially American ones.
- Stripes77

Hyperbole

I can't believe no one's talking about Brian Burke vampire look
- GERBE!!!75PTS

They've been calling him sonic the hedgehog for years....


Edit: I think this may have been the genesis of that

I can agree with the arguments about mentality. If you think he really pulled a "dirty" move in Nashville then skip him. Guys have been skipped for less and I didn't think much of it myself. I just can't buy the "not enough room" argument. Last place team that doesn't want an immediate top 6 player? And people can say what they want about previous winners; you have numerous scouts/other teams saying he is a legitimate top 6 forward in the NHL right now...thus the reason for the clamoring. I respectfully call bull if I may.
- RhinoFan

Had the Leafs kept their kids up with the Big Club "en masse" they would not have finished last. I think you are grossly underestimating the strength of our prospect pool. They would have positioned us right out of the lottery had "the shuffle" not been implemented. The Leafs could have anywhere from 5-8 impact rookies in the starting lineup opening night. Adding another one who will block a kid or push one down into a role unsuited to the skill set is counter productive.

Realistically I'd like less kids and a few more UFA vets. Adding an entitled kid who hasn't proven anything or earned it even sends the wrong message and is counter productive.

Hyperbole
- burn

Not at all.

Coming from someone who reffed the NCAA its completely true. The usual route for Canadian hockey players is the CHL. There are exceptions of course (Toews for example) but the good players usually choose junior hockey. Then you get the USHL kids that play juniors then go play in the NCAA those players are American.

If the NCAA players were covered as much as junior players there wouldn't be posters saying they've never heard of the kid, they also wouldn't be saying that he isn't good enough to play on the top 6 of the Leafs.

If Jimmy Vesey was Canadian the story would be different. The kid has it. I am not saying he is a top line player but he is going to be a very good 2nd line winger.

Hyperbole
- burn

Right?

We probably give just as much attention if not more to it. The fact we don't value it much is another story and for good reason. Kids bolt for the CHL because it's a better league developmentally and competition wise. Are there good hockey players there yup. They are just much harder to quantify.

Don't drink Brian Burkes Kool-Aid. It'll get you a whole lot of Hansons and Biggs.

Right?

We probably give just as much attention if not more to it. The fact we don't value it much is another story and for good reason. Kids bolt for the CHL because it's a better league developmentally and competition wise. Are there good hockey players there yup. They are just much harder to quantify.

Don't drink Brian Burkes Kool-Aid. It'll get you a whole lot of Hansons and Biggs.
- Seanook

That was true 20 years ago, not so much anymore.

Not at all.

Coming from someone who reffed the NCAA its completely true. The usual route for Canadian hockey players is the CHL. There are exceptions of course (Toews for example) but the good players usually choose junior hockey. Then you get the USHL kids that play juniors then go play in the NCAA those players are American.

If the NCAA players were covered as much as junior players there wouldn't be posters saying they've never heard of the kid, they also wouldn't be saying that he isn't good enough to play on the top 6 of the Leafs.

If Jimmy Vesey was Canadian the story would be different. The kid has it. I am not saying he is a top line player but he is going to be a very good 2nd line winger.
- Stripes77

Nobody said we hadn't heard of them.... We said we almost never hear of them again!

That was true 20 years ago, not so much anymore.
- Stripes77

Kane was 20 years ago?

Nobody said we hadn't heard of them.... We said we almost never hear of them again!

- Seanook

My apologies then lol

Kane was 20 years ago?
- Seanook

One player...

Jack Eichel didn't bolt

Auston Mathews didn't bolt for the CHL, he bolted for Europe so he could get paid, he was never going to the CHL.

Not at all.

Coming from someone who reffed the NCAA its completely true. The usual route for Canadian hockey players is the CHL. There are exceptions of course (Toews for example) but the good players usually choose junior hockey. Then you get the USHL kids that play juniors then go play in the NCAA those players are American.

If the NCAA players were covered as much as junior players there wouldn't be posters saying they've never heard of the kid, they also wouldn't be saying that he isn't good enough to play on the top 6 of the Leafs.

If Jimmy Vesey was Canadian the story would be different. The kid has it. I am not saying he is a top line player but he is going to be a very good 2nd line winger.
- Stripes77

Yes it is. Speaking as a Canadian we follow ncaa plenty. To say Canadians don't follow ncaa and didn't know who vesey was is certainly hyperbole. Tsn has been talking about vesey for over a year, so this isn't true.

Let's be honest fans north of the border just don't pay attention to NCAA hockey players.

Had he been a CHLer they would know about him.

The fact is a team in the second round of the playoffs had him in their top 6 once his college season ended. The GM on a NHL team actually said that...but nobody has ever heard of him before...

That is not a slight against the poster who said nobody has ever heard of him, but NCAA athletes just don't get covered in Canada especially American ones.
- Stripes77

Leafs have signed a bunch of NCAA players recently - Bozak, Hanson, Scrivens, Bailey, Hyman

One player...

Jack Eichel didn't bolt

Auston Mathews didn't bolt for the CHL, he bolted for Europe so he could get paid, he was never going to the CHL.
- Stripes77

Cmon dude. The U.S. development program is doing great things. The NCAA is still not even close to CHL levels. I really don't want to make a list of the current guys who've bolted whom are currently and in the near future gonna be solid players. They far outweigh guys in the college ranks.

I'm not saying it's a bad league or they are all bad players. Just that the level of competition is sub par and harder to quantify. It was and for the forseeable future will be. It's just a fact.

Leafs have signed a bunch of NCAA players recently - Bozak, Hanson, Scrivens, Bailey, Hyman
- Canada Cup

But Americans bolt to the CHL I thought...