8 games in 1 goal 1 ass.

meh..
- bixll

Yet to see a player with more than 1

there's a bit more to hockey than points though...
- 21peter

He's playing on their third pairing, away from the spotlight.

He's happy.

Agree, probably not in 2020-21 but the following year when the US TV deal comes into play. The gambling money will also help. With a couple of good drafts, Ottawa will be ok. The extra cap will help cash rich teams more than others though.
- winsix

Cap going up was a big part of why Karmanos finally sold.

It's pretty similar, actually.

Melnyk bought the Senators for only $92 million and in the next couple years the salary cap will likely be approaching that number. It's getting far more expensive to pay players so Melnyk, like Karmanos did, is now neglecting the team by paying the bare minimum and not filling front office vacancies. Attendance is starting to suffer as a result while everyone loses faith in the team.

Eventually it's just going to compound itself until he cannot afford to ice a team anymore, which seems to be approaching quickly, and he has to sell or fold.

Then why w\wouldn't other teams ever do this in history? That would look horrible to the NHL and NHLPA.

I'm much more concerned about our crappy goaltending since last Christmas before Ceci ever arrived.
- RogerRoeper

But you still picked the Leafs to win the Cup?

He's playing on their third pairing, away from the spotlight.

He's happy.
- Scabeh

you're saying he's not very strong mentally... nah

you're saying he's not very strong mentally... nah

- 21peter

A deer in front of headlights...

Yet to see a player with more than 1
- winsix

How’s gardiner looking in carolina?
- bryant

Pretty good.

Plays better defense than I expected, and he's only had a couple real glaring mistakes. I can see why he drove some of you nuts. Seems to make one really insanely bad pass in his own zone every other game.

That said, we're pretty used to that, and he doesn't just blindly fire the puck from everywhere like Faulk did so I'm pretty happy with him. He does a real good job of recovering the puck and skating it out of trouble.

Cap going up was a big part of why Karmanos finally sold.

It's pretty similar, actually.

Melnyk bought the Senators for only $92 million and in the next couple years the salary cap will likely be approaching that number. It's getting far more expensive to pay players so Melnyk, like Karmanos did, is now neglecting the team by paying the bare minimum and not filling front office vacancies. Attendance is starting to suffer as a result while everyone loses faith in the team.

Eventually it's just going to compound itself until he cannot afford to ice a team anymore, which seems to be approaching quickly, and he has to sell or fold.
- BINGO!

Agree, attendance is down in a couple of places that are surprising this year. I heard that in Edmonton - where they are off to a great start, many long time subscribers returned their seasons tickets. It's probably a combination of the economy in Alberta together with the fact that they've been lousy for some time. Oilers have sent out free tickets to former subscribers to try to lure them back.
Luckily for those fans, the owner has deep pockets.

there's a bit more to hockey than points though...
- 21peter

Not with Gardiner their isn't.

Agree, attendance is down in a couple of places that are surprising this year. I heard that in Edmonton - where they are off to a great start, many long time subscribers returned their seasons tickets. It's probably a combination of the economy in Alberta together with the fact that they've been lousy for some time. Oilers have sent out free tickets to former subscribers to try to lure them back.
Luckily for those fans, the owner has deep pockets.
- winsix

People will never admit it, but even I've never had an issue getting a ticket to any game.

Makes a person wonder if pro sports is starting to price itself out. I'll also say that the game day experience in Calgary and Edmonton is way lesser than it is in other buildings. Experiencing a game in Pittsburgh, for example, is WAY more stimulating than one in those other two cities. It's not even close.

But you still picked the Leafs to win the Cup?
- walshyleafsfan

I picked the Blues last year with Jake Allen as the goaltender.

Teams have walked away. By all rights the Senators should have walked away from Ceci last year. They offered him $3.5m in arbitration and he asked for $6m. The arbitration awarded him $4.3m.

But Clarke MacArthur became a Leaf after Atlanta walked away from his award. Chicago walked away from Niemi after they won a cup.

The sheer fact that Ceci asked for $6m in arbitration last year gives me reason to believe that the Leafs could have offered $4.4m, and seen the award over the threshold, including what they wanted, and walked away.

The point is that they obviously wanted him - whether it's a poor decision or not - they had options, and they chose to keep him. They were not painted into a single corner here.
- Monkeypunk

I guess the question we as Leafs fans have to ask is "What would they have done if Ceci walked away?"

It's great to have $4.5 million to spend, but was there anything on the market out there that was better than Ceci?

I'm honestly asking - I don't remember what was in the defenceman store on July 1st.

Pretty good.

Plays better defense than I expected, and he's only had a couple real glaring mistakes. I can see why he drove some of you nuts. Seems to make one really insanely bad pass in his own zone every other game.

That said, we're pretty used to that, and he doesn't just blindly fire the puck from everywhere like Faulk did so I'm pretty happy with him. He does a real good job of recovering the puck and skating it out of trouble.
- BINGO!

Because he's used properly. In Toronto he'd just play far too much.

I guess the question we as Leafs fans have to ask is "What would they have done if Ceci walked away?"

It's great to have $4.5 million to spend, but was there anything on the market out there that was better than Ceci?

I'm honestly asking - I don't remember what was in the defenceman store on July 1st.
- Atomic Wedgie

There's nothing.

It's like the Tavares comments, for 11 million they could have gotten a #1 superstar D. Ok, who?

Not with Gardiner their isn't.
- Atomic Wedgie

Well, the amount of brainfarts should probably > the points

Teams have walked away. By all rights the Senators should have walked away from Ceci last year. They offered him $3.5m in arbitration and he asked for $6m. The arbitration awarded him $4.3m.

But Clarke MacArthur became a Leaf after Atlanta walked away from his award. Chicago walked away from Niemi after they won a cup.

The sheer fact that Ceci asked for $6m in arbitration last year gives me reason to believe that the Leafs could have offered $4.4m, and seen the award over the threshold, including what they wanted, and walked away.

The point is that they obviously wanted him - whether it's a poor decision or not - they had options, and they chose to keep him. They were not painted into a single corner here.
- Monkeypunk

I know, but those weren't circumstances where the team set-it-up so they could and would 100% walk away

Pretty good.

Plays better defense than I expected, and he's only had a couple real glaring mistakes. I can see why he drove some of you nuts. Seems to make one really insanely bad pass in his own zone every other game.

That said, we're pretty used to that, and he doesn't just blindly fire the puck from everywhere like Faulk did so I'm pretty happy with him. He does a real good job of recovering the puck and skating it out of trouble.
- BINGO!

My theory on the kid has always been this:

Growing up, his skating was so superior to his opponents that he never had to become great at passing it out - he would always skate it out.

He can't always do that anymore at the NHL level - so when he gets boxed in, he has absolutely no idea what to do with it. You can smell his panic.

People will never admit it, but even I've never had an issue getting a ticket to any game.

Makes a person wonder if pro sports is starting to price itself out. I'll also say that the game day experience in Calgary and Edmonton is way lesser than it is in other buildings. Experiencing a game in Pittsburgh, for example, is WAY more stimulating than one in those other two cities. It's not even close.
- BINGO!

I think this might be right.

Compared to other forms of entertainment for one night, pro sports is one of the most expensive one. And sometimes your team doesn't even give you a proper showing (bad nights happen, even to good teams).

Add to that the ridiculous prices for beer and food.... It's getting ridiculous to ask for a family of 4 to pay to attend a hockey game.

I know, but those weren't circumstances where the team set-it-up so they could and would 100% walk away
- RogerRoeper

If it's player-elected arbitration, the team can walk away if it's over a certain amount (IIRC, this year was just under $4.5 million).

Guys like Hainsey, Gardiner, Zaitsecv, Marleau could all have looked better with proper usage.

The coaching on this team is a cluster(frank)

"Let's overplay those guys and make the best 5 on 5 goal scorer 60th in 5 on 5 TOI!!!"

Imagine the results if suddebly a coach came in and made Matthews/Marner play together and increased the usage of the best players?

People will never admit it, but even I've never had an issue getting a ticket to any game.

Makes a person wonder if pro sports is starting to price itself out. I'll also say that the game day experience in Calgary and Edmonton is way lesser than it is in other buildings. Experiencing a game in Pittsburgh, for example, is WAY more stimulating than one in those other two cities. It's not even close.
- BINGO!

For Leaf tickets, depends on the opponent, playoff tickets are super expensive. I think you are right about pricing itself out. I went to a game in Vegas last year and that was fun, ditto with Chicago, when they were good. NFL and NBA tickets are still way more expensive in general than NHL tickets.

People will never admit it, but even I've never had an issue getting a ticket to any game.

Makes a person wonder if pro sports is starting to price itself out. I'll also say that the game day experience in Calgary and Edmonton is way lesser than it is in other buildings. Experiencing a game in Pittsburgh, for example, is WAY more stimulating than one in those other two cities. It's not even close.
- BINGO!

I can buy a 50" 4K HDTV for less money than to take a family of 4 to a Leafs game.

I think HDTV is a real game changer for ticket sales for all sports.

I wouldn't pay more than $20 to attend a baseball game anymore - and that includes game 7 of a World Series. It's just not worth it.

For Leaf tickets, depends on the opponent, playoff tickets are super expensive. I think you are right about pricing itself out. I went to a game in Vegas last year and that was fun, ditto with Chicago, when they were good. NFL and NBA tickets are still way more expensive in general than NHL tickets.
- winsix

I've always said that if the Leafs ever make it to a Stanley Cup finals, I will not attend any game where the Leafs can't clinch.

I'd rather sell my tickets, and make enough profit to pay for the entire next regular season.

I can buy a 50" 4K HDTV for less money than to take a family of 4 to a Leafs game.

I think HDTV is a real game changer for ticket sales for all sports.

I wouldn't pay more than $20 to attend a baseball game anymore - and that includes game 7 of a World Series. It's just not worth it.
- Atomic Wedgie

I need a bigger TV.