SABRES LEAFS MAKE A DEAL

To LEAFS: Shawn Horcoff, Year 2 philly 3rd

To SABRES: Matt Stajan, Lee Stempniak, Year 2 Pit 2nd, 500K

Sabres Agree and are happy to fill all the teams needs and are now ready for the season to start

I agree to this deal. We needed a strong center to start a comeback and Horcoff gives me that.

Can this deal be cleared up for me?
Stajan is a younger, cheaper version of Horcoff, add to that a young winger with top-6 potential + a 2nd and cash.
Doesn't really make sense to me from a Toronto perspective.

Toronto is in a tough division and they want to try for the playoffs now, Stempniak is offiicially a bust doubt he will ever play top 6 unless he`s an injury replacement. While Horcoff may end up palying on the wing on the 1st line in EDM this year. Stajan may be as good but again he has to reach that potential while horcoff is allready there. The 2nd and the cash balances this out, while the 3rd is going back the other way.

Have to agree with Montreal here.

Stajan was overplayed last year on the first and second line. Fact is, he's a third liner with some upside. His stats will go down while Horcoff's will remain the same. You loose a little bit of ommph with Horcoff, but he's a much better C then Stajan.

Stempniak is a bust, third liner with some grit but his production was the result of one good year with 2 good line-mates. He won't be much better then advertised.

It may not be the best deal out there, but considering what Toronto has to deal with it is a pretty good deal.

I guess that's the difference, I don't consider Stempniak to be 'officially a bust'

I also consider Stajan 'there' as much as Horcoff since he produced mroe tehn him last season with less to work with

Like I said, played on the first line and got a load of PP minutes... minutes he won't get as the Leafs get better.

My major probem was I am jsut trying to figure out why the cash and higher pick is going to Buffalo. To me a Stajan + Stempniak for Horcoff deal makes sense.

Bidding war maybe? I know Buffalo posted Horcoff on a block... could have been a rush to get him? Maybe they can answer that.

It dosen't Stajan will get 2nd line minutes, stempniak 3rd line minutes, Horcoff may play 1st line in EDM and improve, for two years then go down. Also, Stajan isn't signed so if you want him you can put an RFA bid on him, and Stempniak is overpaid at 2.5M the 2nd and the cash balances that out and there still is a 3rd going to Leafs

I’m just looking for an explanation on the thought process, since we’ve seen rookie GMs regret early moves (ie. Setoguchi).


Stempniak is no more overpaid then Horcoff is.
"Horcoff may play 1st line in EDM and improve, for two years then go down"
It is extremely rare for a player to improve past the age of 30.

I'm just looking to hear from the Leafs. As to the thought process, it'll likey be sound, but worth hearing.

okay so for all of you wondering out there...yes there was a bidding war between 2 gms so thats why cash and a higher pick were involved....i made this deal to fill all the holes on my roster which was a 3rd line RW that is now Stempniak and a 3rd line C that is now Stajan

i kinda like the deal for Toronto... IMO Stempniak is worthless and overpaid. Horcoff is overpaid too, but has better ratings than Stajan for now. Horcoff will be playing on a good Edmonton team this season. Stajan won't get 1st line minutes this year.
Picks and cash, yeah whatever... not like they matter much
I like it for Toronto..

Yes, there actually was an intense bidding war going on

The original deal that I was competing against was "a 72 OV C and a 69 OV winger" and a 3rd-round pick for Horcoff and a 4th, I believe. I was offering a forward for Horcoff and $1M originally, then ended up upping my offer to the forward + a 3rd-rounder + $1M.

It's an overpayment for Toronto, I think, but people have outlined how it works. Stempniak could still be a second-line forward eventually, but he absolutely crumbled in the pressure-cooker called Toronto last season. Additionally, Stajan's production was an anomaly IMO, and he's a third-liner, at best. Unless, of course, injuries arise. And the main reason Toronto had to pay this much: the bidding war. It was a market that benefited the Sabres, not the Leafs, nor myself.

We needed a strong center to start a comeback and Horcoff gives me that. I had to bid with another team and Joe saw my offer before this was sent.

processed

Garth Snow wrote:

I guess that's the difference, I don't consider Stempniak to be 'officially a bust'

I also consider Stajan 'there' as much as Horcoff since he produced mroe tehn him last season with less to work with

i never viewed him as a legit bust, but certainly not as good as expected

forgot to lock, processed.