JFJ Inks Tucker to Good Deal

Don't worry people. That is not the first sign of the apocalypse. JFJ and Darcy Tucker are reportedly putting the finishing touches on a new deal for the feisty winger. This was a divisive topic within Leafs Nation as some wanted to see Tucker traded to cash in an asset at its peak (I was moving towards this view more and more) while others saw Tucker as the sort of jack-of-all-trades that the Leafs needed.

My own trepidation was based on early reports that had the negotiations centred around a 5-year deal worth between $4 and $5M per season. Tucker's injury made him almost impossible to trade for fair value and it apparently helped to depress his demands. The report states that the contract is for 3 (maybe 4 years) at an average of $3M and the no-movement clause that JFJ loves to throw around like tissues at a sens playoff party is non-existent. In its place there will likely be a no-trade clause that applies only in the last year of the contract.

All in all it's a pretty good deal in terms of length and money. Tucker had 19 goals in 39 games before getting injured and was a vital piece of the powerplay. He hits, fights, antagonizes, and fires up the team and the crowd. If he can maintain his style of play and the goal-scoring pace he has set in the last couple of years then this can be looked upon as a third great contract by JFJ (Raycroft and Kaberle being the others).

Here's a nice compilation from the guys at www.baystreetbullies.com that shows what $3M per season gets you:

Monday Morning Odds and Ends

Mark Zwolinski adds to the pressure on JFJ to make some tough decisions. Darcy Tucker is attracting a lot of interest from his home province and the Western Conference. The talk from his agent had been that he was going to be looking for something in the $4M-$5M range when contract negotiations started but the starting point has been pegged at a 5 year deal for $17.5M or $3.5M/year. The deal is a little long considering Tucker's style of play and that he will be 36 at the end of the contract but the price is a little more reasonable.

Mats Sundin has also attracted interest from the Anaheim Ducks. The article notes that the Leafs will have to take the $6.3M cap hit because they will have to pick up the option to keep the Captain. He has a no trade clause but I can imagine him being tempted into a run for a Cup that he deserves. His addition to Anaheim would definitely make them a strong favourite to win the Cup and they have a lot of young players that could make an immediate impact for the Leafs in Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf among others.

Ken Dryden opines on his jersey retirement on the day that his number 29 will be honoured by the Montreal Canadiens. There were a few good pieces written about the subject that were split on whether to honour or retire. Good arguments were made for both sides with Bitter Leaf providing some good criteria to consider when retiring a jersey, Wardo at Leaf Club pointing out how players enjoy the history of their jerseys, and Reality Check at Eyes on the Prize focused on the joy that having their jersey retired would bring to a player. Well Dryden sees both sides of the argument and points out that he enjoyed seeing young players wearing his number:

It used to be ... that when a special rookie arrived in a team's training camp, that player would be given No. 9 or 7 or 2, whatever the number that was special to that team. One of the great and surprising thrills for me was seeing goalies wearing No. 29 after me. For a few, it may have been because I wore that number, but over time it became a goalie number.

Ever the politician.

You Be The Judge

Since people have been coming here looking for it here is video of the now infamous Tucker-Eaves scrap.

What are your thoughts? Did Tucker 'mug' him or did Eaves consent (under duress)?

Update:

Thanks to The Mad Hockey Blogger for unearthing these two videos. The first one shows McGrattan, the sens heavyweight, getting one-punched by Buffalo's Andrew Peters.

In the second one, Chris Neil shows that while he will gladly punch guys when they are being held sometimes a one-on-one fight can be too scary for him.

I hope these monsters don't take on the Leafs tonight!

Doubleplusgood News!

My dearest apologies to my loyal readers for the lack of postings over the last three weeks. However, it is hard to write anything when nothing Leafs-related is really happening.

Encino Man Returns
The first plus is that the Leafs are back in the news. Encino Man was back in the news with his own profile in The Star. Now that Domi is gone I guess they needed a new 'Everyman' fan favourite. I hate to tell them that it likely will not be Wade. On the other hand, the interview tossed up some real gems such as:

Who would you like to take on in a celebrity boxing match?
Tom Cruise. He just bugs me. He's just so weird. I think he used to be normal, but I don't know what's going on with him right now. He's all whacked out.

You know if Scientology's hitmen took out Belak for that joke they would solve a lot of problems. Although, now they might come after me for that joke.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?
Probably Dolph Lundgren (laughs). Everybody tells me I look like Dolph Lundgren.

Actually, the co-star of Rocky IV would be a good casting choice. Both are tall and blond and thick as a brick.

The Human Torpedo
What Leaf fan does not love to see a blue or white blur streaking from off screen aimed directly at the opposition's defenceman? Darcy Tucker in full flight is quite a sight to behold. Unfortunately, his time in the Big Smoke might be coming to an end. Darcy is entering the last year of his contract (here comes a big year) and some, like Howard Berger, think that the Leafs will not have the financial werewithal to re-sign him.

"I'm sort of in a Catch-22, I guess," Tucker said today. "If I match or improve my numbers from last season, I could price myself out of Toronto. I'd like to stay here, but I've been a pretty good bargain to this point, and free agency in my prime years is something I've worked hard for."

Hmm, that sounds suspiciously like the former Raptors' guard Mike James 'I am going to get PAID!' speech. I'd like to see Darcy stay but not at a ridiculous price like the comparisons that Berger raises suggest he might be in line to receive. Somewhere between $4.5M and $6M for a 5'10" 180 lbs crash and banger who will turn 32 this season might not be such a great deal. I would love to keep Tucker a Leaf but it has to fit within the larger plan for the Leafs. I disagree with Berger's belief that the salary cap will not increase next year. Finding the cash to pay Darcy will not be the problem. How much he wants and for how many years will dictate whether he remains a Leaf or not. It may come down to whether he truly wants to remain a Leaf or if his chance to cash in is what drives him.

Mats' Future
Berger also mentions the captain's club option next year for $7.6M. I will write further on my feelings but I love Mats and if the Leafs show improvement then I can see the team and Sundin being able to work out a deal that lets him end his career at a reasonable salary.

The Goalies, Training Camp, and Getting Pumped
Ninja says what most Leaf fans are glad to hear: Raycroft looks good and Maurice is going to drill this team into shape. I get more excited for the season every day. I heard Nickelback's Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting on my iPod while cutting my grass on a Saturday and I was ready to sit in front of my TV, get a belly full of beer, and commiserate with my dad about how much we hate Harry Neale.

LeafsTV
While following Mats' 6-5 victory over the Panthers last year I purchased LeafsTV in the second intermission in order to see the Leafs remain in an eventually fruitless playoff race. I meant to keep it for a month but forgot to cancel it (the programming in the summer is pretty much crap) but that forgetfulness means that I will get to watch the pre-season games as well as the 12 regular season games. So if you live outside of the region or do not want to spend the $2/month (you are a bad Leafs fan) make sure to check back for a fans' view of the games that barely anyone else can watch.

They also made a great addition to the broadcasting team. Before there was Jennifer Hedger there was Jody Vance. Well she is back as the pre-, post-game, and intermission host(ess?) for the team's digital channel. Good luck to her on re-claiming her throne as Canada's hottest broadcaster.

Voting Update
Considering that Kypreos got 77 write-in votes and finished fourth in the 'Guy whose mouth you'd like to duct-tape' category I would say that we made a statement about how little we like Death. Also, in 'Newspaper guy who should stick to newspapers' War and Famine ended one and two. Congrats!