It really isn't up to Simmonds. Typically when you're a fourth line player signing a cheap deal, you sign that deal with the knowledge that you may very well end up in the minors if you aren't good enough.

But thats the thing post-injury he was bad. The injury he suffered was to his wrist and knocked him out for 6 weeks in a shortened season. But before the injury he was actually doing pretty well scoring goals, getting pucks to the net, laying out hits he was doing it all to where Keefe rewarded him with top 6 mins. If simmonds plays like he did before the injury then all good.

Yeah but that was unsustainable anyway. He was fine pre-injury but he still only had 5 points in 12 games, all goals sure, but he was shooting 25%, which he was never gonna keep up. If he’d stayed on a 34 point pace that woulda been a great value signing, but there wasn’t much else happening in terms of depth scoring and he wasn’t exactly playing setup man at any point, and that goal rate was unsustainable. If he was playing injured the rest of the year post-injury then that was just a stupid decision, it’s not like Simmonds was an impact player, and the Leafs were more than fine without him, so it seems safe to assume that they would have let him fully recover, and again, he was a complete non-factor the rest of the way when he was healthy again.

edit: He’s also definitely not a top 6 player anymore lol, I always thought that was a silly decision to try him and jumbo in the top 6, like you’ve got better players and the old guys can’t hang, why try to force something that isn’t there? Media narratives don’t win hockey games.

Thornton? He was definitely guaranteed time

Nothing bad but nothing too special either

No one is guaranteed anything. Dubas does the signing and Keefe makes the lines. Guys like jumbo have simply earned it.

No one is guaranteed anything. Dubas does the signing and Keefe makes the lines. Guys like jumbo have simply earned it.

Hopefully the Leafs.

Low risk, high reward signing

At 900k, no issues in this signing for me!

If you're going to sit here and tell me Thornton deserved to be playing every game then I'm done talking with you

Better to have most of the same players in order to learn, then bring in new guys that will follow the same of the path of hundreds of leafs who lost in the first round. one thing that's crazy is the team looks different year to year, but it keeps happening to them in the 1st.

Sounds good.

Just realized your Jamiepo, if I knew that I wouldn't even of replied, my apologies

bringing in a bunch of old washed up players wasn't the answer last year and it's not the answer this year.

Toronto will bring back the same lineup expecting different results aren't they?

What do you mean? It's sub one mil for a ok forth line guy would brings grit and veteran presense to the table. There's 0 risk to it, absolutly 0. If he's bad he can just go on waivers. And if not he's a nice piece to the leafs 4th line.

Jumbo had a NMC. Not comparable in the slightest

The money is good, it's just the term is a bit too long (it'd be worse if they give him any sort of trade/move protection).

Terrible signing. I could go into detail, but his poor play speaks volumes. Invisible in postseason.

It's under 1 mil lol, how is it terrible?

Haha. I was half joking. Obviously, Simmonds isn't gonna make or break the Leafs chances next season. If they bring back Jumbo, then it'd be truly, "terrible."

Agreed. Then they need to bring in couple of young, cheap players on ELC's b/c those are the only 2 options with their cap. I would like to see Nick R make the team out of camp next season and I think Joey Anderson will make the team, too.

It is indeed. I was told nobody was given time, but Thornton clearly was

He doesn't have a NMC on his next contract. Toronto is in no way obligated to keep him on the roster as part of the contract.

Now, I would be shocked if he does actually get waived at any point, but it won't be for not being able to waive him from this contract. It will be because he clearly provides grit and veteran presence that clearly help the team. I don't know if you noticed, but when Simmonds got injured, the team started to fall back down to earth. Coincidence? I think not.



lol