Jeff Finger

[The Cunning Linguist]

I was at Gretzky's restaurant earlier tonight. I saw Cliff Fletcher having a few drinks with some other brass. He was on his cell phone looking super frustrated.

Everyone was trying to figure out what the problem was. Apparently, Cliff was pissed because he accidentally put an extra zero on Jeff Finger's offer sheet. It was supposed to be for $350,000 per season. That's what you get for letting an old man type up an offer via email!

your kiddin'.....right?

 

[JD75]

your kiddin'.....right?

No, 100% true.

 

[robycapone]

your kiddin'.....right?

he must be... CLIFF doesnt write CONTRACTs...everyone associated with HOCKEY knows that...thats JEFF JACKSONS job.

at the end of the day...the Leafs picked up one of the top-5 shutdown d-man in the league according to those who speak.....


im not sure... i havent seen him play much but when he does play hes always up against the Iginla's and the Thorntons of the league.

 

[slowandeasy]

Remember guys its probably not Cliff making the decisions its mostly Richard Peddie

I dont' believe that.. I am not a big fan of Fletcher, but I do think that he has more integrity than to let Richard Peddie push him around...

 

[slowandeasy]

at the end of the day...the Leafs picked up one of the top-5 shutdown d-man in the league according to those who speak.....


im not sure... i havent seen him play much but when he does play hes always up against the Iginla's and the Thorntons of the league.

Top 5 shutdown D-men??? Which League??

I don't know about this move, and the salary seems high... As usual, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt... We will see...

 

[Yahweh]

I'll admit I haven't watched as much hockey lately but I never heard of this guy either.

As far as long term contracts, I think 4 years would be considered medium term. Campbell for 8 years and Redden for 6 are definitely long term.

The other thing that makes me wonder is this. When a team tries to re-sign a player the negotiations seem to go on for months. How come these free agents sign long term complex contracts within hours of when teams are allowed to negotiate with them. Or am I mistaken and they can actually negotiate before July 1st but only sign on July 1st. If not it seems kinda fishy to me.

Definitely "tampering" going on. Players talk to players and their agents and so on. Happens in all sports and even corporations.

 

[hunter001]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/3223/news;_ylt=Ap.VixQ.l2XLjV6tk5vqNtlivLYF

News and Notes
Jul 1 Finger has signed a four-year deal worth $3.5 million each season with Toronto, reports TSN.ca.

Recommendation: Bye-bye Bryan McCabe. Finger will be a top-four defender in Toronto and will bring a measure of toughness that the team has lacked.

When was the last time the Leafs could say they had toughness on the blueline?

The Leafs could play him with BM and Jeff could give BM a smack every time BM does something stupid.

 

[exbrower]

I read in damien Cox's column that Finger was a healthy scratch in 5 of Colorado's 10 playoff games. This justifies 3.5 a season for 4 years?

 

[johnhenrygalt]

I don't pretend to know that much about hockey but it does beg the question:

If a fellow goes from 475 K to 3.5 mill. and we haven't heard of him is he either a "sleeper" or did the Leafs just drastically overpay?

Pedantic precision du jour.

It the example quoted above, it doesn't "beg the question", it "raises the question". "To beg the question" means to assume the conclusion. It is a form of erroneous circular reasoning.

Example. The Leafs made a good move by signing Jeff Finger; because if signing him wasn't a good move, they wouldn't have done it.

THAT is "begging the question".

 

[MojoRisin']

Id love to know what other offers Finger was getting. Id doubt there was a huge bidding war out there for him. This is just so strange to me. If Cliff and the Leafs really thought this guy was going to be good then sure pay him $1 million a year. Thats double his last years salary and see how good he becomes. Paying him 3.5 is insane If there was a bidding war the Leafs should have bailed and not gotten involved, especially for such a mid/long term deal on an unknown

 

[MojoRisin']

I guess the bright side is ... It's not a no-trade or no movement contract ..

lol well ya thats true, guess it is better than the last group that was in here signing guys

 

[JD75]

I am trying to figure out why 3.5 for Finger makes me mad but if Jays sign a a pitcher for 3.5 million and he has a ERA over 5 I don't give it much thought ...

Isn't that because deep down, nobody really cares about baseball.

 

[MojoRisin']

I am trying to figure out why 3.5 for Finger makes me mad but if Jays sign a a pitcher for 3.5 million and he has a ERA over 5 I don't give it much thought ...

because its all relative to the pay scale. baseball players make way more on average than hockey players. Its all relative

 

[Doc Holliday]

Id love to know what other offers Finger was getting. Id doubt there was a huge bidding war out there for him. This is just so strange to me. If Cliff and the Leafs really thought this guy was going to be good then sure pay him $1 million a year. Thats double his last years salary and see how good he becomes. Paying him 3.5 is insane If there was a bidding war the Leafs should have bailed and not gotten involved, especially for such a mid/long term deal on an unknown

I was watching Sportsnet last night & Pierre Lebrun mentionned that one GM had told him that they were interested in Finger......but at $1.2 million. I'm really starting to wonder if they screwed up in some way & had planned all along to pay him $3.5 million for the total contract, not per year. I mean...can they be that stupid?

 

[slowandeasy]

I guess the bright side is ... It's not a no-trade or no movement contract .. He was a plus player and he isn't in
his 30's ...
.

Unless its guaranteed for the full contract..

 

[great bear]

Lads, Finger was on the ice against the best players in the Western conference. He was part of the "shut down" tandem Colorado used when the opposing teams iced their best line and their power plays. He is a defensive upgrade over McCabe and Kaberle. He was scouted extensively by Leaf scouts. Also keep in mind that Wilson saw him play on a regular basis. The guy is a keeper. GB

 

[slowandeasy]

Lads, Finger was on the ice against the best players in the Western conference. He was part of the "shut down" tandem Colorado used when the opposing teams iced their best line and their power plays. He is a defensive upgrade over McCabe and Kaberle. He was scouted extensively by Leaf scouts. Also keep in mind that Wilson saw him play on a regular basis. The guy is a keeper. GB

GB... I want to believe you, and believe that he is good... but the odds are against us. He is 28 and has only one full season in the NHL. He has been in the AHL for a long time, and no one noticed his shut down ability? Why did he only play in 5 of 10 playoff games last year? Then we give the guy a contract that pays him 9times his salary last year?

I want to keep an positive outlook, but these damn facts keep getting in the way!!!!

 

[great bear]

GB... I want to believe you, and believe that he is good... but the odds are against us. He is 28 and has only one full season in the NHL. He has been in the AHL for a long time, and no one noticed his shut down ability? Why did he only play in 5 of 10 playoff games last year? Then we give the guy a contract that pays him 9times his salary last year?

I want to keep an positive outlook, but these damn facts keep getting in the way!!!!

Facts? Facts? Hell its the Leafs were talking about. lol. I remember a player by the name of John Bowers. Spent years in the AHL. Arrived in the NHL in his early 30's. Give Fingers a hand. He will be a good one. GB

 

[slowandeasy]

Facts? Facts? Hell its the Leafs were talking about. lol. I remember a player by the name of John Bowers. Spent years in the AHL. Arrived in the NHL in his early 30's. Give Fingers a hand. He will be a good one. GB

Can you name a good player from this century...lol..

So far on the defensive side we have:

Kaberle
Kubina
Fingers
McCabe
Coliaccavo
Stralman
White

 

[hunter001]

Stralman

I hope the list doesn't include Stralman. He is just a kid and defense if hard enough to learn without throwing him to the wolves this soon in his career.