Ville Leino to be bought out

[fanaticV3.0]

Well, in a capped league it certainly does matter what guys are making. A $4.5M "hole" is a much bigger problem than a $1.1M "hole."

 

He's Branko Radivoievic (9-14-23 in 88 games for Flyers; Raffl 9-13-22 in 68). You've got to have steady, productive guys pulling down $1-$2M if you're going to have room for the $8.75M superstars.

 

The Sabres expected Leino to be a first line center for them. Why? I have no freaking idea. But that, along with his steep drop in production when paired with the Sabres' vaunted 3/4 lines, has certainly hurt that team's compete level.

 

If Raffl doesn't pan out, there's not a whole lot ventured and not a whole lot lost.

 

That said, I expect him to be around a 10/20 guy.

 

If Raffl doesn't pan out, you still have to replace him regardless of how much money he's making. We're talking about a guy who has played on all 4 lines, in multiple situations, and at at least two different positions. If he can't do that next year, that's a blow and it's not a blow because of how much money he's making, but rather a production standpoint. 

 

I understand what you are saying. I agree with what you are saying that it will be less of a cap issue if he does fail, but cap/production issues aren't always connected.

 

If he's a 10/20 guy and continues his excellent all-around play, he'll quickly become one of my favorite players.

[RonJeremy]

Leino had fantastic stick handling and puck possession skills when he played with Briere in Philly. Does anyone remember the playoff game when he held on to the puck for what seemed like eternity and stickhnandled through the oppositions entire team.. Was that the cosmos lining up and giving Leino super powers for a short time? Or did he have some actual talent, or was it just one in a lifetime chemistry with Briere? I have to think he had some talent, not anywhere near 5 Million a year, but you would think from the playoff he had that year he would have been a 20 goal guy. He had some damn good playmaking ability , how he became a total zero in Buffalo is kind of puzzling . I didn't watch enough Sabres games to make any determination. If he is bought out, I would invite him to camp next year and see if he can recapture the magic, at a very reasonable contract of course.

If we end up dealing one of our forwards for defense, Leino might be a decent pickup for the third line

[ruxpin]

Leino is not an NHL player. He's an AHL call up who had a good spring in which he played over his head and cashed in.

Again, Detroit traded him for toothpaste; that should say something

[RonJeremy]

Aside from the good playoff, he had a good season the next year as well .Maybe we sign him to play for the phantoms and be a callup if needed. We don't have too many decent forwards down there anyway. But he probably would get a better contract in the Khl

[JohnnyDrama21]

Well, there is a bit of "defending" to be had - but not about the contract or his play. And it wasn't one decent season, it was one PPG playoff and then a 19/53 season.

 

Leino was the third wheel on the Briere/Hartnell second line for the Flyers. Briere was still a fairly effective player (34 goals, 68 points) and Hartnell ate up space (24 goals, 49 points). Leino got lost in the shuffle and took advantage (19 goals, 53 points.

 

He's a complimentary player - not a force in and of himself. He was signed as a second line winger and Ruff decided in his infinite wisdom to force this square peg into the round hole that was the first line center job in Buffalo. A ridiculous decision that anyone could have seen was a disaster waiting to happen - Leino had never played center before at any level. And it was.

 

When that blew up, Ruff put him into his infamous doghouse and relegated him to 3/4 line with muckers and grinders that virtually nobody could score with. When he didn't live up to the contract that the team itself offered him it suddenly became the player's fault.

 

Did he underperform? Yes. Is he a great player? No. Was it his fault Regier gave him that contract? Was it his fault Ruff played him out of position? Was it his fault his complimentary skills didn't make the 3/4 line in Buffalo immediately better?

 

IMO, no.

 

If some damn fool comes up and offers ridiculous money and a player signs it, it's not his fault.

 

Maybe taking a guy who was just making $825K and giving him a HUGE raise and a long term contract commitment based upon one season of work isn't the best idea in the world?

 

I made a similar argument at the end of last season, but it's hard to defend him after no goals this season. Then again, I don't think he could possibly succeed in Buffalo at this point and could be okay in another city.

[radoran]

I made a similar argument at the end of last season, but it's hard to defend him after no goals this season. Then again, I don't think he could possibly succeed in Buffalo at this point and could be okay in another city.

 

The whole "doesn't belong in the NHL" thing is just a bit hyperbolic for me.

 

No one was going to be productive as a complimentary winger on Buffalo's 3/4 lines this season. Just wasn't going to happen.

 

That said, wouldn't surprise me to see him in the KHL.

[NRH]

Remember that small, supposedly speedy forward that played for Toronto and then was traded to Buffalo?  Dominic Moore.   He totally stunk for us.  And now he is on the winning side (so far at least) in round one.  What do you think of this guy?  I saw him live even and I was never impressed.  It kills me how some players are just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.  So many great players do not win a Cup and so many non deserving ones get lucky and do.  Example of greats to not win one, and I will out of respect for the forum that is mostly Flyers mention Eric Lindros first.   If Lindros won one without me knowing please let me know.  i will mention Gilbert Perrault, Marcel Dionne.  Lets switch sports.  Marino and Kelly.  Yet Doug Williams (remember him) and that Ravens QB, not Flacco and Trent Dilfer do.  Team sports.  Nature of the beast.  Another guy that totally stunk for us was Regehr for the Kings.  Long time Calgary Flame.  And I have to throw Jordan Leopold in.  Sure he would  get you a goal once in a while.  But he would also let the other team get 5 by lazy non existent defense.  Just burns you to see these guys moving on in the playoffs only because they were in the right place and some dumb GM does not know any better.  But guys like these can make you pay at the worst of times.  Like Butler did to us in game 7 vs the Flyers.  Is he still in Calgary?  Or in the AHL?

 

Doug Williams is a lot like Leino, Nobody knew who the hell he was until he set the play-offs on fire and after that everyone knew exactly how to squash him.

[Irishjim]

In his defense he was injured often and he was in the middle of a mess with all the trades and the firing of Ruff. He is not as bad as you guys say.   Any time someone leaves the Flyers he is terrible.  If he comes to the Flyers he is just plain great.  Come on.  Lets get real here.  Can't you see the bias here?

when a goon like rosehill scores more goals than a high paid winger. its not bias its FACT...stop warming up the lumina in the garage, breath fresh air then you'll understand