Peca signs with Leafs

[MissConduct 1]

tsn 2.5mil/1 year

[kosydar 0]

Do you have it offical from anywhere? TSN has it as he is "set to sign Tuesday". Ugh.

[MissConduct 1]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=171565&hubname=

Sources tell TSN the Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to announce the signing of veteran centre Mike Peca on Tuesday.

Peca is believed to have agreed to a one-year, 2.5-million dollar contract.

[kosydar 0]

Thats just gross.

[kosydar 0]

I think one of two things happened with this. The first being that they signed him out of retaliation of Lindros signing with Dallas, which would be retarded. The second being they informed Lindros that they were going to sign Peca so there was no room for him, therefore he signed with Dallas. I really hope the second one is true. If we signed Peca to "replace" Lindros, I'll have lost all faith in JFJ.

[MissConduct 1]

pretty sure it was "Lindros we're signing Peca for 2.5mil, so you can only have 700k" and he said "i'm gonna look elsewhere"

The Peca to leafs was rumoured last week

[trucks 0]

I don't mind the signing of Peca no matter what the reason. In my mind he's an improvement on Alison and an improvement on Lindros because that injury factor isn't looming large over his head. If the Leafs guys who should score do score then Peca won't be relied on for goals and having him and Stajan kill penalties should be one of the best PK tandems in the league. He provides a lot more then scoring which he shouldn't be relied upon but he is also a big help defensively and is huge on faceoffs. In my mind he's a better centreman then Lindros or Alison.

[wickedwrister 0]

And the Red Wings watch the bus go by again!!!

[kosydar 0]

If the Leafs were set on getting a defensive center, why not McCauley? He signed for LA for 3 years, $6 mil. No reason he wouldn't have done that here. Hes a better player than Peca.

[kosydar 0]

If the Leafs were set on getting a defensive center, why not McCauley?  He signed for LA for 3 years, $6 mil.  No reason he wouldn't have done that here.  Hes a better player than Peca.

Taxes. There's your one reason.

Valid, but signing with Toronto means he wouldn't have to play in LA, which cancels out.

[warrior37 0]

And the Red Wings watch the bus go by again!!!

im glad they watched that 2.5 million dollar bus roll down woodward...

[wingsfan7777 0]

Red Wings already have enough centers....

[warrior37 0]

well that, and peca is not worth 2.5 million dollars

[kosydar 0]

True, but a team whose #1 center is McCauley is going to need to get a lot of help to even get in the playoffs.

[trucks 0]

If the Leafs were set on getting a defensive center, why not McCauley?  He signed for LA for 3 years, $6 mil.  No reason he wouldn't have done that here.  Hes a better player than Peca.

Why not McCauley? You've got to remember that the players choose where they want to play not the teams. McCauley probably didn't want to come to Toronto again and so that would be why. He never really excelled in Toronto but he did in San Jose so why not stay in Southern California, family is probably already settled in there and wouldn't want a move back to Canada. Who knows if thats why, just seems like an obvious conclusion.

[kosydar 0]

If I remember correctly McCauley left TO on good terms. I'm pretty sure Quinn was still GM when that disgusting trade went down, so there is completely different management in place. He's from Ontario, plus he was breaking out the season when he got traded (hence why SJ wanted him). He had a great playoff run in '02 and was well liked by the TO fanbase. I've heard he is good friends with McCabe and Tucker. I'm not saying that had the Leafs offered him a contract he'd have automatically signed, but due to the reasons listed above I think that TO would most likely be near the top of his list.

[Steveo 0]

I think this signing coupled with losing Lindros will be judged completely on weather or not Lindros can stay healthy this year. If Lindros doesn't get hurt JFJ will look like an idiot for not signing him but if Lindros goes down, everyone will be glad we weren't stuck in that situation again. 2.5 Mil for a season seems a little high but he did take a 1.5 mil pay cut.

So what's left over now? 1.5 million for the Leafs to pick up a good winger.......hopefully JFJ has a good trade up his sleeve

[dieselbro 0]

with his signing this put the leafs real close to the salary cap, which means less room for signing Anson Carter, which increases his chances of staying in Vancouver :D YAY

[Eazy_b97 1]

I'm pretty sure the Leafs still have about 4 mill left in cap space.

McCauley sucks. He isn't physical enough to be an energy guy and isn't talented enough to crack the top 6. He's a poor mans second line center. Stajan does everything Alyn does, but is younger and cheaper. McCauley had a good year, or a break-out team which was in the perfect situation. I like him as a person from all I've read and seen, but he isn't the player he was supposed to be.

As for Lindros, they offered him 750K before the season was over. It looked like he had accepted it then. The offer had not changed all this time and if you look at his quotes, he was ready to sign for that amount. He gave an interview about the Leafs where he kept saying "we" and such. Then there's another where he said the deal is worked out with Toronto, he just wants to wait till his hand heals before he signs.

Peca gives us one hell of a checking line, likely the best in the NHL, with Kilger-Peca- Tucker. I'm hoping this is a sign of a system change. One where we pressure more and focus on skating. If he's just here to plug a whole from last year we're in trouble.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Peca gives us one hell of a checking line, likely the best in the NHL, with Kilger-Peca- Tucker. I'm hoping this is a sign of a system change. One where we pressure more and focus on skating. If he's just here to plug a whole from last year we're in trouble.

Don't the Leafs rely on Tucker for scoring too much to have him on a "Checking" line. I'm thinking Peca will play with Kilger and Ondrous (or someone like that)...and Tucker will get Scoring line time.

[willc7786 0]

i still completely doubt that Peca has put Tucker dirty hit on him in the playoffs "behind him". Maybe enough that he'll play for the leafs, but I doubt he'd want to be linemates with him

[trucks 0]

Its official, 2.5 mill/1 year.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=171565&hubname=nhl

[McCabe24 0]

Consensus is we now have over 40 minutes of quality and confident play from the center position regardless of role and linemates. Two things to consider, the type of minutes Sundin will now be playing with a defensive center on board and possibly now two of the kids playing the wing. Also, when you look at the salaries I really think the Leafs signed Antropov over Lindros and Peca just fell into their lap. The onus is on JFJ now to maybe deal a contract, prospect and or pick for a decent winger.

[ItalianSpartan 0]

Peca gives us one hell of a checking line, likely the best in the NHL, with Kilger-Peca- Tucker. I'm hoping this is a sign of a system change. One where we pressure more and focus on skating. If he's just here to plug a whole from last year we're in trouble.

Don't the Leafs rely on Tucker for scoring too much to have him on a "Checking" line. I'm thinking Peca will play with Kilger and Ondrous (or someone like that)...and Tucker will get Scoring line time.

Yeah, I doubt that Tucker will be the first to welcome him to the team.

[willc7786 0]

I've played with a couple of guys who were (some still are) on the Islanders during the time that Yashin/Peca were on there together, and have heard stories of (for those that don't know, the locker room was basically divided between Yashin and Peca supporters) the two sides literally coming to physical blows (usually just 1-1, not full on brawls lol). Wonder if there'll be a Peca/Tucker camp divide