Maple Leafs Sign Walser, Williams and Foster

[Podollan]

John Ferguson, vice-president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Wednesday that the club has signed forward Jeremy Williams and defenceman Derrick Walser to two-year contracts and forward Alex Foster to a one-year contract.

Williams, 23, spent time last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL). He has the distinction of being the only player in NHL history to play in just two games and score in both. The Regina, Saskatchewan native played 23 games for the Marlies, recording 15 points (six goals, nine assists) with 27 penalty minutes. Williams was Toronto’s fifth choice, 220th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Foster, 22, split last season between the Marlies and the Columbia Inferno of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). In 57 games with the Marlies he collected 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) with 31 penalty minutes. He played nine games with the Inferno collecting 11 points (one goal, 11 assists) with six penalty minutes. The Bowling Green alumnus was signed as a free-agent by the Maple Leafs on March 8, 2006.

Walser, the Canadian Major Junior Defenceman of the Year in 1998, split last season between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. He played nine games for the Blue Jackets collecting two goals and in another 49 games with the Crunch collected 36 points (nine goals, 27 assists) with 59 penalty minutes. The native of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, has played in 91 career NHL games collecting 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) with 56 penalty minutes.

[Thrillhouse]

Another guy for the Marlies.

[jtshade1977]

Originally Posted by Thrillhouse

Another guy for the Marlies.

One-way means NHL contract.

[Captain Crunch28]

I don't see how this is a 1 way contract.. He played only a few games with the Blue Jackets last season, I don't see him getting any times with the Leafs.

[Thrillhouse]

Originally Posted by jtshade1977

One-way means NHL contract.

1-way just means he gets paid his NHL salary in the AHL. Pocket change for the Leafs. He won't see a game with the big club.

[BGDDYKWL]

To pay a guy an NHL salary (and I realize the difference is less than $400K) who scored a whopping 9 goals in the A last year doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you're already over $49 mil. I guess if they have the money it's chump change, but it sure seems as though this guy would've taken a two-way deal.

[Perrott26]

This has too be for the Marlies .. but how many goddamn defenceman do they need ... They already have ....

Kronwall/Stralhman / Harrington
Sifers / Harrison
Oreskovic / Cashman
Wozniewski / Walser

and Marc Moro may possibly re-sign like he always does ... now + Walser ... If Strahlman doesn't plan on staying over and Kronwall makes the big club and captain Moro does not comes back .. Walser would still push a prospect out of the line-up ... It would not be so bad if he wasn't so damn soft .. I also do not no the status on Karel Pilar .. he could be there aswell ...

[Thrillhouse]

Originally Posted by BGDDYKWL

To pay a guy an NHL salary (and I realize the difference is less than $400K) who scored a whopping 9 goals in the A last year doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you're already over $49 mil. I guess if they have the money it's chump change, but it sure seems as though this guy would've taken a two-way deal.

Him playing in the AHL doesn't effect the Leafs cap number.

[BGDDYKWL]

Originally Posted by Thrillhouse

Him playing in the AHL doesn't effect the Leafs cap number.

Yeah I know, still just seemed like a waste when they already had a lot of money tied up in salaries. In the scheme of things though, as you mentioned, it is essentially a trivial amount of money.

[BROKEN*ORBITAL]

Originally Posted by Thrillhouse

Him playing in the AHL doesn't effect the Leafs cap number.

If he signed a one way deal it does. A two way deal is effected by what league you're in, but a one way deal is NHL cap money no matter where you're playing. The Leafs did the same thing with Alexander Suglobov last year and basically paid him a half mil (off their cap) to play for the Marlies.

[Thrillhouse]

Originally Posted by BROKEN*ORBITAL

If he signed a one way deal it does. A two way deal is effected by what league you're in, but a one way deal is NHL cap money no matter where you're playing. The Leafs did the same thing with Alexander Suglobov last year and basically paid him a half mil (off their cap) to play for the Marlies.

http://www.nhlscap.com/cap_faq.htm

Who doesn't count against the cap?
During the season: Players assigned to the minors - even if on one-way contracts - do not count (as long as they are not on conditioning assignments or fit the condition of 50.5(d)(i)(B)(5) above - this is the 35+ year-old rule) as well as players signed to a contract that are in Major Junior hockey or overseas.

A one-way contract is basically just a guaranteed contract...they get their money regardless of where they are playing.