Elliotte Friedman is a trusted name in NHL news but even he isn't perfect, and he admitted that he gave the wrong information for Brandon Duhaime's contract.
The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Brandon Duhaime to a three-year deal on the first day of free agency and in doing so are adding a very fast, very physical winger whose penalty killing nature and mean streak that gives him a lot of hope in Toronto, and it's clear that the team saw something in him to give him a multi-year deal worth $2.6-million per season.
Elliotte Friedman personally apologized to Brandon Duhaime for messing up his contract details
That's not a bad deal when it comes down to it, in Elliotte Friedman's eyes however, he lowballed the forward and he admitted that when he first broke the deal, he may have gotten things a little incorrect.
In the last 32 Thoughts before a summer break, Friedman broke down every team's outlook and moves up until this week and on the topic of Duhaime, admitted he had to switch gears after getting it wrong:
I will tell you a funny story on July 1. I didn't realize with everything going a million miles an hour; I said Duhaime signed for 3 x $1.85M, and it was really 3 x $2.6 and I heard Duhaime was like 'you gotta get him to change that, I wouldn't sign for that.' [Chuckles] I apologized in person, I didn't wanna short change him.
It's not the biggest deal in the world and you can't really blame Friedman for getting some numbers mixed up considering the dozens of deals and rumours he needed to sift through and verify. Some things will get lost in the shuffle, and Duhaime was a good sport about it and at least had a sense of humour (which is also a huge asset off-ice).
Brandon Duhaime is going to add a great dynamic to the lineup regardless of his price
Duhaime signing for $1.85-million per season would have been a nice little bargain signing for John Chayka but even at $2.6-million it's still going to be a solid addition to the lineup that doesn't break the bank and costs less than a Nick Robertson or Matias Maccelli.
The 29-year-old had nine points in 82 games for the Capitals last season and has 70 points in 375 career games. His true strength lies in his physicality, where he has 879 hits over his five-year career - an average of nearly 176 per season. He's also 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, and skates like lightning.
Finishing in the 92nd percentile for skating speed, Duhaime had three times the amount of 22 MPH+ speed bursts than average, and he's just someone who flies up and down the ice with a relentless motor. That's going to be crucial in penalty killing and creating an uber-athletic and physical shutdown line.
Plus, he's going to make the locker room one heck of a fun place to be and he's always amped up and ready to get his team in the game - by any means necessary:
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This is the type of energy and passion that you want to rally the troops, and Duhaime may not be flashy or do much statistically on the ice, but you can bet he's going to be the glue that holds the team together.
So whether it was for league minimum, $1.85-million, or the true value of $2.6-million, Brandon Duhaime is going to be a key part of the Maple Leafs lineup even if it doesn't look like it at first.
Do you think Brandon Duhaime will be a good fit for the Maple Leafs revamped lineup?
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