Fan Fuel: Grabovski deal makes sense for Leafs

BY ROB MACNEIL – FAN FUEL BLOGGER

With the Toronto Maple Leafs signing centre Mikhail Grabovski to a five-year, $27.5 million on Tuesday, the instant debate was whether how much Brian Burke overpaid for the 28-year-old.

But if you look at the potential centres available on July 1, the Leafs really didn’t have a choice. And if you ask the fans in our forums, the majority of the opinions are in Burke’s corner. Do you agree with the average salary of $5.5 million or would you have saved that money for someone else?


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Here are what some of our fans think. Add your opinion at the bottom.

**Fair UFA deal, which means overpayement. But that’s what he would have gotten in UFA market. Just surprise Leafs had to pay out top $ to get it done and not get a tad of a home town discount. Like all long term deals, good today, who knows when he’s 32-33 and in yr four or five of this deal. Prob won’t be worth it, maybe not even on this team! Burke signed him cause he is needed over the next three yrs. He will worry about that if he is still GM of this team when it comes! – habaholic2

**At $5.5 million per year? Ouch. Considering his playing style, it’s only a matter of time before he gets seriously injured and that extension would become heavy. – LeafsAlmighty

**$5.5 million will be nothing in 5 years. – DPyro

**Why not? He is as good as any other UFA that will be available. Good move, but I am sure the GTA media will be very negative over this. $5.5 mil per is a real bargin for a player of his caliber, imo. As for injury? He is not a Lombardi, Connolly now is he? Just saying. – CaperLeaf

**I love the signing. Totally worth it, even better that he’s a good ol’ light-skating Slavic boy. – meursault

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