FanHouse Jeff Finger

OK, so maybe it's not all Vesa Toskala's fault in Toronto. I don't mean to pile on the Maple Leafs here, but man, this team can't catch a break.

With its 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, Toronto fell to 0-5-1 on the season, dropping its fifth straight game in regulation.

The description on TV (video after the jump) following Colorado's fourth goal of the game seems to sum up the Leafs' season through the first three weeks: "when it rains, it pours."

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. This is the first edition. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

Sometimes when naming a child, a parent chooses to give their child a special name. Occasionally, they name their offspring after a parent, a friend or someone else who has been influential in their lives. Other times, well, the child is named after a Canadian junior hockey club in Western Canada. This is one of those times.

The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't get what they wanted (John Tavares) during the NHL Draft. They also didn't get the forwards (the Sedins) that were likely their top target in free agency.

None of this, however, has stopped general manager Brian Burke from being a very busy guy since the Stanley Cup Finals ended. The Leafs have made a notable trade, signed two big defensemen (Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin), and have now picked up a "Monster" to help them out in goal.

Playing in his first game against his former team, St. Louis goalie Chris Mason was absolutely sensational on Tuesday, stopping 47 shots in regulation and overtime, not to mention two additional shots in a shootout, as a depleted Blues team walked out of Nashville with a 1-0 shootout win.

David Perron and Brad Boyes scored for St. Louis in the shootout, while Rich Peverley and Ville Koistinen came up short for the Predators.

The story of the night was Mason, who was traded by Nashville on June 20, in exchange for a fourth-round pick. The 32-year old goalie was a brick wall in net, as Nashville held a commanding 47-17 edge in the shots department. His best performance of the evening had to be the overtime period, as he turned aside nine shots as Nashville peppered him with shots on a 4-on-3 man advantage, following a questionable penalty call on Blues defenseman Barret Jackman.

The Blues have now picked up points in four consecutive games, after losing eight of their previous nine.

As much as we're used to NHL GM's handing out obscene contracts each and every summer, there is always at least one free agent signing that causes your jaw to drop and your face to take on the "WTF" expression. Somehow, some NHL GM makes us wonder how the hell he ever got hired to such a prestigious position.

This summer's worst deal is one contract that is not understandable, justifiable, or practical: The Maple Leafs signing 28-year old journeyman defenseman Jeff Finger to a 4-year deal worth $3.5M per season.

Yes, Jeff Finger, a guy most fans and media types probably know little about, is going to make more cash than Henrik Zetterberg next season.

What made the Leafs think Finger was worth $3.5M per season? The fact that he has less than 100 games of NHL experience? The fact that he put up a whopping 19 points in 72 games last season? The fact that he averaged less than 20 minutes of ice time per game?

You know your team got pwned when the guy signing the deal makes this sort of quote:

"I was completely surprised, to be honest," Finger said of the staggering sum Toronto general manager Cliff Fletcher paid for his services on the opening day of the National Hockey League's annual summer shopping season for free agents. "It is twice as much as I ever imagined making."

Translation: "I can't believe these idiots want to pay me this much! Bahahaha!"