Former Leaf reveals one of the reasons he left the team this summer
His stint in Toronto wasn't a long one, but Noel Acciari quickly endeared himself to Leafs Nation with the way he played the game. Acciari is a player who hits without relent, forechecks hard and leaves it all out on the ice. Plus, he can contribute the odd goal here and there. What's not to like?
Many Leaf fans had Acciari included on their list of Leafs they'd like to see back next season, but when free agency opened up, Acciari elected to follow ex-Leafs GM Kyle Dubas to Pittsburgh on a 3-year, $6M deal, which carries a $2M AAV. However, while I'm sure that Dubas was a strong influencer in Acciari's decision to join the Pens, he wasn't the primary reason.
Acciari spoke with the media this past week and revealed that it was actually a conversation with former Penguins winger Brandon Tanev that helped guide him to Pittsburgh.
"He told me I'm going to love it. And he said, 'they're gonna love you and the way you play'. He said Pittsburgh's got a special place in his heart. It made decisions a lot easier knowing that." - Acciari, crediting Tanev for helping him decide where to sign this summer
We know, as hockey fans, that we can't keep everyone. We know that every year players we like are going to leave, be it for cap reasons or otherwise. Still, it doesn't make it any easier on us to watch guys like Acciari walk out the door. While not a game-breaker, he's a guy who does all of the little things right and plays the game hard. Those guys are the guys you can win with. It's just too bad there was no fit to be had. The Pens are getting a good one in Acciari.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 13 | 976 ANSWERS Former Leaf reveals one of the reasons he left the team this summer Did you want to see Noel Acciari back in Toronto next season? | ||
| Yes | 649 | 66.5 % |
| No | 144 | 14.8 % |
| I'm not concerned - replacement level player | 183 | 18.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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