One day, Detroit signed a defenseman who not many people knew named Brett Lebda.

The next NHL season, Lebda was a surprise at training camp and made the team as a #6/#7 and scores in his NHL game, setting the bar for 17 more goals in 325 more games. Earns a contract extension and very slowly plays his way out of the lineup over the course of three years. Eventually combines into one shape-shifting entity known as Mebdeech.

I can only imagine Brett Lebda's phone logs leading up to this monumental day.

June 26: Nothing.
June 27: Nothing.
June 28: Nothing.
June 29: Nothing.
June 30: Some random team in Russia calls, agent nor Lebda can figure out how to make a call to Russia because they can't dial in Cyrillic.
July 1: Nothing.
July 2: Nothing.
July 3: Prank call from someone named "Kenny."
July 4. Nothing.
July 5: Nothing. 
July 6: Ridiculous hockey blogger named finds a player he's never heard of and rumors that he's a Tomas Kaberle replacement.
July 7: Brian Burke reads ridiculous hockey blog, Lebda signs two-year deal paying $1.45 million per year.

What? Toronto? Seriously? Look at this defense:

Dion Phaneuf -- $6,500,000
Mike Komisarek -- $4,500,000
Tomas Kaberle -- $4,250,000
Francois Beauchemin -- $3,800,000
Jeff Finger -- $3,500,000
Luke Schenn -- $2,975,000
Brett Lebda -- $1,450,000
Carl Gunnarsson -- $800,000

$27 million for that crew, that's gotta be among the league's highest.

Kaberle is a virtual lock to be traded -- though his contract is a steal should Toronto feel the need to make the playoffs and want to keep him. Finger is a virtual lock to be in the minors, though Toronto doesn't look like they'll be against the cap, so they could keep him. Gunnarsson is young, but he looked great at the end of last year. It was likely they'd add another defenseman so they can move out Kaberle and Finger's contracts. But when you've already got four pretty big contracts, and a promising youngster, why spend so much on a player who was an extra in another organization?

The Leafs are my favorite Canadian team, and my 2A/2B with Tampa Bay now, because of Yzerman. I laugh because I care. I don't want them to make these stupid moves. Everyone and their mother predicted some bottom feeder team would like Lebda's speed and fairly confident puck-moving ability to take a chance on him for the third pairing and a cheap powerplay option.

But a chance is a lot different than $1.45 million. This is exactly what I talked about yesterday when I listed a dozen or so defenseman who have a good chance of being available in the middle of August. There are a ton of NHL defensemen available for very few actual jobs. There's going to be a solid number of them available right before the season starts, and I don't understand how Lebda couldn't have been one of them. Who did the Leafs outbid for his services? Domino's?

I wish Lebda luck. I was hoping Detroit wouldn't bring him back so I can't say I'm upset. It's just ridiculous how much money he got, and I'm upset it came from a team I wish well. It will certainly be entertaining to watch a bunch of way more talented players get signed for less money over the next three months. And it will be entertaining to see Leaf media turn on Lebda. If you're not wanted in Detroit, how well will you be received in Toronto?