Damien, Damien, Damien. The Coxsucker is at it again.
I've been very fair with him recently. I don't think I've mentioned him at all in the last month. I've been ignoring his horseshit journalism because, well, there is so damn much of it that some of the readers thought I was spending too much time on it. With apologies to those readers, I can't ignore his latest steaming pile, in which he suggests Matt Stajan is ready to be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I feel like printing the article (since I read online, not in the actual newspaper) just so I can wipe my ass with it. After eating Indian food.
Hopefully you'll read Cox's article, because the rest of this post is dedicated exclusively to showing the holes in Cox's article.
First and foremost, please note the following points that give enough ammo to dismiss Cox's entire article:
(1) Matt Stajan doesn't have a contract with the team in place for next season. He is a Restricted Free Agent come July 1, and - despite the recent contract given to the similarly situated Alex Steen - he hasn't been extended. If this team valued Stajan as their next captain, you can be hella sure he'd have a contract by now.
(2) Matt Stajan isn't even an alternate captain. Or an alternate alternate. Bryan McCabe and Tomas Kaberle each wear an 'A' for the Leafs. When one of Sundin, McCabe, or Kaberle doesn't play, Darcy Tucker is next in line to wear the 'A'. Translation: Stajan is at least 4th on management's leadership depth chart.
NHL captains are of two types: the star, who leads by example - Olli Jokinen and Nicklas Lidstrom fit in here - or the gritty, heart-and-soul player - Jason Smith and Tim Taylor go here. Some captains are such studs that they are both, such as Jarome Iginla and Rod Brind'Amour. Matt Stajan is neither of those types of player.
The reality with Stajan is that - on a contending team - he is not talented enough to be a top two centre, nor gritty enough to play a significant checking role. The highly respected Howard Berger recently blogged, "Upgrades are required for both Steen and Stajan." in response to a question about their future with the team. Berger believes going with Steen and Stajan will guarantee mediocrity, yet Cox is yapping about giving the captaincy to one of them.
This isn't to say that Stajan isn't a leader of sorts. As Cox points out, he is the Leafs' NHLPA representative. He's their union guy. That's an admirable thing, but it's important to note that the union rep gig in the NHL is about as coveted as a Church Street bathhouse janitor job. It's a total fucking headache, and most players avoid it like the plague.
I do admire Stajan for taking the job, though. He stepped up when his long-term employment in the league was in question. He got in with the union and is more likely to have a long career because of it...but I don't want to confuse self-preservation with the sort of leadership that breeds an NHL captain. It's very important to note that being a team's union leader is not the same as being a team's leader. Not even close. Cox tries to confound the issue, but the reality is that NHLPA union reps are often marginal players that aren't captain material. For instance, journeyman Mike Johnson was Montreal's union rep last year (during his first year with the team, no less).
Cox's suggestion that Stajan would make a good captain illustrates his lack of knowledge about the game. He is advocating the promotion of a guy that has no business in the core of a winning team. He may one day play on a team that does some playoff damage, but he'll be no more than
support staff. Take it to the bank.
Giving Matt Stajan the 'C' means he'll be a Leaf for a long time. When time to renew his contract, he'd get more than market value because of his role as captain. Any agent is smart enough to pry a little extra skrilla out of team management for the holiest of holy, the captain. This is a touchy issue in Toronto lately, because we already have a few of those overpaid mediocre types. Our recent playoff success should tell you all you need to know about how well overpaying players works in a salary cap NHL.
Stajan does not have the ability to inspire a team. Watch Matt battle for the puck one-on-one and try to picture a team rallying behind him. Watch Matt back down from serious physical contact and try to imagine his leadership translating into playoff success. These aren't traits that embody a captain. While he may be a serviceable NHL player, he'll never be captain material.
Stajan is currently playing the best hockey of his career to be sure. He is a big factor in the Leafs' futile playoff push...their third in as many years since Stajan joined the team full-time. It's worth it to note that Stajan was an absolute ghost for most of this season, back when winning games meant something. Since Mats Sundin's injury - and Stajan's apparent promotion to #1 centre - Stajan has just 3 points in almost 5 games. During the first full game that Mats missed, Stajan was -3.
Stajan's recent play is enough for me to give him another chance next year, when there is nothing on the line. The team will be rebuilding, so I see little harm in having Stajan back. But counting on him as part of the rebuilding core is a recipe for disaster. He simply hasn't shown enough talent, grit, or drive to warrant any guarantees for his future.
As for making him the captain? Well, only a Coxsucker could think something so ridiculous.
I've been very fair with him recently. I don't think I've mentioned him at all in the last month. I've been ignoring his horseshit journalism because, well, there is so damn much of it that some of the readers thought I was spending too much time on it. With apologies to those readers, I can't ignore his latest steaming pile, in which he suggests Matt Stajan is ready to be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I feel like printing the article (since I read online, not in the actual newspaper) just so I can wipe my ass with it. After eating Indian food.
Hopefully you'll read Cox's article, because the rest of this post is dedicated exclusively to showing the holes in Cox's article.
First and foremost, please note the following points that give enough ammo to dismiss Cox's entire article:
(1) Matt Stajan doesn't have a contract with the team in place for next season. He is a Restricted Free Agent come July 1, and - despite the recent contract given to the similarly situated Alex Steen - he hasn't been extended. If this team valued Stajan as their next captain, you can be hella sure he'd have a contract by now.
(2) Matt Stajan isn't even an alternate captain. Or an alternate alternate. Bryan McCabe and Tomas Kaberle each wear an 'A' for the Leafs. When one of Sundin, McCabe, or Kaberle doesn't play, Darcy Tucker is next in line to wear the 'A'. Translation: Stajan is at least 4th on management's leadership depth chart.
NHL captains are of two types: the star, who leads by example - Olli Jokinen and Nicklas Lidstrom fit in here - or the gritty, heart-and-soul player - Jason Smith and Tim Taylor go here. Some captains are such studs that they are both, such as Jarome Iginla and Rod Brind'Amour. Matt Stajan is neither of those types of player.
The reality with Stajan is that - on a contending team - he is not talented enough to be a top two centre, nor gritty enough to play a significant checking role. The highly respected Howard Berger recently blogged, "Upgrades are required for both Steen and Stajan." in response to a question about their future with the team. Berger believes going with Steen and Stajan will guarantee mediocrity, yet Cox is yapping about giving the captaincy to one of them.
This isn't to say that Stajan isn't a leader of sorts. As Cox points out, he is the Leafs' NHLPA representative. He's their union guy. That's an admirable thing, but it's important to note that the union rep gig in the NHL is about as coveted as a Church Street bathhouse janitor job. It's a total fucking headache, and most players avoid it like the plague.
I do admire Stajan for taking the job, though. He stepped up when his long-term employment in the league was in question. He got in with the union and is more likely to have a long career because of it...but I don't want to confuse self-preservation with the sort of leadership that breeds an NHL captain. It's very important to note that being a team's union leader is not the same as being a team's leader. Not even close. Cox tries to confound the issue, but the reality is that NHLPA union reps are often marginal players that aren't captain material. For instance, journeyman Mike Johnson was Montreal's union rep last year (during his first year with the team, no less).
Cox's suggestion that Stajan would make a good captain illustrates his lack of knowledge about the game. He is advocating the promotion of a guy that has no business in the core of a winning team. He may one day play on a team that does some playoff damage, but he'll be no more than
support staff. Take it to the bank.
Giving Matt Stajan the 'C' means he'll be a Leaf for a long time. When time to renew his contract, he'd get more than market value because of his role as captain. Any agent is smart enough to pry a little extra skrilla out of team management for the holiest of holy, the captain. This is a touchy issue in Toronto lately, because we already have a few of those overpaid mediocre types. Our recent playoff success should tell you all you need to know about how well overpaying players works in a salary cap NHL.
Stajan does not have the ability to inspire a team. Watch Matt battle for the puck one-on-one and try to picture a team rallying behind him. Watch Matt back down from serious physical contact and try to imagine his leadership translating into playoff success. These aren't traits that embody a captain. While he may be a serviceable NHL player, he'll never be captain material.
Stajan is currently playing the best hockey of his career to be sure. He is a big factor in the Leafs' futile playoff push...their third in as many years since Stajan joined the team full-time. It's worth it to note that Stajan was an absolute ghost for most of this season, back when winning games meant something. Since Mats Sundin's injury - and Stajan's apparent promotion to #1 centre - Stajan has just 3 points in almost 5 games. During the first full game that Mats missed, Stajan was -3.
Stajan's recent play is enough for me to give him another chance next year, when there is nothing on the line. The team will be rebuilding, so I see little harm in having Stajan back. But counting on him as part of the rebuilding core is a recipe for disaster. He simply hasn't shown enough talent, grit, or drive to warrant any guarantees for his future.
As for making him the captain? Well, only a Coxsucker could think something so ridiculous.
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