Trade Watch 2008

The Blue & White is going to get off its collective lazy ass and be the news source for trade deadline deals and rumours. With less than a week to go (!!!) before the February 26 deadline, we'll pull together all of the best information out there and spoon feed it to you. We'll do this because our average reader is part of the MTV generation: zero attention span, hazardously low levels of literacy, and the complete inability to think critically.

With that said, here is the first installment:

Mats Sundin
Mats Sundin is still sticking to his earlier statements about not waiving his NTC. I have called, and will continue to call shenanigans on that one. Mats Sundin will leave Toronto if he approves of the team to which he'd go. I've posted on this before, but NTC or not, Sundin is in a sticky situation. If he loves the team and the city and wants to win here, he must leave as a rental to make the team better...then resign with the Leafs. If he refuses to go (rest assured Cliff Fletcher will find a sweet deal), he shouldn't be resigned by the team. A rebuilding team cannot have a player that doesn't want to win as its captain - what kind of role model is that?

Sundin is rumoured to go to many teams, including Vancouver, Calgary, San Jose, Montreal, Ottawa, Anaheim, Detroit, and the New York Rangers. Peter Forsberg's announcement that he will not come back this season means that more teams will make a pitch for Mats, and that his price just went through the roof. Boner!

Tomas Kaberle


Tomas Kaberle is staying in Toronto. Despite rumours of potentially being traded, Kabbie vehemently denied that there is any chance he'll leave Toronto. He has a no-trade clause in his contract, so he'll stay if he wants to stay. Kaberle was our most attractive asset, as he is signed until 2011 at below market value. He'd have brought back more value than Mats Sundin will, as he has more hockey left in him, is signed long term, and is a top-level puck moving d-man, something that every team needs.




Nik Antropov


Antropov is rumoured to be leaving the Leafs because he is the type of gigantic power forward that any team can use. He would fit perfectly on any contender's second line. Nik's ability to stay away from injury this season has showcased his talents to the league. Only 27, he'd fetch a great return.






Bryan McCabe


A great offensive defenseman that can't do much else, McCabe's ridiculous contract and no movement clause will likely prevent him from being moved. Rumours involving McCabe continue, however, with the latest being that Fletch can rid himself of McCabe's services if he includes a draft pick. Fletch is a puddinhead if he doesn't jump at the chance to drop $5.75M of salary - yet only $3M of talent - from the payroll.





Andrew Raycroft

Probably the worst goaltender in the NHL this season. Agree or not, his stats generally support the claim. Some believe that a change of scenery would benefit Raycroft, as Toronto has effectively given up on him. There are contending teams that could use Raycroft as an improvement to their back-up goalie: San Jose, New Jersey, NY Rangers, Anaheim, and Vancouver all need to bolster their #2 goalie position. I won't hold my breath for a GM stupid enough to take on Raycroft at $2M per season. Does Raycroft's career remind anyone else of Eric Hinske's?



Check back here for daily trade updates!

Leafs Win, Slut Flashes Crowd

The Leafs beat the listless Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 last night in a game that the Leafs had in control most of the way. It's hard to believe - after watching that game anyway - that the Blue Jackets are a better team than the Leafs. Their defense is above average, but that's about it. Their offense begins and ends with Rick Nash, who is consistently overrated (57 points is his career high). I think Columbus' record has a lot to do with Pascal Leclaire's ridiculous start to the season - 5 shutouts in 9 games? That's unpossible!

Every Toronto media source has noted that there was a blonde behind the Leafs' bench that took her shirt off for the hooligans at the ACC. I missed it. I have no idea why it is news, but I'm probably only saying that because I am bitter that there is no video of the incident. For shame. Where is The Sun's tabloid-esque insistence on showing skin when you need it?

The Leafs lost Boyd Devereaux, Darcy Tucker, and Pavel Kubina to injury. As of yet there is no word on how much time they'll miss, if any. Judging by my view from my couch (after several brown bottles), Tucker and Kubina shouldn't miss any time, while Devereaux's injury is somewhere between a mild sprain and a total knee devastation. Hard to say.

Random Game Notes:
- Colaiacovo's goal was the first goal from a Leafs blueliner since February 2. Insert farting sound here. Do I need to remind everyone that the Leafs have about $20 million dollars per season back there, most of which is tied up in offensive d-men? Boys, we can almost handle the nightly defensive bedshittings if you're putting up some points. Fer fucksakes, earn your paycheques!

- The Leafs energy line of Moore / Devereaux / Kilger was again the Leafs' most noteworthy line. Kilger scored the Leafs' 3rd goal, and the line was responsible for Colaiacovo's goal in the first period. These guys are really playing well, but I am disappointed watching them, as their play highlights how poorly the other lines are put together. Oh, and does anyone else think Chad Kilger is gay? Everytime I see him interviewed, I'd bet my life on his homosexuality. I wonder if Vegas takes bets on gay. In any event, I really think Chad would be an incredible role model to gay youngsters, should he 'come out'. There are hundreds of hockey players to look up to, but no openly gay hockey players.

- He has put together a very reasonable string of games lately, so I've really tried to give him another chance, but the verdict is is: Matt Stajan is to hockey greatness what a small cock is to female orgasm. I'm not going to restate all the reasons why Matt Stajan is a sack of jizz; instead, I want to give you homework. Watch Matt when he is on the ice. If you ever see Matt Stajan win a one-on-one battle for the puck, I'll eat my hat. It simply doesn't happen.

Leafs Win, Chara Still Ugly

After a four-day weekend, I'm back in the groove today. No posts this weekend were due to no internet.

Danno and I took in the Leafs / Bruins game at the ACC on Saturday night, and boy was it boring at times. Fuck the Boston Bruins. Half of the game was a total snooze due to their bullshit overly-defensive style of play. At their most basic level, sports are entertainment. The Boston Bruins organization evidently tries to turn what could be an exciting sporting event into a chore to watch. Blehhh. Anyway, the last half of the third period and overtime made it all worthwhile.

The Leafs won 4-3 on the strength of Darcy Tucker's second goal of the game. No, really.

Darcy Tucker after his OT game-winning goal.
Charles Manson called; he wants his batshit crazy, chemically imbalanced stare back.

The game was a few days ago now, so rather than a recap, the following is what I noticed about the game that I would have missed had I watched it on the tele:

- Bryan McCabe's hand is definitely not 100%. Watching him in the pre-game warm-up, his shot is nothing like what it used to be. He was able to wind up and blast it, but his shot looked average at best - nothing like what it was. During the game, McCabe had perfect chances to unleash the one-timer (on the PP, for instance), but decided to pass it off instead. His hand isn't ready; and without the ability to use his best weapon, should he really be in the lineup?

- The Leafs' best line was Devereaux / Moore /Kilger. They applied the most forechecking pressure and mostly kept the Bruins in their zone. They even came away with the first Leafs goal. I heard meatheads in the stands talk up the line and how good they are, but the reality is that they look so good because the other 3 Leafs lines look so bad. This line is a typical 3rd line. They grind, they hit, and they create energy. But there really is nothing special about the Leafs third line, other than that they outplay the scoring lines on the team more than they should. Leafs Nation needs to watch good teams play hockey, and see how good scoring lines operate. On many NHL teams, their #1 line is the one that creates the energy and gets the crowd buzzing- you know, the way it should be.

- Leafs fans suck. Every time the Leafs carry the puck inside the blueline, they scream. Every mediocre scoring chance leads to most people in the stands absolutely losing their minds. I don't get it. Judging by the noise levels in the ACC, it's fairly evident that Leafs fans have no idea what is happening on the ice, about 90% of the time. Fuck!

Up Close and Personal... Well Not That Close

As a 17th birthday present, Mr. Bone will be taking me to the Leafs game tomorrow where the Boston Bruins are in town. The Leafs will be facing a division rival which they have had trouble beating in recent games.

It appears as though Vesa Toskala will get the start again tomorrow. With the Leafs going through a struggling season Toskala is one of the few players as emerged as one of the few that you can count on to "give 'er shit" every time he plays, and has been very solid for the better part of the season.

With back-to-back losses against Buffalo and the New York Islanders, the Leafs now sit in last place in the Eastern Conference, and with the trade deadline just 11 days away this Leaf team could be looking a lot different come February 26th, the day of the trade deadline.

When Mr. Bone presented me with the tickets I was a little down because last year Boston was the most boring team to watch in the NHL, but this year they have been a little bit more exciting. They went from being as fun to watch as getting your wisdom teeth out to now only as boring to watch as waiting for water to boil. Nevertheless, the ACC is always a great atmosphere and it should be a great night. I'm hoping I can get my Rbk jersey signed by a few of the players.

Shut Out!

The Leafs were on the losing end of a fantastic game last night. The Sabres won 1-0 in what was the most exciting Leafs game since Christmas - maybe the entire year. Both teams applied great forechecking pressure at different points of the game, but were kept at bay by amazing goaltending at both ends.

Again, the Leafs were almost as good as - but not quite equal to - a team that had played the night before. For shame!


Buffalo's goal came as the result of an Anton Stralman giveaway. He fell down while under pressure, managed to get back onto his feet (while being chased by a Sabre), only to flub his outlet pass, resulting in a turn over. I'll not berate Stralman here, because I think he showed real poise by regaining his feet while being chased. The pass was unfortunate, as it looked to have skipped over the blade of his stick. I think Stralman will be a Kaberle-esque d-man in couple of seasons, so he needs some slack while he is learning his trade. Most d-men play much more minor league hockey than has Stralman, and even then, they rarely peak before age 25. Stralman is 21.

Paul Maurice dressed 7 defensemen last night for the third straight game. Last night was both the third game since the Leafs' personal 9/11 - the 8-0 home-ice humiliation at the hands of the lowly Panthers - and the third game since Bryan McCabe's return. It's hard to say which of the two events made Maurice go with the extra d-man, but it seems to be working. The Leafs have only allowed 5 goals in those 3 games - two against Montreal, who own the 4th overall 'Goals For' Average; two against Detroit, with the 2nd ranked GFA; and one against Buffalo, the 5th ranked team

I also have my own theory. I really think the 7 d-men routine has something to do with one of them being dealt. Call me crazy, but I've never known Maurice to dress 7 d-men. Ever. I actually really like the move, because Maurice plays his 4th forward line so little, it only makes sense to remove a player from that line for a d-man. When McCabe came back, however, one of Stralman or White would normally have been watching from a press box. But now, roughly two weeks from the trade deadline (where four Leafs d-men have been involved in trade rumours to some degree) Maurice is playing (showcasing?) all of his d-men. At the very least, it's strange timing. Hopefully, one of the big 3 defense contracts are in the process of being shipped out.

On a related note, Ian White played the least of any Leafs defender, and played more minutes than only one player: the extraordinarily disappointing Kyle Wellwood. I've called out White for poor play several times this year; could coach Maurice finally see what I saw 30 games ago?

Alexei Ponikarovski returned after missing 7 games with a shoulder injury. He looked like he needs some more time off. His box score was more empty than a 50 Cent retirement guarantee. Nobody could convince me this morning that Poni was more effective than Robbie Earl, the man he replaced in the Leafs' lineup. Moreover, Earl should definitely be playing ahead of Kyle Wellwood at this point.

Coupled with the Leafs' loss, a Chicago win last night dropped the Leafs to 28th place overall. 3rd worst. If the season ended today (please, Jeebus, end this season today!) the Leafs would receive a lottery pick for their "effort", and could draft no lower than 4th. More importantly, they'd have a shot at #1.

Speaking of a #1 overall draft pick, here's hoping Andy Raysoft starts tonight against the New York Islanders.

Fletch Quote of the Day:
"My belief is he [Sundin] will only waive his no-trade clause to go to certain teams."
Well, Cliff, since you and Mats met a couple of weeks back to discuss that very thing, I think your belief is probably pretty close to reality. Take that, media men that insist Mats will not waive his NTC! I've said all along that Mats will go elsewhere, assuming he has input as to where. Bones it!

Post Script:
As annoying as he is, I appreciate watching games that feature Pierre McGuire as the colour commentator. A former assistant coach with the Stanley Cup winning Pittsburgh Penguins of the early 90's, McGuire gives more detail in one period than Harry Neale does in a season, or Greg Millen does in a month.

Typical Leafs fans everywhere should listen to Pierre, as he gives intelligent hockey information not available elsewhere. A great example came last night, when McGuire chastised Jiri Tlusty for being out of position on a Hal Gill clearing attempt. Tlusty being out of place meant Buffalo kept the puck in, and Gill took a penalty in trying to bail out his teammate.

With any other colour guy, there'd have been no mention of Tlusty's bad play. Moreover, there would have been a replay (or two) of Gill taking his opponent down, thus making Gill look bad, and increasing Leafs Nation's hate-on for him. In reality, Gill is a steady d-man, and having McGuire at the helm last night kept the negative focus where it belonged - on Tlusty. Neither Neale or Millen would have provided the viewer with that much. It's really too bad that McGuire insists on pulling that bullshit "Monster" gimmick every other shift, as it's damn near too much to bear.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Who Will The Leafs Move?

Today, the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes completed what Bob McKenzie called "nothing less than a blockbuster trade".

The trade sent potential top 3 defenseman Joe Corvo and left winger Patrick Eaves from Ottawa to Carolina for defenseman Mike Commodore and veteran left winger Cory Stillman, who has two Stanley Cup rings in the last 3 years, and 46 points so far this year.

This move paves the road for the other 28 teams in the league to make a move of their own at the deadline and may force other teams into make moves, with the knowledge that their rivals have just improved. The Toronto Maple Leafs may have lucked out.

The Leafs have wowed their fans with wins over arguably the top three teams in the league - Ottawa, Montreal, and Detroit - but they didn't forget to squeeze in an 8-0 loss to Florida, one of the leagues worst. This recent run doesn't put Cliff Fletcher in a different position, and intelligent Leafs fans won't change their minds on this season. Fletch was brought here to get the deal done, and set up this team for the new GM to take over.

But who will the Leafs end up moving? With all the ifs and buts over Sundin being traded, will Fletcher find a good deal for both sides? Will the Leafs unload the huge contracts of McCabe and Kubina? Will typical Leafs fan favourite Darcy Tucker be gone, even with his no-trade clause? Will we finally get rid of that incompetent Andy Raysoft? Only time will tell.

Cliff Fletcher is here to be a short term fixer and a long term builder. Recently I have heard rumours that if he is a big seller at the deadline - which most figure he will be - he will not settle for just prospects and draft picks. Apparently Fletch could bring in the likes of Marian Hossa or Martin St. Louis if the right deal is put on the table (Antropov, Tucker, Kubina, Raycroft kind of package). A short term fixer and a long term builder. But that is just a rumour, so keep your pants on.

So maybe it is just me, but Trade Deadline '08 is feeling a little like Christmas... without religion being forced down my throat.

Girls Only Like Guys With Good Skills

The skills competition took place yesterday morning, which gives me a perfect opportunity to say something I've wanted to say for some time now: The Leafs really, really went too far when they called their skills competition, "The McDonald's Toronto Maple Leafs Skills Competition presented by Rogers". What an unholy mouthful of words. Is it humanly possible to squeeze more corporate branding into one sentence*? Jesus fucking fuck. How insulting for the fan to have to endure such bullshit advertising.

(* Yes, I do realize that it isn't a true sentence...)

This is corporate advertising at its greediest. I mean, if it's the McDonald's Skills Competition, it's presented by McDonald's, no? If it's presented by Rogers, it's the Rogers Skills Competition. I don't see how the two can coexist, especially when you consider that every single fucking event at the skills competition had its own sponsor. The truth is probably that they fucking cannot coexist. MLSE should hang it's extortionate head in shame for this one. This is a company that already insults its fans by charging the highest ticket prices in the NHL for the privilege of watching the 4th worst team. With that in mind, I really don't think it's too much to ask to be spared the three corporations worth of advertising packed into one sentence, especially when that sentence is none other than the title of a formerly honest attempt to give the child fan something to cheer about. MLSE, you miserly fucks.

On to the results:
Fastest Skater: Jason Blake (14.34 seconds)
Hardest Shot: Chad Kilger (100 mph)
Shooting Accuracy: Tomas Kaberle (4 targets in 5 shots)
Shoot-out: Ian White (huh?)
Puck Control Relay: Tlusty over Earl and Steen, Stralman, Moore over White, Stajan, Devereaux
Powerplay Challenge: White, Stajan, Devereaux

Were there any players present that weren't 3rd or 4th line forwards or bottom pairing defenseman? Christ!

I've said it before, but how is Chad Kilger not a better hockey player than he is?. How is he not a superstar? He has every tangible tool required to dominate in the NHL, yet he toils on the 3rd and 4th lines of a bottom-dwelling hockey team after being waived by a formerly bottom-dwelling hockey team. What gives? Chad Kilger was a 4th overall pick in a draft that saw defensemen go #1 (Bryan Berard), #2 (Wade Redden), and #3 (Aki Berg) overall. Yep, you read that right; Kilger was the top drafted forward of his draft year. The best forward prospect of all players born in 1976/1977 is a bag of shit hockey player despite being as talented as anyone on the team.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Leafs Face Red Wings

For the first time since December 6th, 2003, these two Original Six rivals will face off at the ACC in a matinée game, starting at 3pm EST.

Foreseeing image of what this game will probably look like.
Detroit is the tiger and Toronto is the innocent calf.

The game will see Dominik Hasek and Vesa Toskala in between the pipes, where the best team in the NHL is facing off against the 3rd worst.

The Leafs have sandwiched an 8-0 loss to Florida between two 4-2 division wins against Ottawa and the red hot Montreal Canadiens. Detroit lost their last game to the worst team in the NHL, but before that loss they had won eight straight and sit easily in first place, 15 points ahead of 2nd place Dallas. Their record is a whopping 41-11-4, and their road record is what the Leafs have to watch for tonight, being 20-6-2 as the guest.

But maybe the return of Bryan McCabe will spark the play of the team like it did against the Habs, and Toskala can continue his strong play so we can squeak out a rare win against the Wings. Maybe they are real down from adding their 15th loss of the season to the worst team in the league.

The Leafs Going Forward: From the start of the season, I believed the team that the Leafs have put together is a real playoff contender. With a bunch of injuries, the Leafs fell to last in their division and second last in the East. I kind of gave up hope on this season, but I will still watch every single game and cheer for them. I would like to see them get a great draft pick, and I believe their chances for the playoffs are almost completely gone.

You can't tell the players and the coaches to blow up the season. Cliff Fletcher may trade or get rid of 10 players at the deadline, who knows? But no group of players, especially this Maple Leafs team in a market like Toronto, is just going to give up on the season.

I heard a rumour yesterday that maybe the Leafs might be getting a top liner at the deadline in the midst of all the players they give up. It's not going to be another Gary Roberts or Jason Allison type pick up, I heard the names of Marian Hossa or Martin St. Louis could be coming to the Leafs. Probably not, but it just goes to show that maybe if the Leafs win some games and shake up their roster by getting rid of some older guys and guys making too much money and bring in a goal scorer - they would have a contending team. Of course, I would rather see them plummet to last and try to get the 1st overall pick and bring in raw young talent, but how do you tell a team of professional athletes to go out and lose? Maybe... just maybe. I sure hope they don't get a good enough team to finish 9th place again though, but would it be nice to have a goal scorer like Marty St. Louis as the face of the Leafs, rather than the old balding Mats Sundin?

Finally!!

The Toronto Maple Leafs have pulled their heads out of their asses, looked at a 30-second clip of Andy Wozniewski's play, and placed him on waivers. If he clears (he probably won't), he will report to the Toronto Marlies for a championship run with the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate.

I think the Woz is a decent defensive player, but he is very slow, and he is always a step behind the play in the NHL. That, or giving away the puck. He would be a great 6th defenseman on a Western Conference team, where bigger, more physical hockey is played.

In Trade News:

- Dion Phaneuf just signed a whopping contract with the Calgary Flames that averages $6.5 million over the next 6 years, and Eklund's title for the update ran Dion Done...but are the Flames? .."Not even close."

The signing isn't related news, but the fact that a source told Eklund that the Flames are "not even close" to being done their moves sparked my attention, as Calgary is listed as a possible suitor for Mats Sundin. Earlier today Calgary was ruled out from the Peter Forsberg runnings, as were Detroit and Dallas. If you put two and two together, doesn't there seem to be huge potential here? Eklund spits out 5 big rumours a day, most of which won't happen, but when an insider like him quotes a source, they are usually very accurate.

This also seems to make great sense to me. His other possible suitors are San Jose, Vancouver, and Anaheim. San Jose already has Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau at centre, Vancouver has Henrik Sedin at centre, and Anaheim is already a clear-cut Cup contender with the late additions of Niedermayer and Selanne.

Mr. Bone talked about how Howard Berger gave Sundin a 3 out of 10 in the chances of him being traded. Danno thinks: Sundin to Calgary (d4)

8-0 Florida. I Almost Puked. Then I Did.

Last night's game was a real kick in the junk. I mean, the whole season has been pretty lousy, but losing 8-0 to the 13th ranked team (12th ranked after last night) in the conference is flat-out sickening; like watching your sister in an 8-guy cream pie porno. Get it? 1 cream pie for every goal. Meuh!

Fuck!

Boys, boys, boys. What is there to say after that one? It was an absolutely disgusting affair. Richard fucking Zednik - a guy who went over 20 games without a goal this year - got a hat trick. Shit! Brett fucking McLean - a guy whose previous single game point total was two - got five points. He only had 11 points all season before last night's game. Cock! The Panthers are coached by Jacques Martin, one of the most defensive-minded coaches in the history of the world, yet they managed 8 goals in one game. Cunt! The Panthers' previous high this season was 6 goals, and they did that only once. Piss!

Despite my childish cursing, there is almost no bad news to be taken from the game last night. I mean, unless you were at the ACC for the game (sucker!). We know the 2007/08 Toronto Maple Leafs are pretty effing bad. There were, however, a few typical Leafs fans that were still holding onto playoff aspirations, but even those fans should now be convinced that rebuilding is the only reasonable course of action. Last night's game effectively gave Cliff Fletcher the green light to do something dramatic if he feels the need. Nobody is going to question a significant move anymore, as a big move only means that less of this vagina of a team will remain.

Last night's game also gave management a good look at a few of the Marlies' standouts. The results are in, and they ain't promising. Kris Newbury and Ben Ondrus proved once again that they are not NHL talents. They hustle, sure, but NHL-calibre players need to bring more than that. They both tried to show their worth via a fight, and they even failed at that. Some hockey players really need to learn the difference between a willingness to drop the mitts, and the ability to fight. Darcy Tucker: I am talking to you here as well.

The sole standout from the AHL squad was Robbie Earl. There is a man that hustles and skates like Jason Blake, but also brings with that soft hands, and a willingness to take the puck to the net. Robbie Earl will be on the 2008/09 Leafs squad. Take it to the bank. Joining him will be current Leafs Anton Stralman and Jiri Tlusty, both of whom began this season with the Marlies.

The Leafs goaltending was stellar last night: 8 goals on 26 shots. A combined 0.692 save percentage. Andrew Raycroft was brought in after a sloppy start by Vesa Toskala, only to play worse than Vesku. But really, that shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone. Raycroft is an ECHL talent. His apathy after terrible goals allowed is more frustrating than a Jehovah's Witness at your door. Andy, if you showed a little personality out there, I don't think you'd be the most hated man in the city. Maybe you should give it a shot.

If this Leafs team fell into a barrel of tits, it'd come out sucking its own thumb. Please, Fletch, bring in some real men that'll go for the tits!

Powered by ScribeFire.

Berger Ranks Leafs

Howard Berger popped out an interesting article this morning. He has listed every Leafs player, and given them a rank based on the likelihood that player will be moved at or before the trade deadline. The article is definitely worth a read, as it gives a paragraph per player explaining his rank.

Notable is that Berger lists Andrew Raycroft as the most likely to be removed from the team. Raycroft received the highest possible rank - a 10 - and was the only Leaf ranked that highly. Following Raycroft with rankings of 9 are John Pohl, Wade Belak, and Andy Wozniewski. The highest ranked 'core' player was Kyle Wellwood at 7.

Could all three of these players be dealt before February 26th?

By no means is Berger's opinion gospel, but the fact is that no-one in the business follows the team closer than ole Howie. He's been the hockey reporter at The Fan for 20 years, and has been covering the Leafs - both home and away - since 1994. I put alotta stock in what Berger says, because he is a fine reporter, and he knows his shit.

Berger's article is discouraging to those of us waiting for a Mats Sundin trade. Sundin is given a ranking of 3, which doesn't give much hope that the team will be able to turn their captain into prospects and picks. Ouch.

It's just...how can a professional athlete - one who devotes his entire life to playing a game - not want to win the ultimate prize in that game? There is an argument to be made that Sundin's Olympic gold medal is a more significant accomplishment than a Stanley Cup, but Sundin has played in the NHL for damn near 20 years. Olympics aside, anyone that competes in anything for 20 years wants to win, don't they?

Mats Sundin has the opportunity to go to another team for a few months, have a great shot at winning the most coveted trophy in a game of which he has chosen to make a career, only to simply resign with the Leafs in the summer. He'd almost surely re-sign with the Leafs, because he seemingly loves the team or the city so much. If he doesn't, why contemplate refusing a trade in the first place? Moreover, the team he'd be returning to would be much stronger because he left for those few months.

Giving Sundin a 3 ranking means there is some reason Berger believes Sundin won't allow himself to be traded. It's not that I have an issue with Berger, more that I have one with Sundin (assuming Berger's 3 is accurate). If Sundin blocks a trade, he is essentially saying that he isn't interested in winning. He can continue with the "I want to win here in Toronto" line, but anyone with a brain can see through that. Sundin is 36 years old, and competing for a Stanley Cup in his career will not happen on this team. Keanu Reeves has a better chance at a Best Actor Oscar than Sundin does at winning a Cup in Toronto. Sundin is smart enough to know he can't win anything while playing in Toronto.

The question then becomes, "Is Sundin a player the Leafs should be interested in bringing back for the 2008/09 season at all?". If he blocks a trade to a contending team - effectively ruining his own chances of winning big - is that the sort of leadership the team wants around a rebuilding team? Fuck no!

While I wouldn't hold it against Sundin for staying put - the man has played well for the Leafs for many years - it seems to me that blocking a trade in the next three weeks should mean an end to his time in Toronto. It would mean that all of his doubters have been right all of these years when they said that Sundin is a mediocre leader that doesn't have a winner's mentality.

I don't, however, believe Mats Sundin is that player. I believe Mats Sundin does have that hunger to win, and that he will allow himself to be traded...to the right team, of course. It is up to Cliff Fletcher to make the deal happen on Sundin's terms. I really think Berger has ranked Sundin far too low. Rather than being on the lowest third of his ranking system, I place Sundin in the highest third.

Berger knows more about the Leafs, or Sundin for that matter, than I do, but - being that his immediate future is in his own hands - Sundin not being traded means he isn't the player Leafs fans have come to adore, and I refuse to believe that our captain is a loser.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Naked Pictures of Hayden Panetierre!

You'd be amazed how much more traffic this site gets when I run with a sensational, over-the-top headline like that. Of course, it's not 'real' traffic, but it makes me feel all warm inside when I see all those people coming to read The Blue & White. Apparently I'm an attention whore.

In any event, the Leafs lost to the Hurricanes last night, 3-2 in overtime. It was a sunuvabitch of a game for the Leafs...again. Not only did they lose, but they probably should have won...and they lost a couple more regulars. The Canes scored on a questionable high stick; the Leafs had a probable goal called back; a Canes player covered the puck in the crease (probably should have been a penalty shot); and Nik Antropov's penalty was iffy at best. Blaming the referees is a job I'll leave for typical Leafs fans, but I will say this: the circumstances last night were a real gypsy*.

(*Warning! The picture on the other end of the jump looks a lot like Tony Danza, a little like Detective Lenny Briscoe, and nothing like a woman. Ughhh)

Rock N' Roll Johnny Pohl looks to be out at least a week with a fairly serious - and grimace inducing - knee injury.

The loss of players is a potential disaster for Paul Maurice. Paul has never been fond of playing his 4th line. Last night, 5 of 12 Leafs forwards played under 10 minutes. The result was that the other 7 played huge minutes. Add to the mix two more players out - one of which the Leafs' leader in icetime among forwards - and Paul will either have to trust his depth players, or play the likes of Darcy Tucker and Matt Stajan 35 minutes a game. Please, Paul, use your 4th line more. After all, the season is lost and you can use the opportunity as a try-out for the young'uns.

Random Game Notes:
- I give Matty Stajan alotta shit, so here are some props: 23:32 played, 67% faceoff win percentage (several of those against Rod Brind'Amour, the best in the business), first line powerplay and first line penalty kill. Boner!

- Mats Sundin met with new GM Cliff Fletcher this week to discuss some bidniss. What they talked about, how the meeting went, and where they will go from here they aren't saying. The fucks. But at least they talked. The smart money is on Fletch convincing Sundin to waive his no-trade clause assuming Mats short-lists a few teams he is willing to go to. That's the most logical outcome, says me. I can't fathom a reason why JFJ was fired if Mats had made it perfectly clear he will unequivocally not accept a trade. Cliff Fletcher is a wheeler and a dealer. He was brought on to make some tough choices for the team - choices that MLSE didn't think JFJ could make. Trading Sundin is the biggest, and most important choice of them all. I believe Mats has made it clear that he is willing to go elsewhere, assuming he has a say as to where.

...his sister is still the #4 prostitute in all of Kazakhstan
Nik Antropov has been suspended three games for his temper tantrum after Rod Brind'Amour's overtime game-winning goal. Antropov was in the penalty box (for what he considered a questionable penalty) when Rod scored and let the referees have it upon his release. He even chucked his stick in their direction, a huge no-no in hockey. I wouldn't say this about many other players, but Nik gets a free pass from The Blue & White on this one.

Nik has been with the team for a long time, and he was picked on by media and fans alike for 7 of his 8 seasons with the team. This season, his play has improved, but the recognition he receives for his play has dramatically improved. With that came a newfound confidence as well as a fire inside. By that, I mean that Nik now holds himself more accountable for his play. When before he was beaten down by the constant, Larry Murphy-esque treatment he got in Toronto, this year he has been showing a drive to win, and showing his frustrations when the team doesn't.

So I say let the man show some emotion. He didn't for so long in Toronto, I was beginning to wonder if he had any in there.

Powered by ScribeFire.