The NHL Entry Draft Lottery - also known as the Stamkos Sweepstakes - was held today and no, the Leafs didn't move up in the draft, but neither did any other team in the lottery.
The entry draft will take place on July 1st and it looks as if Tampa Bay will get highly touted Sarnia Sting centreman Steven Stamkos, followed in the draft by Los Angeles #2, Atlanta #3, St. Louis #4, NY Islanders #5, Columbus #6, Toronto #7, Phoenix #8, Nashville #9**, Vancouver #10, Chicago #11, Edmonton #12, Buffalo #13, Carolina #14.
**- Nashville drafting in place of Florida.
The top 10 rated prospects are Steven Stamkos, Zach Bogosian, Drew Doughty, Alex Pietrangelo, Nikita Filatov, Luke Schenn, Mikkel Boedker, Colin Wilson, Tyler Myers, and Cody Hodgson, respectively.
With the Leafs having the 7th overall pick, the projected draft pick for the Leafs will be Mikkel Boedker, a 5'11", 200 pound forward who was the fastest skater in the World Juniors. This year with Kitchener (OHL) he had 29 goals and 44 assists (73 points) in 62 games.
Whoever the Leafs draft, it will be a fine player who could be the face of the club going forward in the rebuilding process.
The pre-draft top 10 rankings were composed of five defenseman: #2 Zach Bogosian, #3 Drew Doughty, #4 Alex Pietrangelo, #6 Luke Schenn, and #9 Tyler Myers.
Hopefully next year if the Leafs miss out on the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, they will play bad enough to finish dead last and draft life long Leaf fan John Tavares.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Lose Leafs Lose!
Well with a loss to the Bruins on Tuesday, the Leafs are now 6 points out of a playoff spot with 5 games left, and they can be mathematically eliminated tonight with a loss against the Bruins.
For the Leafs to make the playoffs now is near impossible, and should not even be considered by the lowest intellect of Leafs Nation. For them to make the playoffs they would have to win each of their final five games, including regulation wins over Boston and Buffalo, have Boston lose the rest of their games, have Washington win just one out of their remaining five, and have both Florida and Buffalo play .500 hockey. Not happening.
So with the Leafs already being out of playoff contention, why not start Raycroft or call up Pogge and give him a few starts? This Leafs club will look drastically different come next year, and Raycroft will likely not be in the picture, so why not audition him so you can actually trade him? Oh right, because he is the worst goalie in the league. So since we are eliminated anyways, give the young guys more ice time and start Raycroft so we get a better draft pick rather than being stuck in no-man's land for the 3rd consecutive year.
Hopefully the new general manager next year will draft some real talent and rebuild this team out of mediocrity.
For the Leafs to make the playoffs now is near impossible, and should not even be considered by the lowest intellect of Leafs Nation. For them to make the playoffs they would have to win each of their final five games, including regulation wins over Boston and Buffalo, have Boston lose the rest of their games, have Washington win just one out of their remaining five, and have both Florida and Buffalo play .500 hockey. Not happening.
So with the Leafs already being out of playoff contention, why not start Raycroft or call up Pogge and give him a few starts? This Leafs club will look drastically different come next year, and Raycroft will likely not be in the picture, so why not audition him so you can actually trade him? Oh right, because he is the worst goalie in the league. So since we are eliminated anyways, give the young guys more ice time and start Raycroft so we get a better draft pick rather than being stuck in no-man's land for the 3rd consecutive year.
Hopefully the new general manager next year will draft some real talent and rebuild this team out of mediocrity.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Stajan Ready For What?!?
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.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
So You're Saying We Have A Chance?
Well my facts served themselves to be accurate, as the Leafs beat Buffalo 4-1 on Friday then Ottawa 5-4 on Saturday, both very exciting games.
Both games were without both captain and leading scorer Mats Sundin, and second in scoring Nik Antropov, but the Leafs still pulled through for their 2nd and 3rd straight win. The Leafs improved to 7-3 in March and have now gone 8-0-1 in their last 9 road games.
I watched all of the Buffalo game but I only caught the 3rd period of the Ottawa game but all I can say is that I haven't seen these Leafs play this good in over a year.
The Buffalo game saw Anton Stralman get his first NHL goal, while Toskala played by far his best game of the year, allowing just one goal on 36 shots and making some incredible and timely saves. Stralman, Blake, and Stajan had a goal and a helper a piece.
After losing the first three games of the season series to Ottawa, they have now won four straight against their division and provincial rivals. Down one goal heading into the third period, Tlusty and Stajan scored 42 seconds apart early to put the Leafs ahead 5-4 which would eventually be the final. Staffan Kronwall played in place of Colaiacovo for these two games and had his first career fight against Shean Donovan, but it didn't last much longer than Mr. Bone does having sex. HEY-O!
The two wins moved the Leafs just four points back of 7th place Philadelphia and 8th Boston place, still with Buffalo (81), Washington (82), and Florida (81) sitting between the Leafs and a playoff spot. The Leafs playoff chances will be decided by a home and home series against Boston this week on Tuesday and Thursday. The Bruins have lost their last three games overall and 4 out of their last 5 on the road. The Leafs are now 8-0-1 in their last 9 road games, so they should at least take that game. Once again the odds are with the Leafs to win both games, and the odds worked out pretty good this weekend so hopefully they pull off a couple wins this week to come into a tie for 7th place, depending on how the other teams fair.
Mats Sundin and Boyd Devereaux will both likely be back in the lineup Tuesday, which means a decrease in ice time for Matt Stajan who played #1 centre both weekend games and played 25 minutes Saturday, the most ice time of his career. In the absence of Sundin, Stajan had 2 goals, 1 assist, and a game winning goal Saturday night. I think they should stop riding the 37 year old captain so hard and give the younger players more opportunities, seeing as how they will be the leaders of this team in years to come.
Both games were without both captain and leading scorer Mats Sundin, and second in scoring Nik Antropov, but the Leafs still pulled through for their 2nd and 3rd straight win. The Leafs improved to 7-3 in March and have now gone 8-0-1 in their last 9 road games.
I watched all of the Buffalo game but I only caught the 3rd period of the Ottawa game but all I can say is that I haven't seen these Leafs play this good in over a year.
The Buffalo game saw Anton Stralman get his first NHL goal, while Toskala played by far his best game of the year, allowing just one goal on 36 shots and making some incredible and timely saves. Stralman, Blake, and Stajan had a goal and a helper a piece.
After losing the first three games of the season series to Ottawa, they have now won four straight against their division and provincial rivals. Down one goal heading into the third period, Tlusty and Stajan scored 42 seconds apart early to put the Leafs ahead 5-4 which would eventually be the final. Staffan Kronwall played in place of Colaiacovo for these two games and had his first career fight against Shean Donovan, but it didn't last much longer than Mr. Bone does having sex. HEY-O!
The two wins moved the Leafs just four points back of 7th place Philadelphia and 8th Boston place, still with Buffalo (81), Washington (82), and Florida (81) sitting between the Leafs and a playoff spot. The Leafs playoff chances will be decided by a home and home series against Boston this week on Tuesday and Thursday. The Bruins have lost their last three games overall and 4 out of their last 5 on the road. The Leafs are now 8-0-1 in their last 9 road games, so they should at least take that game. Once again the odds are with the Leafs to win both games, and the odds worked out pretty good this weekend so hopefully they pull off a couple wins this week to come into a tie for 7th place, depending on how the other teams fair.
Mats Sundin and Boyd Devereaux will both likely be back in the lineup Tuesday, which means a decrease in ice time for Matt Stajan who played #1 centre both weekend games and played 25 minutes Saturday, the most ice time of his career. In the absence of Sundin, Stajan had 2 goals, 1 assist, and a game winning goal Saturday night. I think they should stop riding the 37 year old captain so hard and give the younger players more opportunities, seeing as how they will be the leaders of this team in years to come.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Hurtin' Unit
TSN.ca is reporting that Carlo "I'm more injury prone than Forsberg, Havlat, and Gaborik combined" Colaiacovo will miss the next 4 to 6 weeks with a torn groin muscle. Not that this affects the team that much, already being out of the playoff race, but this guy has got to start doing more conditioning or working out or stretching or something. Fuck Carlo, you play about 30 games a season, and you've injured every part of your body it seems.
Staffan Kronwall has been called up to replace the injured Colaiacovo, who will miss the rest of the season unless the planets align and the Leafs win their final 8 games of the season and the four teams ahead of them do really shitty. Not likely.
Colaiacovo played 28 games this season and had two goals and four assists. In the six years he has been in the NHL he has played just 101 games...that's ridonculous!
Sundin and Antropov are still at least one week away from returning, and Boyd Devereaux could be returning within the next few games as well.
Friday & Saturday Back-to-Back Games: The Leafs finish off their three game road trip this weekend when they travel to Buffalo and Ottawa to (I guess) try to gain as much ground as possible.
- Buffalo has won their past three games, including a 6-2 win over the Leafs last Saturday, and are coming off a crazy comeback to win 7-4 last night after scoring six unanswered goals in the 3rd period.
- The Leafs are 6-0-1 in their last 7 road games.
- Ottawa sucks, their captain is a red-head and their best player killed his friend in a car crash.
Staffan Kronwall has been called up to replace the injured Colaiacovo, who will miss the rest of the season unless the planets align and the Leafs win their final 8 games of the season and the four teams ahead of them do really shitty. Not likely.
Colaiacovo played 28 games this season and had two goals and four assists. In the six years he has been in the NHL he has played just 101 games...that's ridonculous!
Sundin and Antropov are still at least one week away from returning, and Boyd Devereaux could be returning within the next few games as well.
Friday & Saturday Back-to-Back Games: The Leafs finish off their three game road trip this weekend when they travel to Buffalo and Ottawa to (I guess) try to gain as much ground as possible.
- Buffalo has won their past three games, including a 6-2 win over the Leafs last Saturday, and are coming off a crazy comeback to win 7-4 last night after scoring six unanswered goals in the 3rd period.
- The Leafs are 6-0-1 in their last 7 road games.
- Ottawa sucks, their captain is a red-head and their best player killed his friend in a car crash.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Toskala Shits The Bed...With Video!
So yeah. that was probably the funniest thing to happen in the NHL since the Steve Sullivan revenge incident.
Here's a video of the goal. I chose the Sportsnet feed because it has that sweet continuous shot from Davison's stick to the back of the net...175 feet away. I've seen a better camera angle - another continuous shot from just above Toskala's net - but couldn't find it during my search. And by search, I mean 30 second Youtube query.
I think it says alot about Toskala's play this season that nobody in the ruthless Toronto media took any jabs at him for the goal. Notwithstanding the fact that this was probably the softest goal in the history of the NHL, I've seen him let in only a handful of bad goals all season. He plays on a team in the lowest 25% of the league, yet is constantly credited with strong play.
I really think a case could be made for Toskala to win the Leafs MVP this season over Mats Sundin. Mats will win, because he is the captain, longest serving player and fan favourite, but has Vesa contributed any less this season?
Well, maybe. Mats didn't let in a goal from 174 feet away.
Here's a video of the goal. I chose the Sportsnet feed because it has that sweet continuous shot from Davison's stick to the back of the net...175 feet away. I've seen a better camera angle - another continuous shot from just above Toskala's net - but couldn't find it during my search. And by search, I mean 30 second Youtube query.
I think it says alot about Toskala's play this season that nobody in the ruthless Toronto media took any jabs at him for the goal. Notwithstanding the fact that this was probably the softest goal in the history of the NHL, I've seen him let in only a handful of bad goals all season. He plays on a team in the lowest 25% of the league, yet is constantly credited with strong play.
I really think a case could be made for Toskala to win the Leafs MVP this season over Mats Sundin. Mats will win, because he is the captain, longest serving player and fan favourite, but has Vesa contributed any less this season?
Well, maybe. Mats didn't let in a goal from 174 feet away.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Toskala. What the Fuck?
I don't know if I should be cursing in the title, but now is the perfect time.
It's 7:35 and I'm watching the game on Sportsnet.
The Leafs were on a powerplay and just 20 seconds into it, Rob Davison (just three career goals now) from the Islanders dumped the puck down the ice towards Toskala, and the bouncing puck got past Toskala. Don't get me wrong, the puck was bouncing around like a car after prom night, but the shot was from their goal line, and he had about 5 seconds to get ready for it. The play was strange, Toskala was square to the puck the whole time and it was ready to bounce into his glove but instead it bounced to the right and went under his glove and in the net.
I imagine Vesku will be getting some heat for this goal for the rest of the season from Leafs fans and sports casters everywhere. I won't bug him about it, because there was really nothing he could do to predict the way the puck would bounce, and also because he has been incredible in goal all season and his 29-22-6 record is the only thing that kept the Leafs in the playoff race. But needless to say, it is by far the worst goal I have ever seen allowed in my whole life.
Also, as Mr. Bone mentioned, Kyle Okposo (the 'K' is silent, pronounced oh-pose-oh) made his debut tonight for the Islanders but Alex Foster also made his debut tonight for the Leafs and they both looked pretty good out there.
Here is a video of the previous Top 10 worst goals in recent hockey history. Big surprise the Tommy Salo goal is #1, but Vesa Toskala had something to say about that tonight.
It's 7:35 and I'm watching the game on Sportsnet.
The Leafs were on a powerplay and just 20 seconds into it, Rob Davison (just three career goals now) from the Islanders dumped the puck down the ice towards Toskala, and the bouncing puck got past Toskala. Don't get me wrong, the puck was bouncing around like a car after prom night, but the shot was from their goal line, and he had about 5 seconds to get ready for it. The play was strange, Toskala was square to the puck the whole time and it was ready to bounce into his glove but instead it bounced to the right and went under his glove and in the net.
I imagine Vesku will be getting some heat for this goal for the rest of the season from Leafs fans and sports casters everywhere. I won't bug him about it, because there was really nothing he could do to predict the way the puck would bounce, and also because he has been incredible in goal all season and his 29-22-6 record is the only thing that kept the Leafs in the playoff race. But needless to say, it is by far the worst goal I have ever seen allowed in my whole life.
Also, as Mr. Bone mentioned, Kyle Okposo (the 'K' is silent, pronounced oh-pose-oh) made his debut tonight for the Islanders but Alex Foster also made his debut tonight for the Leafs and they both looked pretty good out there.
Here is a video of the previous Top 10 worst goals in recent hockey history. Big surprise the Tommy Salo goal is #1, but Vesa Toskala had something to say about that tonight.
Leafs Play Isles. Okposo To Debut. Tlusty To Suck.
The Leafs play the New York Islanders tonight, in another meaningless game. Had things gone right at the trading deadline a few weeks back, the Leafs would be playing against Bryan McCabe tonight. Sadly, McCabe will likely still do as much to help the Islanders win as if he had been traded.
(Side Note: McCabe has 5 goals and 22 points this season. 4 of those goals and 15 of those points have come on the powerplay that he quarterbacked into a bottom five ranking. So, ya, our 5.75 million dollar man has 1 fucking goal and 6 fucking assists at even strength. And, considering that earlier in the year he scored on his own net and gave the puck to an opponent who took it and scored a game-winning overtime breakaway goal, McCabe has -1 goals at even strength. Nicely done, Bryan. Nicely done.)
Both Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov - you know, our top two scorers and 2/3 of the first line - will not play. Instead, Alex Steen will play with Jiri Tlusty and Jeremy Williams. I don't know whether this is still considered the top line when the two best players are out, but one thing is for sure: this line is going to get knocked around more than an Irishman's wife on St. Patrick's Day.
There is really only one reason to watch tonight's game between two non-playoff teams, and that reason goes by the name of Kyle Okposo. The #7 overall pick from the 2006 draft will make his NHL debut tonight after leaving college a couple of months ago and playing at a near point-per-game pace in the AHL. He is the genuine article; considered the next Jarome Iginla by many.
The difference in skill level between the #7 drafted Okposo and the #13 drafted Jiri Tlusty should give any typical Leafs fan reading today a great lesson on the importance of high draft choices. This lesson is sorely needed, as even team management doesn't seem to understand. The Leafs' recent winning streak - with all its faux excitement and futility - only served to reduce the chances of nabbing an Okposo. Adding another Tlusty to this team won't help a damn thing.
Simmons Giving Up The Goods...For Once
On Sunday, Steve Simmons did something he doesn't often do: he wrote something of value. Pondering the Mats Sundin trade that never was, Simmons outed the exact deal that was to be. Deals that don't come to fruition (for whatever reason) do not often become public information.
The deal was Sundin for Christopher Higgins, and Montreal's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks this year.
As if Mats' decision - and subsequent catching fire - didn't sting enough, this deal is like sliding down a razorblade into a pool of salty vinegar. OK, so it isn't as good as the Bobby Ryan + Edmonton's 1st round pick deal that Anaheim may have offered, but that deal was more of a rumour than anything else. Brian Burke even denied it publicly.
This deal, however went right to Sundin. It was the real deal. Christopher Higgins would have stepped into a top 6 forward position right away. Montreal's draft picks would be low (25th overall if the season ended today), but that low pick is a great pick in this year's strong draft. Compare the value of a 24 year old player and three 18 year old prospects to a 37 year old in a one-year deal.
My Two Cents...
This totally isn't Leafs related, but I have no idea how Chris "Impregnated The Local TV News Anchor, Causing A Domestic Dispute So Big It Ran Him Right Out Of Town" Pronger got off so lightly after stomping on Ryan Kesler's leg with his skate. Colin Campbell of the NHL believes that the circumstances were different than the leg stomp that recently landed Chris Simon a 30 game suspension. Believe Campbell if you want to, but one thing to come of the situation is for certain: even the NHL finds a way to dick around natives.
(Side Note: McCabe has 5 goals and 22 points this season. 4 of those goals and 15 of those points have come on the powerplay that he quarterbacked into a bottom five ranking. So, ya, our 5.75 million dollar man has 1 fucking goal and 6 fucking assists at even strength. And, considering that earlier in the year he scored on his own net and gave the puck to an opponent who took it and scored a game-winning overtime breakaway goal, McCabe has -1 goals at even strength. Nicely done, Bryan. Nicely done.)
Both Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov - you know, our top two scorers and 2/3 of the first line - will not play. Instead, Alex Steen will play with Jiri Tlusty and Jeremy Williams. I don't know whether this is still considered the top line when the two best players are out, but one thing is for sure: this line is going to get knocked around more than an Irishman's wife on St. Patrick's Day.
There is really only one reason to watch tonight's game between two non-playoff teams, and that reason goes by the name of Kyle Okposo. The #7 overall pick from the 2006 draft will make his NHL debut tonight after leaving college a couple of months ago and playing at a near point-per-game pace in the AHL. He is the genuine article; considered the next Jarome Iginla by many.
The difference in skill level between the #7 drafted Okposo and the #13 drafted Jiri Tlusty should give any typical Leafs fan reading today a great lesson on the importance of high draft choices. This lesson is sorely needed, as even team management doesn't seem to understand. The Leafs' recent winning streak - with all its faux excitement and futility - only served to reduce the chances of nabbing an Okposo. Adding another Tlusty to this team won't help a damn thing.
Simmons Giving Up The Goods...For Once
On Sunday, Steve Simmons did something he doesn't often do: he wrote something of value. Pondering the Mats Sundin trade that never was, Simmons outed the exact deal that was to be. Deals that don't come to fruition (for whatever reason) do not often become public information.
The deal was Sundin for Christopher Higgins, and Montreal's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks this year.
As if Mats' decision - and subsequent catching fire - didn't sting enough, this deal is like sliding down a razorblade into a pool of salty vinegar. OK, so it isn't as good as the Bobby Ryan + Edmonton's 1st round pick deal that Anaheim may have offered, but that deal was more of a rumour than anything else. Brian Burke even denied it publicly.
This deal, however went right to Sundin. It was the real deal. Christopher Higgins would have stepped into a top 6 forward position right away. Montreal's draft picks would be low (25th overall if the season ended today), but that low pick is a great pick in this year's strong draft. Compare the value of a 24 year old player and three 18 year old prospects to a 37 year old in a one-year deal.
My Two Cents...
This totally isn't Leafs related, but I have no idea how Chris "Impregnated The Local TV News Anchor, Causing A Domestic Dispute So Big It Ran Him Right Out Of Town" Pronger got off so lightly after stomping on Ryan Kesler's leg with his skate. Colin Campbell of the NHL believes that the circumstances were different than the leg stomp that recently landed Chris Simon a 30 game suspension. Believe Campbell if you want to, but one thing to come of the situation is for certain: even the NHL finds a way to dick around natives.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
OK Leafs, You've Made Your Point
You played like sacks of shit for 60 games, but it seems that you are indeed capable of playing strong hockey. We get it. But guys, enough with the winning. Are you fucking retarded? If you keep this up, you'll be in the same situation next year. And the year after.
Fuck!
Winning was fine when you started this streak, as you were so far back that it didn't matter. But now you're a win away from 9th place (also called hockey limbo). You're smart enough to know that 8th place simply cannot happen. I mean, you have to see that, right? You have to earn 6 more points than the Flyers in only 10 games. Sure, you're only 5 points behind, but they have more wins, and unfortunately, wins are the tie-breaker. You have to beat them outright. That is as close to impossible as it gets without being mathematically eliminated.
Assume you get all 20 possible points; if Philly gets 15 points in their remaining 11 games, you are still fucked. Does it sound unreasonable that they will go 7-3-1? It doesn't to me. They are 5-2-3 in their last 10 games, and if they go the rest of the way at 6-2-3, they are in, for sure. And, fuck, that is assuming you get every possible point until the end of the season. No fucking way that will happen! Your team is good enough to make it interesting, but not good enough to win 10 straight. You know this.
If you continue to win, you are going to place 9th. And where does that leave you? With a draft pick around 12th - 14th overall - high enough to get a quality player, yet much too low to get a blue-chip prospect. Grab yourself another Jiri Tlusty and you'll be in this same predicament every year. Your draft choice may or may not pan out, and certainly will offer no short-term help.
It's as if you're missing that part of the brain that learns from previous events. Gunning for the playoffs after it's too late - for the third year in a row - is outrageous. It's very noble of you to break out the 'Never Say Die' attitude...after its far too late for it to mean anything. It's a poor choice, and poor choices lead to poor outcomes. Your run toward 9th place is indicative of poor decision-making and short-term thinking. Fer fucksakes, break out of your funk of mediocrity and give us something to cheer for.
I'm not asking you to tank; only to do the things that a team not in the playoffs should. Rest your #1 goalie rather than giving him 23 straight starts. Give more icetime to the young players rather than riding the veterans. Last night Mats Sundin went down with a groin injury - could it be because the coach just played a 37 year old player more than 25 minutes the night before?
I've talked about it in a previous post, but some of that icetime needs to trickle down to the guys trying to earn roster spots for next year. For instance, does Matt Stajan need 20+ minutes per night? We already know what Matt can do - he is a 3rd line centre without the ability to check, and not much more. Can't his icetime be better utilized?
So do we agree then? We'll give you credit for not giving up - giving 110% as you are wont to say - and you do a few of the things that you should be doing anyway to facilitate a better draft pick.
Fuck!
Winning was fine when you started this streak, as you were so far back that it didn't matter. But now you're a win away from 9th place (also called hockey limbo). You're smart enough to know that 8th place simply cannot happen. I mean, you have to see that, right? You have to earn 6 more points than the Flyers in only 10 games. Sure, you're only 5 points behind, but they have more wins, and unfortunately, wins are the tie-breaker. You have to beat them outright. That is as close to impossible as it gets without being mathematically eliminated.
Assume you get all 20 possible points; if Philly gets 15 points in their remaining 11 games, you are still fucked. Does it sound unreasonable that they will go 7-3-1? It doesn't to me. They are 5-2-3 in their last 10 games, and if they go the rest of the way at 6-2-3, they are in, for sure. And, fuck, that is assuming you get every possible point until the end of the season. No fucking way that will happen! Your team is good enough to make it interesting, but not good enough to win 10 straight. You know this.
If you continue to win, you are going to place 9th. And where does that leave you? With a draft pick around 12th - 14th overall - high enough to get a quality player, yet much too low to get a blue-chip prospect. Grab yourself another Jiri Tlusty and you'll be in this same predicament every year. Your draft choice may or may not pan out, and certainly will offer no short-term help.
It's as if you're missing that part of the brain that learns from previous events. Gunning for the playoffs after it's too late - for the third year in a row - is outrageous. It's very noble of you to break out the 'Never Say Die' attitude...after its far too late for it to mean anything. It's a poor choice, and poor choices lead to poor outcomes. Your run toward 9th place is indicative of poor decision-making and short-term thinking. Fer fucksakes, break out of your funk of mediocrity and give us something to cheer for.
I'm not asking you to tank; only to do the things that a team not in the playoffs should. Rest your #1 goalie rather than giving him 23 straight starts. Give more icetime to the young players rather than riding the veterans. Last night Mats Sundin went down with a groin injury - could it be because the coach just played a 37 year old player more than 25 minutes the night before?
I've talked about it in a previous post, but some of that icetime needs to trickle down to the guys trying to earn roster spots for next year. For instance, does Matt Stajan need 20+ minutes per night? We already know what Matt can do - he is a 3rd line centre without the ability to check, and not much more. Can't his icetime be better utilized?
So do we agree then? We'll give you credit for not giving up - giving 110% as you are wont to say - and you do a few of the things that you should be doing anyway to facilitate a better draft pick.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Back-to-Back Wins
Back to back wins against the team we are chasing for the 8th and final playoff spot. Jesus christ boys, where was this effort from October to January?
Even captain Mats Sundin doesn't know what to think
of the way his team is playing.
Tonight - as like last night - Pavel Kubina supplied the Leafs with the game winning goal in a 3-2 victory over the Flyers. And, like last night, the Leafs went out and played some serious hockey and took the win over the team they are chasing for 8th place.
So now, with the Leafs winning both games of the home-and-home against the Flyers they move even closer to a playoff spot and are still grasping on to the pencil-dink sized playoff hopes.
Good News & Bad News x2: The good news first. The Leafs are only one point back of 9th place Buffalo (Lost 7-3 to the Penguins tonight. Nice!), meaning there is just one team they have to jump over before and if they wanna take 8th place. Also, they are only five points back of 8th place Philly, and winning those back-to-backers really helped.
Now the bad news. If you are the pessimistic type, the Leafs still do have to win at least 7 to 10 of their remaining 10 games left, but with those exciting back-to-back wins, they have now put themselves in a position where it is too late to get Stamkos, so shuttup about it. It is still a great draft year overall, and they will get a good pick nonetheless. So why don't you stop bitching and cheer on the Leafs and hope they can get to that 8th spot. If you still think there is a chance of getting that draft pick, the chances are just as good, if not better, of the Leafs making the playoffs. There are 8 teams in the league with less points than us, and two teams tied (Florida and Washington). The lowest place team is 14 points away (LA Kings), and for the Leafs to now get a top 5 pick they would have to play extremely bad, which I wouldn't bet on right now. The other bad news is that Sundin had a muscle strain in the 1st period and left the game and did not return. Real proud of the boys for cowboy-ing up and winning the game without their captain and leading scorer.
The game ahead: I may be dreaming, but if the Flyers lose to the Boston Bruins on Saturday while the Leafs beat the Sabres. We will be just three points back of 8th and would most likely be occupying the 9th spot. Not too much to ask for. I don't know about that Debbie Downer Mr. Bone, but with the distance we are away from getting a top draft pick what is the harm of at least cheering on my favourite team to make the playoffs. Either way this year was a big disappointment, and we would probably get put out in the first round, but what a comeback that would be.
Maurice: I didn't post about last nights game but I really wanna give props to Maurice for finally doing some smart coaching and pulling the goalie when we needed that extra point last night, and then again tonight for not playing Raysoft.
I am heading to Mr. Bone's place for St. Patty's Day weekend tomorrow and we will be watching the game Saturday hoping that the Leafs do the unthinkable, move into 9th place and only three points back. Screw his negativity!
Even captain Mats Sundin doesn't know what to thinkof the way his team is playing.
Tonight - as like last night - Pavel Kubina supplied the Leafs with the game winning goal in a 3-2 victory over the Flyers. And, like last night, the Leafs went out and played some serious hockey and took the win over the team they are chasing for 8th place.
So now, with the Leafs winning both games of the home-and-home against the Flyers they move even closer to a playoff spot and are still grasping on to the pencil-dink sized playoff hopes.
Good News & Bad News x2: The good news first. The Leafs are only one point back of 9th place Buffalo (Lost 7-3 to the Penguins tonight. Nice!), meaning there is just one team they have to jump over before and if they wanna take 8th place. Also, they are only five points back of 8th place Philly, and winning those back-to-backers really helped.
Now the bad news. If you are the pessimistic type, the Leafs still do have to win at least 7 to 10 of their remaining 10 games left, but with those exciting back-to-back wins, they have now put themselves in a position where it is too late to get Stamkos, so shuttup about it. It is still a great draft year overall, and they will get a good pick nonetheless. So why don't you stop bitching and cheer on the Leafs and hope they can get to that 8th spot. If you still think there is a chance of getting that draft pick, the chances are just as good, if not better, of the Leafs making the playoffs. There are 8 teams in the league with less points than us, and two teams tied (Florida and Washington). The lowest place team is 14 points away (LA Kings), and for the Leafs to now get a top 5 pick they would have to play extremely bad, which I wouldn't bet on right now. The other bad news is that Sundin had a muscle strain in the 1st period and left the game and did not return. Real proud of the boys for cowboy-ing up and winning the game without their captain and leading scorer.
The game ahead: I may be dreaming, but if the Flyers lose to the Boston Bruins on Saturday while the Leafs beat the Sabres. We will be just three points back of 8th and would most likely be occupying the 9th spot. Not too much to ask for. I don't know about that Debbie Downer Mr. Bone, but with the distance we are away from getting a top draft pick what is the harm of at least cheering on my favourite team to make the playoffs. Either way this year was a big disappointment, and we would probably get put out in the first round, but what a comeback that would be.
Maurice: I didn't post about last nights game but I really wanna give props to Maurice for finally doing some smart coaching and pulling the goalie when we needed that extra point last night, and then again tonight for not playing Raysoft.
I am heading to Mr. Bone's place for St. Patty's Day weekend tomorrow and we will be watching the game Saturday hoping that the Leafs do the unthinkable, move into 9th place and only three points back. Screw his negativity!
Monday, March 10, 2008
The Nail In The Coffin
And the dream is...............over!
In stunningly obvious news, the Leafs are fucked. They lost 2-1 to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night and fell further behind the 8th place Philadelphia Flyers. With 12 games to play, the Leafs would need to win them all and get some help in order to make the playoffs, although I'm still not sure why any intelligent fan would want that.
I wonder if the latest loss will convince Paul Maurice to try out his prospects a little more. Prior to the last couple of losses, an argument could have been made that the team had a realistic - albeit tiny - chance of making the post-season. Now no such argument can be made. So, will Jiri Tlusty (4:52 of icetime on Saturday night), Jeremy Williams (3:26), Kris Newbury (3:35) or Robbie Earl (demoted) get some 'showcase' icetime? Will Kyle Wellwood be given an increase in icetime to try to show he is improving from the peewee hockey level he was playing at previously?
Coach Maurice can't use the playoff excuse anymore. And the thing is; it was always bullshit. He damn well knew his team had no chance of making it to the playoffs, but he is fighting for his job and needed something to tell the players. And media. And fans. As far as NHL coaches go, winning = job stability. Maurice knows he's circling the drain, and was riding his veterans into as many wins as possible - to make a case for his future employment - under the guise of making the playoffs. Previously, making the playoffs and keeping a job were the same goal, but now that the playoffs are out of the picture, we'll see how Maurice responds. If the young'uns don't see significant increases in icetime, Paul if officially hurting the team by trying to win his way up to 10th spot...and a lousy draft pick.
There will be a new general manager in Toronto come next season, and Maurice has shown very little potential to lead a winning team. Last year he was forced to play Andy Raycroft a ton, so I'd be willing to give him a mulligan. This year, however, the team signed a legit #1 goalie - whose stats are far superior to Raycroft's a year ago - yet the team is somehow worse. You can give a thousand different excuses, but the numbers don't lie. Paul Maurice has been unable to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a winning season. And, since the 2008/09 Leafs will be much the same as this season's version, there isn't much reason to believe he'll be able to do it next year.
Hopefully Paul will treat the rest of the year as if he was returning next year. It would take a helluva man to coach toward an end that is beneficial to the team (better draft pick) yet personally detrimental (loss of job). I believe he could do it and still come out looking good. How? Play the prospects much more - call it a type of try-out - and give Raycroft a handful of games of the last 12. Toskala has never played as many games as this year, and it isn't unreasonable to think it's a good idea to give your #1 goalie some rest when there is nothing to play for.
The Leafs play a home-and-home series on Tuesday and Wednesday nights against the 8th place Flyers. I'd say that these were important games that the Leafs must sweep, but it's much too late for important games. The truly important games were played months ago when the team still had a shot at respectability.
In stunningly obvious news, the Leafs are fucked. They lost 2-1 to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night and fell further behind the 8th place Philadelphia Flyers. With 12 games to play, the Leafs would need to win them all and get some help in order to make the playoffs, although I'm still not sure why any intelligent fan would want that.
I wonder if the latest loss will convince Paul Maurice to try out his prospects a little more. Prior to the last couple of losses, an argument could have been made that the team had a realistic - albeit tiny - chance of making the post-season. Now no such argument can be made. So, will Jiri Tlusty (4:52 of icetime on Saturday night), Jeremy Williams (3:26), Kris Newbury (3:35) or Robbie Earl (demoted) get some 'showcase' icetime? Will Kyle Wellwood be given an increase in icetime to try to show he is improving from the peewee hockey level he was playing at previously?
Coach Maurice can't use the playoff excuse anymore. And the thing is; it was always bullshit. He damn well knew his team had no chance of making it to the playoffs, but he is fighting for his job and needed something to tell the players. And media. And fans. As far as NHL coaches go, winning = job stability. Maurice knows he's circling the drain, and was riding his veterans into as many wins as possible - to make a case for his future employment - under the guise of making the playoffs. Previously, making the playoffs and keeping a job were the same goal, but now that the playoffs are out of the picture, we'll see how Maurice responds. If the young'uns don't see significant increases in icetime, Paul if officially hurting the team by trying to win his way up to 10th spot...and a lousy draft pick.
There will be a new general manager in Toronto come next season, and Maurice has shown very little potential to lead a winning team. Last year he was forced to play Andy Raycroft a ton, so I'd be willing to give him a mulligan. This year, however, the team signed a legit #1 goalie - whose stats are far superior to Raycroft's a year ago - yet the team is somehow worse. You can give a thousand different excuses, but the numbers don't lie. Paul Maurice has been unable to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a winning season. And, since the 2008/09 Leafs will be much the same as this season's version, there isn't much reason to believe he'll be able to do it next year.
Hopefully Paul will treat the rest of the year as if he was returning next year. It would take a helluva man to coach toward an end that is beneficial to the team (better draft pick) yet personally detrimental (loss of job). I believe he could do it and still come out looking good. How? Play the prospects much more - call it a type of try-out - and give Raycroft a handful of games of the last 12. Toskala has never played as many games as this year, and it isn't unreasonable to think it's a good idea to give your #1 goalie some rest when there is nothing to play for.
The Leafs play a home-and-home series on Tuesday and Wednesday nights against the 8th place Flyers. I'd say that these were important games that the Leafs must sweep, but it's much too late for important games. The truly important games were played months ago when the team still had a shot at respectability.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Leafs Play Tonight, But Does Anyone Care?
The Leafs are in Boston tonight to take on the surging Bruins. Only two teams in the league are hotter over their last 10 games than tonight's opponent, probably because most teams literally fall asleep on the ice when they play the Bruins. The good news for the Leafs is that Boston recently lost 10-2 to the Washington Capitals. Even the lowly Leafs haven't surrendered 10 goals in a game this season - not even with Andy Raysoft in goal and Bryan McCabe potting goals into his own net.
So, I may or may not watch the game tonight. I don't know how Bruins fans can watch that shit all season. The Leafs play the Bruins 8 times per year and I come away from the games banging my head against the wall...unless of course I'm totally fucking wasted. A little light bulb just went off in my head: I am going to watch the game. I am going to watch the game drunk. Not just regular drunk, either; Hasselhoff drunk.
Problem solved.
Like manual labour, family Christmas parties, and sex with a fat chick, anything is tolerable when you're really, really wasted.
The Playoffs Pipe Dream
Believe all you want, but reality has to set in some time:
The 8th place Philadelphia Flyers are on pace for 91 points.
The 12th place Toronto Maple Leafs on pace for 82 points.
Thus, as of today, the Leafs need 24 points in their final 14 games to make the playoffs. More importantly, the Leafs have to be 10 points better than the Flyers over 14 games. Even a typical Leafs fan should be able to see that task is harder than Joe Bowen's arteries.
Bottom Line: The Leafs can't give up more than 4 of a possible 28 points until the end of the regular season (also known as the end of the Leafs' season).
So, I may or may not watch the game tonight. I don't know how Bruins fans can watch that shit all season. The Leafs play the Bruins 8 times per year and I come away from the games banging my head against the wall...unless of course I'm totally fucking wasted. A little light bulb just went off in my head: I am going to watch the game. I am going to watch the game drunk. Not just regular drunk, either; Hasselhoff drunk.
Problem solved.
Like manual labour, family Christmas parties, and sex with a fat chick, anything is tolerable when you're really, really wasted.
The Playoffs Pipe Dream
Believe all you want, but reality has to set in some time:
The 8th place Philadelphia Flyers are on pace for 91 points.
The 12th place Toronto Maple Leafs on pace for 82 points.
Thus, as of today, the Leafs need 24 points in their final 14 games to make the playoffs. More importantly, the Leafs have to be 10 points better than the Flyers over 14 games. Even a typical Leafs fan should be able to see that task is harder than Joe Bowen's arteries.
Bottom Line: The Leafs can't give up more than 4 of a possible 28 points until the end of the regular season (also known as the end of the Leafs' season).
Monday, March 3, 2008
MLSE Bans Wilbur
This is a really great story. Bill Watters is being banned from the ACC.
Smile for the camera, Bill. Good, now look over at me. With both eyes.
No, Bill, I need both your eyes over here on me. No, they aren't. One of them is looking out the window.
Huh? Lazy eye? Billy, that thing ain't lazy, it's comatose.
OK, not literally banned, but all AM640 posters that advertise Leafs Lunch and Watters' prime time show The Bill Watters Show are gone, as well as images of Watters that run on the lobby TV screens. They have been replaced with versions that don't mention Wilbur. All ads for AM640 - you know, 'The Official Station of Leafs Nation' - are now void of any pictures of Watters, their #1 hockey guy. How bush league.
Why is this happening, you ask?
Because Wilbur was too hard on MLSE brass. MLSE believes that Watters' attacks on Richard Peddie and Larry Tanenbaum were personal - or, at least that's the bullshit reason they are giving - and as such, they're not allowing him to be advertised in their house. Yep, Peddie and Tanenbaum have taken their ball and gone home.
Anyone familiar with Watters' work knows he isn't afraid to rip into the two Stooges - Watters doesn't mix words and takes every opportunity to point toward MLSE brass as one of the main problems with the team - but since when does pointing out the professional shortcomings of very public figures constitute a 'personal attack'?
When you've hired all the wrong people, made all the wrong decisions, and raped your customers for a decade, you merit a watchdog like Watters to point out your shortcomings. In fact, you merit a few. This is the most irrational banning since NBC fired Norm MacDonald for making jokes at (double murderer) OJ Simpson's expense.
Wilbur was hard on these two dicks because these two dicks deserved it. They've done nothing right, unless you're an MLSE shareholder; they have turned a storied hockey franchise into a soulless money grab.
Wilbur on MLSE:
- "If you lock (Peddie and Tanenbaum) in a room with a basket of apples and a jockstrap, they would starve to death before they figured out how to put the jock on."
- "Until they get those two guys out of there, the hockey team is going nowhere."
- (On Tanenbaum) "He has a PhD: 'Papa Has Dough.'"
I say you keep on it, Billy. You've obviously struck a nerve at MLSE. Have at 'em!
We Don't Need No Stinkin' Playoffs
Here it comes again. Typical Leafs Fans are talkin' playoffs. Even reasonable Leafs fans are starting in; most of Toronto sports media has run with a story about the Leafs' chances.
Here's the truth, Leafs fans: if you believe the Leafs have anything but a mathematical chance at the playoffs, you need a lobotomy...and a kick in the nuts. Also, you probably listen to Nickelback and wear your chain on the outside of your shirt.
Any reasonable mind sees two prohibitive impediments to the Leafs playoff chances. They are:
[1] The numbers. The Leafs have 68 points and will likely need 92 to make the playoffs. Thus, they require 24 points in their final 15 games. They're a team 9 games under .500 playing at a point-per-game clip, thanks to the fact that the league gives out points for losing. The Leafs can lose no more than 3 games in regulation the rest of the way if they want to make the playoffs. They've played well recently, but nobody should believe they can keep it up for 15 more games.
[2] The Leafs are in 12th place, thus they must pass four teams to take 8th place and make the playoffs. The difficulty of jumping over teams to make the playoffs is well-documented, but I find that the reasons behind the difficulty are not. See, not only do the Leafs need to win (in regulation, to avoid the other team gaining that third point) any and all games against the four teams (there are 6 such games), they need to be by far the hottest of the four overall. This is something that most fans miss. The Leafs can get their unrealistic 24 points, but they also must play the best of any of the teams competing for 8th. If any of Philadelphia, Buffalo, NY Islanders, or Washington get hot to end the season, the Leafs are fucked.
So, to believe the Leafs can make the playoffs, you have to believe that they can win more often than the best teams in the league for the rest of the season, and that all the teams ahead of them will collapse.
No. Fucking. Chance.
Smile for the camera, Bill. Good, now look over at me. With both eyes.No, Bill, I need both your eyes over here on me. No, they aren't. One of them is looking out the window.
Huh? Lazy eye? Billy, that thing ain't lazy, it's comatose.
OK, not literally banned, but all AM640 posters that advertise Leafs Lunch and Watters' prime time show The Bill Watters Show are gone, as well as images of Watters that run on the lobby TV screens. They have been replaced with versions that don't mention Wilbur. All ads for AM640 - you know, 'The Official Station of Leafs Nation' - are now void of any pictures of Watters, their #1 hockey guy. How bush league.
Why is this happening, you ask?
Because Wilbur was too hard on MLSE brass. MLSE believes that Watters' attacks on Richard Peddie and Larry Tanenbaum were personal - or, at least that's the bullshit reason they are giving - and as such, they're not allowing him to be advertised in their house. Yep, Peddie and Tanenbaum have taken their ball and gone home.
Anyone familiar with Watters' work knows he isn't afraid to rip into the two Stooges - Watters doesn't mix words and takes every opportunity to point toward MLSE brass as one of the main problems with the team - but since when does pointing out the professional shortcomings of very public figures constitute a 'personal attack'?
When you've hired all the wrong people, made all the wrong decisions, and raped your customers for a decade, you merit a watchdog like Watters to point out your shortcomings. In fact, you merit a few. This is the most irrational banning since NBC fired Norm MacDonald for making jokes at (double murderer) OJ Simpson's expense.
Wilbur was hard on these two dicks because these two dicks deserved it. They've done nothing right, unless you're an MLSE shareholder; they have turned a storied hockey franchise into a soulless money grab.
Wilbur on MLSE:
- "If you lock (Peddie and Tanenbaum) in a room with a basket of apples and a jockstrap, they would starve to death before they figured out how to put the jock on."
- "Until they get those two guys out of there, the hockey team is going nowhere."
- (On Tanenbaum) "He has a PhD: 'Papa Has Dough.'"
I say you keep on it, Billy. You've obviously struck a nerve at MLSE. Have at 'em!
We Don't Need No Stinkin' Playoffs
Here it comes again. Typical Leafs Fans are talkin' playoffs. Even reasonable Leafs fans are starting in; most of Toronto sports media has run with a story about the Leafs' chances.
Here's the truth, Leafs fans: if you believe the Leafs have anything but a mathematical chance at the playoffs, you need a lobotomy...and a kick in the nuts. Also, you probably listen to Nickelback and wear your chain on the outside of your shirt.
Any reasonable mind sees two prohibitive impediments to the Leafs playoff chances. They are:
[1] The numbers. The Leafs have 68 points and will likely need 92 to make the playoffs. Thus, they require 24 points in their final 15 games. They're a team 9 games under .500 playing at a point-per-game clip, thanks to the fact that the league gives out points for losing. The Leafs can lose no more than 3 games in regulation the rest of the way if they want to make the playoffs. They've played well recently, but nobody should believe they can keep it up for 15 more games.
[2] The Leafs are in 12th place, thus they must pass four teams to take 8th place and make the playoffs. The difficulty of jumping over teams to make the playoffs is well-documented, but I find that the reasons behind the difficulty are not. See, not only do the Leafs need to win (in regulation, to avoid the other team gaining that third point) any and all games against the four teams (there are 6 such games), they need to be by far the hottest of the four overall. This is something that most fans miss. The Leafs can get their unrealistic 24 points, but they also must play the best of any of the teams competing for 8th. If any of Philadelphia, Buffalo, NY Islanders, or Washington get hot to end the season, the Leafs are fucked.
So, to believe the Leafs can make the playoffs, you have to believe that they can win more often than the best teams in the league for the rest of the season, and that all the teams ahead of them will collapse.
No. Fucking. Chance.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Playoff Chase? Winning Streak?
These are words that have been scarce from Leafs Nation vocabulary all season long, but since the beginning of February, the Leafs have turned the team around and sit just six points back of a playoff spot.
The Leafs started February off going 3 for 4, the three wins being over top three teams in the NHL Detroit, Ottawa, and Montreal, respectively. Their won loss was the 8-0 debacle against the lousy Florida Panthers, one I will probably never forget.
The Leafs followed up these four games with back-to-back nights with losses against Buffalo and the New York Islanders. Since that loss to the Islanders, the Leafs have gone 5 for 6, and their past three games have been three straight wins.
In the month of February, the Leafs are 9-3, and having won 9 out of their last 12, they put themselves just six points back of 8th place Buffalo, and seven points back of 7th place Rangers and 6th place Boston.
I guess I fall under Mr. Bone's typical Leaf fan category when I say this, but correct me if I'm wrong... do you not consider the Flyers, Islanders, and Capitals as legitimate playoff contenders? Yes the Capitals can claim that low 1st place in the Atlantic division, but everybody has been referring to them as being very much in the playoff race, meanwhile they all sit less than four points ahead of the Leafs.
I'd love to see the Leafs make the playoffs, because it now seems too late to drop back to go for the lottery pick, but I just hope they make it to the playoffs this time, rather than finishing in the familiar 9th or 10th place.
Pointless Fact of the Day: The four Saturday games of February were all at home, and in these four games the Leafs won all of them, including wins over Ottawa, Detroit, Boston, and Atlanta. In these games the Leafs outscored their opponents 14-8, with the help of Vesa Toskala.
UPDATE: Another pointless fact, but TSN just said that on February 29th leap year games the Leafs are 8-1 all time, sorry Tampa, tough luck.
Upcoming Games: The Leafs play in Friday-Saturday back to back road games against Tampa Bay and Washington, two teams the Leafs need to beat to stay in the hunt for the playoffs. The Leafs will be looking to extend their winning streak to 4 games, and possibly 5, as well as making their February record a fabulous 10-3. Also, don't expect Raycroft to see any time between the pipes this weekend, as Toskala has been playing far too well and is carrying this team, so I don't see Maurice playing the ever so incompetent Andy Raysoft. A tired Vesku is better than a fresh Raysoft any day.
The Leafs started February off going 3 for 4, the three wins being over top three teams in the NHL Detroit, Ottawa, and Montreal, respectively. Their won loss was the 8-0 debacle against the lousy Florida Panthers, one I will probably never forget.
The Leafs followed up these four games with back-to-back nights with losses against Buffalo and the New York Islanders. Since that loss to the Islanders, the Leafs have gone 5 for 6, and their past three games have been three straight wins.
In the month of February, the Leafs are 9-3, and having won 9 out of their last 12, they put themselves just six points back of 8th place Buffalo, and seven points back of 7th place Rangers and 6th place Boston.
I guess I fall under Mr. Bone's typical Leaf fan category when I say this, but correct me if I'm wrong... do you not consider the Flyers, Islanders, and Capitals as legitimate playoff contenders? Yes the Capitals can claim that low 1st place in the Atlantic division, but everybody has been referring to them as being very much in the playoff race, meanwhile they all sit less than four points ahead of the Leafs.
I'd love to see the Leafs make the playoffs, because it now seems too late to drop back to go for the lottery pick, but I just hope they make it to the playoffs this time, rather than finishing in the familiar 9th or 10th place.
Pointless Fact of the Day: The four Saturday games of February were all at home, and in these four games the Leafs won all of them, including wins over Ottawa, Detroit, Boston, and Atlanta. In these games the Leafs outscored their opponents 14-8, with the help of Vesa Toskala.
UPDATE: Another pointless fact, but TSN just said that on February 29th leap year games the Leafs are 8-1 all time, sorry Tampa, tough luck.
Upcoming Games: The Leafs play in Friday-Saturday back to back road games against Tampa Bay and Washington, two teams the Leafs need to beat to stay in the hunt for the playoffs. The Leafs will be looking to extend their winning streak to 4 games, and possibly 5, as well as making their February record a fabulous 10-3. Also, don't expect Raycroft to see any time between the pipes this weekend, as Toskala has been playing far too well and is carrying this team, so I don't see Maurice playing the ever so incompetent Andy Raysoft. A tired Vesku is better than a fresh Raysoft any day.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Still Cheering for Kilger and Belak Tonight!
Short post today. I want everyone that reads this to go check out this article. Howard Berger hit the nail right on the head. It's the best article I've read in awhile.
Anyway, the 'new look' Leafs are in action tonight against the Florida Panthers. Freshly traded Chad Kilger is expected to make his Panthers debut - taking Richard Zednik's spot on a scoring line (???) - while Wade Belak is not. For the Leafs, Kris Newbury and Jeremy Williams have been called up from the AHL, and expect Robbie Earl to be a mainstay in the lineup the rest of the way.
So yeah, go Panthers go!
The Leafs currently sit 26th overall, and I don't want that number to get any lower. The recently nicknamed 'no-trade 5' (Sundin, Kaberle, McCabe, Tucker, Kubina) refused to help the team by fucking off to another organization. Maybe they'll help the team in another way; by continuing to lead a sack of shit team right into the cellar.
This team has shown a lot of heart in recent years...after they've all but mathematically been eliminated from the playoffs. This must be what Sundin referred to when he talked about 'winning in Toronto'.
I just hope this team doesn't get any stupid ideas about making a playoff run. I'm sure they will, though, because the opposite might actually improve the team...something that they're obviously not interested in doing.
Anyway, the 'new look' Leafs are in action tonight against the Florida Panthers. Freshly traded Chad Kilger is expected to make his Panthers debut - taking Richard Zednik's spot on a scoring line (???) - while Wade Belak is not. For the Leafs, Kris Newbury and Jeremy Williams have been called up from the AHL, and expect Robbie Earl to be a mainstay in the lineup the rest of the way.
So yeah, go Panthers go!
The Leafs currently sit 26th overall, and I don't want that number to get any lower. The recently nicknamed 'no-trade 5' (Sundin, Kaberle, McCabe, Tucker, Kubina) refused to help the team by fucking off to another organization. Maybe they'll help the team in another way; by continuing to lead a sack of shit team right into the cellar.
This team has shown a lot of heart in recent years...after they've all but mathematically been eliminated from the playoffs. This must be what Sundin referred to when he talked about 'winning in Toronto'.
I just hope this team doesn't get any stupid ideas about making a playoff run. I'm sure they will, though, because the opposite might actually improve the team...something that they're obviously not interested in doing.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Draft Day Recap
Well, it appears that all of the deadline deals are in. The Leafs used the opportunity to better themselves about as well as Britney Spears in rehab.
All said, the Leafs traded Chad Kilger, Wade Belak, and Hal Gill in exchange for four draft choices, the best of which is a 2008 2nd rounder from Pittsburgh. It should be somewhere between 45th and 50th overall.
It appears as if Pavel Kubina gave Fletch his word he'd accept a trade...then reneged after last night's game in Ottawa. Yep, Kubina Indian-gave his word. Fletch seemed pretty pissed about it when interviewed by TSN at about 4pm.
Knowing this Leafs team, they'll kick some ass the rest of the way. They'll climb up to 9th or 10th in the standings - just enough not to make the playoffs or get a decent pick.
Jesus fucking fuck.
All said, the Leafs traded Chad Kilger, Wade Belak, and Hal Gill in exchange for four draft choices, the best of which is a 2008 2nd rounder from Pittsburgh. It should be somewhere between 45th and 50th overall.
It appears as if Pavel Kubina gave Fletch his word he'd accept a trade...then reneged after last night's game in Ottawa. Yep, Kubina Indian-gave his word. Fletch seemed pretty pissed about it when interviewed by TSN at about 4pm.
Knowing this Leafs team, they'll kick some ass the rest of the way. They'll climb up to 9th or 10th in the standings - just enough not to make the playoffs or get a decent pick.
Jesus fucking fuck.
Trade Deadline 2008
Well fuck, it looks like the Trade Deadline frenzy will be a bust for Leafs fans. Any player that would fetch a decent return has all but guaranteed he won't go anywhere. Because the Leafs don't look like they'll do too much, I've decided to post every deal (league-wide) that comes through. Check back often.
Tuesday February 26
To Atlanta:
Joe Motzko
To Washington:
Alex Giroux
***
To Minnesota:
W Chris Simon
To New York Islanders:
7th round draft pick
***
To New York Rangers:
G David LeNeveu
F Fredrik Sjostrom
F Josh Gratton
Conditional draft pick
To Phoenix:
G Al Montoya
W Marcel Hossa
***
To Anaheim:
G JS Aubin
To Los Angeles:
7th round draft pick
***
To Florida:
W Chad Kilger
To Toronto:
2008 3rd round draft pick
***
To Detroit:
D Brad Stuart
To Los Angeles
2nd round draft pick
4th round draft pick
***
To Anaheim:
D Marc-Andre Bergeron
To New York Islanders:
3rd round draft pick
***
To New York Rangers:
D Christian Backman
To St. Louis:
4th round draft pick
***
To Pittsburgh:
W Marian Hossa
W Pascal Dupuis
To Atlanta:
C Erik Christensen
W Colby Armstrong
C Angelo Esposito
1st round draft pick
***
To Pittsburgh:
D Hal Gill
To Toronto:
2008 2nd round draft pick
2009 5th round draft pick
***
To Vancouver:
W Matt Pettinger
To Washington:
W Matt Cooke
***
To New York Islanders:
D Rob Davison
To San Jose:
7th round draft pick
***
To Washington
C Sergei Fedorov
To Columbus:
D Ted Ruth
***
To Colorado:
D Adam Foote
To Columbus:
1st round draft pick
***
To Ottawa:
W Martin Lapointe
To Chicago:
6th round draft pick
***
To Colorado:
D Ruslan Salei
To Florida:
D Karlis Skrastins
3rd round draft pick
***
To Carolina:
W Tuomo Ruutu
To Chicago:
W Andrew Ladd
***
To Washington:
G Cristobal Huet
To Montreal:
2008 2nd round draft pick
***
To Dallas:
C Brad Richards
G John Holmqvist
To Tampa Bay:
G Mike Smith
C Jeff Halpern
W Jussi Jokinen
***
To San Jose:
D Brian Campbell
To Buffalo:
W Steve Bernier
2008 1st round draft pick
***
To Florida:
F/D Wade Belak
To Toronto
2008 5th round draft pick
***
LEAFS UPDATE - The previously reported rumour regarding Kyle Wellwood's trade request was false.
Nicely done, The Score. Bullshit stories are a great way to ensure nobody watches your station.
That, or air nothing but wrestling. What's with that, anyway?
***
To New Jersey:
D Bryce Salvador
To St. Louis:
RW Cam Janssen
***
LEAFS UPDATE - Another rumour: Pavel Kubina may waive his NTC according to TSN and Sportsnet.
***
LEAFS UPDATE - Kyle Wellwood is rumoured to have requested a trade.
The Score broke the story, but Cliff Fletcher is denying the report.
***
New York Islanders resign C Mike Comrie to a 1-year, $4M contract extension.
Monday February 25
To Philadelphia:
LW Vaclav Prospal
To Tampa Bay
D Alexandre Picard
2009 2nd round draft pick (if Philadelphia reaches Eastern Conference Finals)
or
2009 3rd round draft pick ((from Calgary) if they do not)
***
Tampa Bay resigns D Dan Boyle to a 6-year, $40M contract extension.
Thats $6.66M per year for 6 years. Freaky!
To Atlanta:
Joe Motzko
To Washington:
Alex Giroux
***
To Minnesota:
W Chris Simon
To New York Islanders:
7th round draft pick
***
To New York Rangers:
G David LeNeveu
F Fredrik Sjostrom
F Josh Gratton
Conditional draft pick
To Phoenix:
G Al Montoya
W Marcel Hossa
***
To Anaheim:
G JS Aubin
To Los Angeles:
7th round draft pick
***
To Florida:
W Chad Kilger
To Toronto:
2008 3rd round draft pick
***
To Detroit:
D Brad Stuart
To Los Angeles
2nd round draft pick
4th round draft pick
***
To Anaheim:
D Marc-Andre Bergeron
To New York Islanders:
3rd round draft pick
***
To New York Rangers:
D Christian Backman
To St. Louis:
4th round draft pick
***
To Pittsburgh:
W Marian Hossa
W Pascal Dupuis
To Atlanta:
C Erik Christensen
W Colby Armstrong
C Angelo Esposito
1st round draft pick
***
To Pittsburgh:
D Hal Gill
To Toronto:
2008 2nd round draft pick
2009 5th round draft pick
***
To Vancouver:
W Matt Pettinger
To Washington:
W Matt Cooke
***
To New York Islanders:
D Rob Davison
To San Jose:
7th round draft pick
***
To Washington
C Sergei Fedorov
To Columbus:
D Ted Ruth
***
To Colorado:
D Adam Foote
To Columbus:
1st round draft pick
***
To Ottawa:
W Martin Lapointe
To Chicago:
6th round draft pick
***
To Colorado:
D Ruslan Salei
To Florida:
D Karlis Skrastins
3rd round draft pick
***
To Carolina:
W Tuomo Ruutu
To Chicago:
W Andrew Ladd
***
To Washington:
G Cristobal Huet
To Montreal:
2008 2nd round draft pick
***
To Dallas:
C Brad Richards
G John Holmqvist
To Tampa Bay:
G Mike Smith
C Jeff Halpern
W Jussi Jokinen
***
To San Jose:
D Brian Campbell
To Buffalo:
W Steve Bernier
2008 1st round draft pick
***
To Florida:
F/D Wade Belak
To Toronto
2008 5th round draft pick
***
LEAFS UPDATE - The previously reported rumour regarding Kyle Wellwood's trade request was false.
Nicely done, The Score. Bullshit stories are a great way to ensure nobody watches your station.
That, or air nothing but wrestling. What's with that, anyway?
***
To New Jersey:
D Bryce Salvador
To St. Louis:
RW Cam Janssen
***
LEAFS UPDATE - Another rumour: Pavel Kubina may waive his NTC according to TSN and Sportsnet.
***
LEAFS UPDATE - Kyle Wellwood is rumoured to have requested a trade.
The Score broke the story, but Cliff Fletcher is denying the report.
***
New York Islanders resign C Mike Comrie to a 1-year, $4M contract extension.
Monday February 25
To Philadelphia:
LW Vaclav Prospal
To Tampa Bay
D Alexandre Picard
2009 2nd round draft pick (if Philadelphia reaches Eastern Conference Finals)
or
2009 3rd round draft pick ((from Calgary) if they do not)
***
Tampa Bay resigns D Dan Boyle to a 6-year, $40M contract extension.
Thats $6.66M per year for 6 years. Freaky!
Monday, February 25, 2008
The State of the Union Address
Mats Sundin punched the Leafs in the gut, and team management must now try to find other ways to improve the rebuilding team. The harsh reality, as I see it, is that the Leafs will be no better next year than they are now. Flags of Leafs fans will be at half mast Wednesday, after the trading deadline passes the Leafs by.
Their core of players - with 2008/09 salaries listed - are Bryan McCabe ($6.15M), Tomas Kaberle ($4.25M), Pavel Kubina ($5M), Darcy Tucker ($3M), and Jason Blake ($4.5M). They are either overpaid or underachieving, depending on your point of view.
With Sundin and Kaberle publicly refusing to go, Kubina and Tucker apparently doing the same in private, only Bryan McCabe has left the door open to any type of move. But his gigantic contract likely means that any team wanting him won't offer too much in return, as they'd be saddled with a franchise defenseman-worthy contract in return for a second pairing defenseman. I'm in favour of losing that contract at any cost, but I really think Cliff will have a tough time getting a deal done.
I've left out Jason Blake, because taking on his contract at his age and current production level is, well...cancer. Blake's health going forward is a major question mark, and he isn't even producing this season at the healthiest he'll ever be. Four 4 more years of him at $4M per year is enough to make a competent GM run the other way.
Fletch is going to need his Superman cape for his deadline dealings, as his dick has effectively been cut off. He is the man in charge of improving a brutal hockey team without being able to move any of the assets that would generate any real return.
Good luck, Cliffy! Make me proud!
Their core of players - with 2008/09 salaries listed - are Bryan McCabe ($6.15M), Tomas Kaberle ($4.25M), Pavel Kubina ($5M), Darcy Tucker ($3M), and Jason Blake ($4.5M). They are either overpaid or underachieving, depending on your point of view.
With Sundin and Kaberle publicly refusing to go, Kubina and Tucker apparently doing the same in private, only Bryan McCabe has left the door open to any type of move. But his gigantic contract likely means that any team wanting him won't offer too much in return, as they'd be saddled with a franchise defenseman-worthy contract in return for a second pairing defenseman. I'm in favour of losing that contract at any cost, but I really think Cliff will have a tough time getting a deal done.
I've left out Jason Blake, because taking on his contract at his age and current production level is, well...cancer. Blake's health going forward is a major question mark, and he isn't even producing this season at the healthiest he'll ever be. Four 4 more years of him at $4M per year is enough to make a competent GM run the other way.
Fletch is going to need his Superman cape for his deadline dealings, as his dick has effectively been cut off. He is the man in charge of improving a brutal hockey team without being able to move any of the assets that would generate any real return.
Good luck, Cliffy! Make me proud!Sundin Going Down With The Ship
In what I consider mind-blowing news, Mats Sundin has made it official: he will not allow himself to be traded. In his statement, Mats said, "I cannot leave my teammates and join another NHL Club at this time. I have never believed in the concept of a rental player. It is my belief that winning the Stanley Cup is the greatest thing you can achieve in hockey but for me, in order to appreciate it you have to have been part of the entire journey and that means October through June. I hope everyone will understand and respect my decision."
Fuck!
I for one neither understand nor respect this decision. This decision has set the team back several seasons. The reward that Sundin would have fetched is immense. Without that return, the now-rebuilding Leafs have a 37 year old - who shows no indication he has any interest in winning - as their best player. Make no mistake; Sundin's decision has had a significant negative impact on the future of the team.
Keep walking, Mats
Mats has said he isn't even sure whether he'll play hockey next year, but I'll finish this thought with the assumption that he'll play at least one more. The fallout from Sundin's refusal to be traded should be:
(1) The Toronto Maple Leafs should not resign Mats Sundin in the summer. This is a team so far removed from being competitive that employing a 37 year old player at a projected $5M per season makes absolutely no sense. Bringing Sundin back only takes up a roster spot better suited for younger players. The Leafs should focus their attention on locking up a pending UFA much younger than Sundin. As of today, the following players are UFA this summer (and yes, I do realize this list is likely to get smaller after tomorrow's trading deadline): Marian Hossa, Michael Ryder, David Vyborny, Vinny Prospal, Wade Redden, Dan Boyle, Brian Campbell, and JM Liles. By no means would these players replace Mats, but they have much more hockey left than does Sundin; hell, they may even be interested in winning a Cup one day.
Mats made it clear this weekend that he doesn't want to be traded, which ultimately means that his tenure with Toronto will not end in the Leafs gaining assets. If I am GM, I make his tenure here end as quickly as possible.
(2) If management caves and does in fact sign Sundin - I have very little faith that this organization is capable of making the tough decision not to sign their most popular player - he should not be the captain in 2008/09. No player that chooses a comfortable lifestyle over the chance to win hockey's ultimate prize is captain material. Moreover, no player that decided winning a Stanley Cup isn't his best option should be in a de facto mentoring role to the rebuilding team that the Leafs will ice next season. He has set a bad example.
The thing is, I know that Mats Sundin is smart enough to realize that his decision means he's probably finished in Toronto after this year. By telling the team he wants to stay, he's effectively setting himself up to depart. So why not allow the trade, knowing you're likely on your way out anyway, thus making the Leafs much better? Why not leave Toronto in February rather than July (when free agent signings begin)? It makes no fucking sense to me, and it screams of selfishness.
There has been a lot written about Sundin over the last couple of weeks. The conventional wisdom out there suggests that no ill will should be felt against Sundin, that he gave the franchise his best years and owes the team nothing. I call shenanigans on that type of thinking. This team made Mats Sundin rich. He was made a celebrity of epic proportions in the biggest hockey market in the world. Mats Sundin has had it damn good for the almost 14 years he's been in Toronto. I'll remind the readers that Sundin brought no Cups to Toronto in that time. So why can't fans be disappointed with Sundin? Why can't we question his motives? Mats' decision this weekend really, really hurts the team that he swears he loves.
If Mats Sundin had any affinity for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he'd have allowed Fletch to trade him. It's clear now, however, that Mats Sundin cares only about Mats Sundin.
Fuck!
I for one neither understand nor respect this decision. This decision has set the team back several seasons. The reward that Sundin would have fetched is immense. Without that return, the now-rebuilding Leafs have a 37 year old - who shows no indication he has any interest in winning - as their best player. Make no mistake; Sundin's decision has had a significant negative impact on the future of the team.
Keep walking, MatsMats has said he isn't even sure whether he'll play hockey next year, but I'll finish this thought with the assumption that he'll play at least one more. The fallout from Sundin's refusal to be traded should be:
(1) The Toronto Maple Leafs should not resign Mats Sundin in the summer. This is a team so far removed from being competitive that employing a 37 year old player at a projected $5M per season makes absolutely no sense. Bringing Sundin back only takes up a roster spot better suited for younger players. The Leafs should focus their attention on locking up a pending UFA much younger than Sundin. As of today, the following players are UFA this summer (and yes, I do realize this list is likely to get smaller after tomorrow's trading deadline): Marian Hossa, Michael Ryder, David Vyborny, Vinny Prospal, Wade Redden, Dan Boyle, Brian Campbell, and JM Liles. By no means would these players replace Mats, but they have much more hockey left than does Sundin; hell, they may even be interested in winning a Cup one day.
Mats made it clear this weekend that he doesn't want to be traded, which ultimately means that his tenure with Toronto will not end in the Leafs gaining assets. If I am GM, I make his tenure here end as quickly as possible.
(2) If management caves and does in fact sign Sundin - I have very little faith that this organization is capable of making the tough decision not to sign their most popular player - he should not be the captain in 2008/09. No player that chooses a comfortable lifestyle over the chance to win hockey's ultimate prize is captain material. Moreover, no player that decided winning a Stanley Cup isn't his best option should be in a de facto mentoring role to the rebuilding team that the Leafs will ice next season. He has set a bad example.
The thing is, I know that Mats Sundin is smart enough to realize that his decision means he's probably finished in Toronto after this year. By telling the team he wants to stay, he's effectively setting himself up to depart. So why not allow the trade, knowing you're likely on your way out anyway, thus making the Leafs much better? Why not leave Toronto in February rather than July (when free agent signings begin)? It makes no fucking sense to me, and it screams of selfishness.
There has been a lot written about Sundin over the last couple of weeks. The conventional wisdom out there suggests that no ill will should be felt against Sundin, that he gave the franchise his best years and owes the team nothing. I call shenanigans on that type of thinking. This team made Mats Sundin rich. He was made a celebrity of epic proportions in the biggest hockey market in the world. Mats Sundin has had it damn good for the almost 14 years he's been in Toronto. I'll remind the readers that Sundin brought no Cups to Toronto in that time. So why can't fans be disappointed with Sundin? Why can't we question his motives? Mats' decision this weekend really, really hurts the team that he swears he loves.
If Mats Sundin had any affinity for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he'd have allowed Fletch to trade him. It's clear now, however, that Mats Sundin cares only about Mats Sundin.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Big Swede to Play With Big Joe?
I figured I would post this trade that has just been presented to the Leafs because it is not something that you could hear about anywhere else other than from Andy Strickland's blog on HockeyBuzz.com.
If you are too lazy to click the link, this is what it says:
"San Jose has discussed a trade with Toronto in which both clubs would swap superstars.
TO Toronto: Patrick Marleau, Steve Bernier, Christian Ehrhoff, and a pick believe to be a 2nd rounder
TO San Jose: Mats Sundin and Tomas Kaberle
No word on if Sundin or Kaberle have any interest in taking their game to San Jose.
Kaberle is exactly what San Jose needs."
Before you meat-head Leafs fans freak out and say this is a horrible deal, consider the fact that every GM in the league knows that Mats Sundin is just a rental player and the odds are very good he will not be playing for their team next year, and could possibly come back to Toronto.
Factor out Kaberle and Marleau and the deal is Sundin (a rental player) for a power forward in Steve Bernier, a good young defenseman in Ehrhoff (though I'd rather see Carle come to the Leafs), and a 2nd round pick. Pretty decent if you ask me, because I think in past years GMs have been overpaying for rental players, and I think they have caught on and will now start paying less for rental players.
I think that Sundin and Kaberle would each waive their no-trade clauses to go to San Jose, but for this deal to be done I think Fletcher would want to throw in Raycroft, and have San Jose add a 1st round draft pick.
Andy Strickland also added that Anaheim still really wants Sundin, but the deal is now that Fletcher is trying to include Raycroft but Brian Burke doesn't want him.
Give me your thoughts, but take into account that this is just a trade proposal, and the players in the deal could be changed or draft picks could be added.
Stay tuned, more to come. Sundin should make his announcement today.
If you are too lazy to click the link, this is what it says:
"San Jose has discussed a trade with Toronto in which both clubs would swap superstars.
TO Toronto: Patrick Marleau, Steve Bernier, Christian Ehrhoff, and a pick believe to be a 2nd rounder
TO San Jose: Mats Sundin and Tomas Kaberle
No word on if Sundin or Kaberle have any interest in taking their game to San Jose.
Kaberle is exactly what San Jose needs."
Before you meat-head Leafs fans freak out and say this is a horrible deal, consider the fact that every GM in the league knows that Mats Sundin is just a rental player and the odds are very good he will not be playing for their team next year, and could possibly come back to Toronto.
Factor out Kaberle and Marleau and the deal is Sundin (a rental player) for a power forward in Steve Bernier, a good young defenseman in Ehrhoff (though I'd rather see Carle come to the Leafs), and a 2nd round pick. Pretty decent if you ask me, because I think in past years GMs have been overpaying for rental players, and I think they have caught on and will now start paying less for rental players.
I think that Sundin and Kaberle would each waive their no-trade clauses to go to San Jose, but for this deal to be done I think Fletcher would want to throw in Raycroft, and have San Jose add a 1st round draft pick.
Andy Strickland also added that Anaheim still really wants Sundin, but the deal is now that Fletcher is trying to include Raycroft but Brian Burke doesn't want him.
Give me your thoughts, but take into account that this is just a trade proposal, and the players in the deal could be changed or draft picks could be added.
Stay tuned, more to come. Sundin should make his announcement today.
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