Things That Make Me Go Hmmmmmmm

Hey folks, why, do you think the good folks over at the Toronto Star Changed the headline of Damien’s article last night? When I went to bed last night, and woke up this am the Headline was “Burke Likely Would Have Sent Schenn Down”. An odd title given there was one line in the story where Damien actually only guessed that to be true. There was nothing in the story to suggest that was true…only a suggestion. Now, the headline reads “Schenn a ray of hope amid all the gloom” EXCUSE ME????????? Are you kidding me. How stupid do you think your readers are (and no this isn’t directed at Damien) This changes the entire tone of the article! What was the intent here and why are you trying to mislead or taint the opinions of your readers. The story last night was clearly a negative shot… That’s ok, Damien is entitled to his opinion. Now it has a positive spin to it?: Give me a break…..Why the sudden change?

I am really curious folks, if the All-Star Game weren’t played, would anyone care? No really, forget the folks in Montreal (just for a second, not to be cruel), if the game wasn’t happening, and instead there was just a weekend off, would you care? Would you miss the festivities? I for one wouldn’t. If you want to do away with it, I have no objection. Please don’t replace with a world cup of hockey as some have suggested. A break is a good idea. Why do we need a diversion. I for one like a pause. It’s good for everyone. It’s good for the trainers, the equipment guys, the officials, the media, the players, their families….and the fans. The game is quite bizarre when you think about it. Rather Seinfeldian, it’s a game about nothing. There is no real winner, no real loser, it’s not a real hockey game. It’s not for the benefit of the fans. It’s not for the benefit of the players. This whole, or the benefit of the sponsors is a little twisted. If I were a sponsor I would rather be wooed, wined and dined at the Stanley Cup finals. So the question is, would you miss it? If there was no hockey this weekend and things started up again on Monday, would that be a bad thing?

As Bad A Night As I Can Remember

Wow- something is in the water today? No no, not the Leafs, a good game and a shutout loss…too bad we picked up a point. The Raptors? Hell no, the way I figure they are going to be right in the thick of the John Tavares lottery. Once again I am totally puzzled by the media… It’s like one big Seinfeld episode, except I don’t care for many of the characters, actually the only similarity is that their articles are about nothing… NOTHING…

First, Berger writes a totally useless article about Matt Stajan wanting more noise at the ACC. This is news how? No really, has any player ever not wanted that? The fact that team isn’t that strong at home has nothing to do with the fans. It has everything to with character. That isn’t a shot against Stajan. It’s the whole group. The team that Sundin, McCabe, Tucker lead wasn’t very good at home either. It’s not easy playing here in Toronto in front of the home crowd, it takes character to do it well. When a player messes up he hears about it. Sometimes unmercifully . So to hear that one guy would like more noise is totally irrelevant and not the least bit newsworthy. To write an entire blog about it????? Come on Howie, how about a review of the All Star Official uniforms, I gave you everything you need. Hell, as a member of the media you can probably get a preview too- you got the scoop on the 3rd jerseys after all.

What’s worse then Berger writing about Stajan asking for more noise, Paul Hunter of the Star writing the EXACT same story…. Complete with the same predictable Dave Winfield analogy. Tomorrow, whichever station books Winfield to talk about asking for noise wins the prize. Come on folks…this is really pathetic.

Then, Hunter’s buddy Damien wrote a totally useless article about Luke Schenn. Let’s see, he thinks, maybe, Burke wouldn’t have kept Schenn up had he been GM at the beginning of the season. Wow! How interesting. Funny, because I don’t think Burke would have resigned Ed Belfour after the lockout if he were GM back then either. Oh yeah, and under the same relevance theme is my favorite, Pat Quinn wouldn’t have yanked Toskala in favor of Joseph for the shootout like Wilson did earlier this year. The usual Damien anti-leaf article is, about, n o t h i n g. A new reader wrote a funny post about LT’s post today being both the argument and the counter-argument…Damien did the exact same thing here:

“the decision to keep the 18-year-old defenceman in the big leagues this season has certainly not been a disaster. In fact, in a season that has become increasingly gloomy, Schenn has been one of the bright notes all year. ” He likes him…..

“What will never be known, of course, is what it has cost the Leafs to keep Schenn in the NHL this season rather than returning him to Kelowna of the Western Hockey League for another season of competing against his peers. ” He doesn’t…

“Perhaps nothing, and it’s true, Schenn has rarely looked outclassed in the NHL this season, and the manner in which he shrugged off a 12-game absence due to a knee problem was a sign of maturity. On Wednesday night he was paired with Ian White most of the night and out against Boston’s tricky line of David Krejci, Mike Ryder and Blake Wheeler, a challenging assignment against the Eastern Conference’s top squad. ” He likes him….

“At the same time, particularly for a player drafted fifth overall, and one for whom the Leafs traded away first, second and third round picks in order to position themselves to get him, there haven’t been many signs of offensive potential. ” He doesn’t

“What the Leafs don’t know is whether this is the Luke Richardson story all over again. Richardson was the seventh overall pick in 1987 and played for the Leafs as 18-year-old, actually potting four goals in his rookie season.The club maintained over and over that, like Schenn now, Richardson had offensive potential that he’d shown as a junior in Peterborough. But it never shone through in the NHL, and Richardson never managed more than 21 points in a season. ” Ummmm, he doesn’t like him…

“Would the Leafs be happy if Schenn turned out to be Richardson? Somewhat, but it wouldn’t be the kind of home run they’d hoped to hit with such a high pick. He’ll never be a bust, it would seem, and the Leafs can only hope he might one day be an all-star.” He likes him

“Schenn hasn’t been eaten alive by the pressure of playing on a weak team in this hockey-mad city, and that’s a good sign. There’s obvious poise, and a willingness to play a physical game and even stand up for teammates, commodities in short supply on the current edition of the Leafs. ” He Likes him

“The older Schenn boy, meanwhile, is still learning as he goes in the world’s top hockey league. He was solid for two periods Wednesday night, but with less than seven minutes to play he was schooled by Bruins blueliner Dennis Wideman on a rush, then was caught napping when Marc Savard hit Zdeno Chara with a goalmouth pass to tie the game 3-3 and create overtime.” He doesn’t…

“He’s a big kid finding his way in a tough league. Whether he should have been in the league so young or not, no one can argue he’s a big part of the Leafs’ future.” WHAT- That’s it???? That’s the conclusion??? Talk about 3 minutes of my life I will never get back… What kind of crock this is. The headline is Burke Likely Would Have Sent Schenn Down..there is no quote from Burke, it’s Damien’s hunch. I know, Damien didn’t write the headline… Talk about an article about NOTHING!!!

Then, to top it all off, the guy I think had really been rising to the top wrote a totally useless article. Jeff’ Blair’s piece in the globe is about 19 segments too long. I actually think I captured the gist in 1 paragraph in a post yesterday. Blair wrote an entire page on the losing records of our teams! An entire page. Complete with quotes from Beeston and Burke. Get this:

“”One of the problems the city has right now is that nobody’s excelling,” said Blue Jays interim chief executive officer Paul Beeston, a committed Toronto booster.” Ummmmm YA THINK???? This from a guy I REALLY like (Beeston)….This from the guy who has “just about finished the Blue Jays President job description”….. What I think Beeston meant was, that the problem is the teams in cities not named Toronto score more points then those teams from Toronto!

“When will the bulls run rampant again in the Toronto sports market? Not soon. Let’s be honest. Of the current crop of Maple Leafs, it’s hard to imagine general manager Brian Burke wanting anybody other than Luke Schenn around in two or three years.” Ok, I am waiting for something I don’t already now…..

“The Raptors have, what, three legitimate NBA starters (four when Jermaine O’Neal’s healthy) and a bunch of guys who wouldn’t be a first option off a contender’s bench? Andrea Bargnani looks to be developing the way general manager Bryan Colangelo expected, but the Raptors have always seemed a day late and a dollar short, and that sometimes happens when you just give away a franchise player such as Vince Carter.” Uh huh, and????

“The Blue Jays’ window of opportunity — created when the late Ted Rogers made his famous three-year commitment — turned out not to be as wide as anticipated because, with the game’s revenue explosion, a $90-million payroll didn’t buy as much as it once did and the Blue Jays didn’t have enough high-calibre young players to fill in when injuries hit.” The part with the news, the actual original thought is coming right?

“Those are some of the reasons for the drought. The good news is no cause is lost, as is clearly demonstrated by what’s happened in Boston since the Patriots won their first of three Super Bowls in 2001. The Red Sox — the Red Sox! — ended the Curse of the Bambino and won their first World Series in 86 years and the Celtics won the 2008 NBA title, and don’t look now, but the Bruins, who haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1972, are leading the NHL Eastern Conference.” TIME…that’s what you got Jeff? TIME, so this drought will end because the coin that has landed 1 million straight times on heads will eventually fall to tails????? Because it just has to???? Sorry, I had hoped you could do better then this ending:

“Mostly, though, it’s a hungry market. Kicked in the pocketbook, its psyche battered, and tired of having to go through it all again after the TSX closes. Hey buddy … got a win?”

So the Leafs lost in a shutout, earned one too many points, but that is ok. The Raptors got shelled…stick a fork in their season…the TV show Lost started and I am confused as ever….and I am going to bed disappointed by 4 brutal articles… Here’s hoping tomorrow’s a better day 🙂

Berger is here
Cox is http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Hockey/article/575293
Hunter is here
Blair is here

The Maple Leaf Crystal Ball

Mike Ulmer, writing on the Leafs website does a nice job predicting what the Buds may look like at the start of the 2011 season. Here are a couple of highlights:

“Going into tonight’s contest against the Montreal Canadiens, the Maple Leafs are 16-18-6, 10 points out of the basement, 25 points away from first.”

Always good to have some perspective don’t you think?

“The Leafs desperately need to get younger. To that end, I have limited the top two lines and top two defensive pairings to players 25 years or younger on opening night. Keep in mind, there will always be room for productive older players. Nik Hagman will be nearly 32, but it’s hard to think his game would not be welcome somewhere on the roster. ”

God I hope he is right about the age thing….

“On defence: Luke Schenn. He’s a sure bet. A little below Schenn, put Jeff Finger in the depth chart. Anton Stralman has the talent to be a top four defenceman but it’s impossible to accurately predict whether he will make the jump. I like Jonas Frogren’s mean for the third pairing and based on his ever improving play, Ian White might be considered in the mix. ”

So we are 1/4 right now. I love that Finger is still here if to only shut up a lot pundits.

“At forward: Well, Mikhail Grabovsky is the one sure bet. Nikolai Kulemin is in the minors right now, but he remains a good prospect for second or third-line status. Veteran Nik Antropov would be welcome, but he was a free agent back in 2009 and who knows where he is in 2010.

Ummm I think he is putting that at 1/4 (maybe 2 if you count Nikolai), which is 1 more then anyone would have said at the beginning of the season. No one expected to Grabovsky to be as good or at least to look like he has the upside that he has shown thus far.

In net, Ulmer correctly has a question mark.

“Realistically, the Leafs need nine players who can play on the top two lines and three more defencemen who can man the first two pairings.”

That is going to be a tall order. These players, according to Ulmer have to be under 25. Finding that many players under 25 isn’t going to be easy. I hope the pundits remember this as they grade Mr. Burke. Think about it. You don’t draft players in their young 20’s. Schenn is the exception, not the rule. I am sure the good folks over at PPP can tell us the percentage of players drafted in the first or second round play meaningful games in there first 2 years. I am willing to be it isn’t that high.

“That means the Leafs must depend on a steady flow of players from the development end, the Marlies. They must gamble draft choices for ready for prime time players (hard to find someone who begrudges the second-rounder Cliff Fletcher gave up to land Grabovsky) or trade.”

All this means that Mr. Burke is going to be very busy between now and the start of next season.

You can read Ulmer here

McCown/Brunt & Burke Why PTS is #1

If you want to know why McCown is number one in this market, listen to his interview of Bryan Burke last night. It is just stuff you don’t get anywhere else. I give a ton of credit to Bob and Stephen Brunt for this one. It was an excellent interview, they asked all the right questions at all the right times. Kudos to Burke too. Here is a sloppily written account, but I highly suggest you listen to it yourself.

Q So are you comfortable that you have a sense what this team is and what it needs?

A Yes, from the start i said that we are too small and that has proven to be our biggest need. The second thing is consistency. If you said to me how is your goaltending? On some nights its adequate, it’s been terrific and on other’s it’s not. Our defensive play, on some nights we are a unit we play hard, the next we don’t. We need a consistent approach

Q Is this a time now where you are still looking at how the teams play or are you asking yourself are the players you have, are these guys good enough?

A The latter-I inherited Ron Wilson, i respect Ron, our coaching is sound, its a good system, it’s entertaining we aren’t trapping- i like the coaching- The question now is do we have the right people to execute that system.

Q You have a long term project here. How much of your brain in focused on the short term like the brad may deal which is obviously is a short term thing and how much is like a chess game where it is three or four moves away and will pay dividends next year and into the future?

A This franchise has suffered from, and that’s a great question and a fair one… This franchise has suffered from a series of short term fixes and patch work approaches, patches on tires, I am going long term here and our goal is to win a championship. That being said, I do have a responsibility to season ticket holders and sponsors to play the hardest and to win the most games we can. With Brad May it’s not just the toughness element which he does bring, but more importantly the leadership he brings to the locker room where the younger guys can see a guy who prepares properly and approaches the game properly and has the leadership skills.

Q You like him, it’s the 3rd time you got him – he is 37 – leadership can be tricky sometimes can he bring those things to a new group mid stride?

A That is the hardest part of being a leader, is coming into a new group mid term and trying to be a leader- But i have seen Brad operate before and the one guy on our staff, Keith Acton pushed harder for this then anyone else…This isn’t a Brian Burke project, I love him as a player but he brings other things, he is very positive and that is very important to a young team, he never comes in a pouty, or in a bad mood. Every day is a great day to Brad May. I want a positive influence for those kids, a guy who pays a terrible price to win on the ice, a guy who practices hard. He is not a great hockey player, but he does a lot of things well and i think our team needs to see those things, how to prepare and act like a professional hockey player.

Q I spent a lot of time talking about the value of draft choices the direction this franchise is going and i don’t want to get into a fight about what cliff did, because I endorse most of what he did, but he did give up a lot of draft choices and well this probably isn’t much, it’s a 6th round draft pick, but I want to ask you, not you specifically, but what value do you put on draft choices as you try and build and get the buidling blocks in place, which is more important draft picks or free agents, what is your philosophy?

A My philosophy has always been that draft picks are very important. This changes as you get close. When we were close in anaheim I traded everything I could to get Chris Pronger because I was close. Ken Holland and Doug Wilson will deal draft choices because they are close. IDifferent weights you place on things depending on where you are. Right now they are the lifeblood of our team. You are right, there is no point on arguing with what Cliff did. He did some good things. He is a wonderful guy and a friend of mine. I have always tired to avoid throwing rocks at any of the guys who went before me. That is very important. People say that Cliff traded some picks and yes he did, but you will never here me complain about it. First because I don’t like guys who complain, nobody out there listening wants to listen to Bryan Burke complain and second he did what he did to make the team better. We have to do what we can to replace those picks. They are absolutely vital in a cap system. Teams that are successful have kept their picks and drafted wisely. Especially now, after the Edmonton offer sheet everyone locks them up after their entry contract so you are never going to get an elite young young kid..

Q Do you have any sense or confidence that you can start that process of reclaiming these picks before the deadline or is it going to take longer ?

A Yes we have one guy that any team would love to draft in any position in Schenn. Grabovsky is a good pick too, no one is going to quarrel that move either. But I am confident we can move some assets and start to replenish these picks, yeah sure.

Q As you approach that time- and you mention the inconsistency, what do you really like-what do you say, there is something we can hold on to there?

A if you asked me at the 7 minute mark of the first period of last night’s game when the shots were 10-0 I would have not said many names. I don’t call my team out very often. You know that, I try to be very loyal to my team. I was very sour last night and I would have made any player who was on the ice available with the exception of Luke Schenn.

I know what people are saying, why are you dealing the lifeblood of the franchise away for a guy like May? Well he told you why. He obviously has a plan, and he obviously knows exactly what is missing in the room right now. I think it is a huge indictment on Mayers and other veterans in the room. He couldn’t be more clear that there is no one in the room who is doing the little things right. I think we owe it to the guy to sit back and lets things unfold for a bit.

You can listen to the interview here.

Leafs Injury Update

TSN is reporting that…

Matt Stajan will be out at least a week with an eye injury, he will be seen by doctors on Monday. He was hit by a soccer ball while warming up.

Winger Jamal Mayers will play Sunday against the Capitals. 

Defenceman Luke Schenn is still at least 10 days away from returning to the lineup.

LT

Random Thoughts On A Snowy Toronto Sports Night

Some things have been going on that I think need commenting on, call me crazy (lots of folks do)

The Toronto Sports Fans apathy to the Raptors is at an all time high. The team is in a spiral and not too many people seem to give a rats ass. There is more noise made about the Jays when things go south then there is right now for the Raptors. I heard and read more comments about the Argos dismal efforts then I am noticing with the Raptors. Ask anyone in the sports industry what the worst thing that can happen to an organization and they will tell you fan apathy. The fact that this team is performing so poorly without a whimper of discontent does not bode well for the Raptors. I am stunned that more of the usual suspects haven’t come out a swinging at Bryan Colangelo. I guess the reason they don’t is that they can’t. None of them really know the game well enough to comment. I know, they don’t know hockey either, but with hockey they THINK they do. Kudos to Bob McCown for watching last night’s game(Monday’s) on Raptors TV repeat. The game was on TSN2 which I believe is only available via illegal means here in the GTA. The bobcat was playing scrabble with his son during the live event. Hey at least he watches games on tv!

Could anyone have predicted a less exciting start to the Brian Burke era then we have seen. I know, I know his trading embargo is in place and he is in a new gig learning about his new team, but man what a buzz kill. The build up to his reign was so HUGE that the fall off the cliff was due to be big but man has he been quiet.

Speculation is abound as to what Burke’s first move will be. Berger thinks Burke’s first move will happen between the pipes for the leafs. Dreger thinks it will be for toughness. Dreger even suggests that Burke has an itchy trigger finger so long as teams aren’t asking for Luke Schenn.

Speaking of quiet, serious props to the first radio station in town to get Sam Mitchell on the air. No coach has been more entertaining in recent memory then Smitch. I can’t imagine pleasant things being said if he ends up on 640 before 590.

I love what Ron Wilson is doing. You know that by now. However, I am starting to get a small sense of where things went south in San Jose in how he is speaking, at least publicly about Jason Williams. “Right now I’m watching him under the microscope,” said coach Ron Wilson. “If I see him get comfortable then we’re going to yank his chain around.” Nothing wrong with being a hard ass, but geeze, give the guy some credit. You call the guy up and all he does is score in every game. Would it kill you to give him a small pat on the back? I get the message and I am sure Williams does too.

You know I love the Globe and Mail Sports section. Clearly the most improved in the city. Not sure who wrote this gem as a byline to David Shoalt’s piece “Winger scores on fourth shootout attempt to ensure Toronto doesn’t lose to its former AHL goaltender “. Look Scott Clemmensen deserves a ton of credit. Why? He is making the most of his opportunity. Raise your hand if you think for one second he would see the playing time but for the injury to Brodeur. There are a ton of mistakes the leafs brass has made over the year, letting Clemmensen is not one of them. Claiming that the Leafs would or should be embarrassed to lose to New Jersey and their ex goalie is just baloney. New Jersey is, even without Broduer a pretty amazing team and their record shows it. Losing to them is nothing to be embarrassed about. Given the Leafs squad it is almost expected. Extra kudos to Wilson’s boys for eking one out in a shutout.

Things that make you go hmmmmmm. If Scott Clemmensen carries the Devils far this year does that diminish the accolades of one Martin Brodeur? My favorite New Jersey Devil of all time, ex head athletic trainer Bill Murray (no joke).

Successful sports franchises are those that appreciate the window of opportunity and just how small it is. In each league only one team wins the big one every year. Bad teams are unable to realize just how hard it is to be a champion. It is the smart GM who knows when it is time to admit the opportunity with a certain bunch has passed and make the hard and sometimes unpopular decision to re-tool. Recognizing that you won’t with a group of players who may be fan favorites or good regular season performers is hard. Actually pulling the proverbial band aid off an trading or releasing those assets is really what defines a champion. With that in mind, anyone else think that maybe, just maybe, the ship has sailed for some in Ottawa?

I say it enough times, I am not a basketball guy. However 6 NBA coaches fired so far this season and a combined worse winning percentage then their predecessors tell you something. Perhaps those teams are talent deficient and the coaches are the sacrificial lambs to pacify fans and owners. I agree with Jack Armstrong who said tonight that if he owned a team he would tell a GM before hiring a coach, when you hire this guy you are tied to him. If you want to fire him down the road, you go too. I know it would never work, but man it sounds good doesn’t it?

I am biased, but I really like former University of Vermont Captain Jamie Siffers. Reminds me of all the games he pummeled those nasty Terriers!

Sorry to hear about the 600 layoffs at the Sun’s parent company. People losing their jobs this time of year is beyond sad. If rumors are true that one of those gone from the Sun is Scott Morrison then I have to wonder who is making the decisions at the paper Little TSM loves.

Anyone else wonder what Jeff Marek was thinking jumping off Wilbur’s wing? I don’t know the guy, have nothing against him personally either. Since he left talk640 I have not seen or heard him and I thought he was pretty funny. I know he is on Sirius hockey night in Canada radio. Anyone listening to that? I sometimes tune into the XM hockey channel. I know that I am in the minority when it comes to satellite radio in this town….Not that it is entirely an indicator of performance (and certainly not of Marek that is for sure) but with the Sirius/XM stock at .15, that’s right fifteen cents things aren’t looking for rosy for the satellite radio folks.

Our respects to Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who’s father died Monday. From the articles I have read, it sounds like his father was an amazing man and even better father. Here is hoping JS and his entire family are able to make it through the holiday season with only great memories of Claude Giguere.

I love to ski. So reading of an accident involving chair lifts scares the hell out of me. (It also does make me think of that awesome episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. When does the next season start anyway? ) Seriously. I can’t wait to take my kids to Whistler skiing and I have been on the Excalibur lift many a time. I hope that those hurt are ok and that the cause is soon discovered and repaired. For those who don’t know,” The RCMP say at least 10 people were hurt in the accident that happened at about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, though none of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening. Fifty-three people were rescued, some after spending three hours in the air.”

Have the Blue Jays done anything, no literally anything to make you want to consider buying a ticket? Me neither.

Congrats to TFC for selling all 16,000 season tickets. In this economy that is, in a word, awesome.

I read tonight that the Yankees have replaced GM with Toyota and Audi as a sponsors of the team. In other news, Barack Obama was elected President of the United States. Could you imagine if GM were still the automobile sponsor of the Yankees. We need a bailout but…..

True story, I was offered a full page ad in this year’s superbowl game day program and 2 lower level premium seats for $40k with any payment terms I want through the end of 2009. Is it just me, but doesn’t that seem really low?

Have I missed anything? Oh yeah our first reported major snow storm is apparently here. I have a brand new snowblower in my garage. I was pretty psyched to fire it up. Then Joe Sakic had to ruin it for me…. Safe travels tomorrow am all.

OH wait, I know what I forgot, Thursday is Mats Sundin Day. Question, won’t it be interesting if he goes to a team other then the NY Rangers. You know I love McCown. He may still be right. What happens if he doesn’t sign with the Rangers? I know the world won’t end but someone will have some splain to do. For my part, “oh well, my sources were wrong” won’t just cut it. If I were Rick Toccheting on a prognosticator I would go with Hanky. I am pretty sure he has had #13 going to every team in the league at some point so he has to be right. One last Sundin thought for the night. Riddle me this. Do we get a farewell press conference in Toronto. Will we not get the tearful goodbye so many people here want and deserve?

The Value Of Cap Space, The Cost of Trading It

As promised, the first of several stories appeared today about the value of cap space as we edge towards 2010-2011. Damien Cox wrote about it in today’s Star. Instead of moving through his album, we can move right to the end to begin:

“The Leafs, you see, could stand to take on a veteran player with an oversized contract if the other team was willing to throw in a second- or third-round pick in the deal. In effect, then, the Leafs trade their cap room for a future draft pick. Everybody wins.That’s the ammunition Burke has, and he plans to use it. The trick, however, will be doing so in such a way as to not improve the club with veterans to such a degree that a top-five draft pick next June disappears in the process.”

What a strange situation indeed. The suggestion is that the Leafs should take veteran players from another team on 2 conditions, one that the veteran player comes with a draft pick(s) and secondly that the player has to suck; or suck enough as to not improve the team. So this poses a few questions. First, whom are the leafs trading in exchange for the pick(s) and bad (enough) player? Assume for a second that the Leafs aren’t going to trade Luke Schenn. Who will these other teams be willing to take back? Before you say Jason Blake, in a we take your “crap” you take our “crap” deal, remember that the teams Cox wants to trade with want to save money, not take it on. So, who can Burke trade, because when you take on a veteran and a draft pick(s), you usually send picks or future considerations the other way. This time the Leafs can’t send picks the other way, that doesn’t accomplish what Cox is suggesting. So, with the help from the stats over at nhlnumbers.com, here is a look at who Burke can dangle and their cap hit:

Lee Stempniak cap hit of 1.882 contract ends after 09-10 season
Alexei Ponikarovsky cap hit of 2.105 contract ends after 09-10 season
Nik Antropov, cap hit of 2.050 contract ends after this season. If the Leafs do this they better get a lot back for trading an expiring contract
Jamal Mayers, cap hit of 1.333 contract ends after the 09-10 season
Dominic Moore, cap hit of .900 contract ends after this season. See Antropov
Niklas Hagman, cap hit of 3.000 contract ends after 2011-2012 and NTC this year will make it hard to move him this year
Ryan Hollweg, cap hit of .485 contract ends after this season. See Antropov (except don’t expect a lot back)
Pavel Kubina, cap hit of 5.00 contract ends after 09-10 will make it hard to move him for these reasons
Tomas Kaberle, cap hit of 4.250 contract expires after 10-11 but has a ntc
jeff Finger, cap hit of 3.50 contract ends in 11-12 not likely
Mike Van Ryn cap hit of 2.900 contract ends 09-10
Jonas Frogren cap hit of 1.065 contract ends 09-10
Vesa Toskala cap hit of 4.000 contact ends after 09/10

I left all players under 25 out as their salaries are fairly low and their age making their trade probability fairly low. The Leafs also have Mark Bell with the Marlies to move. The harder thing is how do you trade for high priced talent that isn’t going to improve your team? That just isn’t going to be easy to do. Also when you take these bad guys back how long a contract are you willing to take back? I wouldn’t want a contract back that goes beyond 2010-2011.

I don’t doubt for one second that Burke would like to use his cap space to his advantage. Doing it in a smart effective way is not going to be easy. Also, would the media give Burke a pass for trading for “crap”??? Believe it when I see it.

Cox’s article can be found here

Interesting To Watch Burke Towards 2010/11

If you haven’t already read it, get ready, it’s going to be everywhere. You will hear that the NHL salary cap will not go down next season, as for the season after, all bets are off. Remember that the Cap is based on the previous years’ hockey revenue. Given that much of the hockey type revenues for this year are already accounted for, next year’s cap is pretty safe. Next year when sponsorships are expected to shrink, along with ticket sales and luxury suites, the size of the pie to split up for the following season (2010/11) is going to shrink dramatically. So while Cliff did a nice job hacking and cutting the payroll and salary commitments for both now and tomorrow, the pressure is really going to be on Burke to act accordingly so that his team isn’t prevented from doing the things he wants at the time this franchise should be righted. In simple terms, you don’t Burke’s hands to be tied be salaries and contracts that aren’t movable nor desirable internally. Assuming Sundin signs elsewhere this season, we could be looking at multiple seasons where the Buds are significantly below the ceiling. Also Burke’s ability to pedal players this year and next off-season could be dramatically hindered by the almight dollar and teams’ need for cap precious cap space.

Going into 2010-2011, as the leafs sit right now , they are in pretty good shape. 5 committed contracts carrying a cap hit in total of $18,725,000. Jason Blake($4,000,000) and Niklas Hagman($3,000,000) are the only 2 forwards with contracts in that season. On the blueline, Tomas Kaberle($4,250,000), Jeff Finger($3,500,000) and Luke Schenn(2,975,000) are the only players with contracts. The Buds will still be on the hook for Darcy Tuker’s salary at the time, taking a cap hit of $1,000,000. Of all those players (Tucker excluded) I am only comfortable that Schenn will still be here. Hagman’s no trade clause expires after this year and there is no guarantee that come next deadline he couldn’t be a valuable trading asset. Despite a few good games, I am not convinced that Jason Blake will be here by then. Be it the minor’s or re-callable waivers, I am comfortable that he won’t be here. On D, I don’t have to get into Tomas Kaberle as his story has been well documented this past week. The jury is out on Finger. I wouldn’t be stunned if her was still around in 10/11, nor would I be stunned if he were elsewhere.

So, as the NBA sits back and waits on 2010 does the NHL too? How much does this effect what Burke wants to do. At some point down the road, Mats Sundin needs to be replaced. A franchise player is going to have to be acquired. Ideally this will happen in the draft. More likely, this player will come via trade/free agency. As the calendar progresses from year to year the age limits on free agency seems to get lower and lower, which should have resulted in more and more free agents. Instead, thankfully, I think for the leafs, teams have been locking up their younger players to long term deals at big money. How is that to the Leafs advantage? Well, if the cap goes down, teams are going to have to look to trim payroll. The value of cap space at that time will be at an all time premium. The less payroll a team has tied up, the more flexibility they will have. It really is that simple.

Tampa Bay, for example has 34,502,273 already tied up in salary in that year in 9 guys. The New York Ranger’s have 34,782,143 tied up in 7 guys…ouch! The Ottawa Senators have 30,526,496 tied up in 7 players and 1 buyout (emerson). The Flyers have 42,145,833 tied up in 10 guys. Burke is in good shape compared to some of his compadres. Does this guarantee success? Of course not. What it should mean is that if Burke is smart at the time he wants to add those extra pieces to get to or over the top, the could very well be pretty affordable.

These are interesting times indeed. I am interested to see how this plays out. I doubt that the Jeff Finger’s of the world will realize the huge dollars that they saw this past summer when free agency opens up this summer. That is not to say there won’t be a lot of movement. I think the top guys will get their money. Maybe not at the pace as in years past, but the big dogs will eat.

salary info form nhlscap.com

Saturday/Sunday Blah’s

Ahhhhh yes, the dog days of sum, I mean winter. Let’s review Brian Burke becomes GM, team goes out west, plays pretty poorly in the final 2 games, during the second of which a veteran defenceman gets benched for the entire period before going -3. The team gets back and hires a new head of hockey operations, looses a close game to the Washington Capitals, and at the same time the stud defenceman gets injured (likely for 2 weeks) and one it’s better forwards (Hagman) to injury too. I think that sums up the leafs no? The Raptors fire their coach, who only a couple of seasons ago won coach of the year honors. The new coach is a canuck(first time that has ever happened) and has gone 0 for 2 since. Collectively those two teams have had a change in their ownership structure. Over in Blue Jay land, the GM meetings are now here and the owner just died and the word is the payroll is being dramatically cut. Elsewhere in Toronto, the Buffalo Bills played my (no, I don’t own them) Miami Dolphins in the first ever regular seas game to be played in Canada or Toronto.

Elsewhere, Sundin appears to be on the verge of deciding to make a decision whether or not play this season and then maybe where too. Sean Avery has been suspended for 6 games and ordered to be assessed for the need for anger management therapy. He has apparently asked the PA not to appeal or file a grievance on his behalf (giving Glen Why Can’t I Be Maple Leaf GM ulcers). The Canes fired their coach and replaced him Paul Maurice. Tampa Bay fired it’s coach too this season and may actually be worse under Rick “The Bet” Tocchet. The economy is in the crapper (and going to get worse) and the NHL board of Governors are going to discuss that (and hopefully litany of teams who are allegedly in various stages of financial disarray. ) The Detroit Lions improved to 0-13 (improved is the right word right???) In US college football, Oklahoma and Florida finished 1-2 in the BCS and will play for the BCS national championship on Jan. 8 in Miami. In US college hoops the Michigan Wolverines stunned the Duke Blue Devils who were ranked #4 prior to that tilt…

Forgive me if I left anything out… Why the review? Well, in my usual tour of the papers, tv stations, websites today I can honestly say I didn’t find one single article worth reading or writing about. No joke. With the exception of the blurb on Simmon’s piece which I wrote mainly for Eye….and to bash Howie, again, there was nothing, zip, zero, nadda, zilch to even consider discussing. With all of the above going on, and more I am sure, I was stunned at how little was written or spoken that actually peaked my interest, had me on my blackberry to ping someone, or get my blood boiling. Did you read Larry Brooks today? Don’t bother, there was nothing there. Seriously, even his take on the Avery story was a complete bore.

So, perhaps this is a week in review, or the after effects of another phenomenal festivus last night but here is hoping that it isn’t a sign of things to come. I used to really like Sunday’s for sports media purposes…. Today I felt cheated.

More On Tomas Kaberle

As hard as it is to believe, I actually think both Damien and Howie both got it right in their assessments on last nights game and the effect on Tomas Kaberle. Damien’s take was much shorter, but I think he hit the nail right on the head. This certainly looks like the beginning of the end of Tomas’s career as a Maple Leaf. I think lots of people smarter then me are going to debate the merits of what Ron Wilson did last night. Wilson’s actions haven’t been seen around a Maple Leaf team in at least 20 years if not longer. I am not sure if thoroughly humiliating one of your players is the right way to go about things. I guess we will see how things turn out. Each coach has their own motivational techniques, some work, some don’t. I will say this. No one should be surprised at how poorly Kaberle played the rest of the game. We all have been in situations when we are under such scrutiny, that no matter how hard we try things go awry. You can bet he was either so pissed (which given his demeanor is hard to believe) or trying so hard (more likely in my opinion) that he was bound to mess up.

“Well, at least you can’t say Ron Wilson is picking easy targets. No, the Maple Leaf coach is going after the big boys. But with Kaberle, it comes with an underlying message. Don’t think you’re just going to ride out another lousy season and refuse to be traded. You may soon be begging to be traded.” Lots of people suggest that Maurice and Fletcher take a similar tactic with the Muskoka bunch last year; they didn’t and none were convinced to waive. With the exception of Kaberle and Kubina, none remain. What is interesting to me is that Kubina is a guy who allegedly Wilson really wanted to keep and in my humble opinion has been the one player who’s performance has retreated the most this year.

“Truth is, he’s been dissatisfied with the work of Kaberle and Kubina for weeks, the two members of the Leaf defence corps with no-trade clauses in their contracts. New GM Brian Burke is already on record as saying such clauses are “coach-killers,” and quite clearly its in the plans of the Leafs to have both players willing to waive those clauses sometime before March in order to facilitate trades elsewhere that will bring draft picks and/or players to the club. But the gauntlet has been laid down. And Kaberle, it’s clear, is in his final weeks as a Maple Leaf.”

I think that is a fair assessment. One wonders why effect this type of thing has on the trade value of a player. I say that is bunk. GM’s and Coaches believe they are supreme problem solvers and that where they if given the chance they will be able to get a player in a “bad situation” to reclaim either their ability to perform at an amazing level or to reach what was once unbelievable potential. There are teams out there who see Kaberle for what he is (a good puck moving defencemen) who is inexpensive in today’s game. They will be able to convince themselves that the lack of a supporting cast, the pressures of the media and Leaf nation and of course the need for a change in atmosphere will at the very least restore Kaberle to his prime if not vault him to stardom.

Meanwhile, Howie has apparently recovered from his night of glitz and glamor at casa de Fletcher and is ready to talk hockey again:

“I have covered the Maple Leafs – home and away — since 1994, and I can guarantee the club has never once practised at 8 a.m. Not under Pat Burns. Not under Nick Beverley. Not under Mike Murphy. Not under Pat Quinn. And, not under Paul Maurice. The early start time is partly the result of a 10:30 a.m. charter-flight back to Toronto, but the workout was not on the docket until after last night’s stinker against the Coyotes. And it may, in fact, prove a detriment to the club in the short term, as the Leafs — for the third time since Nov. 16th — must fly across three time zones and play a hockey game the following night… in this case, a home encounter against Washington on Saturday. But, Wilson isn’t concerned about short-term issues. Or about the dire predictions for his club this season. His mandate is to ensure that the players — regardless of the outcome on a given night — understand that nothing short of an honest effort will be tolerated. If not, there will be hell to pay… as the boys will discover early this morning here in the desert.”

And if they did skate at 8am, just how many reporters would be there??? In all seriousness he is right. Wilson could care less about the wins and losses right now. To him it is all about building the foundation and removing this country club like mentality that has engulfed this franchise for years.

“Kaberle had never been openly disciplined in his decade on the Leaf blueline, and he was clearly taken by surprise when assistant coach Rob Zettler continued to call every defenseman’s name except his in the opening period last night. Zettler changes the Leaf defense pairings, and he repeatedly arranged combinations involving his other five blueliners — Jeff Finger, Pavel Kubina, Anton Stralman, Luke Schenn and Ian White. It wasn’t until the second shift of the middle frame that Kaberle finally got onto the ice. Unfortunately for Wilson, the message he sent on this night apparently did not sink in. “Yeah, I sent [Kaberle] a message, and he sent me a message back by being minus-4,” the coach scoffed after the game [Kaberle was actually a minus-3]. Indeed, the blueliner seemed flustered by the first-period snub. His head was on a swivel in the final frame, as Phoenix scored all three of its decisive goals with him on the ice. But, making an example of Kaberle was an explicit reminder that there are no exemptions on this club. Kaberle didn’t perform to standard against San Jose, and Wilson made sure he was aware of it last night.”

Now, I didn’t see all of the game, so can someone who did tell me how Berger can say that Kaberle was “clearly taken by surprise”. The implication is that he could see this surprise on his face. The one thing I think is good (regardless of the method) is that Wilson doesn’t appear to be playing favorites…yet. Brian Burke has said that his young players have to feel comfortable to play in a system in which they are free from fear of making mistakes, so that excuses Schenn for a little bit. One has to wonder the effect on the younger guys when they see a veteran embarrassed for poor performance. The pressure not to screw up must be pretty intense so as not to let your teammates down and to not be embarrassed yourself.

“If I were Burke, goalie Vesa Toskala would be among the players excised from the roster. Toskala has one year after this remaining on his current deal and Burke will likely decide by next summer whether or not to extend the Finnish netminder. But, after watching him closely this season, I’m convinced the Maple Leafs will never win anything of consequence with Toskala as their No.-1 goalie. Though he has some exceptional skills [primarily a lightning-quick glove] and the ability to get hot over a limited stretch of games, Toskala doesn’t bring the complete package. He’s been just a step above mediocre during the first third of this season, and is providing no indication that he’ll be — as widely expected — the most valuable performer on the hockey club.”

I don’t think anyone has said that Vesa is the answer to Stanley Cup drought. Again he isn’t making a ton of dough and I think Cliff rightly figured they needed a goalie who could eat a lot of minutes and not thoroughly embarrass the team. So while Toskala may not be the eventual cup winner, he plays a role that is important enough right now. Does that mean that they shouldn’t try to deal him? No, I have said it before (see Howie, we all can say that) I am not sure there are any real untouchables right now. Yes, I know what about Schenn? All I will say is that if Wayne Gretzky can be dealt, under the right circumstances so can Luke Schenn.

you can read Howie here….

Damien be read here