Premature Evaluation?

Painted for months in many corners as hopelessly incompetent, John Ferguson probably can go to work most days knowing the criticism can't get any worse.

Even last week after the season opening loss to Ottawa, one radio commentator was assuring his listeners that Colin Campbell would be the new Leaf GM by U.S. Thanksgiving, no later.

Well, given the Leafs are off to a solid start in this very young NHL season, it's probably fair to give JFJ some kudos for the job done so far.

After making a boatload of personnel errors coming out of the lockout, it seems as though Ferguson may have had a very good summer of '06, one that might even eventually earn him a contract extension, with his current deal set to expire after this season.

A year ago, the Leafs were just starting to learn that the players added in the summer of '05 - Eric Lindros, Jason Allison, Mariusz Czerkawski, Alexander Khavanov - were not going to make the club a winner.

This past summer, however, Ferguson started strong by firing Pat Quinn and releasing both Ed Belfour and Tie Domi.

Then he got hot:

- Paul Maurice appears to have been the perfect choice to succeed Quinn, a younger man with a belief that a more structured approach that forced the players to be more accountable could improve the club. Just the fact the Leafs appear to be en route to becoming a far more disciplined team, with the same dumb penalties no longer excused over and over, is an enlightening change.

- At the moment, there is no fear Leaf fans will string Ferguson up for dealing away goalie prospect Tukka Rask for Andrew Raycroft.

Raycroft has been excellent so far, and while Rask may one day be a star, it could well be that the Bruins were a little hasty in writing off Raycroft and handing the goaltending reins to Tim Thomas and Hannu Toivonen. Most important, if Raycroft is as good as he seems to be, it will give Justin Pogge two full seasons in the AHL to develop at a proper pace.

- You can debate whether Pavel Kubina is worth $5 million a season. What is not debatable is that in the three games he has played, he has been no worse than the team's second best defenceman behind Tomas Kaberle and possibly its best.

- Bryan McCabe? Not even close to Kubina so far, which is why Leaf fans should be deathly afraid Kubina's injury picked up in the third period against Florida Monday night could be serious.

- Signing Mike Peca not only substantially increased the team's on-ice I.Q., it has added a layer of class and leadership to the team's dressing room that simply didn't exist before.

- Peca may not manage half the points Allison did last season. Still, it's already obvious he's twice the player.

In general, there's no question Ferguson is out of excuses and alibis. This is his team now run by his handpicked choice as head coach and it's pretty obvious he needs a playoff berth to keep his job.

He's running for re-hire on his record, and so far this season his chances of success have brightened considerably.

Comments

[Ken Cave]

I believe that John Ferguson has made some good player acquisitions this season, and I also am of the opinion that his acquisitions of last season could have turned out better if Lindros had not been injured, etc. Kubina is definitely overpaid, but should provide a marked improvement to the defence, as will Hall Gill. Andrew Raycroft is proving to be an important acquisition with his play so far, and Mike Peca looks like he is returning to his form of years ago. Paul Maurice is a good fit as the coach. I like the style of this team, the energetic approach they take in each game, but I wonder how long they can be successful by simply outworking their opposition if they can't put the puck in the net 5 on 5. Last night in the Florida game, the power play did not function as it normally does, but, hopefully, they will return to form. At least this season they seem to be able to get more shots on goal, so they should be able to score more goals if they continue in this fashion. The Leafs are playing a very entertaining,up tempo style, which I believe will provide them with a real chance to make the playoffs. In the meantime, I will enjoy watching the young guys on the team improve and mature.

[Garret Thomson]

One thing that is constantly hounded upon is the Leafs' ability to win. Tommorow. Yesterday. In the next 2 minutes.

Releasing Domi, Belfour, and putting the youngins under a couch who will harp on the fundamentals is about the best thing this team can do.

Leaf nation hasn't seen a cup in so long that the thought of winning one should be the furthest thing on the minds of fans and management. Building a better team for the long run is what has been required for way too long. The Leafs have always been a team that could have lost for years while still making money, only for the sake of maturing talent and setting long-range game plans. Being 4th or 5th for so long gets you lousy draft options, and no cup. I hate being a fan of a team that seems to have a real problem with admitting the age old mantra of no pain, no gain.

This is why the last 10 years or so have been frustrating for me. I look forward to this season, not as a season in while the Leafs will shoot the lights out, but as a season that will be exciting to watch, and feature many promising players that the franchise can finally build on from the ground up.

Finally, the Raycroft pickup is perfect. It is time this team placed more emphasis on actual defensive systems, and having a goalie that will be good, but not 'let the defense off the hook' good, is exactly what Toronto has needed after a long string of goalies who were expected to be nothing short of perfect. It may seem perverse, but Raycroft only needs an average season, not a good one, to be worth the pickup. Leaf nation needed a goalie who wouldn't been seen as the only guy responsible for whether the puck ended up in the net.