A Real Fixer Upper

AARYON LYNETT/TORONTO STAR Toronto's Darcy Tucker and New York's Sean Avery get right down to it during a game on Nov. 10, 2007.

On the first day of Pebble Beach deliberations, the NHL board of governors accomplished nothing that will help the league.

Sure, they rubber-stamped the transfer of the Nashville Predators to a new ownership group that will no doubt be back in two or three years with new tales of woes and plans to sell or move the team.

The guvs also voted in a new schedule, which will immediately attract new complaints as soon as the dimwitted understand the league has effectively increased the number of games between unfamiliar opponents at the expense of contests between rivals.

Tell us how you would improve the NHL.

More Preds-Sens and Oilers-Panthers, fewer Flyers-Sens and Oilers-Avalanche. Hmm. Can't wait.

On the second day, perhaps the governors will do better.

The most important item on their agenda should be the state of the game itself, with defence and fighting way up, scoring and excitement way down.

But what to do?

Now that it appears evident that coaches have again shut the game down, erasing the openness initially created by the removal of hooking and interference and the red line, there's nobody who has a terrific idea to fix the game again.

I've said for years they're going to have to increase the size of the nets, but too many non-thinkers still argue it would make a mockery of the NHL record book.

As if goalies the size of airport hangars didn't do that long ago.

Bigger ice will do nothing. The Europeans proved that long ago. Four-on-four would work, probably, but there's no appetite for that.

So at the same time the NHL is trying to figure out a way to win ESPN's heart again, it's got a product that is devolving back into what it was three or four years ago, and what it couldn't sell three or four years ago. The league, sadly, has fallen back to its old reflex of insisting all is well no matter the evidence to the contrary. The best the dinosaurs can offer is that taking the instigator out will make it a more manly league.

After a brief respite, the coaches, goons and goalies are dominating again, and nobody has a great idea how to fix the NHL now that it appears broken again.

Thursday Mail Bag

Hard to imagine life could be uglier for the Maple Leafs this week. Or John Ferguson. Or Richard Peddie.

Some have suggested that if this was Manchester United or the New York Yankees, something of substance would have been done by now. But as of yet, there has been nothing substantial done to arrest the Leaf slide. And with the in-season NHL trade market having all but dried up in the salary cap era, a management/coaching shakeup remains the likeliest possibility.

Or the Leafs will just drift along. . .

Now, on to this week's mail bag (click here to submit a question):

Q: "Even those bloodless bean-counters of the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund have to be shaken these days."

Once again, you attack Ontario Teachers and their pension fund for the problems of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The current salaries of the Leafs total 50 million dollars. The allowable amount under the cap is 50.3 million dollars. They've spent the money and are not allowed to spend any more.

Teachers did not make the decision to pay what the team paid for these players. We don't make any of the decisions in our classrooms that help or hurt the Leafs. We teach.

You are a sportswriter. Are you responsible for the advertising in your paper? How about the Entertainment section? What about the front cover, do you make any choices as to what the cover story is? No, you just try to link the current problems of a hockey team with the teachers in this province.

I have to wonder if you'd sing the praises of Ontario teachers if the Leafs were winning. My guess is that you wouldn't.

Timothy Dineen, Britt, Ont.

A: Well, you're certainly not the first teacher to communicate your unhappiness with the way in which teachers are being portrayed in connection with their pension fund and the ownership of the Leafs. Clearly, we've hit a nerve.

A couple of things. First, the fund owns 58 per cent of the Leafs. Therefore, by definition, the fund's trustees are responsible for the state of the team whether they choose to take an active interest or not. They can't just hide behind Richard Peddie's skirts and rake in the dough, at least not without opening themselves to criticism. Moreover, they enjoy the perks, such as seats, luxury boxes, etc. etc.

Second, the No. 1 job of the teachers pension fund is to generate investment income for their constituents. Given the choice between shaving two or three percentage points of their profit margin to aid the development of the hockey team and keeping profit margins as they are, you know they would choose the latter every time, as they should.

But that doesn’t make the fund a good NHL owner. Moreover, there's a lot more to owning an NHL club than simply making the funds available to spend up to the salary cap.

I've never said a bad word about any teacher in this province. They teach my children. But if as a group they benefit through their pension fund's ownership of the Leafs, as they surely do, then people are going to notice that relationship. Period.

Q: Hey Damien,

Love reading your stuff and getting the occasional chuckle at the expense of the Leafs (deriving any form of enjoyment from the Leafs is a rare occurrence these days and I will take what I can get).

In a Star article (Tuesday) by Kevin McGran there are a few references to the MLSE board of directors and their approval of the "plan" presented by Ferguson last summer. I Googled MLSE board of directors and found a Wikipedia article that listed the members of the board. A further quick study of the members has left me with a question - who are these people to be evaluating the hockey plan for the Leafs? Besides Peddie and Tanenbaum there does not appear to be a lot of hockey knowledge on that board beyond the level of the average hockey fan. And yes, it could be argued that Peddie’s knowledge is highly suspect.

Beyond being concerned with the bottom line I am curious how a group of business people without any hockey history evaluates a Ferguson plan. Further, what exactly is in his master plan that is presented to the board?

Troy Fraser, Oakville

A: Well, you could probably say the same about many sports companies. How does Mike Ilitch evaluate Ken Holland's plan in Detroit? How does Henri Samueli evaluate Brian Burke’s plan in Anaheim? At some point, however, most sports teams face decreasing revenues when the team goes bad, and then ownership looks elsewhere for an executive to solve the problem. With the Leafs, the revenues and profits only go up, so there's never financial urgency to fix management issues.

Q: Damien,

How can Richard Peddie realistically be moved aside and removed from the hockey operations department? Does he not represent the majority stakeholders of the team?

Don't get me wrong, I want him out as badly as the next guy, and I agree it should be done yesterday, but by what method will this happen?

Keep up the great work,

Cam C., St. Catharines, Ont.

A: You're bang on. If the teachers pension fund stands with Peddie and he doesn't want to budge, nothing can happen. It changed on the Raptor side of the organization because, many believe, NBA commissioner David Stern leaned on MLSE ownership to grab Bryan Colangelo and breathe life back into the basketball team. Colangelo insisted on full power without interference from Peddie, and that's the way the deal went. Unless there is a Colangelo-type figure willing to take on the Leaf rebuilding job, Peddie will try to hang on to his Leaf influence and authority as long as he can, and the fact he is so effective with the company in a variety of other businesses means he won't be getting the boot anytime soon.

Q: Damien,

Why do we again hear about only unproven, "great up-side and potential, but no experience" candidates (JFJ anyone?) to take over for said JFJ? Why must MLSE always go the cheap route when it comes to executives? Messiers, Yzerman, Healy, Francis, Gilmour - all good to great players, Healy moves up on the strength of his analysis, but none with any experience for the job required. Colin Campbell for that matter doesn't have any GM experience either.

My top 3 choices for the GM post are 1. Ken Holland, 2. David Poile, 3. Ken Holland.

If Holland or Poile want to hire any of the above mentioned non-experienced individuals to groom them for the future, that would be their choice, but for God sakes MLSE, do what you did with the Raptors and hire the best, not potentially the good.

Yuriy Horich, Mississauga

A: Good point. But if you're looking at making a change in-season, then people like Holland and Poile aren't available. So you start looking at who could be available, and that's where all the untested names start popping up because they, for the most part, don't work for anyone right now.

Q: Hey Damien, I was wondering with the current state of the Maple Leafs, if someone with some hockey knowledge stepped in and was able to do a few things, what could they possibly do with all those no trade clauses and no movement clauses?

If the players (Mccabe, Kubina, Raycroft, Gill, etc.) were to be put on waivers and clear then brought back up through re-entry waivers and picked up with half their salaries then paid by the Leafs, does that still take up the Leafs cap or are they just paying the salary and it’s off of the cap number? The new GM must have something that can be done rather then sit on his hands and wait for some other bonehead other then JFJ to grab one of these under achievers. Hope you can clear some of this up, thanks!

Luke Craig, Whitby, Ont.

A: My understanding is that no movement means no movement, which includes being dumped in the minors. If a player is in the minors, his number comes off the cap, but if he is picked up by another team on re-entry waivers, half his salary goes on the Leaf cap.

Q: What's infuriating about the Leafs is they play a great game against the Sens, and demonstrate that they can play. So, why, some nights are they so incredibly (bad)? Isn't that indicative that they're not prepared? And wouldn't that be the coaches' resposibility?

Michael Sanderson, Magog, Que.

A: You forget that the other team has something to do with it. The Sens weren’t very good that night, which partially accounted for the result. On Friday in Dallas and Saturday in Phoenix, the Stars and Coyotes, respectively, played very well.

In terms of inconsistency, sure, that's a coach’s responsibility to some degree. But if you have so-so talent, which I believe is the case with the Leafs, then inconsistency may just be the team playing up to its potential.

Q: Hi Damien:

My problem with JFJ is not so much the players he has acquired in trades, but what has been given up to get them. Leafs needed a goalie last year to replace Belfour, but surely could have picked up Raycroft for less than Rask. Toskala and Bell are good acquisitions but not for all the draft choices given up. And Yanic Perreault was a reasonable pick-up, but why not just for Bell and not a second draft choice, too.

Trades are about negotiation, not just agreeing to other GMs' first demands (which smells of being the case for the above three transactions). Plus, if not for giving up Rask, JFJ might not have needed to acquire Vesa, too. I've been a Leaf fan for 47 years, but this continued mismanagement is getting tiresome. Agree or disagree about the above?

Stu Royal, Brampton

A: Well, basically I agree, but its not clear whether the Leafs could have landed Raycroft for less than Rask, or that Toskala could have been acquired for less. The fact is that neither Raycroft nor Toskala appears up to the task of being a No. 1 goaltender, and so both trades look bad. You have to give up something good to get something good, but the Leafs have been giving up something good and getting back something uncertain too many times.

Q: Greetings Damien!

How would you rate Pat Quinn's performance as a GM during his years in Toronto? I would rate him rather highly based on the fact that a number of his draft picks, many of them later round selections (Welwood, Stajan, Steen, White) have emerged as fairly solid NHL contributors, his free agent acquisitions (Roberts, Mogilny, Belfour) were for the most part good investments and he got his club into the playoffs every season he was in charge. Certainly, in hindsight the Owen Nolan deal and his handling of the Curtis Joseph situation were missteps, as were the acquisition of Dimitri Khristich and then Robert Reichel, yet on balance I feel he did a good job, especially considering he had very little to work with when he took over in ‘99. I ask because since Pat Quinn was let go, the likes of Garth Snow, John Davidson and now Brett Hull, all of who are hockey people with little management experience have been promoted to management positions. Why are clubs steering clear of Pat? Age? Salary expectations? Reputation?

Stuart Lynam, Calgary

A: I think Quinn was a decent GM, and maybe he would have been better at it had he not chose to hang on to the coaching reins as well. He had, basically, unlimited funds to work with, and that allowed him to paper over his errors by simply spending more. His best moves were free agent acquisitions, but you can’t build a team that way. If teams are steering clear of him, it's because he's not that highly regarded as a coach or manager, and his age might work against him, as well. Without that Stanley Cup ring as a crowning achievement, teams will wonder whether Quinn has the ability to take a team over the top as a coach or manager. Plus, given the way in which things worked in Toronto, he doesn't exactly have a great reputation for working well with others.

Every Thursday, Damien Cox answers your questions in The Spin, only at thestar.com.

Click here to submit a question.

Blinded by Faith

The truest, deepest CFL believers drink the kool-aid and never, ever brook dissent.

The league is great, has just the right number of teams, the style of football is perfect, the players are fantabulous athletes, a conceded safety is strategic and fascinating and only the blind North American media stops this from being considered the greatest pro sports league currently in existence.

Which brings us to Sunday's Grey Cup.

Folks, the game stunk. And it was boring. And there were too many delays. And it was too much like last year's Grey Cup and an awful lot of games we've seen over the past two seasons.

But don't tell that to the true believers.

Consider the email of one reader who suggested the fact the Green Riders beat Winnipeg by four has to have meant it was a thrilling championship game.

So 4-0 would be a great tilt as well? 11-7? Before you know it, these people will be doing NHL talk, telling you it's not the number of touchdowns that matter, it's the number of touchdown chances.

Another reader suggested that Monday's night's 3-0 victory by the Pittsburgh Steelers over the Miami Dolphins was proof positive of the superiority of the CFL game over the NFL.

Uh, well, except that the Steelers and Dolphins waged their match on what was essentially a field of molasses in a game that was delayed by lightning and rain and should never have been played.

How they get a field like that in football-made Pennsylvania strains the imagination.

But that game surely had nothing to do with the CFL.

They've got a problem with the CFL, and they can deny it if they want or blame it all on sub-par quarterbacking. But this used to be a league that thrilled with zany passing and high scoring, and now its dominated by defence.

I still love the league. But this isn't the football I loved.

Naming Names

Ideally, the Maple Leafs would have the pick of the litter, the very best hockey minds in the world clamouring to work for them.

But that's just not the way it is.

Moreover, to get one of the really big names - Brian Burke, Lou Lamoriello - they'd have to wait until June or July, and this thing's going downhill faster than that.

There are quality hockey people out there, available today. Even Pat Quinn, as utterly laughable as that may sound. Then again, this is an organization that brought back Punch Imlach, Carl Brewer, Mike Pelyk, Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour for second go-rounds, so it's not like the stupidity of bringing back Quinn would be out of the MLSE strike zone.

So who would you get? As a new GM, or president, or coach?

Here's a list of some hockey people to ponder:

FORMER PLAYERS: Steve Yzerman, Ron Francis, Mark Messier, Al MacInnis, Doug Gilmour, Glenn Healy, Tom Kurvers, Steve Larmer, Kris King.

AGENTS: Don Meehan, Brian Lawton, Mike Liut.

COACHES: Randy Cunneyworth, Greg Gilbert, Bob Hartley, Mike Kitchen, Don Lever, Barry Melrose, Pat Burns, Pierre Maguire, Brian Sutter, Craig Hartsburg.

EXECUTIVES: Neil Smith, Mike Murphy, Colin Campbell, John Muckler, Scotty Bowman, Mike Milbury, Bob Murray, Mike Barnett, Doug Armstrong, Jim Nill.

So who do you like? Or is a quality name missing?

Here's the sad part. The Leafs had a glorious opportunity to bring in one of the NHL's best managers, Bob Gainey, back in 2002. Ken Dryden tried to squeeze Gainey into the job, but Quinn, with his own political agenda to advance, blocked it, and the rest is history.

And not very pleasant history.

Blowing Things Up Real Good

One of the most popular suggestions these days for the Maple Leafs, a team without a clear immediate future or long-term future, is that the team should "blow up" its current roster, sink to the bottom of the NHL standings for a few years and rebuild with stars through the draft.

You know, just like the Pittsburgh Penguins did it. Sort of.

Well, the Washington Capitals should serve as a warning to the Leafs or any other team considering that strategy.

See, it just may not work. There's no guarantee.

The Caps fired their coach, Glen Hanlon, yesterday, and replaced him with ex-Leaf Bruce Boudreau after sinking to dead last in the NHL. After a 39-win season in 2002-03, the Caps haven't finished above 14th in the East and aren't going much higher this year, it would appear.

Maybe it's too early to totally evaluate the Caps', ahem, strategy. Nicklas Backstrom, the fifth pick of the '06 draft, is just getting his feet wet in the NHL, and the fifth pick of last summer's draft, defenceman Karl Alzner, is a couple of years away.

But other than Alex Ovechkin, the Caps don't appear to have the stars or star-quality prospects that would theoretically fuel a surge up the NHL standings anytime in the near future. Maybe they've got to wallow in the lower regions of the draft a while longer to mimic what, say, the Quebec Nordiques pulled off by finishing so terribly for so long in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

It's not just the Caps. You might make the same argument about Florida, and possibly Columbus as well, although the Blue Jackets are showing signs of making strides this season. Under the worst-case scenario, you just end up with a lot of young kids learning how to lose together.

Point is, going way, way down doesn't necessarily mean future success. Even Pittsburgh has stalled to some degree this season.

Blowing it all up, Leaf fans, might just make it worse.

Mail Bag

The Maple Leafs - 10th in the east today - have taken another step backwards (against Boston) following an impressive step forwards (against Ottawa), and now head out of town at the same time Grey Cup revelers head into town.

In Dallas, the Leafs will visit a Stars team now co-managed by Brett Hull, and then venture into the Arizona desert to confront Phoenix and head coach Wayne Gretzky.

Perhaps those twin brushes with greatness, Hull and Gretzky, will inspire the Leafs and change their season. Then again, it didn’t work for Michael Bishop with Damon Allen, did it?

Now, with the questions getting more interesting every week thanks to our readers, on to this week’s mail bag:

Q: Damien: After watching the 4-2 loss to the Bruins, I'm quite frustrated (as I'm sure many other fans are). Early on in the game, it was obvious to me to shoot high on the butterfly goalie Tuukka Rask. He covers the bottom of the net well, but like Andrew Raycroft, goes down early and leaves the top of the net fairly open. However, the Leafs continued to pound shots low into his pads (except for Sundin's high shot).

A: Great question. First, they didn't know Rask that well. Second, smart shooters can adjust, but for a team that scores a lot of goals, the Leafs don't seem to have a lot of smart shooters. Third, it's difficult to adjust during a game. Fourth, Rask did make some good glove and blocker saves, suggesting he's not totally vulnerable on high shots.

The league will get a book on every goalie, and the Leafs should - if they're paying attention - be better prepared the next time around. Still, Rask plays a style reminiscent of Henrik Lundqvist, and he's doing pretty well.

Q: Hi Damien,

I'm one of the few who saw the Leafs win their Stanley Cups in the 60's. I have been a die hard fan and follower over the years - waiting, waiting, waiting. After another dismal game last night I'm saying 'so long' I've had enough frustration. I don't know how (or why) others continue to support this sad sack organisation and crew. Because of where I live (Corvallis, Oregon) I was able to get the Leaf games on NHL radio. I have just removed it from my Bookmarks. Enough is too much already!

Last year, two years ago, I emailed Paul Hunter and suggested that there's a Ballard curse on this the team. I remember an interview after a game on Hockey Night In Canada, with Harold and Ward Cornell(?) Dave Hodge(?) on TV a week maybe two after Ian Turnbull scored his five goals I believe it was. Harold came on and said, “Why I wouldn't trade Ian Turnbull for God.” Guess what - Ian Turnbull is long gone. God isn't. I'm not so sure I believe in curses, but I don't believe in Ian Turnbull either. And I'm tired of waiting, waiting, waiting.

Ken Van Schelven, Corvallis, Oregon

A: Some emails just speak for themselves.

Q: Hey Damien,

Love the blog, hate the Leafs. Two quick comments. One, in respect to your mention of the Penner acquisition possibly being "as bad as Tom Kurvers-for-Scott Niedermayer". It reminded me that at the time it was feared that the Leafs would finish last and Eric Lindros would be the question to the Kurvers trivia answer. Interesting that all these years later it could easily be argued that Niedermayer was indeed the biggest prize in that draft (or Peter Forsberg but that's a whole other discussion.) What do you think?

Secondly, with the blame that from time to time is laid on the Toronto media for being too hard on the Leafs I find it intriguing that living in Montreal, where the media scrutiny matches if not surpasses Toronto's (and in two languages, again another discussion) the result here seems to be a better club, if not at least a competitive team with a bright future. Thoughts?

Quick last note: the thinking on the barstools here is that P.J. Stock must have a great agent.

Riley Sutherland, Montreal

A: Niedermayer was clearly the gem of that draft, or at least the most successful of the players taken. Would Lindros have surpassed him if not for injuries? Perhaps. What’s intriguing is that both, at least as it appears right now, saw their careers conclude much earlier than most players of their quality. The only certainty of that draft, meanwhile, is that San Jose erred terribly taking Pat Falloon second overall ahead of Niedermayer.

Re the Toronto media, that’s just one of the many excuses they trot out when times are tough. Indeed, you can bet the Jiri Tlusty naked-on-the-web episode would have been much messier had it been played out in Montreal. Or New York.

And P.J. Stock? Congratulations for convincing somebody at the CBC of your talent. Maybe I'm just missing the genius.

Q: Damien,

I was reading a piece in one of the other Toronto newspapers last weekend, comparing the current state of the Leafs and Habs. They paraphrased JFJ as saying that the Leaf Nation wouldn't tolerate a 3-5 year re-building process. I read that and I had to laugh! Is he not aware of the fact that the Leaf Nation continued to fill MLG every night during the darkest days of the Ballard years? Plus, I can't see all the corporate season ticket holders suddenly bailing out because of a couple of bad seasons? Your thoughts?

Also, what is happening with Maple Leaf Gardens? I walked by the other day, and just felt sad seeing it just sitting there empty.

Ron Rogers, Toronto

A: The crazy thing about the “Leaf fans won’t stand for rebuilding” idea isn’t just that it’s not true. It’s that you hear it so often. Right now, there are hordes of Leaf fans who are calling for the current team to be gutted immediately so a real rebuild can start immediately. And they wouldn’t sell one less ticket.

The Gardens is indeed sad. It was supposed to become a Loblaws, but that hasn’t happened yet. The really unfortunate part is that Eugene Melnyk wanted to buy it, refurbish it and give it new life as the home of the St. Michael’s junior team, but the Leafs wouldn’t sell it to him and St. Mike’s ultimately moved to Mississauga. That said, the building never meant much more to me than losing and disgrace, so perhaps its current state is fitting. Going nowhere fast.

Q: Hi Damien,

Just wondering, does Paul Maurice hate Bryan McCabe? I only ask because when a player is struggling, it would seem to make sense to keep him out of situations when the game is on the line, like overtime in the Montreal game, but time and time again McCabe is sent out in critical situations only to have the move blow up in our faces. Why?

Tom Nicholson, Milwaukee

A: Maurice has protected McCabe as much as any coach possibly could, and in the club’s last two games, played him more than 30 minutes. You can’t hide the guy on the bench; you have to try to get the most you can out of him. And who, pray tell, would you put out in his place on a regular basis? Ian White? Andy Wozniewski? Staffan Kronwall? Looking back, it’s hard to believe how many emails I was getting in September wondering that with the Leafs’ “strength” on the blueline if they couldn’t trade a D-man for a forward. I said then they didn’t have the depth some imagined, and they don’t.

One more note on McCabe. When Maurice was hired, I said his biggest challenge was to turn McCabe into a more responsible player, not a one-trick pony with a big shot on the power play. It hasn't happened.

Q: I understand that the new CBA doesn't allow cash offers for players, or for the team giving up a player to pay a portion of that salary any longer. However, how does that effect non-pro assets that the team holds the rights too?

Let's say, last season before Tlusty played his first pro game with the Marlies, could the leafs have traded his rights for cash? Or do the restrictions still apply?

If the restrictions don't apply, why wouldn't the super rich leafs bribe a few of the super poor teams to hand over the rights to some non-pro assets for some much needed cash. the leafs could finally build a strong farm system (sure, its improving, but if Tlusty is our savior, with his 2 goals, then I am still worried).

Andrew Barrie, Toronto

A: Easy answer. There are no cash transactions allowed. Period.

Q: Hi Damien,

When the Leafs plucked Ferguson from his assistant GM's job with the Blues, wasn't it because of his savvy as an assistant GM? The Blues were headed in the right direction with their team development, right? What a steal from the Blues, right? What happened to the savvy? Is being an assistant GM much like being an assistant coach? By that I mean taking a back seat to the pressure of performing.

Terry Buchkowsky, Oakville

A: I think that’s a reasonable analogy, and you never really know how a person will perform until they actually step into the spotlight. That said, being the GM in Toronto is a very different job than most other NHL spots, and there’s no question Ferguson has had his growing pains. If it was up to me, I would never, ever hire an inexperienced manager and let him learn on the Leaf job. It’s just too difficult, too littered with land mines.

Q: Hi Damien,

How is it that the Leafs can afford to carry 3 players on their roster that sit in the press box and observe? One would think that with the pressures of the salary cap and the close proximity of the farm team that this would be a counter productive move. I will admit that while my NHL management experience is limited, it would seem to be a no brainer to free up those salaries and apply them to somebody that will be playing. Is this just another example of the paralysis at MLSE when it comes to player movement? Seems to me that once you become a Leaf your job is secure no matter what unless of course you were brought up from the Marlies and outperformed the incumbents. In that case you are surely on the next bus out of town. Thanks.

Brad Hazledine, Hamilton

A: In training camp, it was apparent that there was little competition for Leaf jobs, but Jiri Tlusty and – for now – Staffan Kronwall have managed to make the jump, at least temporarily, from the Marlies to the Leafs. Both have been solid. As far as the extra players, only Bates Battaglia and Wade Belak are healthy, and most teams carry two or three extras. If you dumped the combined salaries of those players ($1.25 million) you’d clear some salary cap space, but not much.

Q: Sundin seems to do well no matter who he plays on a line with. Blake doesn't seem to be the same at all. I think he needs a certain type of player on the line with him in order to be productive. Which linemates do you think would be the best fit to get him going again?

Dave Russell, Holmes Beach FL

A: I think its really hard to make any judgment of Blake at all. He’s fighting through a difficult health problem, and while he hasn’t used that as an excuse, it’s pretty difficult to expect much out of him this season. Based on what I’ve seen, I think perhaps he’d work best with a couple of grinders, because he seems inclined mostly towards solo dashes and individual play, rather than collaborating imaginatively with others. It’s not like he was surrounded by Hall of Famers on Long Island when he potted 40 a year ago.

Click here to send Damien a question and he'll answer a selection in his mail bag every Thursday in this space.

Ducks on the Move

The Stanley Cup hangover is gone. The jet lag from starting the season in England has worn off.

And here come the Stanley Cup champs, the Anaheim Ducks.

Even with the futures of Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne still in limbo, the Ducks have started to move up the Western Conference standings, demonstrating they don't plan on repeating what happened to Carolina last season, namely going from Cup winners to a non-playoff team in a season.

And - Leaf fans aren't going to like this much - they've been doing it by being very, very good in the shootout.

The Ducks began Tuesday sixth in the west, just two points out of second. They've won four straight, but over the course of November, have picked up four extra points in the standings by being perfect in the extra shots competition.

And I mean perfect.

Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere has stopped 10 of 10 shots. In fact, the only shooter to beat him in a shootout this season has been Edmonton rookie standout Sam Gagner, and Gagner required an utterly fabulous deke to do it.

That has allowed the Ducks to need only one successful shooter in each of those four shootout wins. Corey Perry did the job against Los Angeles on Nov. 13 and San Jose on Nov. 17th, Ryan Getzlaf bit the Sharks on Nov. 9th and Mathieu Schneider was the solo hero on Nov. 1st against Columbus.

Take those extra shootout points away and the Ducks are 12th in the west, still struggling.

Quite a difference, huh?

One more thing on the Ducks. We can debate over where Brian Burke ranks among NHL general managers these days. Top five for sure, maybe better than that.

But in terms of keeping the pot boiling at all times, he's clearly No. 1.

Was Anaheim ever as much a part of the regular NHL conversation as it is now? And that's not because they won it all last year, it's because there's always something happening around the team, usually due to Burke.

Even last week, he put backup goalie Ilya Bryzgalov on waivers, ostensbly because he couldn't trade him - Bryzgalov makes $1.3 million and is unrestricted at the end of this season - and because he promised to move him and give the Russian a chance elsewhere.

"Brian followed through on his word," Bryzgalov's agent, Don Meehan, told the L.A. Times.

Then as if the Ducks weren't big and ornery enough, he added a little more size and grit up the middle by acquiring centre Brian Sutherby - a 14-goal scorer in the first season after the lockout - from Washington for an '09 second rounder.

The Ducks line up different ways, but playing against a group of big, physical centres that includes Getzlaf, Rob Niedermayer, Sammy Pahlsson and now, perhaps, Sutherby, isn't going to make the Ducks any more enjoyable to play against.

Always something happening in Duck-land, that's for sure, mostly because Burke refuses to let his team fade from the headlines as he pushes the game in southern California.

The Weekend That Was

For the Maple Leafs, it was undoubtedly nice to be the good news item for a change.

For those GTA sports nuts who might have hoped the Leafs' surprise victory over Ottawa on Saturday night might have set the tone for the rest of the weekend, however, that proved not to be the case.

The Raptors went el foldo in the fourth quarter against a Golden State team that has been pretty ordinary this season, still living off its playoff upset of Dallas last spring.

And the Argonauts were even worse, just generally mediocre on offence, defence and special teams as the dream of playing in the Grey Cup game they were also hosting went up in smoke.

So we wonder about Chris Bosh and his dismal season so far, and we wonder about the professional futures of, in no particular order, Pinball Clemons, Mike O'Shea and Damon Allen.

And we continue to wonder about Bryan McCabe.

But this time in a nice way.

See, having trashed McCabe's play all season, failing to see the merits of his performances even while others were straining to do so, it's only fair to compliment him on a terrific performance against the Senators.

Maybe the Sens were off their game, guilty of taking Paul Maurice's crew a little lightly.

But McCabe was good. Very physical, sharp on the power play, less jittery with the puck on his stick.

Just making the playoffs is, admittedly, not a lofty goal. But if McCabe can consistently play the way he did on Saturday, then you can at least consider the possibility that the Leafs will upgrade their play enough to be in the 90 point range at season's end and thus once more scraping along with others for a last minute playoff berth.

Admittedly, a bunch of factors came together on Saturday. Darcy Tucker actually scored, Vesa Toskala was very strong and Jiri Tlusty scored a goal and not once was seen on a racy web site all weekend.

Plus McCabe was strong. Talk about hitting for the cycle.

So on a weekend in Toronto sports when lots went sour, it was McCabe the Leafs that provided a silver lining.

Talk about a change in roles.

Friday Incompletions

You wake up this morning and see the Maple Leafs with 74 goals against - 12 more than any other team - and there's really nothing more to be said. The club is in a shambles, yet those in charge, like the most ardent Leaf fans, appear reluctant to acknowledge the obvious. . .Poor Jiri Tlusty. First he's victimized by a gal pal. Then he has those who insert synonyms for the male appendage into their every writing rising to his defence. Otherwise, he's mostly getting support from those who can't argue the point so simply blast everyone who differs as a rascist and a homophobe. Meanwhile the basic argument, that the Leafs need to insist on a higher standard of behavior from their best young players should they ever hope to become a winner, is totally lost. And I know dozens and dozens of quality young teenagers who wouldn't be caught like Tlusty was. Don't you dare stigmatize an entire generation by saying this is what all kids do today. . .Don't know how the Bruins will fare this season. Do know they look spectacular in their home blacks. . .Somebody was doing some awfully sharp scouting for the B's to pick up hulking yet skillful Milan Lucic with a second round pick. . .Marc Staal skated more than 23 minutes for the Rangers last night, the fifth time in seven games he's played more than 20 minutes. Suddenly, he looks like the best Staal in the NHL.

If you're a Leaf fan, it had to be frustrating Thursday night to watch Peter Schaefer, hardly an NHL power forward, back Bryan McCabe into Andrew Raycroft's lap. But then, some will simply blame that one on the rules. There's always an excuse available if you cheer for the Leafs. . .It was symbolic how the two headlines ran side-by-side; Barry Bonds indicted and baseball zooms past the $6 billion mark in revenue. That's pretty much what it was all about, right? While Bonds now takes on the feds, you have to wonder if the Mitchell report will name him at all. Congress, after all, seemed to completely ignore the slugger when it was holding hearings. . .Boy, those Yankees sure play hardball, huh? Something tells me that with the conscience of the franchise gone - Joe Torre - some messy times lie ahead. . .The Argos and Bombers go into Sunday's Eastern Final with two of the league's best known and most successful kickers in Noel Prefontaine and Troy Westwood. Yet both teams, due to a variety of circumstances, are very worried about their kicking games.

To me, Tom Higgins had a little Jimmy Carter in him. Just too nice a man to be a CFL head coach. John Hufnagel, meanwhile, is a combination of John Turner and Paul Martin. We've been hearing about this guy for so long, you wonder if he won't end up being a major disappointment. . .Nobody, it appears, wants to win the national championship of U.S. college football. Oregon last night became the fifth No. 2 team to lose to an unranked school. . .Unable to beat U.S. military academies in back-to-back outings, perhaps Notre Dame should challege the U.S. Postal Service. . .Okay, it appears I may have been completely wrong on the Boston Celtics. Apparently these three fellows really will play unselfishly together. . .With Sheldon Souray now out indefinitely - good thing noboby gets hurt in hockey fights - the Oilers are facing a terrible problem. They could finish dead last, and the Ducks own their first round pick. I'm sure Brian Burke won't make a big deal out of it. Unless Dustin Penner (three goals, 19 games) picks it up, this could turn out to be as bad as Tom Kurvers-for-Scott Niedermayer.

Sooner or later, the NHL is going to have to acknowledge that it has a scoring problem on its hands again. My bet is on later. . .The next 10 days could be huge for the Argonauts in terms of laying down a new imprint in town. . .Don't forget, it was a critical fumble by Charles Roberts that cost the Bombers dearly in a semi-final match in the dome against the Argos last year. Resourceful Chuck Winters made the strip. . .Getting Obed Cetoute in the fourth round of the '06 Canadian college draft is making somebody (Nick Volpe, perhaps?) look awfully smart. . .So far Mark Bell, bless his heart, has challenged Chris Neil and fought Milan Lucic, losing badly. I just don't think Bell's future success can possibly lie in dropping the gloves on a regular basis. . .Go figure. Andrew Raycroft can't hold two, one-goal leads against the Habs or stop Mike Komisarek (eight career goals) on a breakaway and is rewarded with the next start. It's all hindsight now, but wouldn't the Leafs look completely different as an organization right now if they had Tuukka Rask and one of Angelo Esposito, Alexei Cherepanov or some other top pick from the '07 draft on their depth chart?

Two goals from Jason Blake in 20 games and one from Darcy Tucker in 13 games, yet offence isn't really the Leaf problem. . .Worth remembering when the Leafs and Rangers hook up; the two teams have combined for one Cup in 107 NHL years. . .Early Hart Trophy candidates include Henrik Lundqvist, Vinnie Lecavalier and Henrik Zetterberg. Last year's three finalists - Sidney Crosby, Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo - aren't in the conversation right now. . .True story. A member of an opposing team was shocked to have a young Calgary Flame player skate up to him and request a fight in order to impress Mike Keenan, who had openly questioned the youngster's toughness. Tells you something about how the Flames are feeling about their coach these days, and something about the legitimacy of NHL fights. . . So Ricky Williams is back on the football field, again proclaiming his drug-free status and happiness to be a football player. He's confused, but harmless, I guess.

Mail Bag

"Not boring."

That's Jason Blake’s assessment of his first season as a Maple Leaf, and that sounds about right for, oh, the past 10-15 years, wouldn’t you say?

Or further. Back to when Punch Imlach traded Lanny McDonald just to get at Darryl Sittler. Or when Red Kelly used pyramid power. Or when Harold Ballard negotiated player contracts from his prison cell.

Anybody getting a theme here?

Now this week's mail bag:

Q: Mr. Cox, I wanted to inform you about a realization I came to recently, probably sometime shortly after the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs a few weeks ago.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (and their board) either don’t care about winning hockey games, or are so caught up with the notion they are hockey experts, they must meddle with John Ferguson Jr. and his ability to ice a winning product. Maybe its both (Who would know? everything is done in some Ivory tower at the ACC), but whatever the reason, it results in my cessation of being an active Toronto Maple Leafs fan.

At my wedding in 2004, there were Maple Leaf tones, including pictures of myself and my groomsmen wearing various styles of Leafs jerseys, a Maple Leaf wedding cake along with a wedding ring was delivered on a Tie Domi bobblehead.

My wife let me paint our bedroom in Maple Leaf blue and there are posters of Mats Sundin, Tomas Kaberle and (ugh) Bryan McCabe on my infant sons wall.

I own probably thousands of dollars of Leaf merchandise, everything from Leafs fishing lures to camping chairs to infant and children’s wear to car flags to mouse pads, etc. and etc.

And what do I get for forking over money blindly to this conglomerate called MLSE? A losing, non-competitive hockey team that has tickets prices I can’t afford and broadcasts games on their own TV network, which I also can’t afford.

So that’s it. I’m done.

Colour me an apathetic Leafs fan that simply will not put up with this stench. Until the team is sold to an owner that’s interested in parading a Stanley Cup up Yonge St. and not profit margins, I’m out.

PS: I apologize there is no question in any of this, but I thought I would let you know there are indeed people getting off this hayride and not continuing to blindly follow an organization whose ultimate goal is to pad the coffers of Ontario's retiring teachers.

J.R. Parks, Bloomfield, Ont.

A: Well J.R., I’m not sure whether to feel happy or sad for you. Happy because you’ve obviously got this bunch figured out, although all kinds of emails from Ontario teachers over the last few days have them denying any responsibility for the Leafs. Just an investment, they say. Sad, meanwhile, because building up all that love and affection for a pro sports team, then feeling alienated and disappointed, just sucks.

The good news is you can change the colour of your bedroom. The bad news is it’ll be tough to sell those Leaf fishing lures. Of course, MLSE always has a few hooks in the water.

Q: Hi Damien,

Love your column as it gives me something to look forward to on Thursdays! I've been a casual fan of the Leafs (and hockey) in general for the past 25 years and always look forward to watching HNIC. However, never having played hockey myself, I want to have a more indepth understanding of what's going on, on the ice when I watch it on TV.

Outside of following the puck, can you suggest how I can "better" watch NHL games on TV to improve my understanding of strategies and nuances in the game? What do you watch on the ice?

Thanks and keep up the great work!

Jason Tan, Toronto

A: What a unique question! Jason, everybody watches different things. Actually, I think most people who have watched the game for a long time would tell you the last thing they watch is the puck, which is why the concept that Americans don’t like watching on TV because they can’t see the puck seems so strange. When you watch away from the puck, you can see the positioning and group movement of the other players on the ice, which gives you a better sense of the dynamic aspect of the game. Funny thing is, one of the errors many players make on the ice is to watch the puck too much, eyeballing the opponent carrying the puck rather than those likely to receive it next. That’s not to say you never watch the puck, but even on a breakaway, it can be more interesting to focus on the goaltender than the shooter. Try that – you might like it.

Q: Damien,

Now I am no business major, but if MLSE wanted to maximize their investment profits, would it not be best to invest a couple million dollars into scouting and a seasoned competent general manager (Brian Burke?). This would be a drop in the bucket compared to the 2 million dollars for each playoff game that they profit. Three rounds of playoff action would give you about 9 home dates. Thats 18 million dollars profit. So why does MLSE continue with JFJ and his band of incompetent hockey people? It seems like MLSE is equally incompetent at business as they are at running a hockey team.

Brian M., Barrie, Ont.

A: I don’t necessarily share your belief that Ferguson and his people are incompetent, although the evidence is certainly leaning in your direction. But I do share your wonderment at why the Leafs chose to bring in a raw rookie when they hired Ferguson, rather than the best executive talent in the business. They did the same thing with Rob Babcock on the basketball side, and that didn’t work. I agree that playoff success would bring in more dough, which is all the teachers pension fund is interested in. But figuring out how to win is another thing entirely. MLSE may want to win, and may know they can make more money by winning, but clearly has no idea how to win or isn’t willing to do the necessary things to pursue greater success.

Q: Damien: So far Jason Blake is on pace for 10 goals this year. Sure he's getting a pile of assists, but mostly because he's the first guy to touch the puck and Sundin has been hot; anyway, that's not what he's here for. Clearly he hasn't clicked with Sundin or he'd have 8-10 goals by now. Why is nobody in the media focusing on this disappointing problem?

Glenn Smith, Schomberg, Ont.

A: Clearly, Blake’s health issues have most of us giving him a free pass. That said, I would agree he and Sundin aren’t working together, mostly because if Sundin gives Blake the puck, he knows almost for sure he won’t be getting it back. Paul Maurice is likely going to have to try a few different looks to see what works, but Blake has shown a strong ability to use his speed through the neutral zone and drive hard to the next, and that should pay off more as the season moves along.

Q: Greetings Damien,

I am curious what efforts (if any) are Leaf management making to trade Andrew Raycroft? I read and heard speculation in the off season that Ferguson attempted to ship him out but could find no takers. Looking around the NHL today it seems that there are a number of clubs in need of shoring up in net (LA Kings, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Atlanta maybe even Edmonton) I’m aware of the criticisms directed to Raycroft, but he did manage to win 37 times last year playing behind a mediocre team that more times than not offered him little defensive help. Wouldn’t an offensively gifted team like Pittsburgh, who can get by despite a goaltender letting in a few softies be a good match?

Stuart Lynam, Calgary

A: Not many teams are interested in a $2 million backup, and despite all those wins you talk about, most NHL teams aren’t convinced Raycroft can be a starter and would be an upgrade on those goalies they currently own. The Pens, for example, right now figure Dany Sabourin is as good as Raycroft. And to comment on your suggestion that the Leafs offered Raycroft “little defensive help” last season, that’s just not true. They allowed fewer shots than they did when Ed Belfour was in town, and many goalies around the league faced far more rubber. Finally, in the game the Leafs had to have on the final weekend of the season against Montreal, Raycroft had to be pulled. All of this said, somebody may bite as the season goes along, but I wouldn’t expect much in return.

Q: Hi Damien,

Why is it that Tomas Kaberle is always one of the first names that you hear when it comes to Leaf trade rumours?

It's no secret that he's one of if not THE best Leaf D-man but whether it was Quinn trading him for Lindros or Fergie moving him for Pronger it always seems as though Kaberle is seen a movable asset. Is/was there ever any truth to these rumors? And what do YOU think about trading Kaberle?

Mike Hunter, Saint John, NB

A: Kaberle is a strong skater and superb puck mover; a world-class player on the attack. Defensively, he’s average, and sometimes worse. Overall, he’s in the second tier of NHL defencemen, below the Prongers and Lidstroms. His name comes up in trade rumours because he’s a valuable commodity. Would I trade him? Let’s put it this way. To me, there’s not an untouchable on that team. If Anaheim called right now and offered the first round pick of the Edmonton Oilers that they currently own through the Dustin Penner offer sheet/signing, I would take it if I was running the Leafs, particularly given the reality they’re going to have find cap relief where they can find it with $42 million already committed for next season.

Q: I've been one of the few saying that more heat should be turned on Maurice for the teams horrible defensive zone coverage this season.

But the one more glaring question is, when will he get some heat for his shootout selections? The Leafs are one of the worst teams since the shootout began. And if you'll look back at the shooters, it's almost always the same!

Sundin has to shoot, I don’t hold that against him. But Antropov, Ponikarovsky, and Tucker have proven time and time again that they should not be called on!

Where is Steen? He's had one shot, and scored on it. Also, if I'm not mistaken they had a survivor shootout game at the skills competition last year and Steen won it! Where's Wellwood? Stajan? White, Kaberle.....maybe even Blake.

Why are we forced to watch the same 3 or 4 guys blow it every time. Any idea why Maurice would continue to go to those guys over and over? Even though it's not working.

Randy Bush, Toronto

A: Randy, for starters, you aren’t the only person questioning Maurice’s defensive strategies. The emails are pouring in every day.

Re the shootout, your question is a good one, except I think they have pretty much tried everyone they have, and none have look particularly adept. It is indeed strange that a team that scores with confidence can’t find it the during the shootout. For the future, I think its Sundin and then pick any other two. Unfortunately for the Leafs, they also have two goaltenders who don’t have good stats in the shootout.

Q: Hey Damien,

I love your unbiased view of the Leafs…it's very refreshing. I want to know your opinion on whether the Leafs should wait until the season is finished to fire Ferguson (assuming they don't make the playoffs) or pull the trigger before the trade deadline.

In my opinion, I think they should do it before the deadline. That way, whoever is brought in can actually make some moves and free up some space, in addition to having a jump on the free agent market come July. If they wait 'till the end of the season, the front office would probably be in too much disarray to make any moves of consequence…(like it isn't now).

Thanks and regards,

Matthew Dennis

Q: Interesting question, Matthew. Certainly the Dallas Stars decided now was the time to make a move when they canned GM Doug Armstrong this week. Moreover, when the Leafs hired JFJ, they did so in August of that year, which made no sense whatsoever. The problem with making a move now is that you’d have to have a better candidate in place, and I don’t know who that would be. If the Leafs don’t make the post-season and Ferguson is fired, then you would have April, May and the first half of June to put a new management team in place, and that would give you opportunity to at least talk to the very best managers in the game. That’s the direction I would choose.

Click here to send Damien a question and he will answer a selection every Thursday in this space.