An Old Story, But Still A Good One

These days, news can be news twice. Just depends on how its packaged.

So HNIC's interview with Scotty Bowman on Saturday night, while well-done by host Ron MacLean, was a case in point.

Many news outlets are breathlessly now writing and broadcasting stories on the interview, particularly the part where Bowman tells how he was turned down by the Leafs - or Richard Peddie - last August as the team's new hockey boss.

All good stuff. Just old.

Bowman said all of this several months ago on The Fan 590 morning show, where he is one of the weekly insider guests.

He talked about his discussions with Larry Tanenbaum. He talked about meeting with Peddie, and then eventually being told his services weren't required.

This is not to say, by the way, that HNIC was claiming it was breaking new ground with the Bowman interview. It's just others who weren't paying attention back in the fall when Bowman first laid out the entire course of last summer's events who are interpreting this is as hot new stuff.

So to repeat myself, I don't think the important point here is whether Bowman would or would not be a good choice. It would depend on the role and the job description and the authority he was given.

What's interesting is that Peddie, who has a history of hiring weak, inexperienced executives to run the basketball and hockey operations, was clearly not interested in Bowman mostly because, having already given up ground to Bryan Colangelo on the Raptor side of the things, he wasn't will to do the same on the Leaf side.

He wasn't willing, essentially, to hire his own replacement as Leaf president.

So choosing to tell Bowman to take a hike had nothing to do with hockey, or building a championship team in Toronto.

It had only to do with MLSE politics.

And that's nothing new either.

Full Panic Mode - Pogge to the Rescue

LOS ANGELES-With the club having all but quit on head coach Paul Maurice after two one-sided losses in California, the Maple Leafs are in full panic mode today.

As first reported by The Star, the Leafs summoned blue-chip goaltending prospect Justin Pogge from the minors after last night's appalling 5-2 loss to Los Angeles, possibly setting Pogge up to start tomorrow night in San Jose. No. 1 netminder Vesa Toskala has suffered a relapse in his ongoing battle with groin problems after being recklessly forced into action for the final two periods of the embarrassing loss to the Kings.

The Leafs have also claimed Domenic Moore, brother of Steve Moore, on waivers from Minnesota. Moore is an energetic checker who could add some pizzazz to the team's fourth line.

Meanwhile, confusion reigned this morning in the Leaf camp. Practice was cancelled, which was a surprise to some of the most senior members of the team, including captain Mats Sundin.

There is growing speculation head coach Paul Maurice could be in jeopardy after desultory way in which the club responded to a critical game against the Kings, as well as the manner in which Toskala was rushed back into service last night after the Leafs were already down 4-0.

Toskala was expecting to have the night off, but played after former starter Andrew Raycroft surrendered four goals on 11 shots in the first period against the Kings.

If that happens, it will be a difficult task indeed for Pogge, with all evidence suggesting the club is no longer responding to the direction of Maurice after 10 losses in the past 12 games. All political antennae are on high, and even the Leaf players are aware team president Richard Peddie is hovering over the club in what is turning out to be a disastrous California road trip.

A smarter decision would be to bring back veteran Scott Clemmensen, who left the club on Thursday and returned to the Marlies. But with the entire hockey organization expecting major changes because of the dreadful results of late, recalling Pogge is likely to make a bigger splash, perhaps the last ditch effort of the Ferguson regime to put the club into a playoff position.

The Leafs were nightmarishly bad Thursday night, managing only seven shots on the L.A. net in the opening 27 minutes of action as the Kings cruised to a 5-0 lead. It was only after the game was decided that the Leafs got busy, putting 43 shots on Jason Labarbara in the Kings net after the game was already decided.

Maurice denied that his team has quit on him.

"If they'd quit you'd have seen three periods like the first period," said the Leaf coach.

Truth was, the lazy, disinterested manner in which the Leafs played the opening 27 minutes was much more reflective of their attitude towards their coach than the final half of the game.

"Trust me, we're under a lot of pressure," said centre Matt Stajan. "We know what's going on."

Thursday Mail Bag

ANAHEIM

Well, the presence of the prez apparently wasn’t sufficiently inspiring.

With Maple Leaf president Richard Peddie on hand last night at the Honda Centre, the disintegrating Leafs were pounded by the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, 5-0.

That’s 27 losses in 43 games to hold down 14th place in the Eastern Conference.

And not a damn thing has been done to even try to fix this team all season.

No trades. No significant demotions. No firings. No hirings.

Zippo.

The way in which the Leafs couldn’t even gain the zone on a pathetic 5-on-3 power play late in last night’s game suggested that the team seems to have become seriously discouraged.

Then there was the total lack of any sense of team camaraderie. When Jason Blake was decked after the whistle by Mathieu Schneider, the Leafs milled about, but no one had even a harsh word for Schneider.

By contrast, when Corey Perry was dumped by Pavel Kubina, both Todd Bertuzzi and then Sean O’Donnell were all over the Leaf blueliner in a flash.

Some of that, you have to believe, is related to the fact ownership and management simply seem willing to accept this dreadful season, one that began with fans being promised this was a talented team that would be hard to play against and would be a factor in the post-season.

Moving Alex Steen to the right point on the power play last night didn’t work at all, and even worse seemed a mark of utter desperation. At one point in the second period, the Leafs put out a second power play group in which the three forwards – Blake, Darcy Tucker and John Pohl – had totaled just 13 goals between them this season.

Every forward on the club other than Mats Sundin is locked in a slump it seems. Nik Antropov hasn’t scored a goal in 12 games, Tucker has one in 17 games, Alexei Ponikarovsky has none in 11 games.

“We’ve gotta find a way to get some of these guys going,” said coach Paul Maurice afterwards.

But isn’t it about time to realize that Blake and Tucker, to name two players, aren’t going to “get going” in any meaningful way? Ditto for the overrated Steen, while Ponikarovsky just seems disinterested.

At some point, if GM John Ferguson wants to save his job, he has to take a stab at saving the season. Nobody would want to be the GM who simply watched and did nothing as Canada’s most watched team went down the tubes.

Now on to this week’s mail bag:

Q: Damien, we've seen many teams use the tactic of placing a player on waivers and demoting him to the minors. Sometimes that player gets claimed on waivers when recalled for half the remaining salary. Worst case, the player earns their money in the minors but it doesn't count against the cap. What's stopping the Leafs from doing a similar move with Raycroft? Is it Ferguson's ego preventing him from doing this since he signed (and extended the contract) of Raycroft before he had played a game with the team?

Scott O., Toronto

A: Well, nothing is stopping them from doing that. Perhaps they figure Raycroft is the second best goaltender in the organization right now, which is probably true. He played well Saturday night against Philly, and while he seems ill-suited to be a starting goaltender, it would be unfair to suggest he couldn’t be a backup. Right now, the salary cap relief sending him to the minors would offer won’t help the team much.

Q: Hi Damien; I've been thinking about John Ferguson Jr.'s situation a bit. It's been said that no playoffs equals no job, and yet it certainly appears to me that what the Leafs need is to do what the Flyers did - sell Mats high (maybe resign him in the summer) and build for next year.

It led me to think, if I'm JFJ, I'd say to Peddie, either I need an extension now so I can do the right thing, or I walk. Do you think there's any chance of him walking? If he did, I can't think that his NHL brethren would think any ill of him for doing so. Thanks.

Jeremy Wideman, Uxbridge, Ont.

A: I think the reality is JFJ is in no position to start tossing out ultimatums. If he simply walked out now on the team, he’d have a hard time finding another employer. Moreover, the man has too much integrity to simply quit.

Q: Damien,

I've been reading you since way back when, and although I don't always agree, I really enjoy your analysis. I wonder - does your brutal honesty when hammering management over the years ever get in the way of doing your job? For example, I can't imagine it is a good way to cultivate "sources" within MLSE. Any regrets along these lines over the years?

Chris Harris, Lafayette, Indiana

A: No regrets, although you’d always like to break more stories and do a better job. As far as cultivating sources, I’ve always found that the best sources are people who respect you for being tough but fair, not the people who need you to suck up to them.

Q: Hi Damien,

I am having a difficult time understanding how Carlo Colaiacovo can be injured so many times. I don't believe it is merely bad luck. Could his playing style be prone to injury in some way? Perhaps he could be more cautious on the ice, especially after returning from a lengthy knee injury? Also, as harsh as it seems, when does MSLE give up on the development of a player who spends more time rehabilitating than playing?

Clement M., Toronto

A: I don’t think you give up on Colaiacovo yet, but you certainly can’t plan on him being part of your team. Injury prone? I don’t know. The kid gets injuries in ways I’ve never seen before. It really is bizarre.

Q: Simon Gamache.

What happened? He came to the team and had a better points per game than half the team that is there now and he was relegated to the fourth line, eventually sent down.

So why cut Gamache? Defence? Name 4 forwards that have been defensive on a regular basis. He was a high pick by Atlanta back in the day and looked better than most Leafs (not saying much) .

Why was he cut? He had something most Leafs don't, the reality his job was not guaranteed and the desire to do anything to keep it. I see it as a great mistake. He looked pretty decent along side several other Leafs at the Spengler Cup.; Not a first liner but a good depth player. Am I alone in this?

What is your opinion?

Kyle Bosley, Brockville, Ont.

A: I think Gamache might be able to be a fourth liner or a role player at the NHL level, but no more. He had a chance, and when you’re a player of his status, you’ve got to do very, very well when your chance comes. Perhaps he’ll get another this season, but I doubt he could be a difference maker.

Q: Call me crazy but I think the Vancouver Canucks have a shot at the Stanely Cup and here is why: Roberto Luongo - 6 shutouts, this guy wins games on his own. If Vancouver at the trade deadline gets a Mats Sundin then I can see them going all the way.

New Jersey Devils won there Cups on solid defence but mostly Martin Brodeur; if you have a goalie that can shut a team down, you have a winner. Detroit and Ottawa are the teams to beat but I am sure Detroit would not want to face a red hot Roberto Luongo in the playoffs and all Vancouver needs is one goal or two.

Well Damien, am I nuts to think Vancouver could win the Cup this year, and what is their possiblity of them trading for Mats Sundin?

Brian Marto, Toronto

A: I don’t think you’re nuts to think that, but I’d worry about Vancouver’s ability to score enough goals to win it all. They’re 19th in offence as of today. So yes, I think they’d be a prime team to try and swing a deal for Sundin if the Leafs decide to move him. Along with Brendan Morrison, Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler, he’d make that team strong up the middle and might even help unlock the mystery of Markus Naslund.

Q: Hi Damien,

I understand that Leaf games generate more ratings than other Canadian teams. But it's tough not to think Hockey Night in Canada is Hockey Night in Toronto. A recent Saturday night forced us to watch the Leafs get beat badly by the Rangers while in Ottawa the Sens and Capitals were involved in a thrilling game where Ovechkin scored 4 goals.

My questions are:

1. Why can't CBC flip to more interesting games like the example I mentioned?

2. Since HNIC is force feeding us the Leafs, doesn't this present a problem for other Canadian teams in the future where a whole generation of kids will grow up watching the Leafs and not other teams?

Sanjay Bali, Scarborough

A: Well, answer to question No. 1 is I would imagine the CBC doesn’t flip because it has an enormous Leaf viewership that prefer to watch to the bitter end. Re question No. 2, I don’t think it presents a problem for other Canadian teams. In fact, they all seem to be doing better than the Leafs these days.

Q: Dear Damien,

Although I can't say I agree with everything you say in your column, I do enjoy reading your unbiased - and when necessary, brutal - judgment of the Leafs.

I've lived in Toronto my whole life and have grown up watching the Leafs, and support them as my home team. That being said, I pride myself on not being one of the many fanatics who seem to think every single year that this is the year the Leafs bring the Cup home.

And that context brings me to my questions. How far out from a Cup do you believe the Leafs are (in a range of years)? I'm thinking it might be another decade before they have a real shot. Sundin, although playing mostly well (he's been doing a few unexpected turnovers), is getting old. The Marlies have been doing well, but how many truly promising prospects are there on that team? The only one that comes to mind is Pogge. However I don't follow the Marlies too much, so hopefully you can clear this up for me.

Jenny Smith, Toronto

A: Pogge is the club’s only true blue chip prospect, although they like to believe Jiri Tlusty and Russian forward Nikolai Kulemin are of that ilk as well. If the Leafs were to move aggressively now and begin an ambitious rebuilding process, its theoretically possible that through quality youth and smart free agent pickups, they could be a contender in three years and a champion in five. But that’s a best case scenario, and thus, a longshot for the truly optimistic of mind.

Every Thursday, Damien Cox answers your questions in The Spin, only at thestar.com. Click here to submit a question.

Desperate Times Require. . .Pogge?

It's a little early for a "last stand." And certainly, the Maple Leaf management and coaching staff are trying hard to downplay suggestions the team is in desperation mode.

But understand this. There was serious, lengthy internal debate as to whether to give blue-chip goaltending prospect Justin Pogge the start last Saturday night against Philadelphia.

In the end, the choice was made to go with Andrew Raycroft, who responded well, albeit in a 3-2 defeat.

But putting Pogge in after consecutive starts by No. 3 goalie Scott Clemmensen would surely have been a statement about how Leaf management views the club's current plight.

Now, with the team sitting at 13th in the Eastern Conference, it heads into arguably the most challenging road trip of the season starting tomorrow, a three-games-in-four-nights slate that includes games against the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks, to many a Cup contender this season.

A last stand? Maybe.

It's Toronto's first trip to California since the season before the lockout, strange, really, considering the Leafs used to be out on the west coast all the time when they were part of the Western Conference. The Leafs might have Vesa Toskala for some or all of these games, but have both Raycroft and Clemmensen on the trip just in case. But starting with tomorrow night's game against the surging Ducks, if the Leafs are simply hoping the Finnish goaltender will solve all their problems, they're going to get whacked and good.

Anaheim may be the toughest team in hockey right now. The Ducks are likely to physically challenge the Leafs in the same way the Flyers did on Saturday night. There will be a call for the Leafs to dress Wade Belak, which means he'll have to fight George Parros, who was beaten by Nashville's Darcy Hordichuk Tuesday night at the Honda Centre.

But the Leafs will need more than Belak to respond. They need their entire lineup to play with some group toughness, something that wasn't apparent last Thursday in Pittsburgh when Darcy Tucker was speed-bagged by Jarkko Ruutu and Mark Bell had his orbital bone fractured by Ryan Malone. Anaheim, meanwhile, is starting to roll with Scott Niedermayer back, and last night against the Preds potted four goals in 8:07 after going into the game having scored fewer goals than every other team other than Edmonton.

Twenty-four hours after the Ducks, the Leafs get the L.A. Kings. The Kings are the NHL's worst team this season, but they can score and have a bunch of talented young forwards, including Anze Kopitar. So after having to be willing to get their noses dirty in Anaheim, the Leafs have to turn around and be ready to play a solid, simple game up the road in L.A. if they hope to get a win.

Two nights after that, it'll be a jaunt to Silicon Valley and a date with a Sharks team that has been lousy at home this season but is a very good defensive team that won't give up much. So the Leafs will have to play a tight game and hope to win a squeaker.

That's three games in four nights, but three very different assignments. The club took the day off yesterday and will return to the practice rink today.

A last stand? Well, they'd better come up with at least one win, particularly with team president Richard Peddie along to watch.

Or Pogge's first NHL start may not be far away.

Thirteenth with An Anchor

So at the official halfway mark of the season the Leafs have all of 16 victories and are trying their darndest to hold on to 13th place in the Eastern Conference against the hard-charging Washington Capitals.

Yes, that Leafs-Caps race for 13th could be a dandy.

With the club on pace for an 80-point season, fair to say the Ferguson-Maurice plan isn't working so far?

It all went bad, really bad, in Pittsburgh on Thursday night in a 6-2 thumping, including three goals against in 48 seconds in the third period, again the nightmarish portion of the evening's proceedings for the heroes of Toronto.

And now we all get to wonder what Don Cherry will do Saturday night with the Darcy Tucker-Jarkko Ruutu fight.

In case you missed it, Ruutu fed Tucker a steady diet of right hands and bloodied him, as badly as Tucker has lost a fight while a Leaf. Tucker's not a big guy and he always gets marks for taking on bigger opponents, but this defeat just added to his awful season.

Ruutu was, you will remember, the stompee in the infamous Chris Simon stomping incident, excoriated by Cherry for somehow deserving it and for always being unwilling to fight.

Well, the ferocious Finn was certainly willing last night, and Tucker paid for it.

But will Cherry, who loves to show fight after fight after fight on his segment, feature this scrap on Coaches Corner? Somehow, I doubt it.

(Ed. Note: There were two fights shown Saturday night on Coach's Corner. Neither featured the one-sided Tucker-Ruutu scrap.)

Meanwhile, with Scott Clemmensen beaten for six goals last night, coach Paul Maurice faces the prospect of having to start Andrew Raycroft at the ACC on Saturday night. Maurice acknowledged on Wednesday that there has been an effect "on the bench" when Raycroft has struggled at home and been booed for it.

The club could, of course, rush Vesa Toskala back, but what would be the point of that?

To review, the Leafs have, over the past seven days, been hammered by the Rangers on home ice, edged past the 29th place Lighting at the ACC in a shootout, then been whaled on by a Pittsburgh team that's been struggling all year to find a measure of consistency.

After seven losses in nine games, and with the club sitting in a truly embarrassing position in the standings, there would be a lot of markets in which ownership would simply not stand for the current situation.

But this is Toronto. This is MLSE, which counts gate receipts, not wins and losses, and employs people to convince the public on a daily basis that a hockey team that was out of it in October isn't really out of it now.

Thursday Mail Bag

Hope one and all had a great set of holidays and are ready for the New Year. We’re basically at the halfway point of the schedule, and to my mind, that alone starts making the NHL much more watchable as teams jostle for positions in the standings and the games become more meaningful.

For the Leafs, there’s basically 3 1/2 months to save GM John Ferguson’s job, something he would almost certainly lose if the season ended today. How the club performs on a tough trip to Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose next week will have a lot to say about whether even theoretically, the club can stay in the fight.

Now to this week’s mail bag:

Q: More of an observation than a question regarding the Leafs' power(less) play of late. Seems that everybody knows about McCabe's one-timer and over compensates for that play. Now that he's gone for an extended time, it's up to Kubina to take up the slack. My observation is that with the PK having two up high to take away the point shot, the remaining three Leaf forwards don't/can't seem to be able to out-maneuver the two defenders down low for a scoring opportunity. They have no game breaker that can beat someone one on one to create the space required and we're left watching them pass the puck around the perimeter until someone loses it.

Mario Arnone, Ottawa

A: Uh, yeah. That’s about it. Kyle Wellwood, it was hoped by the team, would provide that missing element and creativity down low. But he hasn’t and was in the press box on Tuesday, and Darcy Tucker has consistently failed to connect on the one-timer from the right faceoff circle when given the opportunity. With McCabe out, its Pavel Kubina and Tomas Kaberle on the points, but with both playing their natural points, neither is able to one-time the puck from the point. So it seems one-by-one, the options on the Leaf power play have dwindled as the season has progressed.

Q: Hi Damien,

Aside from Sundin, Antropov and Toskala, the Leafs are just awful, AGAIN. So let's move on to something more interesting shall we:

My girlfriend's mother is from Granada and before me, she had never dated anyone who watched hockey. She asked if there were any hockey players of Black-Canadian descent and I mentioned some great ones in Grant Fuhr, Jarome Iginla, and Ray Emery, but began looking for more.

Anyway, while searching for more players on the Web I came across some material on "The Black Colored Hockey League" in the early 1900s in Halifax. I had never heard of it before and was astonished that Black-Canadian hockey teams were routinely drawing fans of 1200+ at the turn of the 20th century in Eastern Canada of all places. What an amazing bit of history!

I was hoping you could offer a bit more insight into the league's history and whether or not it is recognized by the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Thanks for the great columns in the Star and on ESPN and Happy New Year!

Marc Losier, Toronto

A: Thanks Marc, and unfortunately, there’s not much I can add to what you’ve told me. I do think the history of hockey has long been told from a single point of view based around the NHL, and that there are undoubtedly many grassroots stories that have been overlooked. The one you talk about is clearly one of them.

Q: Welcome back from holidays Damien, and I hope you had a fantastic Christmas.

A lot of media attention lately seems to be devoted to the topic of trades, and how difficult it is to make blockbusters like the Doug Gilmour to Toronto trade in the 90s. But at the same time, there simultaneously seems to be calls to "blow up" certain under-performing teams, like the Leafs, Flames, and even the Rangers.

The Rangers are a bit of a different case because of all the unrestricted free agents they have on the roster, but my question is this: if either Toronto or Calgary were to "blow things up", how would they accomplish it when trading expensive, multi-year contracts is virtually impossible?

Andrew Cunningham, Calgary

A: Terrific question, and thanks for asking, I did have a great Christmas. We’re in the third season of the salary cap world and much is still being figured out. I think its too early to say that trading big contracts is “virtually impossible.” There were many deals made before last winter’s trade deadline, and the same may happen this year. The nature of the cap seems to motivate teams to make moves later in the season, rather than earlier, in order to save cap room. Finally, in terms of blowing up teams, that doesn’t necessarily mean “blockbuster” deals, but rather several deals designed to move veterans and clear the room for a youth movement. It’s going to be fascinating to see how the next eight weeks before the deadline play out.

Q: Now that I am living in the USA I only get to watch the occasional CBC game on TV. Most games I have to watch the feeds from the local stations. It's no wonder people aren't really into hockey down here because the local broadcasts are terrible. Don't you think if they improved the coverage during the games more people would be interested in watching? The HNIC production is head and shoulders above ANY of the others I've seen including TSN. They even make Don Cherry look good. (most of the time).

Dave Russell, Holmes Beach Florida

A: Its all about personal preference. But I do agree the overall quality of local and regional broadcasts through the U.S. with the 24 clubs is spotty and inconsistent. The NHL believes that’s the case as well, and has tried to improve it. To my mind, its hard to attract new fans when the quality of at least half of the local broadcasts is mediocre to dreadful. There are good ones – the Rangers’ games have been as well done as anyone’s for years – but the overall standard needs to be raised.

Q: Damien,

As a life long Chicago Blackhawks fan, there are two things that grow bothersome living in the city or Toronto. The first, is that the Toronto Maple Leafs will always sell out no matter how badly they do (And the fans always insist this is the year they will win the Cup) and that the sports channels here will show 1 minute of highlights from every game around the leage except the Chicago games, where they show maybe 15-20 seconds. (Apparently, more people would prefer to see the highlights of the Minnisota Wild play the Nashville Predators, then see a storied Original Six team) The main thing I encounter being a Hawks fan in this city though, is Leaf fans get very arrogant to say that the Hawks have gone longer without a cup then the Leafs (Like 41 years is not a lifetime to some).

My question for you is this. Who do you see winning the Stanley Cup first, The Chicago Blackhawks, or the Toronto Maple Leafs? Both have gone over 40 years, and both have made terrible managerial choices (with Wirtz dead, we are making improvements atleast) But I can't see the Leafs winning a cup before the Hawks! Am I just as blind as the Leafs fans here? Help me out.

David Beaulieu, Scarborough

A: My gut reaction is to say the Hawks with their outstanding young combo of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, but lets face it, there’s a lot to be played out. The Bruins once thought they had a champion built around Joe Thornton, Sergei Samsonov and Andrew Raycroft, and that sure didn’t pan out. While ownership in Toronto has been portrayed as interested far more in profit than Stanley Cups, the death of Dollar Bill Wirtz in Chicago and the ascension of his son, Rocky, to the leadership of the franchise means its unclear whether the Hawks are going to head off on a more successful path. The early signs – putting some home games on TV, hiring a new team president – offer optimism. The Leafs or Hawks? Sadly, they’re both so far away from a championship its hard to guess which might take a serious run at it first.

Q: Hi Damien, long time reader first time writer.

I'm in an odd situation with my Leaf Nation citizenship. When the Leafs went on that impressive winning streak, I wanted to believe that they were turning a corner. But part of me was actually saddened when they started winning.

Now that they're losing again, I feel ... Better. I guess, I'm hoping that if the Leafs lose enough then eventually changes will be made. The type of "changes in MLSE culture" that you've alluded to in previous columns. Is it weird that I feel that way?

Also, if I may indulge for a moment. I'm a subscriber to satelite radio and I have to say that I hear Phil Esposito on the air on Home Ice almost everyday and I thoroughly enjoy his opinions and philsophy on the game. Do you think a guy like Espo could be a good fit for the Leafs and would he even consider making a comeback?

Chunky, Pickering

A: Can’t say whether it’s weird to feel that way. I would say it makes a lot more sense to imagine a Leaf future built around a top young player picked high in this summer’s draft than around a 36-year-old captain, as good as he is. The Leafs, as currently organized, are going nowhere. If it takes losing to change that, then it might well make sense for a Leaf fan to hope for losses, rather than wins.

Re Espo – he’s one of the all-time greats and a terrific salesman for the game. That said, it seems unlikely he’ll reappear as the general manager of an NHL team. He had his shot.

Every Thursday, Damien Cox answers your questions in The Spin, only at thestar.com. Click here to submit a question.