Thursday Mail Bag

So how do the Maple Leafs like Scott Clemmensen now?

It was bad enough that the Leafs let Kyle Wellwood go for nothing, and currently he has more goals than any Toronto player.

Bring that one up, of course, and the Cliff Fletcher apologists immediately rise up, tell you 28 other teams could have had Wellwood and passed and argue that Wellwood’s magic won’t last.

Fair points. But they still got nothing for him.

Now Clemmensen, the goalie they just wouldn’t give a chance to in Toronto except for one quick stint with the big club, is rocking The Rock in New Jersey at precisely the same time the Leafs are considering exactly when Justin Pogge will be summoned from the Marlies to make his NHL debut.

At the NHL level, the Leafs’ goaltending this season has been, well, unsatisfactory. Some would say lousy. Both goalies, Vesa Toskala and Curtis Joseph, are allowing more than three goals a game, and neither is close to owning a .900 save percentage, sort of the benchmark before you can even talk about somebody being a quality NHL puckstopper.

Joseph, at 41, is basically done after a long and terrific career. Fletcher brought him back largely as a sentimental sop to suffering Leaf fans, and in just over 227 minutes of play, he’s already lost the confidence of Ron Wilson in the same way Andrew Raycroft became unplayable in the eyes of Paul Maurice.

Clemmensen, meanwhile, was shuffled out of the Leaf organization last summer despite the fact Marlies coach Greg Gilbert decided he was better than Pogge for the club’s long playoff run last spring. It may not have made much organizational sense to play the 31-year-old Clemmensen over the kid, but it sure made a statement.

Now, with Martin Brodeur out and Kevin Weekes apparently unable to assume the No. 1 spot, Clemmensen has jumped in and won seven of eight games, essentially giving Jersey the kind of cavalry in the crease the Leafs would love to have.

And before you say that it’s easier to play goal with the Devils than the Leafs, check out the numbers. Clemmensen has faced more shots-per-minute-played than Toskala this season.

He played in three games for the Leafs last season, including winning a memorable shootout against Tampa Bay on New Year’s Day. But when he faltered in his next stop against Pittsburgh, that was it.

“I never saw the NHL again the rest of the year,” he told the New York Times in a recent interview. “It leaves a bad taste in your mouth.” Clemmensen has now beaten Pittsburgh, Montreal and Philly in succession, allowing four goals on 84 shots for a sensational .952 save percentage. He may get a chance to face the Leafs next Tuesday when the Devils come to town.

Of course, it’s true, 28 teams other than New Jersey and Toronto could have grabbed Clemmensen last summer, and didn’t. Guess that means the Teflon Caretaker is off the hook for that one as well, although paying Joseph $700,000 per season while Clemmensen makes $500,000 might make you wonder.

Sort of like how Wellwood (11 goals, $950,000) seems to be better value than Lee Stempniak (4 goals, $2.5 million this season, $3.5 million next season). Of course, while Wellwood cost Vancouver nothing, Stempniak was acquired at the cost of two former first round picks, Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo.

Interesting roster management for a team with a thin talent cupboard.

Now on to this week’s mail bag:

Q: Explain to me why saying something crude and insulting warrants a six game suspension and trying to take someone's head off by driving it into the boards, causing broken noses and concussions, only warrants a three game suspension. Am I missing something here?

Jack Gallop, Thornhill

A: I think they are completely separate issues. One’s a hockey play, the other’s an off-ice incident involving a player, Avery, who has repeatedly shown he’s unwilling to adhere to anyone’s code of proper conduct. It would be like comparing Tom Kostopolous’ suspension, which I think you’re referring to, to Mark Bell’s 15-game ban for his drinking-and-driving conviction.

You can certainly argue whether Kostopolous should have received a more severe suspension. But comparing his offence with Avery’s idiocy is comparing apples and oranges. They just aren’t about the same thing.

Q: Hi Damien,

Now that Sean Avery has reopened the NHL "Trash Talking" discussion, do you think there's a need for legal authorities or the Human Rights Commission to get move involved in policing what is said during NHL games? After all, the ice surface constitutes a de facto "workplace".

Brian A., Toronto

A: No, there’s no need. I don’t see significant abuse of minority groups during NHL games, and most would agree trash-talking has always been part of sports, and always would be. I really don’t know how you properly police this stuff. I mean, now Ryan Miller’s upset because he says a referee swore at him. For the most part, it’s all just talk and more properly ignored than policed. That said, Avery took his stupidity purposely to the airwaves, and it cost him.

Q: Hey Damien! Happy holidays!

It seems probable that the Stars have no interest in having Sean Avery rejoin the team. Since their contract length and salary cap commitments are virtually identical, would a Sean Avery plus a mid-round pick for Jason Blake trade make sense for the Leafs? Yes, Avery is not much of a humanoid, and it really is more one headache for another, but Avery at least offers the Leafs something they lack and want in toughness, whereas Blake projects to being a complete non-factor for the remainder of his contract. The Burke/Wilson combo might be the most capable in the league of keeping Avery on a short leash. And if he gets out of line and disrupts the locker room, it would be fun to see him line up against Peters, Laraque, Lucic and Neil about 30 times a year. Would it be worth it to "buy" the draft pick, since both players look like candidates for either buyouts or assignments to the minors for the remainder of their contracts.

Uushnu Zoquo, Owen Sound, Ont.

A: Happy holidays to you, as well.

You concept isn’t as crazy as it seems, at least in terms of the notion that taking on a Avery could, in theory, gain the Leafs a draft pick they don’t currently own. That’s the No. 1 priority for Brian Burke - getting back some or all of the picks that have been sacrificed.

But while I like the philosophy, I just don’t think Avery would be worth it. Every move the Leafs make over the next year or two has to be seen through the prism of how does it allow them to develop a championship team over the next five to six seasons. In this case, does having a player like Avery around Luke Schenn help Schenn develop as a professional in the same way having Rob Blake on the San Jose Sharks advances the development of Marc-Edourd Vlasic, Devin Setoguchi and other young Sharks players? I don’t think so. Avery is toxic, and even the acquisition of a draft pick wouldn’t make it worthwhile.

Would Burke find Avery an intriguing asset? Not a chance.

Q: Damien,

Since the Blackhawks want to get rid of (Nikolai) Khabibulin to clear room for some other deals/players, why don't the leafs offer to take him off there hands and try to get a pick or a prospect for their trouble? Chicago needs the cap room and the Leafs have the room. Khabibulin's contract ends at the end of the year, so maybe get something for nothing. Would this type of deal occur?

David Jackson, Mississauga

A: This goes to the same issue as the previous question, and this is definitely the kind of deal the Leafs are looking at, deals that would allow them to use their cap space as an asset. Could you make it a larger deal by including Toskala, and then running with Khabibulin for the rest of the year? All options are on the table for Burke.

Q: Damien,

A real Leaf-hockey-flavoured question, if you don't mind. The Leafs have seemed easily outmaneuvered in their own zone this year by big teams aggressively cycling the puck. What is the reason for this? This team is fast and yet they frequently lose puck-races down low. When they get there they often make bad decisions. It seems that they are unable to anticipate the flow of play well. I know they transformed from an "unusual" man-on-man D under Maurice the last two years, could that be part of the problem? Or is it just that they lack players with good on-ice awareness and puck handling skills?

And/or a related follow up:

What is wrong with Kaberle this season? He's a guy who you'd think - with the right fire in his belly - could really take charge offensively. Could it be that Wilson's thinly veiled insults have sapped some of his precious confidence (no sarcasm intended)? He's just been so tentative lately. Often so highly regarded in this city, do you think it might be humbling for him that he's found it difficult to adjust to Wilson's game?

Moe Green, Austin, TX

A: In terms of the Leafs’ vulnerability to the forecheck, most would acknowledge the club’s speed is mostly concentrated up front. Moreover, this concept that the Leafs have all kinds of NHL worthy blueliners is just wrong, and it’s going to continue to be wrong no matter how often various writers and reporters continue to parrot the idea. Most of these guys aren’t that good or that nimble on their feet, so they get caught. At the same time, making those plays effectively requires co-ordination with teammates and confidence that they’ll be in the right place when the other team is pressuring. Sometimes the Leafs have those qualities, and sometimes they don’t. So when you see a player like Pavel Kubina fire the puck up the boards or to an empty wing, sometimes its out of frustration that he just doesn’t know where his teammates are going to be.

Regarding Kaberle, I still believe he’s a world-class puck mover, and on a better team, he’d look a lot better. Guys who have the puck a lot on bad teams end up looking far worse that those who don’t. He’s played for a variety of coaches, both in the NHL and internationally, and I find it hard to believe that Wilson’s coaching would suddenly have a negative effect. Wilson is trying to change the Leaf culture, and he’s doing it through the team’s best players. Kaberle remains the best asset the Leafs have as possible trade bait, but I’m not so sure yet that Burke will want to make that move. That said, Kaberle’s agent is Bobby Orr, who has a good relationship with Burke. If and when the time comes, Kaberle will waive his no-trade clause and move on.

Q: Hi Damien,

With Mats Sundin still waiting to make his decision on where to play and whether to play at all, don't all his statements from last season make him look like a complete hypocrite? I remember him saying on a few occasions that he doesn't feel like joining a team in the middle of a season is the right way to win a championship. I love Mats as a player and I don't feel like he owes anything to Toronto, but by signing somewhere in the middle of the season, it sure looks like he held us back from getting a sizable return by trading him last season based on "principles" that he doesn't actually hold.

Varun Chakravorty, Brampton

A: I think Sundin said those things last season. Then, after a summer and fall of reflection, he may feel differently. That’s his prerogative. Also, don’t forget, it’s the Leafs who have now ruled him out, not the other way around.

The team gave him a no-trade contract and clearly it was his intention to honour that deal even if the Leafs didn’t want to. I just don’t think it can be held against him that he wanted to finish last season with the Leafs, regardless of what his future may hold.

Q: A question, a request, and a thought Damien.

In any sport (hockey, baseball, basketball) when a coach is fired is he paid all the money owing to him on the contract, and still allowed to sign somewhere else doing the same job (thus collecting 2 pays), or if he signs somewhere else, does this negate his previous contract totally? Why are the Leafs still paying Maurice when he now works for Carolina, and why would Sam Mitchell want to look for another job? As for my request could you do a breakdown of management salaries for teams say comparing The Leafs and The Raptor management payrolls as well as the Leafs compared to the Detroit Red Wings. Please list the positions, and names of the people in these positions. This would make for an interesting article, especially for the Leafs now with so many new people in the management end. I'm sure Detroit gets more bang for their buck!

And my thought. Wouldn't it be great if all sports teams gave 1 year, or no more than 2 year contracts, as well as no no-trade clauses. All teams would be held to the same rules so you can't say that one team has any advantage over another in signing players or keeping players that are overpaid for the long term. The players true value would be based on their yearly performance.

Thanks Damien,

Angelo Romanin, Woodbridge

A: Well Angelo, for starters coaches who get fired then get new jobs often release their previous team from any contractual obligation. It ends up being a wash, with their new contract with their new team taking over from the old deal. But there are no written rules, and if the Leafs hadn’t been willing to continue to pay most of Maurice’s deal, Carolina wouldn’t have hired him again. You can’t get compensation for coaches or executives any more, and in Burke’s mind, he didn’t want to unnecessarily keep Maurice out of the NHL.

I can’t give you the breakdown of management salaries for NHL clubs, let alone ones comparing NHL teams with NBA teams. It’s just not available, and while I can tell you that Detroit GM Ken Holland makes about $1.4 million per season, I have no idea what the salaries are for people like Jimmy Devellano, Jim Nill and Steve Yzerman. For the Leafs, the total salaries for Burke, Dave Nonis, Jeff Jackson, Joe Nieuwendyk, Al Coates and Cliff Fletcher is probably between $5-6 million, but that’s just an estimate. Nobody, for example, can tell you what the combined salaries are of Lou Lamoriello and Brent Sutter in New Jersey. So what you’re interested in just isn’t really available.

Finally, all one-year contracts without no-trade provisions might make the NHL simpler, but it’s not within the realm of possibility.

Q: In regards to Burke acquiring picks and prospects for current Leafs with value on the trade market, what balance you think he will try to achieve with respect to holding onto enough good players for a "transition" phase vs. a more extensive overhaul.

In looking at their roster I see four players who might reasonably fetch a pick and a prospect (Kaberle, Kubina, Antropov and possibly Stajan); and four who could fetch one or the other (Stempniak, Finger, Pony and White).

Richard Coutts, Winnipeg

A: My guess is that Burke will move all he can, with Luke Schenn the only untouchable. But he won’t move players just to get them out of town a la Bryan McCabe. So let’s say he moves Antropov. He’ll then only move Kaberle if he gets a really sweet deal. For all these guys, he’ll set a price, and if other teams meet that price, they’ll be gone.

Q: Hi Damien,

To take a break from Burke-mania, I have a question that has stumped me for a while and would like your thoughts. The question has to do with Keith Acton and how he seems to be the only assistant that has not been let go when the Leafs have made wholesale coaching changes. He survived when Pat Quinn and team were fired and he survived when Maurice and team were let go.

He is supposed to be a defensive specialist and teams under these coaches have never really flourished on the defensive end be it 5 on 5 or on the PK. What's the story with this guy?

Thanks,

Anthony Bossio, Toronto

A: Acton seems to be a well-respected coach around hockey. He and Wilson played together in Minnesota. And while Rick Ley was surgically attached to Pat Quinn and Randy Ladouceur has long been associated with Paul Maurice, Acton has never been singularly linked with one head coach. That’s allowed him to stay put, similar to Kevin McCarthy in Carolina.

Q: Hi Damien, love the columns and editorials.

Here's a short question: given that Ottawa seems to have gone the route of the post-Cup winning Lightning (one top-flight line and diminishing assets across the board everywhere else), which team has more upside now, the rebuilding Leafs or the sputtering Sens?

David Hedley, Toronto

A: Intriguing question. The Sens clearly have quality assets the Leafs don’t have, including Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov. That said, Ottawa management seems to be hanging on to the belief that the current core will succeed, and that doesn’t seem likely. So while Ottawa has significantly more individual talent now, the advantage the Leafs may have is that they’ve already realized the time has come to rebuild and will accelerate that process under Burke. Until the Sens realize that they can’t win with what they have, they’ll be in danger of falling behind Toronto down the road.

Every Thursday, Damien Cox answers your questions in The Spin, only at thestar.com.Click here to submit a question.
**Note: please follow the link above to send a question to Damien. Questions posted in the comments section may not make it to the mailbag. Thanks.**

Comments

[RWillis]

As a new Marlies season ticket holder, I can tell you that I certainly miss Clemmenson.

While the lack of scoring by the skaters hasn't helped matters, Pogge's less-than-impressive gatekeeping this season has left me feeling like last season's playoff run was some massive bait-and-switch.

The Marlies show signs of improving (and could seriously stand a little more fan support), but it's something of an uphill battle in the Clemmenson's absense.

That said, I'll keep going to the Ricoh Colliseum and hope that tomorrow is better (I was a Leaf fan for 35 years...so I certainly know how to maintain a charade).

[Ian McPherson]

Lets face it. Clemmensen was not signed by New Jersey as an alternative to Brodeur, but to play 8-10 games in the year. And don't forget New Jersey didn't re-sign him two years ago and thats how the Leafs got him. Clemmensen is simply playing above everyones expectations and good for him. It still won't get him a number one job in this league. In Wellwoods case, after being dumped by the Leafs and put on waivers twice by the Canucks he finally saw the light and the end of a promising career. He made the personal changes necessary to move on and be successful. The canucks didn't wave a magic wand. Damien, your hindsight journalism is getting a little old.

[Garry Valk]

I found this intriguing in your answer to the question about Sundin not coming back to Toronto:
"I just don’t think it can be held against him that he wanted to finish last season with the Leafs, regardless of what his future may hold."

Intriguing because, despite not holding it against Sundin, you never fail to use negative phrases such as, "... Fletcher's inability to move Sundin at the deadline last year" when talking about this issue from the other side of the argument.

[Dve]

You can say the same argument with Tuuka Rask. Who's younger and has more potential. What did we gain out of obtaining raycroft and then buying the guy out later on?

[DSU24]

I see your side of the argument on Wellwodd but keep in mind if Demitra does not get hurt there is no Wellword story about scoring. All we would be talking about is his perceived lack of work ethic and the potential that was never reached.

[JMac]

Three things... First, Kaberle is an excellent puck-moving d-man, but he couldn't cover a man in front if his life depended on it. That has always been his downfall and it is getting worse, not better.
Second, I believe the Leafs did get Stempniak for nothing - Steen and Coli are just deadwood. Just watch the clip of Coli trying to keep up with Boyle on the power play the other night if you want to see that the NHL game is too fast for him.
Third, if the puck is being iced because players aren't in position, isn't that coaching? I'm more inclined to say that Kubina is just another guy that fooled JF Jr into thinking that he could play. (He could as long as there were superstars around to bail out his gaffes.) Chances are that the forwards have no clue what he's going to do...

Cheers.

[Conn Smythe]

'Now, with Martin Brodeur out and Kevin Weekes apparently unable to assume the No. 1 spot, Clemmensen has jumped in and won seven of eight games, essentially giving Jersey the kind of cavalry in the crease the Leafs would love to have.'

Who wants a goaltender who can win a bad team some games right now? That was the strategy we have relied on in the past - and it didn't get us a Stanley cup.

I'm happy with the goaltending we have now - bad enough for a possible top 5 pick in the 2009 draft.

That's what we should be aiming for if we are truly rebuilding.

The only bad part about this is that if Toskala continues to play like he has, it will be harder for us to get anything of value from him in a trade.

[Jonesy]

Damien,
The reason they "didn't get anything" for Wellwood is because he wasn't worth anything at the time they let him go.

Hindsight is 20/20

[Cameron]

And Damien, you knew all along that Wellwood and Clemmensen would be playing this well...right.

By the way - Wellwood has slowed considerably after his hot start - oh wait he was awful early and the Canucks actually sent him down and at that time no other team wanted him. Luckily for the 'nucks they had enough injuries up front that they needed a warm body.

Funny how nothing the Leafs do is right - of course you manage with 20/20 hindsight - good on ya!

[Brian Burke for Prime Minister]

I think your article is absurd. #1 Stempniak has more points than wellwood in less games. #2 Wellwood is a feather weight, yes i'll admit he is nifty with the puck, but if this guy got checked by a school girl he would get a concussion. We let him go, and even the Canucks didn't want to play him because he wasn't in good condition. Now your bring back Scott Clemenson talk...this guy is the slowest goalie on earth, and your bringing up talks about the cap space, of $250,000? weird Damian very weird. The trade for stempniak is a wait and see how it goes kind of trade. Although both Steen and Coliacovo were both first rounders, doesn't mean squat. They weren't performing, do I think they should've traded those played for draft picks...definitely! but thats just the way it plays out.

[Giller]

Geez. Cliff is gone. Get past it please.

What's next? When Sundin signs with another team in the near future, are you going to be spouting off about how the Leafs missed the boat on this one too?

Also - aren't you the one who said the Leafs need to be commited to rebuilding? Well, losing games is a great way to get picks and rebuild. Therefore, having Joseph and Toskala losing for us is better than having Clemenson wining for us.

[John Lindsay]

More and more I am coming to believe that you could go to any rink in the GTA and find a coach and GM that wouldn't look out of place in the NHL. So many of the managers and coaches in the NHL are just re-treads. As if there is some unwritten code to keep them employed.

[starplaya]

Damien, o Damien. Your hindsight is indeed 20/20. I didn't see you writing about signing Clemmensen, or anything to the effect that he would perform this good before he did so. You sir have a job that is reliant on the after-effects of hockey transactions, finding the bad, comparing it to something better to make it look worse, and finally bashing the the decision(s) in hindsight.
What a joke.

[George]

Mr. Cox,

I honestly believe that this particular blog article of yours is really a negative-puff piece. Wellwood was underachieving in Toronto and had proved to Leafs brass that he did not wish to apply himself (through his lack of conditionning), and Clemmensen has had many chances to gain and keep a starting job in the NHL before he was let go by the Leafs. If you're going to talk about Wellwood being let go for nothing, why not talk about how Grabovski was picked up for next to nothing? When players are underachieving and management feels that the players have been given countless chances to prove themselves, they need to be let go. Just because they go somewhere else, and with a new atmosphere perform better does NOT mean that letting them go was a mistake.

Blogs are great, and having an opinion is great, but in this case I think your anti-maple leafs bias (which you claim you dont have) shone through, and looked a little silly.

[DaMan from the Hammer]

I always find your articles interesting Damian, I certainly don't agree with everything, but they are thought provoking, which is good for a columnist obviously. However, I think you're running a little thin on ideas if we are going to lament the loss of a mediocre goalie like Clemmensen, how does his being in Toronto help with the rebuild, it doesn't. Same as Wellwood, good for him that he has 11 goals, but he's journeyman at best, and clearly when he can pass through waivers, there was no market for him, so expecting a return is unreasonable. I'm not a Fletcher apologist, I agree with your assessment, his time was at best neutral. I would have hung on to Wellwood to see if Wilson could extract anything from him, but he's not a top six or bottom six, he's one of those tweeners you referred to before. Anyway, what is done is done, let's focus on where Burke goes, Fletcher, Ferguson, Quinn, Dryden, Gregory, etc. who cares, that's the past, can't be undone, and your continual jabs at the old man, serve no purpose and make you look petty, which I don't believe you are. Live in the present, there's a new sheriff in town, focus on his moves or missteps.

[MZ]

Some revisionist history going on here, Damien.
Did you - or anyone - react with horror when the Leafs let Wellwood or Clemmensen go? You don't get to call the Leafs stupid when anyone would have let those two players go. The fact that they're having unexpectedly good seasons - up to now - is exactly that: unexpected. Can you show us where you predicted that Wellwood would pan out for the Canucks, or where you said that the Devils fleeced the Leafs when they got Clemmensen for nothing? We would have called you stupid at the time, if you had. Everyone would have.

And the GAA/save% argument you make to knock Toskala isn't fair either. Look at the team he's got in front of him. The criterion to call someone a "quality NHL puckstopper" isn't being able to stop every puck and foil every breakaway no matter how sloppy the defense is. Compare the defense in front of Clemmensen with that in front of Toskala and tell me that the number of goals they let in per game is a fair comparison.

[Conn Smythe]

'It was bad enough that the Leafs let Kyle Wellwood go for nothing, and currently he has more goals than any Toronto player.

Bring that one up, of course, and the Cliff Fletcher apologists immediately rise up, tell you 28 other teams could have had Wellwood and passed and argue that Wellwood’s magic won’t last.

Fair points. But they still got nothing for him.'

NEWSFLASH - he wasn't worth anything...

[Pat - Vaughan]

you can't associate Cliffie with this Clemenson mess. JFJ brought Clemenson to Toronto and like everything else JFJ did he mis-managed it to a tee. Not wanting to eat crow over his Raycroft blunder, he buried Scott in the minors. Can't blame Cliffie for not re-signing a disgruntled goalie. Enough with the Wellwood; this guy is mediocre getting under 14 minutes average ice time in spot duty. call it good coaching by Alain. he's playing on a solid team with good defence and a world class goalie. If he was on the Leafs right now he'd be a complete stiff with no one to cover up his mediocrity. Cliffie was right in waiving him. The Stempniak deal is starting to have an odour to it and looking like a dud. if Cliffie wasn't hamstrung by all those idiot no trade deals he probably would have been able to accomplish some significant things last trade deadline. Instead we have to talk about all of these insignificant nothing moves when we look back at Fletcher's last stand.

[Scott]

How can you criticize the move to get rid of Clemmensen? The Leafs aren't trying to win the Stanley Cup this year. At least they shouldn't be and with Burke in charge there will be moves made to get rid of players for picks and weakening the current roster to get a better draft pick. You have constantly said the Leafs need a plan and direction and it's clear to everyone that the right plan is to lose in the short term to get better long term. So the move to drop Clemmensen just doesn't matter. Who cares? Cujo will get us more losses out of the backup position and if Clemmensen was in the minors he would take away starts from Pogge.

You've got to have better things to write about then Scott Clemmenen performing well in a great system in New Jersey.

[Rich T]

The issue is that the Leafs allowed Clemmensen to start in the AHL playoffs ahead of the goalie of the future Pogge. You can't do that. Look at how Toronto has bungled the goaltender position, Raycroft for Rask and now Toskala sucking wind Cox raises valid points. If Clemmensen was good enough for the AHL playoffs he should have been retained in the summer for the back up job. But if it makes Leafs fans happy to bleat and complain about facts go right ahead. It makes interesting reading.

[Jim]

The general point is defensible but Damien and the other TO writers always omit one important factor -- a winning & perpetuating culture - because doing so makes it easier to trash the Leafs.
If Scott Clemmensen had stayed he'd still be a No. 3 goalie...back in NJ where there's still players there with experience winning, he's gonna be slightly better (though it needs to be pointed out that any pro goalie could probably get 7-8 hot NHL games together, let's see if he can keep it up - is he Tim Thomas, Wade D. or Mike Morrison?)
Are all of those late round gems of Detroit so good or is that the winning culture makes them better? Are we really positive that a Filppula or Kopecky would be so impressive with more minutes on an Atl or Tor?
Michel Ouellet can't crack the Canucks or the Lightning but got 50 points in Pitt and he wasn't always on a line with Sid.
Of course you should assess player transactions but you also have to look at each situation they were/are in. The point can be taken too far.

[dan]

"It would be like comparing Tom Kostopolous’ suspension, which I think you’re referring to, to Mark Bell’s 15-game ban for his drinking-and-driving conviction."

So, can we compare Bell's 15 game suspension for a conviction for drinking and driving and Dany Heatley's 0 game suspension for pleading guilty to 2nd degree vehicular manslaughter? I would guess that if 15 games for breaking a law and not injuring someone is fair then wouldn't causing sombody's death be worth a lifetime ban rather than 0 games?

Regarding Wellwood. I don't remember you complaining when the Leafs put him on waivers. Not only did 28 other teams have a shot at this guy but the team that picked him up then couldn't even find a team in the minors that wanted him. He was a Demitra injury away from disappearing from hockey altogether or ending up in the Swiss league. Maybe Wellwood is trying to prove something after he wasn't deemed attractive by any minor league team and now has extra motivation. How long will that motivation last is the question because although Wellwood has tonnes of talent he is also pretty lazy.

I don't understand your point about Clemmenson AT ALL! Yes, Toronto's goaltending has sucked and Joseph has been a catastrophe. Yes, Clemmenson has played alot better than Joseph and even Toskala. The Leafs would probably have 3, 4
or 5 more points right now in the standings if Clemmenson started the games that Joseph has but WHAT IS THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE? What purpose would Clemmeson's better play as a backup serve? To get Toronto maybe 10 more points this year? Is a 31 year old career backup like Clemmenson somebody to build a team around? Does a rebuilding team need another 10 points in the standings? 10 more points may be the difference between a top 5 pick and a top 12-15 pick but it will not make this leaf team a contender. Clemmenson isn't the next patrick Roy. Are you suggesting that the Leafs try for 8th place in the conference again? 9th place? Clemmenson might help them to that counter-productive objective but maybe you should state what you believe the long-term rebuilding strategy should be and then decide whether your observations are remotely relevant. Brendan Shanahan would help the Leafs get a few more points but do you think that the Leafs should sign him? Mats Sundin would get them more points than Mikhail Grabovski as a first line centre but would you suggest that the Leafs should sign him? Although one always hates to see their team lose a crappy Joseph may help bring a more valuable piece to the Leaf rebuilding puzzle than a more competent Clemmenson. A cap savings of $250,000 for Clemmenson over Joseph? Who cares? The Leafs are $9 mil under the cap and Joseph has a one year contract. There are plenty of examples of players that are a better deal than somebosy else. Who is a better deal? Jason Blake who is getting $4 mil this year for 16 points or Mike Fisher who is getting $6 mil and has 8 points? Blake actually is earning less per point right now than Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza. Does that mean that teams are clamouring to pick up Jason Blake? Why don't you wait until the end of the season before you decide who is worth the money that they are being paid because I remember that some people were comparing the Ottawa Senators to the 76-77 Habs at around this time last year and 1 or two fewer were making that comparison after 82 games.

By the way, NJ had Clemmenson 2 years ago and got rid of him last year to pick up the much more expensive, and apparently less competent, Kevin Weekes. What does that say about Lou Lamariello? Probably nothing because nobody really cares about the difference between a 2nd rate and a 3rd rate backup goalie on a non-contending team

[dan]

"Stempniak was acquired at the cost of two former first round picks, Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo."

Who cares? In Colaiacovo's case he hardly played over the last 6 years. Even Bobby Orr playing only 12 games a year would be pretty useless and Colaiacovo is no Bobby Orr. You always state that Leaf fans overrate their talent and this is what you are doing now although you have hardly written any paens to Steen and Colaiacovo in the past. Doug Wickenheiser and Alexandre Daigle were both #1 overall picks and anybody would have traded both these guys after the 5 year mark of their careers for a potential 20 goal scorer. By the way, Stempniak has more goals than both Colaiacovo and Steen combined so far this year and about 50% more points as both combined so it must have been a good trade using your Wellwood logic. A good GM could probably have picked up Sydney Crosby and Sheas Weber for a forward that had worked his way down to the 4th line and a d-man who spent 4x as much time in the pressbox than on the ice over his career.

[robcap]

"Stempniak was acquired at the cost of two former first round picks, Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo."

An alternate view...
My interpretation of this comment is that Damien is only pointing out how pathetically the Leaf's have drafted that they would give up 2 former first round picks for a 4th liner. Who cares? Well everyone should care because this IS the problem. (Not Cliff's fault as he did not draft the 2, but perhaps Cliff should have acquired a draft pick in return. Oh woops, the pick(s) may turn out even worse than Stepaniak judging by how the Leafs have drafted in the first round in the past. Never mind then...)

[Conn Smythe]

'The issue is that the Leafs allowed Clemmensen to start in the AHL playoffs ahead of the goalie of the future Pogge...But if it makes Leafs fans happy to bleat and complain about facts go right ahead. It makes interesting reading'

Sorry Rich T, that's not the main issue that Cox is bringing up - he's asking how much better the Leafs would be with Clemmensen between the pipes. But what would a few more points in the standings mean to the Leafs? Absolutely nothing...We don't need to get a few more points to try and sneak into the last play - off spot.

That isn't helpful to a re-building squad.

We need the goaltending we have now and to get a top 5 draft pick in 2009.