Stop history repeating itself

The damage has been done, the error made for what seems like the millionth time in Maple Leaf history.

Now, the challenge for Brian Burke and Co. is to make sure that more damage isn't done to Luke Schenn that would ultimately see him lumped together in Leaf history with Jim Benning, Bob McGill, Fred Boimistruck, Luke Richardson, Gary Nylund, Drake Berehowsky and Jeff Ware as promising defencemen whose careers were compromised in the name of rushing them to the NHL.

Some of those one-time Leafs enjoyed long and productive NHL careers, but none became stars. The idea was that Schenn, drafted fifth overall in '08 after the Leafs traded first, second and third round picks to the Islanders to move up two slots in the draft, would become a star and possibly a future Leaf captain.

He still might. He's a terrific young man, big and rugged and game. But only a fool would argue now that having Schenn play in the NHL last season was a useful move. It was pointless then and looks more pointless now.

It's clear that, like Richardson way back when, Schenn has not only taken a step back in his sophomore season, parts of his game were either retarded or left undeveloped by preventing his return to the junior ranks last season just so he could participate in yet another lost Leaf season.

You don't have to look much further than Buffalo's Tyler Myers — a player drafted seven slots after Schenn — to understand what a difference an extra year of junior experience, experience as a dominant player in all phases of the game, can make.

Schenn is capable of no more now than he was last year. In fact, some of the things he did well last season he does awkwardly now, with his confidence in tatters. Among the problems of rushing kids to the NHL is that if they do slip in their second seasons and require a move back to junior or the minors, it appears as though they've failed somehow. That's the impression many have of Columbus youngster Nikita Filatov, drafted immediately after Schenn and now back playing in Russia.

Schenn hasn't failed. The Leafs, starting with Cliff Fletcher and Ron Wilson, failed him, or at least failed to logically and gradually sculpt his talents to make him the best player he can be, not just a kid who made them look good because they could say he was ready to play in the NHL at 18.

So what now, now that Schenn has tumbled to the bottom of the Leafs blueline depth chart? As hard as it might be for all concerned, Schenn needs to go to the AHL to begin to serve the apprenticeship he should have served before he played his first NHL game. It might take the rest of this season. Maybe next year as well. That's what the minors are there for. What is it about this Leaf organization that forever makes it treat the farm like a punishment or a form of menial labour rather than a useful development tool? At least the signs are that Burke intends to change this mentality, with Nazem Kadri properly returned to junior (hopefully more people understand the wisdom of that move now) and with Tyler Bozak, Christian Hanson and Viktor Stalberg spending most of their time with the Marlies. Wouldn't hurt Jonas Gustavsson to get a few AHL games under his belt either.

Schenn, meanwhile, certainly isn't a lost prospect yet. But he will be if the Leafs, once more ignorant of their own history, continue to pretend he's developing as a player at the NHL level.

Apprenticeships in a Demanding Market

They are two stories from two different sports about two young people from two different countries.

Yet in some way, the circumstances are the same.

Both Phil Kessel and Alex Anthopolous have, by combination of their own choice and the decisions of others, been thrust into situations for which they aren't quite ready.

For the 22-year-old Kessel, it's to be a franchise player for the Maple Leafs. For the 32-year-old Anthopolous, its to run the baseball operations of the Blue Jays.

In today's Star, the pitfalls for both are reported on in pieces by Paul Hunter and Rich Griffin. Griffin highlights Anthopolous's efforts at his first ever winter meetings as he tries to not only take over from J.P. Ricciardi, but set a new tone for the franchise.

To me, he's reminiscent of John Ferguson Jr. when he took over the Leafs. He even has a quickee nickname as Ferguson did. Fergie was JFJ, while Anthopolous is Double-A, not exactly a comfy nickname for a baseball man.

Anthopolous is young, eager, hardworking, wildly inexperienced and very unsure of how to handle the Toronto media, which, as it was for Ferguson, could be a ticking time bomb.

Cutting guys off is okay if you win. But if you don't, you'll have no friends when you need 'em.

All that said, the good news is that Anthopolous isn't a finished product. He has time to learn. He has time to figure it out.

Kessel, meanwhile, again underperformed last night in a visit to his former hockey home of Boston. He was better, but not good enough, and the Leafs went down to defeat.

In some ways, Kessel right now is reminiscent of a young Mats Sundin, who, during his early days in Quebec City and then Toronto, was viewed as marvelously talented but unable to rise to the moment and compete harder when the environment became nastier.

Sundin ultimately conquered that and became a solid playoff warrior, but it took time.

But what people forget is that the Leafs didn't acquire a finished product when they traded for Kessel. They acquired a player with exciting offensive talent who has scored some goals in the league but has yet to prove he can grind it out when the compete level of everyone goes up.

That's okay. He has time to learn. He has time to figure it out. If this trade ultimately works out, it will be because Kessel improves as a player, not because he's all he can be right now.

The Leafs might want him to be a star, but at 22, he's at an age when only the truly exceptional - like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin - are prepared to walk among the league's elite every night.

Everyone should understand that the plan for Kessel should be that he's really hitting his stride two or three seasons down the line.

Thursday Mail Bag

So Brian Burke likes to feel jolly this time of year and give his charges an extra 10 days not to have to worry about being shipped off to Long Island, Atlanta or Florida.

That means Burke’s self-imposed trade freeze kicked in at midnight last night, with the regular NHL Christmas trading ban beginning Dec. 19 and lasting until Dec. 27. After 30 games and one of the worst starts in team history, it’s remarkable, really, that Burke has completely avoided the temptation to panic and make changes.

Maybe the nature of the league now in a salary cap era, with trades so hard to make, tied Burke’s hands. But there were clearly deals he could have made if he just wanted to look busy, yet the only transaction from the club so far has been the swap that sent Jiri Tlusty to Carolina for Quebec junior prospect Phillippe Paradis.

From opening night, only forwards Jay Rosehill and Viktor Stalberg are no longer in the NHL, and they’re both with the Marlies and could be back. Goalie Jonas Gustavsson has been in and out of the lineup, requiring the presence of Joey MacDonald from time-to-time, and young blueliner Carl Gunnarson did make the jump only to be knocked from the lineup by injury. Otherwise, for a team that has struggled so very badly, the Leafs have had a very stable look. Burke resisted the call to ship highly-paid veterans like Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala to the minors, and the suggestion that Luke Schenn needed time with the Marlies.

Burke’s patience, meanwhile, seems to be paying off. Blake and Toskala are both playing better, and Schenn looked quicker and more confident against the Islanders on Wednesday night than he has all year. Now all three, plus every other Leaf, knows that they’re safe, at least until after Christmas.

Now for this week’s mail bag:

Q: Damien, given that Stajan, Ponikarovsky, Toskala, Stempniak, Primeau and Exelby (among others) are UFA on July 1, Burke will have a lot of flexibility in the off-season to re-tool this roster. Which of these UFAs to you think he'll re-sign, and how do you think he'll go about finding a #1 centre to play alongside Kessel? Assuming Toskala isn't re-signed, which is probably a safe assumption, do you think Burke will sign a proven starter or rely heavily on Gustavsson?

Anthony Spadaro, Mississauga

A: Well, for starters, he’s going to have to get another goalie unless he’s willing to go with Gustavsson and MacDonald. Even if the Leafs wanted to re-sign Toskala, I’m not sure he’s interested. But he continues to play well and the team continues to win games, so that may change.

As far as all the free agents you mentioned, at this point I might guess the Leafs might have some interest in retaining all of them, but at prices more to the team’s liking than the players. None will hit home runs. Stempniak, for example, won’t get a multi-year contract anything like what he got in St. Louis. Otherwise, there are still 50-plus games left for all of these players to make their case for new deals.

Q: Hi Damien. In your blogs, mailbag, and regular articles you have mentioned how the in-game entertainment at Leaf games is horrible. Having been to a number of games myself, I couldn't agree with you more. It's the same old boring and childish crap over and over again. That being said, I have never seen an NHL game outside of Toronto, and I am wondering what do other teams do differently and what should/could the Leafs do better? Look forward to your response. Thanks.

Max Zakrzewski, Toronto

A: I should say off the top this is just my opinion. A lot of people at the ACC seem to like what the Leafs offer, and maybe I’m just bored by seeing the same stuff over and over and over. But other teams seem to do more to create an atmosphere rather than just having Ronnie Hawkins come on the screen and urge fans to “Get Loud.” At the same time, fans in, say, Montreal, don’t rely on the video board to produce noise. I don’t know, it really just is a feel, more than anything, but I find it hard to believe people are really entertained by what they’re getting at the ACC, and MLSE can do better. All you have to do is go to a Raptors game to see that.

Q: Hey Damien: Would you not agree that the focus being taken away from the poor goaltending (Vesa Toskala) at the start of the season as well as the team now finally starting to play better has helped? With the play of the monster and MacDonald we don't hear too much about lacklustre goaltending, which tends to take the focus away from what was a problematic area. In your opinion will Toskala be a thorn in the side of team that could make some sort of run for a playoff position come spring?

Dan Malstrom, Burlington

A: I don’t think its the focus being taken off the team’s goaltending that has helped. I think its improved goaltending that has made a difference.

Q: Hi Damien, I was wondering if there are ways a hockey team can compensate players other than their NHL salary? For example, let's say Jim Balsillie owned an NHL team and wanted to sign a high profile NHL player. Would he be allowed to sign the player to the league minimum and then in turn offer the player a large salary to work for RIM or make commercials for a separate company in which he owns?

Are the clauses in the current CBA to avoid these types of situations?

Andrew MacPherson, North Sydney

A: Strictly verboten under NHL rules.

Q: Hi, Damien. I enjoy your work both in the newspaper and on the radio.

Okay, here is my question. Is it permissible under the current CBA to trade a player who is on long-term injury reserve? For example could the leafs make a trade with Chicago and include Mike Van Ryn who is a UFA next year and will not play this year because of injury? This could allow the Hawks to move some salary to the leafs with a draft pick for a player whose salary for this year won't count because of the injury.

John Herron, Holland Landing

A: I believe this is possible. If you recall, when the Leafs acquired Olaf Kolzig from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, Kolzig was injured with no chance of returning during the season. Injured players with expiring contracts can be useful assets at the deadline.

Q: Hey Damien, Many analysts are saying Kessel is the only top 6 forward the Leafs have. What exactly is a top 6, and where is the line drawn a Top 6 and other leaf players... Hagman perhaps?

Johnny Thunder, Toronto

A: I would say a top-six forward is generally in the eye of a beholder, and it changes from team-to-team. Most wouldn’t say Matt Moulson of the Islanders is a bona fide top-six forward, but he sure is on that club and is one of the better NHL stories this season. In my mind, a top-six forward is a player who is capable of playing on the power play and of scoring at least 20 goals a season. In a 30-team league, let’s face it, the criteria isn’t that demanding. For the Leafs, that would probably make Stajan, Hagman, Blake, Stempniak and Ponikarovsky all theoretical top-six forwards, but all have been too inconsistent to firmly establish themselves as such.

Q: Hi Damien,

I believe, now, that the Leafs are FINALLY headed in the right direction. I am a die hard fan but have never really believed in them in the past because they have NEVER (40yrs+) had solid top to bottom management off the ice. All the perennial cup contenders do... Detroit, New Jersey, now Chicago since Wirtz Sr. passed away. Now, Toronto does! A la Brian Colangelo, Burke has 100% control and it is showing off the ice, hiring Allaire, hiring Nonis, hiring Poulin, hiring 10 scouts etc ... He is/has built a winner off the ice. I believe now, this will start to show on the ice ... do you ?

John Fava, North Bay

A: My sense is that there is a greater coordination between ownership and management than has been the case for a very long time. The suits have hired top people and backed off. The front office appears to be deep and experienced. Nobody doubts that Burke is running the show. To me, this at least sets a foundation for potential success.

Q: Do you think if Kaberle is kept, and someone else is named Captain he will request a trade? He looks like the front runner for the captain position... which scares me. I don't think he's captain material (yes he showed it with his 15 points, but that has ended). I think Kaberle is just waiting to be named captain, what do you think?

Katie F., Scarborough

A: I doubt Kaberle cares one way or another who is captain. He’s playing good hockey these days on a team on which nobody wears the “C.” If the team continues to improve, it may be that the chances of Kaberle ever moving decrease. After all, he’s under contract through next season at a very affordable $4.25 million and is producing points as well as any offensive defenceman in the league right now. That said, he still represents the biggest chip Burke will have to play at the March trade deadline.

Q: Damien, I was just curious to know if Keith Ballard can be suspended for slashing his own goalie, Tomas Vokoun.

Thank you,

Bob Sander, Gravenhurst

A: In theory, yes, by either the league or his own team. But neither chose to do so.

Q: Damien, I agree the Leafs are terrible and concede they are all but completely out of it. However, they do have an obligation to put some sort of product out there, if only to reduce the odds of handing the Bruins that #1 overall pick. To that end, I am surprised I have not heard a thing about Jason Allison. He seemed to do okay in the tryout this fall and is surely a better option than the completely lame complement of centers the Leafs have. Am I missing something here? It seems this would be a cheap and easy upgrade.

Chris K., Lafayette, Indiana

A: Allison gave it a whirl in training camp and wasn’t even close to being capable of playing at the NHL level again. And by the way, I really don’t think the Leafs need to worry every day about whether the Bruins get the No. 1 pick. It will be whatever it will be, the Leafs got the player they wanted in Phil Kessel and would probably make the same deal again today.

Another Pin Set to Fall

Terry Sawchuk played his final season with the New York Rangers, managing one final shutout, his 103rd, during the 1969-70 campaign, two years before Martin Brodeur was born.

Sawchuk's mark remained untouched for 40 seasons, a remarkable length of time for any record in sports that isn't equivalent to Joe DiMaggio's apparently unbreakable 56-game hit streak.

Now Brodeur has tied Sawchuk's mark, and will pass it sometime in the coming weeks. The return of Jacques Lemaire to the Devils probably sealed the fate of Sawchuk's record, with the Devils once more becoming a lock-down, defence first-second-and-third team. Fittingly, Brodeur tied the record against Buffalo while facing only 22 shots.

But he made those 22 saves, and clearly there is an art to the shutout, an ability to maintain focus in games already won, an unwillingness to give even an inch to the game's best shooters.

The question is, how high will Brodeur now set the bar? With two more years to go on his current contract, it's pretty easy to see him getting up to 112 shutouts, maybe 115.

Would he retire then? Hard to see that. He loves the game too much, revels in the lifestyle, the pace, the competition. Morever, the Devils have no successor. They've never really bothered to develop one.

So maybe by the end of the day he plays four more seasons and gets to 120 shutouts. Possible, no?

To put that in perspective, 30-year-old Roberto Luongo currently has 48 shutouts. If Brodeur gets to 120, Luongo would have to average more than seven shutouts a season for the next decade just to catch the Devils goalie.

It could happen. But probably won't.

Brodeur owns the all-time wins record (575) and needs five more appearances to break Patrick Roy's mark for all-time appearances (1,029).

His strong play after a difficult season a year ago, which included a lengthy layoff due to a bicep injury and a stunning playoff ouster at the hands of Carolina, sets up what will be a fascinating scenario for Mike Babcock and Team Canada at the Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Brodeur, barring injury, will be in net for the Games opener against Norway on Feb. 16th. Luongo might get the second match against the Swiss, a country that beat Canada in Torino in '06.

The comes a game against the U.S., and then the quarterfinals on the 24th. So while it might in theory be reasonable to say Babcock should just go with the hot hand, there won't be time to figure out who that hot hand will be.

And let's say Brodeur falters on Feb. 21st against the U.S. Would it be practical to then turn to Luongo for all the marbles in the quarters?

And what about Marc-Andre Fleury, the Stanley Cup champion goalie?

One Tall Drink Of Water

It would be pretty much impossible for Tyler Myers to hide.

At 6-foot-8 — 6-foot-9? — the Buffalo Sabres blueliner is noticeable from the pre-game skate on at any NHL game involving the Sabres, but its time to understand that Myers is noteworthy for something beyond his unusual height.

So far, he's the NHL's best rookie this season on this scorecard, an early leader for the Calder Trophy.

Now, this is no easy award for a freshman defenceman to capture. Only one rearguard — Barrett Jackman in 2003 — has won the Calder in the past 11 years, and if the multi-talented Drew Doughty wasn't good enough last year, you have to wonder what defender actually could be.

But watching Myers live in two games last week against the Canadiens and the Rangers convinced these eyes that he's not just the real deal, but possibly shaping up into a better blueliner than anyone ever thought he would.

Don't forget, he was the 12th pick of the 2008 NHL entry draft, selected after coveted blueliners Zach Bogosian (Thrashers), Alex Pietrangelo (Blues) and Luke Schenn (Leafs). Toronto fans will get a chance to compare Bogosian and Schenn — both sophomores now — head-to-head tonight at the ACC.

Myers played an extra year with the Kelowna Rockets before cracking the Sabres lineup this fall — a move it would appear both Pietrangelo and Schenn could have found useful — and so far he has been terrific.

He skated 23:06 against the Habs and then followed that up with 23:49 against the Rangers on Saturday as his duties continue to increase in Buffalo. He's a lot more than a stay-at-home defenceman, in case you're under the impression that he never leaves his zone, and is proving to be remarkably agile and mobile.

He plays a regular shift and kills penalties, but also joins the rush and quarterbacks the Sabres power play, which has helped him register 15 points in 26 games. He's a force, something along the lines of the right-handed Chris Pronger some were projecting before his status seemed to drop a little before the '08 draft. How about a modern version of Kjell Samuelsson, but with hands?

Born in Houston, where he lived until he was 10, Myers nonetheless ended up playing for Canadian national teams after moving north and skated for Team Canada in last year's world junior championships in Ottawa.

The list of strong NHL rookie-of-the-year candidates is long and seemingly growing. Philly's James van Riemsdyk was the league's rookie-of-the-month for November. John Tavares (Islanders) and Matt Duchene (Avalanche) have drawn headlines, while other rookie defenceman drawing good reviews include Victor Hedman (Lightning) and Matt Gilroy (Rangers).

Right now, however, Myers is the best of the best. Time folks started noticing.

Thursday Mail Bag

That darn Tiger.

First he upstages the Grey Cup, obviously intentionally. Now he's taking all the attention away from The Monster, while Leaf fans grab their worry beads and wonder about the future of Jonas Gustavsson.

Darn Tiger Woods.

The Leafs head into Columbus tonight looking to continue a recent solid streak, and with Brian Burke's self-imposed Christmas trading deadline of Dec. 9 coming up — 10 days before the league-wide freeze — it seems less and less likely there will be any moves of significance involved Les Leafs until the New Year.

There was a minor flurry of activity yesterday — Kyle Chipchura traded from Montreal to Anahiem, Erik Christenson picked up on waivers — and Chicago will announce new contract extensions to Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith today. Toronto's attempts to cut a deal with the Hawks to give salary cap relief in exchange for draft picks didn't pan out. So far, despite the Leafs dismal record, Burke has chosen not to tinker with the lineup outside of callups and demotions, and we'll see if standing pat with the current lineup continues to pay some decent dividends.

Now on to this week's Tiger-less mail bag:

Q: Hi Damien, have always thought you're columns were the best in Toronto, however can't help noticing that you appear to be kissing Brian Burke's ass at every turn. Shouldn't you be the one who is anti-Burke with his stance on fighting? How about writing about his "ego" — I'm sure you heard about his rep. in Vancouver haven't you? The fact that he came in here and made the "ridiculous" decision to play out the season last year rather than "tanking" for a chance at a bonafide "homegrown" star for this team for the first time since who, maybe Wendel Clark. How about his continuous b.s. about how the other G.M.s won't fall for what he pulled off in the previous drafts — huge ego. Talking about first round pics for the likes of Antropov, or Kaberle — pipedreams last summer. How about him at the draft and screwing up the trade with Kessel in the first place — who do you think jumped the gun on that one, I would guarantee that was Burke and not Chiarelli. Then his "ego" comes through again, along with a poor assessment of the team for this year, with him trading two firsts and a second for Kessel — all because he screwed up at the draft. Imagine what he would of given up for say Marc Savard?? All because of his ego, and probably the Toronto media, not the fans, he's jumped the gun and screwed the franchise once again. His talk of having stocked up on young talent like Bozak, Stahlberg and Hanson — well they're 20 somethings and playing in the AHL — I doubt they're "huge" prospects! The part I can't believe is that you appear to have fallen to his media "ass kissing" just like all the other journalists in this city!

Doug Cowan, Toronto

A: Thanks for the email. Well, Doug, you're certainly entitled to your opinion. I feel like any GM should get a reasonable period of time to show whether he can or cannot do the job, and since Burke has only been here for a year and a few days, I would argue it's a little early to decide he's a bum who deserves to get run out of town. As far as his stance on fighting versus my own, we disagree completely and we've talked about it. But the fact is his approach has resulted in a Stanley Cup championship, so he gets the benefit of the doubt. I don't think muscling up will work in today's NHL, but we'll see if he's right. But it shouldn't be all about whether he and I agree or disagree on some hockey issue. His job is to win. If he does that, he win praise. If he doesn't, he won't.

As for your other assertions — Burke's ego, his unwillingness to tank last year, the trade with Boston that didn't happen, the Kessel deal, the signings of U.S. College players — these are your opinions, which you are entitled to, but you state them as if they are facts. Don't accuse me of ass-kissing just because I don't happen to agree with your ridiculous opinions.

Q: Hi Damien, Everyone likes to talk about the lack of production of the Leafs players and Leafs player movements, I'd like to switch it up and talk about the uniforms. I played NHL10 on PS3 just the other day for the first time with my nephew. I picked the Maple Leafs, then chose the green St. Pats alternate uniforms. The game replaced the ugly brown pants and helmets with black! I thought it looked really sharp. I ended up losing to my nephew, but I didn't care, I was mesmerized by the green, white and black uniforms. I thought to myself that maybe the Leafs should bring it in the rotation as a 4th jersey. What do you think?

Johnny Di Iorio, North York

A: Sorry Johnny, but I thought those uniforms were horrific. Then again, right now the Leafs basic road and home jerseys are the most boring and uninteresting in the league. The third jersey – white with blue shoulders – is the only good one they have, in my opinion.

Q: I'm assuming the Flyers would like to dump Daniel Briere's salary. If you're the Leafs, why not pick him up and at least put together a respectable 1st line for the time being? And if it's a total disaster in a couple of years just bury his contract in the minors.

Eric T, Toronto

A: Briere has five more years and $26 million left on his deal with an annual $6.4 million cap hit. He has 10 goals in 17 games this season, and he's 32 years old. To take on such a contract, the Leafs would want a great deal in return, at least a first round draft pick. I understand that he might help now, but just taking on other teams' terrible contracts isn't the answer to what ails the Leafs.

Q: I like the recent play of Wayne Primeau and Jamal Mayers. When mixed with some of the smaller "skilled" players they seem to provide some muscle to work the corners which has been lacking. I like that they also were on separate lines to give a little sprinkle of that for the whole group. With Ponikarovsky on the top line, and Hanson/Kulemin also showing willingness to screen the goalie, work the corners, I believe it benefits the other players who seem to be always skating around the outside at 100 mph accomplishing not much. Do you see this as a improvement, and why have the waited so long to give these guys a bigger role — especially when truculence, and all the other catchy words is what they have professed?

Keith Kerfoot, Guelph

A: I think Ron Wilson has been searching for answers, and I don't disagree that Primeau and Mayers have contributed more of late. Actually, I've quite liked Jason Blake playing lower in the lineup and adding a little buzz to the fourth line. As an Islander, once upon a time he played as a pest and an irritant, and if he ever got that back into his system, he'd be very effective and would make people forget his salary. But why has Wilson waited? Maybe the better question is why have these players waited so long to get their games in gear?

Q: Hi Damien, What would stop Brian Burke and the Maple Leafs from becoming the dumping ground of other teams over priced talent They in return would be compensated with prospects and or draft picks. The Leafs could either use the player or ship him and his cap space to the minors. They would then try and recoup half of the cost by bringing the player back and hope he is claimed on waivers. I know the cost is actual cash to pay the contracts but this is something that the Leafs have in abundance. It is one of the few competitive advantages they retain over the majority of teams in the new cap era. Am I missing something?

Tim Plater, Sarnia

A: Nope, they can do this. But I don't think its unreasonable for the Leafs to try and make good business decisions. As with Briere in the question above, taking on millions and millions of dollars in contracts just to get mid-round picks doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But what you are proposing in theory is exactly what Burke has been trying to make happen. He did just that, don't forget, in the deal with Tampa at the deadline last winter. He just hasn't been able to do it this fall, or at least, teams haven't become salary cap desperate enough yet.

Q: Damien. With Burke looking at so many UFA contracts set to expire at season's end, do you think he'll go with a much younger lineup next year? Or, do you see him taking a run at up and coming UFA's like Kovalchuk, Savard, etc to fill his roster? I'm hoping Bozak, Tlusty, Stalberg, Hanson, and remote possibilities like Ryan Hamilton and Alex Foster will be see full time duty with the leafs next year rather than going the free agency route. But with the mounting pressure of quite likely not making the playoffs this year i'm afraid he'll stock his roster with UFA's and veterans again.

Dan C., Halifax

A: Well, this question came in earlier this week, so obviously, Dan, you now know Savard is no longer a possiblility because he has signed with Boston. It really depends on who is available next summer, and just because someone is unsigned now doesn't mean he'll be unsigned by July. My guess is that Burke will do both – search for young players and find some vets who have the qualities he likes. When you can get free agents at 27, you're not exactly filling the roster with old men.

Q: Hi Damien, I have a question for you about journalism and I'm hoping you can answer it honestly. As a writer that (mostly) covers one specific team would you prefer it that said team miss the playoffs thus easing your workload between April and June, or would you prefer the team go deep in the playoffs and a more intense workload for those two months? I know it would be bias for you (or any other journalist) to have a rooting interest one way or another for a team, but this has to be part of the thought process in covering a team right?

Peter Allpark, Toronto

A: Interesting question. I don't have a rooting interest other than having good stories that intrigue our readers and, of course, help us sell newspapers and attract readers to our website. The Leafs in the playoffs, to my mind, are a more interesting story than the Leafs out of the playoffs. The workload is immaterial since I'm working anyway, if not on the Leafs than on other teams, or the world championships, or the Memorial Cup, or something else. Having the Leafs make it or not make doesn't appreciably increase or decrease my workload. When they don't make it, I have to spend more time on the road, and that's about it.

Q: Hi Damien, I am wondering if you have any idea why Sidney Crosby doesn't seem to be playing like the dominant player he was expected to be when he entered the league. After winning the Hart and Art Ross trophies in his second year it seems his production has been falling — to the point where he is now struggling to average a point a game. He did play well in the playoffs last year, but it was Malkin who had a better final series and won the Conn Smythe Trophy. Is he not completely healthy most of the time? Are the Penguins playing a more defensive style than they used to? Or is he just not the dominant offensive force it seemed he would be a few years ago? What do you think the problem is?

Mike Sibley, Saskatoon

A: I'm not sure what the problem might be with Crosby's game for you. He's fourth in league scoring and is the leader of the Stanley Cup champions. I disagree that Malkin had a better final series. To me, Crosby attracted Detroit's top defenders, leaving Malkin with more room to operate. At any rate, I guess my answer is I think Crosby's becoming better and more rounded as a player. I don't see him slipping at all.

Q: I first want to say I was right about the Kessel trade, when you look at that draft 2006, Kessel could have gone first overall. Kessel is one of those special talents and it is nice to see the Leafs having a franchise player. Here is my question I feel Jason Blake time in Toronto is over, he is now playing on the 4th line and with his contract that is a very pricey 4th line player. What is the chances of Blake going back home to Minnesota for a draft choice, would Toronto need to absorb some of his contract ?

Brian Marto, Markham

A: Well, if it makes you feel good to praise yourself for your brilliant soothsaying, fill your boots, man. Hey, I think the Kessel deal will work out fine, too. As far as Blake, one team can't absorb any salary if it trades a player to another team. And I can guarantee you Minny wouldn't want him.

Q: Hi Damien, with the Maple Leafs trying to avoid giving the Boston Bruins a top 5 pick but also trying to stock pile draft picks for the future, I'm wondering what impact UFA's might have come the trade deadline. If Burkie finds himself in a position where the Leafs are in the bottom 10 of the league come the trade deadline, will he not want to trade UFA's and run the risk of having the team sink into a top 5 draft pick position? Or will he trade all available assets to stockpile despite the 1st overall pick given to Boston?

Kyle Parry, Oakville

A: It'll be a tricky position for the Leaf GM, no doubt. I think he'll have to weigh the possible gains, but really, what difference does it make to the Leafs what Boston gets from the deal now? If it's the No. 1 pick, well, Burke has a long-term contract, he'll have to live with the embarrassment. But if somebody offers something significant for Kaberle or Stajan or Ponikarovsky, the Leafs have to evaluate that on its own, not for how if might affect the Bruins.

No One Disagrees Any More

There's a useful clarity to being awful. Awful as opposed to average.

And, after another woeful home-ice performance last night against the Buffalo Sabres, nobody would disagree any more that the Maple Leafs are a lousy hockey club this season, destined to finish in the lower rungs of the NHL.They are second worst in the league, with a four-point gap between themselves and the third worst outfit. If not for disastrous Carolina, the Leafs would be looking up at 29 other teams.

After 25 games, the hole is too big for Ron Wilson's group to be in contention for even the last playoff berth in the east, and maybe that's good.

After all, being close time after time during the past five years hasn't done much except add confusion to the picture. You know, whether this player actually might be better than he looks, or that player is just having an off-season, or whether breaking a Leaf record for wins or assists by a left winger really makes a player untouchable.

These Leafs are clearly what they are. No argument.

No one would seriously suggest any longer that Vesa Toskala has either the stamina or ability to be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL, or that Matt Stajan or Alexei Ponikarovsky are bona fide top six forwards in the NHL. Luke Schenn is a prospect learning the game, not a player poised to be youngest captain in team history. Jason Blake just isn't in a slump — that's what he is. Lee Stempniak is just the residue of a bad trade, not a player set to re-discover his lost scoring touch. Mikhail Grabovski is speed and energy but not a No. 1 or No. 2 centre in the making.

There will, this being Toronto, always be exaggerations. You hear it these days with suggestions that now it's Ian White, not Schenn, who deserves to captain this team. C'mon people — wait for players to establish themselves, and that takes more than one or two seasons.

So the fact that awfulness brings clarity should actually assist GM Brian Burke when it comes to making moves this season to try and make the future better than the present.

Tomas Kaberle should be put on the trading block, and if he doesn't like it, too bad. A first round pick is the asking price and somebody will pay. The players set to be free agents — Stajan, Ponikarovsky, Stempniak, Toskala — shouldn't be re-signed, and so should be moved if anything of value can be retrieved.

Having so few players under contract after this season should open a world of possibilities for Burke, and he knows now more than ever he'll be spending money on college free agents next spring.

The only uncertainty in this picture is that of Wilson and his coaching staff. Burke will have a tough decision to make on his coaches if this turns out to be a 20-win season.

Otherwise, nobody's fooling anybody any longer. The state of the Leafs is crystal clear.