Friday Mail Bag

Here's the tough question for Brian Burke and his front office.

How bad were the Leafs, really?

The easy answer is really bad, and there's lots of evidence to support that conclusion.

But consider this. The Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins are both in the second round of the NHL playoffs and based on what happened during the regular season, you also might be able to argue that the gap between those clubs and the Leafs isn't quite as large as generally might be believed.

To a great degree, that's a function of the modern NHL. The gap between the good teams - there are probably no great ones - and the weak teams is, while quantifiable, not necessarily as large as it might have been say, during the 1970s.

Look at it this way. The Habs finished 33 points below the Washington Capitals during the regular season, and then knocked the Caps out of the playoffs in seven games.

Meanwhile, Montreal finished just 14 points ahead of the Leafs.

As the Canadiens demonstrated, the game is still as much about will as it's ever been. So the challenge for Burke and Co. is to assess whether more will, more experience for the youngsters and a little more talent might bridge that gap between the Leafs and teams like Boston and Montreal.

Maybe the gap is, like oncoming vehicles in the sideview mirror, much greater than it appears. Or maybe not.

Now on to this week's mail bag:

Q: What do you think, are the Maple Leafs going to pursue or sign any of the few big name free agents?

Cornelius Neufeld, Cuauhtemoc

A: Well, they'll be in there pitching. I'm just not clear who the "big" free agents will be. Patrick Marleau? Doubt he's coming to play for Ron Wilson again.Olli Jokinen? Tomas Plekanec? Ilya Kovalchuk? Sergei Gonchar? Just not sure there's somebody in the bunch worth playing your brains out for. Perhaps the one proviso might be on Kovalchuk, who's a 40- to- 50-goal shooter. Obviously, he did himself no favours with his playoffs in Jersey. Given that he already turned down $102 million from Atlanta, his chances of landing in Toronto are almost zero. But if the market changed and Kovalchuk would be looking at something more like five years than 10 and something more like $6 million than $10 million, the Leafs might get interested. But that doesn't mean he'd be interested in the Leafs. Moreover, hockey history isn't full of star players taking less to play in Canada for losing teams. So I wouldn't hold my breath.

Q: Hey Damien, Wondering if you had any information in regards to contract negotiations? between the Leafs and Nik Kulemin. Are things looking like he is going to re-sign in Toronto, and if so for how much? If you aren't sure, what kind of contract (term and $ value) do you think he's worthy of?

Kalin Smith, Burlington

A: Right now, this is looking at little like the Dominic Moore situation. This is a contract that should get done, one that both sides should want to see happen, but may not happen. Kulemin was at times the team's best forward last season and demonstrated that level of competitiveness that GM Brian Burke doesn't believe exists to his satisfaction with many Russian players. That said, he scored 16 goals playing 18-20 minutes a game and getting pretty extensive power play exposure. He made $850,000 last season. So the Leafs will likely want to get up signed up for maybe two years at $1.5 million, while his agent Gary Greenstin will likely be pitching Kulemin as a bona fide first line winger - he certainly is with the Leafs right now - deserving of something north of $2 million. That doesn't sound like a huge gap, but it wasn't with Moore, either. It doesn't sound like a deal is in the offing, probably not until after the world championships. But the Leafs have been making a lot of deals happen quickly these days.

Q: I was wondering what your thoughts would be having someone like Craig Simpson or Stephanne Richer representing Canada as our new Governor General. True Canadians that would stand out in any country I do believe. Thanks for listening,

Mike Gleeson, Ancaster

A: Hmmm. Not sure where you'd get those two names. I wasn't aware either former player had political ambitions. I think having Jacques Demers in the Senate and Ken Dryden in the House of Commons covers our hockey quota. We need serious people to take on the largely ceremonial post of Governor General, not former athletes looking for a new job. Michaelle Jean has been, to my mind, a superb Governor General. Succeeding her won't be easy.

Q: Damien, did you see much of the San Jose/Colorado series? Were Thornton and Marleau as invisible at the boxscores suggest? Knowing the history of these two in the playoffs, unless they have a better second round and going forward, what would you do if you were Doug Wilson Marleau is a free agent I think after this season. How much longer is Thornton signed? for?

Thanks,

Kyle Kopanyshyn, Osaka, Japan

A: Great question. I think people have to look past the stats sometimes,and the telling one in the Colorado series from a San Jose perspective is Thornton et al attracted the toughest checking, and Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi and others came through with the necessary secondary scoring. That's how the playoffs work. It's why Washington didn't survive, because when Montreal took away Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green and Alex Semin didn't come through. In Game 1 last night between the Sharks and Wings, the Thornton line scored and looked pretty good. All this said, if the Sharks don't advance I would imagine there's a pretty good chance Marleau will walk as a free agent. Thornton is under contract for one more year at $7.2 million.

Q: I can remember way back when most NHL teams had a bona fide number one goalie- Bernie Parent, Tony Esposito, Dryden, Worsley, Giacomin. I might be wrong, but today, it seems goalies go hot and cold so much, teams are constantly alternating them. As well, you see number one goalies who fail in one city, shipped out only to bounce back in another(see Theodore). Do you think this is a symptom of differences in the game today vs. back then? I would think today's goalies would be? better, not worse.

Steve Stolte, Burlington

A: Today's goalies are better, largely because of equipment, and largely because they are better athletes. But the game is much more physically demanding for netminders today than even five years ago, let alone 30 years ago. The travel alone is a challenge, and the larger offensive zone puts heavier stress on the modern goalie. That said, there were 14 goals who played 60 games or more this season, six who played more than 70. You mention Parent. He played more than 70 games in a season once, more than 60 four times over a 14 year career. Worsley? In the final decade of his career he played more than 50 games just once. Ken Dryden never played more than 64 games in a single season. So some things have changed, and somethings haven't changed as much as you might think.

Finally, many goalies have been moved by a team and then played well somewhere else. Terry Sawchuk would be a great example. Glenn Hall, too. Tom Barrasso another.

Q; Hi Damien, Not a Leaf question, guess its more of a media question. Unlike Mike Keenan, how has Jacques Martin been able to avoid the label of "goalie killer" he doesn't pull them as often, but something in his system or how he deals with them has caused him to destroy goalies. Thank goodness Roberto Luongo got out of Florida before he ended up like the rest of Martin's goalies, and now he's screwing up Carey Price.

Ridley Wetton, Woodstock

A: Sorry, just don't see this long list of goalies that Martin has wrecked. I've seen a lot of average guys he helped look better than they were by his tight defensive approach. Moreover, Jaroslav Halak seems to be thriving these days.

Q: After watching Crosby this year take his career to even a higher level, leading Canada to Gold, win a Stanley Cup ( okay that was last year) and at the moment dominate the first round of the playoffs, it makes me wonder if he, or any other first overall would be able to survive as an 18- to 20-year-old in the overwhelmingly desperate hockey market of Toronto. Wendel Clark was first overall in '85 and arguably took the entire team to a new level which in the end shortened his career. He did everything, score, fight, hit. I'm not talking the Luke Schenn's of the world -- good solid player but not a franchise guy. I'm talking Crosby, Ovechkin. Just because you own a Porsche does not mean you know?how to drive it.

Glen McMinn, Halifax

A: Love Wendel, but let's not put him in the same category as Crosby. Moreover, saying Clark "took the entire team to a new level" is an exaggeration, to say the least. But could a star flourish in Toronto? Of course he could under the right coaching and management, and with a good team around him. Crosby would be just as good in Toronto as Pittsburgh. That said, can every player flourish in Toronto? No. Larger markets demand more and not all players feel comfortable, just like every baseball player wasn't born to be a Yankee. But a Porsche in Toronto would do just fine.

A Downer in the Desert

And so the Phoenix fairytale ends. With a thud.

What the Coyotes can say, however, is that their dream of a surprise spring in the desert was ended by the Detroit Red Wings - still the classiest team in this National Hockey League.

The Wings, arguably, are not quite the team they've been in recent years, and they certainly had to fight and scrap just to find their way into post-season play.

But after being hammered in Game 6 at home, the Wings responded with a remarkable combination of skill and pure fury, pounding the Coyotes 6-1 in Game 7 to move on and face the San Jose Sharks.

And won't that be an interesting series.

The Red Wings, when they're going, still play a different game than most NHL clubs, or a least a game that most teams can only dream of playing. They do it with speed and passing and discipline, and they delivered all three last night in the clinching game to such a degree that even Todd Bertuzzi, long a glowering, goonish presence in the league, looks composed and focused.

Had Jimmy Howard not muffed a faceoff shot that shouldn't go in on an NHL goalie, it would have been just about a perfect performance from Detroit, one in which their stalwarts - Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and ageless Nik Lidstrom - played leading roles.

That's one thing you never have to wonder about the Wings, whether their best players will be their best players. They always are in the big games, and we'll find out Wednesday night whether the more youthful and less playoff hardened Washington Capitals can get that kind of mileage out of Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Nick Backstrom and Mike Green.

In the early going of Game 7, Ilya Bryzgalov looked just as impregnable in the Phoenix net as Jaroslav Halak has been for Montreal in the last two games. But while the Caps got frustrated and made mistakes, the Wings didn't lose focus, trusting in their ability to eventually get pucks past the Russian.

The Coyotes, it should be noted, have still never won a series while in Phoenix, and their future under the new ownership of Jerry Reinsdorf is anything but crystal clear. Still, the fans showed up for this post-season, which is at least firm evidence that some kind of fan base exists.

They never had the skill to compete with Detroit, but the difference in Game 7 was that the Wings seemed to want it so much more, or at least understood how best to channel their desires into effort and smart play.

So now, in the Western Conference, it's the Sharks and the Wings in one series, with the Hawks and Canucks in the other. With apologies to the Coyotes and their terrific season, that means the four best in the west are still alive.

In the east, with the second and third seeds already gone, and depending on what happens tonight in D.C., it may be a very different landscape.

A Night of Game Sixes

Well, at least we know some teams can win at home in Game 6 situations.

Ottawa and L.A. couldn't, and they're gone. Detroit couldn't, and the Red Wings now face a tricky Game 7 match in Phoenix tonight.

On Monday night, however, while Nashville became the fourth team in the first round of the post-season to lose Game 6 at home, and the third to exit the playoffs in that way, the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens showed they could handle the stress of wildly cheering home fans.

So six of the eight first round series are now over, with only the Wings-Coyotes match tonight and Washington-Montreal contest in D.C. tomorrow night left.

What have we learned? Well, goalies - hello, Jaroslav Halak - can win a game and sometimes a series on their own, although Ryan Miller and Martin Brodeur, Vezina Trophy finalists both, were unable to do so. 

But the most critical piece of evidence out of the three Game 6 situations on Monday was that this is not the time of year to go stone cold on the power play.

Washington has, and with their abysmal total now 1-30 against Montreal penalty killing, they are 60 minutes away from what would be a humiliating first round loss.

The Caps came into these playoffs no longer the hotshot young kids, but the best team in the NHL during the regular season. That mantle hasn't sat comfortably since these playoffs began, with the Caps unable to score at some junctures and unable to defend effectively at others.

The Buffalo Sabres, meanwhile, went 0-22 against the Bruins in their six game series, a key reason why the third-seeded Sabres are now done. Sure, the absence of sniper Tomas Vanek for parts of the series didn't help, but even when Vanek played, the Buffalo power play couldn't connect.

Nashville, finally, managed only one power play goal in their entire series against Chicago, and so remain a franchise yet to record a single playoff series triumph. The Hawks, meanwhile, go on to face Vancouver in the second round.

Between them, then, the Caps, Sabres and Predators have collectively scored twice at extra strength, a big reason why two are finished while Washington is hanging by a thread. At least Buffalo and Nashville could have guessed they'd have problems at extra strength in the playoffs after being the 17th and 24th rated NHL clubs, respectively, on the power play during the regular season.

But the Caps? They were No. 1, but have two goals in their past two games. 

Not the time of year to go cold on the power play. But with Mike Green not making plays and Alex Semin finding the crest on the goalie's chest everytime he shoots, there doesn't seem to be much head coach Bruce Boudreau can do to fix the problem.

If he can't, there's a good chance the Caps will join the Senators, Devils, Sabres, Avalanche, Kings and Predators on the sidelines Wednesday night.

A Change of Fortune

Just last week, Roberto Luongo's name was not among the finalists for the Vezina Trophy as the game's best goaltender.

Just last night, however, Luongo looked like the game's best goaltender. I'm thinking he'll take that, and possibly a long playoff run this spring, over another Vezina nomination.

Up and down all season, with a golden day for Canada at the Olympics in the middle of it, Luongo made one ridiculous glove save for the Vancouver Canucks in the second period last night and many more during the rest of the evening against the persistent Los Angeles Kings in a 4-2 triumph as the Canucks completed their comeback from a series deficit to advance to the second round of the NHL post-season.

Last week, I worried that there might be no Canadian teams left in the playoffs by the middle of this week (hyper-sensitive Canucks fans, of course, took that as a prediction they would lose even though I picked their team to win the series before it began. Sigh.). Well, the Canucks are certainly more than alive, and probably will be the favourite in the new round regardless of their opponent, and the Montreal Canadiens still have a shot, while down 3-2, against the Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals.

They were that impressive in the final two games against the Kings, one a romp, one a tight contest in which they had to fight from behind and win by scoring late.

For a few years, the Luongo worship in Vancouver as been a bit silly, really, given his lack of production when it mattered. GM Mike Gillis' decision to make him captain just added to the cult of personality.

But with all that behind him, and without having a particularly good season, wouldn't it be a compelling story if this became the spring in which Luongo finally delivered on all that promise in the NHL post-season.

At the Olympics, he was staked to a 2-0 lead in every game in which he played. There's no chance he'll have that kind of margin of error to work with in these playoffs, so if anything, he'll have to be better, probably much better, than he was in backstopping Canada to gold.

After a first round in which they victimized Jonathan Quick's glove hand over and over, the Canucks showed they may have that second tier of offensive firepower they didn't have last year, even with 35-goal shooter Alexandre Burrows failing to find the net until he hit an empty L.A. cage in the final moments last night.

The Sedin twins look a lot readier to do battle than in any previous playoffs, and the battered Vancouver blueline, forced to call in reinforcements like Nolan Baumgartner and Andrew Alberts against the Kings, seems to be holding up.

But in the end, it will have to be about Luongo, who has been better than any Western Conference goalie so far in the post-season other than, perhaps, Ilya Bryzgalov of the upstart Phoenix Coyotes.

If he can deliver after a trying season, after a season in which he was not considered among the game's very best, Luongo will carve an brand new reputation for himself in the sport.

Thursday Mail Bag

It remains to be seen whether many of the college free agents and unrestricted Europeans signed by the Maple Leafs over the past 12 months turn into viable NHLers, or if any do.

But what it undeniably the case is that most or all of the players signed by the Leafs were sought after by other clubs, yet the Leafs have consistently been able to get the players signed. It happened last year with Jonas Gustavsson, Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson, and it has happened on slightly less of a scale this spring with Brayden Irwin and Jussi Rynnas.

We can argue all day over the quality of these players. One NHL general manager hadn't even heard of Rynnas this week when he agreed in principle to sign with the Leafs.

But there were at least five other teams after the Finnish netminder, and he picked the Leafs. The competition for Gustavsson, Bozak and Hanson last year was furious. It's not as if the Leafs are able to entice these players with more lucrative contracts because most come under the entry-level system. All are coming from different agents - Gustavsson with Joe Resnick, Bozak with Wade Arnott, Hanson with Rick Curran and Rynnas with Allain Roy - so its not like there's a direct pipeline from one agency to the Leafs.

Two factors are likely working for the Leafs.

First, because the Leafs don't have talent and depth at every position, they can offer opportunity where other teams cannot. Gustavsson, Bozak, Hanson and Irwin have all already played NHL games. In fact, usually it's not playoff teams that are able to sign these types of free agents.

Second, the Leafs have been very aggressive, and GM Brian Burke gets very involved. With Rynnas and Gustavsson, he flew to Europe on short notice just to court them. With Hanson he cultivated a relationship he had with the youngster's father. But he doesn't leave the job of recruiting to other members of his front office.

Again, it's not clear whether these players will turn out. But the Leafs are winning more bidding wars than hockey games, and the former may ultimately improve the latter.

Now on to this week's mail bag:

Q: Hi Damien, 

I have now heard it a few different places, including the Fan - what do
 you think the odds are that the Leafs will land Vinny Lecavalier from Tampa? 

Could that actually work, maybe the Leafs include Finger in a deal? The
 Leafs certainly can afford the 10 million a year and Tampa cannot.

 He might be able to resurrect himself with Phil Kessel.

 Your thoughts?


Jason Higgins, Orangeville




A: I just can't see the Leafs adding a contract that still has $75 million to pay over the next 10 years, particularly with many in the hockey industry wondering if Lecavalier's best days are behind him. It's no longer a question whether teams like the Leafs can "afford" players more than other clubs. All teams are working with the salary cap, and what matters most is not clogging up your payroll with unwanted salaries. To move Lecavalier, the Lightning are going to have to accept some bad contracts, but Finger's isn't nearly enough to offset the different. Moreover, Lecavalier has had chances to play with players like Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos in Tampa. I can't see how playing with Kessel would magically resurrect his career.

Q: Why is Burke stubbornly sticking by Ron Wilson? If the Leafs stumble next
 year do you think there is any chance Dale Hunter gets the job? He
 works well with young players, obviously knows Nazem Kadri, and fits well
 with the truculent philosophy Burke espouses.


Andrew Ferrari, London




A: I guess the answer with Wilson, quite simply, is that Burke thinks he's a good coach, or as good as any other that's available. Wilson could be in trouble next year if the Leafs are awful in the first 30 games again. As far as Dale Hunter, you just don't hear his name in coaching rumours. I suspect he's viewed as welded to the London junior program. Then again, they once said the same thing about Brent Sutter. For me, I think the day Randy Carlyle becomes unemployed is the day whoever is coaching the Leafs might want to sleep with one eye open.

Q: 


Hey Damien,

 I recently read "Playing with Fire," Theoren Fleury's autobiography, and
 he talks a lot in his book about the serious partying that happened in 
the NHL in his day. How much of that still goes on in the NHL today
 during the season? I can't help but think that the league has changed
 significantly in the  past 15 or 20 years, with more of an emphasis on
 strength and conditioning than ever before, which makes me believe that
 players are much less likely now to engage in that kind of behaviour any
more. You recently alluded to an 'untold story' where several Leaf
 players (no longer with the team) were caught flying into Manhatten 
from New Jersey for a night of partying before a game. Was that a
 one-time thing, or is this a problem in the NHL community? Thanks! 


Aaron McGregor, Toronto

A: For starters, the players wanted to take a helicopter ride into Manhattan the night before a game before the team caught wind of the caper. As far as the party habits of NHL players, I can't speak knowledgeably other than to say young men who work hard and make a lot of money tend to play hard. Good teams find ways to keep the partying under control.

Q: What are the 3 major decisions/changes that you would make to move the 
Leafs towards respectability  in the next couple of years?


Ang Meffe, St. Catharines




A: First, getting top-flight goaltending in place. Second, avoiding picking up name players with ugly contracts (see Lecavalier, above) in order to maintain cap flexibility. Three, continuing to develop the Marlies as a meaningful stop in the development chain that only the truly exceptional should skip.

Q: 

In my view, Andy Sutton's hit on Jordan Leopold in Game 2 of the Ottawa-Pittsburgh series was clearly a
 suspendable act. Although it was not a blind-side hit, it was delivered
 with his elbow to the victim's head. I love hockey, but the NHL will be
 losing more fans than it gains by allowing this type of thing to go on. 
I was watching the game with my dad and my son, neither of whom are big
 hockey fans. My old man shook his head and said this wouldn't be 
tolerated in "his sport" of soccer. My 7 year old son wanted to know
 why that Ottawa guy "killed" Sidney Crosby's friend.
 When will the NHL wake up?


Peter Cecchetto, Toronto

A: Well, clearly hockey is grappling with the issue of head shots after years of ignoring the problem. We'll see where this goes. I'm not sure Sutton's hit was quite as clearcut as you suggest, and certainly there remains a strong philosophy in the game that its a players responsibility to play with his head up in those situations. I'm not necessarily agreeing with it, but that's the culture of the game.

As far as other sports, every sport has its problems. Of course a hit like Sutton's wouldn't be tolerated in soccer - it's not a contact sport. But there's lots of garbage in that sport I wouldn't want to be part of hockey.

Q: 

Hey Damien...answer me this, please. I'm from Minnesota where the Wild has an
 almost cult-like following. The Wild is starting to pile up 
disappointing seasons and yet, the fans keep showing up. What  baffles 
me is why. The Twin Cities has a very cynical attitude towards other
 professional sports. In other words, if they don't produce, people
 begin to stay away. Why do people continue to show up  in Toronto?  I
 can only shake my head at the Leafs misfortune over the last decades. 
Toronto is  "hockey mecca."  Toronto's success on the ice would be akin 
to the Yankees as cellar dwellers.  My  question?  What is your take as
 to why people don't hit the Leafs or Wild in their pocketbook; in  other
words, why don't they stay away until a good product is produced?


Dave Edholm, Minneapolis

A: Because they're fans. Because they want to see the team play. When somebody buys a ticket in those markets, they don't think, 'Well, if I buy this ticket, will the team try to improve?" Do teams with attendance challenges work harder? In some cases yes, in some cases no. Certainly, it can be argued that guaranteed full houses haven't motivated the Leafs to work tirelessly at developing great teams over the years, and while the signs are good from the Burke administration as far as effort, the proof will be in the results. As far as the Wild, that team has done an exception al job tapping into the extensive hockey culture in that state and making Wild games a pretty terrific experience. Sure, there's grumbling about the absence of playoff success. Right now, I'm not sure that fans staying away - particuarly in a salary cap era - would suddenly force the club to substantially alter it's practices.

Q: 

Hey Damien,

 Really appreciate your insight on the Leafs. Just wondering, in your
 opinion, would you have done the Kessel trade?

I still don't understand why the first rounders were not at least lottery
 protected, or even top-3 protected? What was Burkie thinking (or was he 
just too optimistic, even though we had the worst goalie in Toskala as our starter)?


Kyle Fort, Toronto

A: Would I have done it? Probably not. But then again, I might not have moved heaven and earth to land the Sedin twins in Vancouver. Burke's an aggressive manager who isn't afraid of taking risks, and it's worked for him in the past. I would have stuck with keeping first rounders, but I can certainly see the case for making the trade and those who suggest the Leafs are guaranteed to come out on the short end of this trade clearly aren't familiar with the unpredictability of the entry draft. I suspect at the end of the day this deal will work out helping both teams. Certainly the Leafs know what they have. We'll see if the Bruins can acquire better players with the picks.





Q: 
Hi, Damien,


Have management or the coaching staff ever talked about how bad the ice 
is at the Air Canada Centre?  Watching games I constantly see players
 losing the puck off their stick or missing passes because the  puck
skips on the ice. Are the higher ups aware of it? Do the players ever
 mention it? Just curious if it's a topic that's ever come up, with 
players or management, or even with other teams.



Robert Oulton, Dartmouth, N.S.

A: It's been a constant talking point in recent years. But understand this - the ice at most NHL rinks isn't very good. Its the nature of multi-use arenas.

Another Goalie Prospect On The Way

It won't be official for another day or so, but the Maple Leafs have successfully courted Finnish free agent goalie Jussi Rynnas.

Rynnas' agent, St. Louis-based Allain Roy, said today he has notified the other teams pursuing Rynnas - Dallas, Edmonton, Detroit, among others - that he will be negotiating a deal with the Leafs, likely to be finalized in the next 48 hours.

A big part of the Leaf pitch was to offer the 22-year-old Rynnas the opportunity to work with goalie coach Francois Allaire.

"It's a chance to play for a goalie coach who loves working with goalies who play his style," said Roy today.

 Like Swede Jonas Gustavsson, who the Leafs signed as a free agent last summer, Rynnas is a tall drink of water, about 6-foot-5. Some teams were leary about him because of the relative weakness of the Finnish elite league, but the Leafs saw him as the best goalie prospect on the market and, like Gustavsson, a late bloomer who only became a starter this year for Assat Pori.

Gustavsson just signed for two years, while veteran J.S. Giguere will be going into the last year of his contract next season. That would allow Rynnas to twin with James Reimer with the Marlies next season, and then, theoretically, compete with Gustavsson for the starting job in 2011-12.

Terms of the deal aren't clear, but because of Rynnas' age it will be a three-year entry level pact.

To Kick Or Not to Kick

It's a debate that's been going on in hockey since time immemorial, which is technically, I believe, before Chris Chelios became an NHL player.

Kicked in or not kicked in? That is the question, and it has been for a long, long time. Those who suggest this rule tweak or that one will "solve" the problem are just wrong. Every supposed clarification of this rule just makes it more complicated, and that's because the basic issue - not allowing players to kick the puck into the net - is such a subjective concept.

Today, its the Vancouver Canucks and their fans who are up in arms over a disallowed goal that was certainly part of the reason, along with the fact Roberto Luongo doesn't play goal very well in the playoffs, that the Canucks lost Game 3 of their series to the Los Angeles Kings.

Was the puck kicked in? Looked like it to me. Big Brother in Toronto - in this case Mike Murphy - agreed. But a kicking motion to some is simply a player slamming on the brakes to others, and the two sides are going to disagree until Barry Melrose gets another NHL coaching job, or longer.

Vancouver, of course, is the most wronged hockey nation on the planet. We heard it last spring when Chicago found all those holes in Luongo in the deciding game but some interpreted the result as the league watching the Hawks to advance, and we heard it again this season when Alexandre Burrows blew the whistle (supposedly) on referee Stephane Auger.

Now, brace yourself to hear it again. Some league conspiracy is out to fry the Canucks and deny them their rightful seat in the Stanley Cup final. This is a franchise that has a shorter history of being unable to win the Cup than the Leafs only because it wasn't around in '67, but every year there's an excuse or a reason that isn't we're-just-not-good-enough.

But back to the kicking the puck issue. My esteemed collegue at TSN, Bob McKenzie, believes the issue could be fixed by allowing the puck to be kicked as long as the skate blade didn't leave the ice, and certainly Bob has tons of experience in the sport to support that opinion.

Me? I think the McKenzie Rule would just spawn more debate, not less. Was the blade all the way of the ice, or just while the puck was physically in contact with the blade? Would teams be inclined to hire players specifically as designated kickers?

I'd be tempted to go the other way. Any puck that isn't shot into the net with a stick shouldn't count as a goal. Even that would cause problems on deflected shots.

Here's what matters. The issue isn't going to be fixed. It's going to continue being debated in hockey games for the next 50 years. Or until Chelios retires, whichever comes first.

And no, the NHL isn't out to get the Canucks, and no, Murphy doesn't favour the Kings because he once played for them. Don't forget, he once coached in the Canucks system, too.

And will any of this stop the whining from the west coast? Not a chance.

Goaltending Dilemmas

To keep both his goalies somewhat happy, Bruce Boudreau has to sound undecided.

But he has to go with Semyon Varlamov in Game 3 against the Montreal Canadiens.

It's not that Jose Theodore was horrible in Game 2 even though the numbers - two goals on two shots in less than eight minutes - were ugly. The first by Brian Gionta was a weird knuckler that Theodore probably should have got his body behind to be safe, and the second was a wrist shot off the post from between the circles by Andrei Kostitsyn with both Washington defencemen backing up into Theodore's lap.

Boudreau's decision to yank Theodore at that point was less about goaltending and more about momentum. It didn't look like it was going to pay off, but ultimately the Caps did storm back to win.

Varlamov was fine. Not brilliant, but not really at fault on the three goals he allowed. But starting in Montreal would be a lot easier for the Russian than for Theodore, the former Hab who, if he plays, will have the Bell Centre crowd all over him from the opening faceoff to the final whistle..

Given that there's no a great deal of difference between Theodore and Varlamov, better to let the lightning rod sit this one out. Boudreau said he's undecided, but it would be a shocker if Theodore returned without Varlamov first doing a serious faceplant.

And what about the Habs? Alex Ovechkin said on Sunday he saw Jaroslav Halak's hands shaking while drinking from a water bottle after giving up a goal to Eric Fehr, and Halak certainly showed signs of nervousness in giving up six goals in Game 2.

The dynamics of the Carey Price/Halak netminding rotation aren't particularly clear to anyone. But Halak was terrible against the Leafs in the regular season finale, very good in Game 1 against Washington and very mediocre in Game 2. He's facing more firepower than either Washington goalie, but another so-so performance Monday night might see coach Jacques Martin turn to Price.

These debates are going on in quite a few playoff cities these days, at least in towns where there's a viable choice. San Jose might like to sit Evgeny Nabokov, but not in order to turn to Tomas Greiss. Ditto for Marc Andre Fleury and Brad Thiessen,  Martin Brodeur and Yann Denis, Roberto Luongo and Andrew Raycroft, etc.

But Chicago has some tough choices. Detroit, meanwhile, might need to turn to veteran Chris Osgood after Jimmy Howard had a very difficult time in a Game 3 loss to Phoenix yesterday.

The two-time defending Western Conference champs are suddenly in deep trouble against the Coyotes. Osgood might be a settling influence, but he hasn't won a game since Dec. 12th.

Then again, Price hasn't won a game in more than six weeks. So maybe the Habs don't have as much as a choice as they'd like. 

Can't Win 'Em All

There will be no Norwegian Hobbit for the Maple Leafs. Ah, the headlines that could have been.

Mats Zuccarello-Aasen, the diminutive winger who played for Norway at the Vancouver Olympics, has apparently decided to sign as an unrestricted free agent with the New York Rangers after several clubs, including the Leafs, were interested in bringing the Swedish league scoring champ to North America next season.

That's the long and short of it. Or at least the short of it. The long may yet be available to the Leafs in 6-foot-5 Finnish goaltender Jussi Rynnas, who is still contemplating offers from six teams. 

"He turns 23 in the next few weeks and the key for us is opportunity and making sure he doesn't paint himself into a corner with his contract," said Rynnas' St. Louis based agent Allain Roy, who also represents Anaheim netminder Jonas Hiller.

"We're hoping to have a decision by next week."

The Leafs were actually hoping to have something earlier, and were interested enough after meeting with Rynnas in Montreal 12 days ago that Brian Burke and Dave Nonis flew to Helsinki to try and convinced Rynnas to sign. A big part of the Leaf pitch is the presence of highly respected goaltending consultant Francois Allaire in the Leaf organization.

"They do have an asset there," admitted Roy.

Edmonton, Dallas, Minnesota, Montreal and Philly are thought to be the other interested clubs. Right now, the Leafs have newly signed Jonas Gustavsson under contract for the next two seasons and J.S. Giguere signed through next year, so they're obviously looking to add goaltending depth.

If Rynnas chooses to go elsewhere, the Leafs still may look at Cornell netminder Ben Scrivens, who has yet to sign with an NHL club as a collegiate free agent.

Thursday Mail Bag

That's one piece of business done.

Just four days after their season ended in Montreal, the Leafs have signed goaltender Jonas Gustavsson to a two-year, $2.7 million contract, solidifying the club's goaltending picture for next season.

It also staggers the club's free agency picture in goal, with J.S. Giguere's much larger contract set to expire after next season. The Leafs have Marlie netminder James Reimer in the system and are courting 6-foot-5 Finnish goalie Jonas Rynnas, who is also talking to several other NHL clubs.

Gustavsson, 25, appeared in 42 games with a 16-15-9 record, a .902 save percentage and a 2.87 goals against average. After two minor heart operations during the season, his best performances came in the final two months of the season after Giguere was acquired from Anaheim and Vesa Toskala was sent west.

Gigure is a long-term disciple of Leaf goalie coach Francois Allaire, and Gustavsson has clearly formed a bond with Allaire, as well.

Given all that transpired, Gustavsson's contract was a fair one, and the Leafs may end up very happy with the deal if he can establish himself as a true No. 1 goalie. They could have gone for a longer-term deal, which would have been more expensive, but that would have been a bigger gamble. So this deal makes sense. Gustavsson's big pay day will come if he takes over the starting job with conviction during the next two seasons.

The Leafs finished 29th of 30 clubs in team defence this season.

The Leafs signed Gustavsson as an unrestricted free agent last summer, outbidding Dallas and Colorado, among others. The Swedish netminder will now again be unrestricted after the 2011-12 season.

Now on to this week's mail bag:

Q: Damien, I read today where J. S. Giguere likens the Leafs to Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Washington as young teams who built around a core of youth and developed quickly. But Chicago "drafted" Kane, Toewes, and Barker; Pittsburgh "drafted" Crosby, Fleury, and Malkin; and Washington "drafted" Backstrom and Alexander the Great. You know why the quotation marks. Toronto has drafted Luke Schenn and Nazim Kadri. Now Burke's talking free agents. Aren't we just going down the same old road?

Wayne Bridge, Kearney, Ont.

A: Well, what Toronto has shown over the last year is that you can get young players through other means as well, including free agency and trades. Phoenix is another team that has only two first round picks on their roster. So it's possible to develop a young team through non-draft means, just much harder to get young impact, franchise-type players that way. In other words, you can trade for a 21-year-old Phil Kessel, but you can only draft a Sidney Crosby.

In general, you can't just go all one way or another, all draft or no draft. It takes a mixture of player acquisition strategies. That said, the Leafs haven't been getting enough out of the draft, and with no first rounders this year or next, that's not going to change short-term.

Q: Hi Damien, I know speculating on trading partners, and trade scenarios is an infinite possibility across the NHL; I just wanted to know your thoughts on a Vinny Lecavalier to Leafs idea that I have heard a little bit about, but been keen on for some time. Tampa could use a player like Kaberle to help get the first pass out to Stamkos and St. Louis, and I know that TB ownership is dying to get that albatross off their books, any thoughts?

Gabriel Helbig, Toronto

A: Lecavalier's days as an elite player appear to be over. He turns 30 next week and registered 70 points in 82 games this season. Would he be among Toronto's top forwards? Of course he would. But his contract calls for him to be paid $75 million over the next 10 years, including $10 million per season over the next six. His cap number is $7.3 million. Unless you were convinced he could be among the top 10 players in the league again, it would be foolish to commit that much salary cap space to Lecavalier. That said, the Bolts will probably try to move him this summer. Somebody may bite, but I would doubt it would be the Leafs, who are trying hard to avoid cap clogging deals.

Q: Damien, I agree with you for the most part in your article about Kadri starting
the year with the leafs, only if he is ready. However, you said that if he is not ready, and does not EARN a spot on the team, they should send him back to London. The kid already has dominated the OHL. What good would it do to send him there. Wouldn't it be smarter to start him with the Marlies if he can't make the Leafs?

Tanome Mchale, Toronto

A: When I said that, I meant it symbolically, not literally. He could go to London as an overager, but its much likelier he'll be a Marlie. Moreover, I certainly didn't say he shouldn't be a Leaf. What I said he should have to earn his spot, not be given one. If he's not ready, starting him in the AHL would be a good idea. People in Toronto are just so unwilling to let players gradually develop. The objective is for Kadri to be an impact player in five years, not to be able to say he was in the NHL by the age of 19 or 20. It's pretty obvious after one good season and one very shaky season that Luke Schenn would have been well-served to have more time in junior and probably a stint with the Marlies. It's no insult to a young player to be forced to take his time and learn how to be a pro.

Q: Hi Damien,

How do players like Tyler Bozak, Christian Hanson, and others become college free agents, while other players ( Jack Johnson) are drafted while going to college?

Richard Hisem, Duncan, B.C.

A: The rules are complicated, but basically, Johnson was drafted in his first eligible draft year, while Bozak and Hanson were passed over in each year they were available. So when they graduated, they were unrestricted free agents.

Q: Chris DiDomenico doesn't appear to have lost a step, 22 points in 12 games, since returning from his big injury.

I don't get to see him play, only have the stats to judge. Do you think he has a legitimate shot next year, or is he in for a little seasoning with the Marlies? I would lean towards the AHL, at least to start, due to Burke's track record.

Kyle B., Ottawa

A: He's got to play at least a full year with the Marlies. If he performs next year, he might get a few games in the NHL. But it's a long road back from an injury like that.

Q: Hey Damien, I read your article on the Oilers and how they might be wise
 to trade down (and I don't disagree) My question as a long time
 (suffering and sometimes wonder why?) Leafs Fan... is there any chance 
the Leafs could play into a situation like you mentioned? I know they don't have their 1st rounder to offer - but is it at all possible some
other team would give up a mid-level 1st rounder for Kaberle (if the
 Leafs are interested in moving him) and then flip that pick for
 something earlier by taking on salaries like you suggested? Maybe that 
inflation and wishful thinking on Kaberle and this may be a long shot -
but if you had told me in September that the Leafs would have Phaneuf by
 giving up Stajan and the others - I wouldn't have believed it!

 I appreciate your thoughts - Thanks for your time!

Shane Acorn, Prince Albert, Sask.

A: Anything, obviously, is possible. In this case, I would imagine you would have to have at least a top 10 pick to make that offer to the Oilers, and even that might not entice them. You have to understand, teams sometimes do the right thing, and sometimes they do things to appease their fan base. In Edmonton's case, there is enormous pressure to bring in Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin, the next great Oiler star. Even if it was the right thing for Steve Tambellini to trade down as a means of dumping salary, it would be a very difficult move for him to make. Could it happen? Sure. Will it happen? Very doubtful.

Q: Damien, Here's a CBA question: With Matt Stajan's trade he played 83 games this season -- one more than anybody playing a whole season for one  team.  Is his contract based on a "Season" or an "82 game season".  Would he get a pro-rated pay out for that one additional game (i.e. 1/82 of his salary)? Thanks! Carl Hill, Toronto

A: No. Contract is based on 82 games. No extra money for Matt, not that he needs it with his new rich pay day from Calgary.

Q; When assessing the goal production of Ovechkin and Crosby, do you consider
that the former has 5 empty netters this season, the latter only 1? One
 plays with the second best centre in the league and an outstanding journeyman, while the other plays with a has-been and a never-been. Just wondering.

Gary Toporoski, Windsor

A: Not sure exactly what you mean by "assessing the goal production." I guess you could break it down even further into which player had more unassisted goals, tap-ins, deflections, pucks that bounced in off opposition players, shots that goalies could stop. With these guys, the numbers are the numbers. Good goal scorers seem to find ways to score the hard goals and the lucky, easy ones.

As far as linemates, Ovechkin clearly has an advantage skating with Nicklas Backstrom. But his right winger, Mike Knuble, has never been a star. Crosby, meanwhile, plays power plays with Evgeny Malkin, and sometimes regular shifts.

Q: Hi Damien, It may take nearly a decade to clearly evaluate the Kessel trade, based on Phil's youth and potential. For example ... the Toskala trade with
San Jose has been widely panned, but - based on the current returns for the Sharks from Toronto draft picks received - that trade is not looking so bad in retrospect, even given Toskala's T.O. struggles. What I still can't figure is the Finger signing. Whatever possessed Fletcher to hand a 4-yr outrageous contract to a player who had one reasonable season as a fifth or sixth defenceman? Why not two years, as a reasonable rate? Cap-wise, it's still hurting. It made no sense then, and even less now. Your thoughts?

Stu Royal, Erin, Ont.

A: I agree with you. It was a mystery then and remains one. I wish I had a better answer for you. But Ron Wilson apparently liked Finger from his days in the Western Conference. Said repeatedly Finger had been able to effectively shut down Joe Thornton. So clearly Wilson played a role in Fletcher's decision to show such generosity to such an average player.