Leaf Ideas To Ponder

Poor Brian Burke. Can't even go to a hockey team in which his Maple Leafs aren't playing without getting a kick in the teeth.

Sunday night, Burke was at the United Centre in Chicago and lo and behold, it was Viktor Stalberg scoring the OT winner for the Blackhawks in a 3-2 win over Anaheim. Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico and Phillipe Paradis went to Chicago last summer for Kris Versteeg and Bill Sweatt, and so far Stalberg, who also has a shootout winning goal, has outscored Versteeg six goals to two.

The Leafs didn't bother signing Sweatt. DiDomenico is struggling in his first pro season with Rockford, while Paradis is off to a strong start with his new QMJHL team, the Prince Edward Island Rocket. Presumably, Burke was in the Windy City looking for trade options with either the Hawks or Ducks.

A couple of other interesting Leaf points as the losing streak continues:

--All the focus is up front as the Leaf offence continues to struggle. But it's worth pointing out a big part of the problem may be the lack of offensive input from the blueline, which has scored only two goals, one from Mike Komisarek and one from Francois Beauchemin. Despite all the power play time he gets, Tomas Kaberle has yet to score. By comparison, Nashville, which visits the ACC tomorrow night, has 10 goals from it's defence, including four (double the Leaf total) from Cody Franson.

--It was very noticeable on Saturday night that the Vancouver Canucks were the tougher, more physical team compared to the Leafs. Despite all the talk about how the Leafs were going to become this nasty team after Burke arrived, it hasn't happened. Two-thirds of the teams in the league take more penalties (probably good considering Toronto's penalty killing) and the Leafs are 11th in fighting majors. Mike Brown is the only forward who plays with consistent sandpaper to his game. Colton Orr has fought only four times, which wouldn't matter except that he performs no other function for the team. In fact, it's interesting how Orr is always excluded from consideration when it comes to healthy scratches. One wonders what he'll do tomorrow night against the Predators, a team that comes in with only four fighting majors, two by diminutive Francois Bouillon. You've gotta really buy into this fighting nonsense to believe the Leafs would be any worse off without Orr in the lineup.

--Of the 39 NHL goalies who have played six games or more, 31 have a better save percentage than Toronto's Jean-Sebastien Giguere (.899), who at $7 million per is the third highest paid goaltender in the NHL behind Roberto Luongo and Henrik Lundqvist. Anaheim signed Giguere to that contract, but it was Burke who was the GM at the time. It's pretty clear that for Giguere to return next season as a Leaf, he's going to have to take the salary haircut of all salary haircuts.

So far, Giguere has played 11 games, Jonas Gustavsson just five. With the season looking as though it won't result in a playoff berth, isn't it about time the Leafs took the training wheels off Gustavsson to see if he can really play? He's 26 years old, after all, not 19. Surely playing The Monster in at least half the games at this point would make sense.

It was suggested here before the season that Toronto's goaltending might not be as improved as some suggested. Given that neither goalie has a save percentage of .900 or better, that more and more appears to be the case.

 

 

Comments

[Andy]

I couldn't agree with you more on the Monster. I would be playing him two out of every three games to see what he has. My guess is he would get better and better. But if he doesn't, Burke knows he is not the goalie of the future. Who cares if Giguere is making $7M...we traded our problem (Toskala/Blake for their problem). I wouldn't even think of bringing Giguere back, even at $2M.

[Matt Dwyer]

I agree coxy, run the monster and lets see what he has! We also need some scoring help...why is Alex Giroux still in the AHL? The guys scores 110 goals in two seasons... surely he could crack the buds lineup as a top 6 forward.

[BigFrank27]

Good article Damien. I was thinking the exact same thing about the Stalberg trade last night. I watch a few of the Hawk games, and was pleasantly surprised to see him on a line with Toews. Then when he scored the winner on a great tip in while driving the net, I thought to myself, what was it that the Leafs didn't like about this guy ? I mean, do the Leafs just make consistently bad choices with players ? Or is Ron Wilson such a bad coach that the players aren't responding for much at all ? Or is the system in Toronto so bad, that everyone that they bring in seems to turn into the same, almost pathetic cookie-cutter style of player ? The type of player that looks and / or performs the same if they are on the first line or fourth line, or top pair / third pair on defense ? And I totally agree with you about the situation in goal. Those 2 shutouts that J.S.G. had in those first 2 games that he played last year with Toronto, have faded in memory every bit as fast as the 4 game win streak for the Leafs to start this season ! Let the Monster play ! He looks better in almost every way than Giguere. Who cares about the big contract, some wins would be nice right now !

Go Leafs !

[Pat Landry]

Stalberg will cool off. It is a lot easier to score goals with a talented team like the Hawks as opposed to Versteeg's current teammates. It was a good trade, just need more pieces to compliment Versteeg.

[Stephen John]

Agreed.. the Versteeg tade is looking worse than the Kessel trade!

How to beat the leafs?- knock them down -knock them off the puck-almost all leaf forewards are smallish with no physicality to their game!

We need a leaf goalie to win some games for us and get on a hot streak-Giggy has not done that so far! Bring on the monster now!

Oh and stop trading our draft picks away-and or our young prospects please!

It's aweful hard to rebuild with no gas in the tank!

[Moe Green]

"No kidding" on the Orr front Damien, this guys is dead weight. At least Mike Brown can skate and play a little. Sadly true for the rest of the article too. Thanks for being a consistent voice of sanity in Leafland.

It looks to me like Kaberle has hung them up with regards to being a enthusiastic Leaf contributer. He really seems to be going through the motions our there. Maybe that's all he has left in the tank, but I doubt it. I mean, what's there to play for? Surely not the team - he'll be leaving that mess soon enough. And I think the last thing he wants to do before he leaves is help Wilson make the playoffs. Am I seeing it right?

My biggest concern with Burke is his stubbornness. I know it's probably an important part of "having a vision" but whenever I hear something is "carved-in-stone" I worry. Is the "top-six, bottom-six" concept past it's sell-by date? Is the truculence and testosterone thing a part of yesterday's game too? Does Burke only know one way to build a team? Even if that's viable, is his "build from the net out" idea kind of empty talk with our current save percentages? Sure the Leafs are a struggling young team, but they certainly aren't paid as a struggling young team, especially the defense. Lots of $3 mil plus contracts out there. Any thoughts out there?

[Moe Green]

When the season started this was a different team. They were drawing penalties with their speed. They were causing fights, not starting them. Their powerplay was in constant motion, including the defense. The forecheck was breathtaking. What happened? Something changed after the Islanders game and I don't know what it is. It changed and it has gotten worse ever since. They showed a little during the Vancouver game, a little, but that's not it. What happened to the team I loved for a few games this season. It wasn't a mirage and it wasn't that they won, it wass the style of play. After the streak they started playing "soft" like they were entitled to win "now that they were good." Did any of you out there notice this sad phenomenon?

[Leaf shredder / Kid Delicious]

It is more apparent every day the the Leafs are anything but truculent. Burke has had 24 months to shape this team in his image. I don't think he likes what he see's in the mirror. What is going on? On paper, this team should be better than their record would show. Coaching? Desire? Chemistry? I will go with the latter. This team has no chemistry. They're big...yes. Expensive...yes. Experienced...yes. But they change so often that one can't help but think this may be a serious problem. Look at the Habs. Small...yes. Expensive...yes. Experienced...yes. A core group of talented players...Bingo! We may change our peripheral players...Moore for Halpern...etc..but we have kept our core in place. Gomez, Gionta, Plekanec, Cammalleri , Lapierre and Kostitsyn. That's six guys that, except for Lapiere, are all top 6 forwards. Toronto...or the manangement team, are arrogant in that they think they can 'buy' a winning team...year after year. No playoffs? Trade this guy for that. Buy this free agent and dump him. Burke should have done his homework before all of these signings. Komisarek...Markov made him better than he is. Beauchemin...good skater..lousy with the puck. Phaneuf...a huge mistake. A 'cancer' in the dressing room and not a team player. The only 'good' move was Kessel and Burke mortgaged the future by signing him 'at all costs'.
Want to get better? Get rid of Burke.

[Conn Smythe]

'Toronto's Jean-Sebastien Giguere (.899), who at $7 million per is the third highest paid goaltender in the NHL behind Roberto Luongo and Henrik Lundqvist.' And of those 3 goalies, Roberto and Henrik both have Olympic Gold medals, whereas Giguere has a Stanley Cup. Regardless of how Giguere plays, there is no way that the Leafs should be bringing him back. They can use the cap space (and possibly Kaberle's cap space if he leaves as a free agent or is traded at the deadline) to pursue a true top 6 forward.

[mark]

Despite Giguere's bloated contract, I'm still happy with the trade given the duds that went the other way. I agree however that goaltending needs to improve. That 40 footer the other night (after Giggy had tongue lashed his team mates) was a back breaker. Also, although I think the stupid rules/officiating in the NHL almost mandate that a team carry a goon, I agree that Colton Orr is about as useless as they come. Why does toughness/pugalistic prowess must always come at the expense of skill? It seems that way with the Leafs, while teams like Detroit can always find guys who have both skill sets.

[David Barnett]

It really is amazing how fast this team has disintegrated. The reasons are these:
Phanuef was a ridiculous choice for captain
Kablerle is the Leaf's best player on some nights but the coach hates him
RON WILSON must go! These kids need encouragement, not a sarcastic, arrogant, caustic coach.
Komisarek and Beauchemin are a complete joke!

[Chad]

Kaberle's play has been steadily getting worse and worse as the season goes on. He had an atrocious game on Saturday night, getting caught on more the one occassion with his feet not moving and causing odd man rushes.
As far as the physicality....we got absolutely pummeled on saturday night. Does anyone on our team know how to throw a body check besides Schenn and Komisarek?

[drake richards]

I agree with Moe Green. This team in the first four games (and even the Islanders game) was stupid fast. The Friday night game in Manhattan showed them buzzing all night...Tortarella said his team couldn't catch them. Then they lose in OT to the Islanders, and since then, the wheels have fallen off (literally). Its almost like the OT loss set them off on death spiral like the OT loss to Montreal last year in the first game.

They are starting to get it back. Saturday night proved that. They lost because of weak goaltending. No question. But any previous losses have not been because of weak goaltending. Giguere and Gustavsson have only been adequate, not brilliant. This mediocre team needs brilliant tending to succeed, not average goaltending.

As for the size of this team, I agree they are looking soft these days. Having Phaneuf and Armstrong out has taken away from that game. But even with those guys in the line up, they still need to get bigger...although Montreal seems to get by without size in their line up.

But riddle me this Damien and Leaf haters and lovers everywhere: If the Leafs had Seguin as opposed to Kessel in their line up, what would their record be today? What will their record be 3 and 5 years from now? No guessing, please.

My answer if anyone cares?

Who the f --- knows.

Stop ridiculing the trade. We can revist this same question 3 and 5 years from now. But we live in Toronto. The city where the media and the fans can't wait to dissect every move this team makes.

Imagine if Seguin was a leaf today. You think Kadri has a lot of pressure on him as a 7th pick? Close your eyes and dream about the shift after shift type of analysis the media and fans would give Seguin if he wore blue and white, Mr. 2010 Second Overall.

Many Leaf fans and most of the media suggest building through the draft. Building the way Chicago and Pittsburgh have done it and Washington as well. But for every one of those teams, there are others, like Florida, the Islanders, the Thrashers who have been drafting in the top ten for years and years and are nowhere closer to a Cup that your beloved-despised Maple Leafs-Laffs.

My point:

Building through the draft is no guarantee of success.

Especially in hockey crazed, pressure cooker, like Toronto.

Anyone who tells you that model is assured of working in Toronto, probably has some swampy land near the Prudential Centre in NJ to sell you too at a bargain price.

I for one would love to see Damien manage this team. He always has the answers. Atta boy Cox...Keep up the great monday morning quarter backing and second guessing.

[Jake]

How is anyone here bashing Phaneuf? They're a much better team with him, notice how they were winning before he got hurt? I'm a huge leafs fan but I don't think Ron Wilson is a good coach, and Burke has left way too many holes in the lineup.

[johnnyk]

Kaberle is playing out the string. He knows they won't make the playoffs this year or next and he's getting older. He'll be gone to a contender and Leafs will get nothing for him.
Leafs are supposedly deep in D-men but none of them are top players, too many brain f*rts and poor fundamentals.
If Kadri was their AHL blue-chipper that's sad. The AHL cupboard is now bare and he is still a mid-level AHLer.
Giggy will be gone @$7 mil for sure. He might be back with a big haircut, 50-50 on that.
They have to see if Gusto can do the job. What are they waiting for? He's not getting better on the bench. He is 26 and should be entering his prime, play him and find out if he is a good NHL starter.

[Lewis McClain]

Talk about bad trades etc... How about losing guys like McCabe, Moore, Stempniak, White, Coliacovo, Stalberg, Kubina. All producing, and playing better than what we got in return. (Exelby,Versteeg, Phanuef). Wilson is a smart guy,but apparently cannot motivate talented players. They come here and disinagrate. Sure wish it were not true......I am tired of waiting for the future. This has been going on for too long. This is the Maple Leafs for god's sake. Losing should not be in the dna. Winning is skill , and attitude. The top brass has made some very curious decisions. Ferguson is even starting to look better.

[Stephen B]

I tuned in to that game the other night about 10 minutes before poor old Giguere let in the soft one. A back breaker is right. Sure, let's see more of Gustavsson.

[abv]

fire wilson he is a clown, he seems old & bitter and doesn't want to teach the kids

[Peter]

funny, where the hell Victor Stalberg was last year? somehow, he didn't play anything like he does now.
and before anybody puts Orr down, he playes a regular shift, probably more than most of the tough guys, already scored two goals and other teams pay attention when the fourth line is out there. i think that's a pretty good checking line.
montreal? lol Gomez and Gionta are two big duds for what, 14mil? will see how long they last.

[Josh]

When I heard your stats about Franson I thought about picking him up in my fantasy league. Four power play goals sounds pretty impressive. Except he only has ONE. As usual, PLEASE check your facts Cox. There's no excuse in today's internet age. It took me two seconds. Don't be lazy.

[Josh]

Sorry Cox... after re-reading your comments... you are right. He does have four goals. I thought you were talking about strictly on the power play.
Humble apologies.

[micnugget]

I think everyone looking for management/coaching changes are dreaming. There are a few players (kaberle and giguere especially) who will most likely not return next year and will free up cap space in the off-season. Cap space is as good as anything when building a team in the new NHL. I mean it's nice to draft and get players like Tavares and Hall to build around, but the cap squeeze means that not every team will have the ability to lock up all their talent. Chicago was a prime example of this. The fire sale they had after winning the cup was an unfortunate (for Chicago) by-product of the new cap era.

Everyone thinks Boston will be so strong in the next few years thanks to the Leafs but they will only be able to carry so much talent. All they have gained from the Leafs are better odds of picking and choosing which players from their system to fill out the main club.

In the end there'e no reason Toronto can't stay competitive while pursuing the free-agent market. and continuing to develop the talent they have in their system. If the Leafs pick up Brad Richards over the summer and maybe a couple of other pieces to the puzzle, then they will be as competitive as anyone. Burke and Wilson knew this was a 3 or 4 year rebuild and the only reason people are complaining is because their own expectations aren't being met. Give it time. There's still some dead weight to shed before this train can get up to speed.

[O.Boy]

Finally a full article by Damien Cox that I have no disagreements with any part of.

Trouble with getting someone like Giguere is that he is used to playing with more sucessful teams - so at this point in his career, he isn't going to be a happy camper for too much longer - Burke guy or no Burke guy.

I think he got fed some kool-aid, now he is stuck on a team really going nowhere this year or next. He'll be mailing it in by Xmas.

And what did the Leafs see in Komisarek that MTL did not see his last two years in MTL?? Potential to go from 11 points and minus whatever to 35-40 points??

Gotta wonder sometimes what these hockey "guru's" like Burke really know about anything.

[CSGS]

The problem with Leaf fans is that the quality of hockey has been so bad here for decades that as soon as a new GM and/or coach arrives, we expect so much and we expect it by tomorrow! We have to remember, folks, that change has to start at the top. As in the owners. Best case is a single owner who is dedicated on winning. Not the Tanembaum and Teachers Pension that own MLSE now and it doesn't look like they will sell any part of the Leafs any time soon. The Leafs have the most expensive tickets yet sell out every game. As a fan base, we need to smarten up and ditch the Leafs when they do bad (which is right now!). Leafs lose games and they should be losing money but that is never the case. It's about time we stop picking on the team, the coach and the GM - they were all brought in by the ownership. It's time for a new owner who has more on his/her mind than the money the Leafs make.

[Steve C]

It's true, regardless of what anybody thinks of Phaneuf or Giguerre, those trades were both worth it if ONLY to get rid of the contracts of Blake, Toskala, Hagman and Stajan.
Burke's continues to shoot himself in the foot with his ridiculous stubborness, and getting rid of Stalberg is yet another example: he can't stand the idea of Stalberg not being one of his finds. It must also be a main reason he wants to get rid of Kaberle.
I'm tired of hearing about players like Versteeg and Kessel 'needing someone to play with'. That's all we've heard for 20 years when you take Sundin into account. It's about chemistry and coaching, and the ability to get your players up for the game. I really don't see Wilson as the 'inspiring' type. No, it's quite clear the players play in fear - and therefore erratically.
Fire Wilson now.