Misery

Can't think it's much fun to wake up as part of the Toronto management team today.

Ouch. With new ownership taking over this summer, suddenly another non-playoff campaign could start to make folks squirm.

The key to making good decisions over the next 24 hours or so, however, lies in understanding all is not lost even if a playoff position may not be in the cards.

This is an improved team that has a good, if not great, group of young players and prospects.

That doesn't change if the playoffs aren't realized. Or, at least, it doesn't have to change.

Cooler heads need to prevail in Leafland going toward's Monday's trade deadline, although it seems likely there may be several moves afoot by Brian Burke and his braintrust. The club may shift into sell mode, depending on what's being offered. While trading this summer's first round pick was a very real possibility two weeks ago, it would now be a very dangerous move considering it may become a lottery pick over the final weeks of the season.

It certainly can't be moved for short-term help. It makes no sense, for example, to move it for a goalie who might help you for a year or two.

As part of a Rick Nash deal? Maybe, if only because Nash is 27 and under contract for another six years.

Beyond that pick, if the Leafs are going to move Luke Schenn or Clarke MacArthur or Nik Kulemin, they can only do it for young players either currently playing in the league or about to play. Not for second round picks. Maybe for first rounders.

It can't be an Alexei Ponikarovsky-for-Luca Caputi deal, a proven NHLer for a minor-league who may or may not graduate to the NHL.

Now a thought on the coach.

Ron Wilson is probably still a good NHL coach. Just not in Toronto.

When he was hired after stints in small hockey markets like Anaheim, Washington and San Jose, a big question was how he would handle the media pressure in Toronto.

Well, over four years, the answer is not well. He has his good days, like a week ago in Vancouver when he held court and was funny, entertaining and informative.

But most of the time the Toronto media just bugs him, and that has become part of the agenda for the hockey club.

When Wilson talked after last night's loss to Washington about how all the trade speculation around the deadline was affecting his young team, that's just setting up an easy excuse for a player to grab on to.

Wilson feels the media heat and is bugged by it. So he assumes everyone else is.

Now it's part of the Leaf team mindset, as if 29 other NHL clubs aren't facing the very same rumours and very same trade deadline.

Its like Wilson talking last week and this week about how tired his team is. After a while, its a self-fulfilling prophesy. The Leafs looked tired against the Caps on Saturday night, so much so that team officials were shocked by the perceived lack of effort.

The coach says the team is tired and bothered by outside distractions. And just like that, that's how they play.

 

 

 

Comments

[Conn Smythe]

The coach needs to go in the off - season. I wouldn't have a fire - sale, but I would be moving players for picks. Forget Rick Nash - unless he can also play defense, goal and coach. Bring up Kadri, Mueller (big body for 3rd or 4th line centre), Aulie and Holzer. And yup, let's think of the play - off's for next year.

[dave]

Thanks Damien,

A good read and assessment. Could be in larger font for older eyes though.

[gary a]

i say fire ron wilson because of his performance and not because the media hates him or he hates the toronto media...actually who doesn't hate the toronto media

[David]

MLSE told Bryan Colangelo to slow down, be patient, go after a high lottery pick for the Raptors instead of quick fixes. The suits probably didn't say "Tank the season", but that's how the Raptors were set up for this year.

Can you see MLSE - especially with the new owners coming on board this summer - telling Burke to lay off the quick fixes? Be patient, acquire more futures (young NHLers, or about-to-be NHLers, or first round picks, for vets)?Don't give up futures in an unlikely bid to make the playoffs and maybe win a round at the expense of sustainable success down the road?

I have a hard time seeing ownership being so patient with the Leafs, though it might be the best and logical course of action.

[Chris Kasianchuk]

Damien, I'd love to hear your take on the Bishop trade and why he's not a Leaf. A second rounder for what appears to be the best young goalie not playing in the NHL seems like it should have been a no-brainer for Burke. Did the Blues shop him around? Did Burke have an opportunity to make that deal and turned it down?

[M Thomas]

I've been holding on to hope for this team for this year, but it's now gone. I think the only chance the Leafs have of making the playoffs is with a new coach. Grabovski's their only decent centre but trade him and see if they can sign him in the summer. Someone's got to be desperate enough to take Komisarek, even if it's for a 4th rounder. Bring up Colborne and let Connoly sit in the press box for the next month or until someone gets hurt. Do something.

[Spanky]

Distractions you bet, for example how about the pregame honoring yet again of some past greats in late Feb during a playoff race or the Sundin rafter party two weeks ago. Stop it already and let the kids focus on what they need to do.

[Mark Smith]

Thanks Damien. It would be completely ludicrous to continue on with Ron Wilson, he's already worn out his welcome. Players clearly aren't playing for him, and it's debatable if they even like him (even if you don't put much stock in player polls). I (almost) don't want the Leafs to make the playoffs because Wilson needs to be fired.

As for Burke, he's done a great job at building the youth, but he has failed the Leafs in many ways as well. He's fed us a bunch of crap when he said he'd bring "truculence and belligerence". You want to see that kind of hockey, watch Boston, Winnipeg, St. Louis, Ottawa, Philly. The Leafs are as soft as they come and this kind of thing has a trickle down effect on young players. Jay Rosehill should have been playing all year, the toughness starts there. The guy can skate, hits everything that moves, defends his teammates and could develop some skill ala Shawn Thornton. Then you'd see the young guys play with confidence, you'd see other players playing tougher. Look at the Philly culture, they all play tough in Philly because it's contagious and that's the environment they create there. And the worst thing BB has done, he will not fire Wilson, this is getting beyond ridiculous. He's failed our season. Take a look at other changes like St. Louis, what did that do?

[Joe Scott]

Here's Brian Burke's to-do list tomorrow, in an ideal world, (ideal meaning it's what I would do.)
1. Shop Komisarek and their first to the Islanders for Nabokov. Komi's from that area, he would immediately become 3-4 on the depth chart, if not higher, and Toronto gets a goalie to carry them through the stretch drive.
2. Move Colby Armstrong for the second rounder he lost, there are three interested team, call one of them. While he's at it, trade Connolly to a contender needing a solid number 3 or 4 centre.
3. Promote Grabovski to the 1st line, they're going to pay him 1st line money, might as well play him there. Bozak moves to the second line, and put Kadri on his wing with Macarthur.
4. Bury Lombardi in the minors, it's clear this guy is useless. Call up Joe Colborne and give him 3rd line minutes for the rest of the year, see how he handles it.
5. Recall Jay Rosehill and slot him with Steckel and Brown. It's time Toronto stopped being pushed around by every other team in the league.
6. Recall Keith Aulie and put him with Phaneuf. Dion has played his best hockey while partnered with Aulie, why question chemistry? Pair up Liles and Gardiner. If Gardiner is going to carry the mail for the team sometime down the road, let him learn the proper way to do it. And put Schenn with Gunnarsson, Luke needs Gunner as his partner so he can play the way he plays best.
Oh yeah, and call up his good buddy Randy Carlyle on the golf course in Florida and ask him if he wants the job, it's clear Wilson can't or won't do it anymore.
That's my 2 cents, maybe Burke reads this and gets the wheels turning.
Nothing else is the right move at this point.

[Phil S]

Damien - I certainly agree we cannot even consider trading our 1st round pick. Good to see you agree.

I still get the impression though that you (and most other members of the Toronto media) are giving Burke far too much of a break here, while calling for Wilson's head. If John Ferguson Jr had made the Kessel trade, all media members would have been, non stop, for the last three years, calling for his head. Yet not so with Burke? Why is that? Seguin is a burgeoning superstar and Hamilton (who many seem to not discuss when bringing up what the Leafs gave up in the trade) is so highly thought of by the Bruins he is said to be untouchable. They will both be cost controlled for many years to come, something that is huge in the salary cap era. Kessel has lived up to his billing as a 30 goal scorer, but the 5million+ that the Leafs have to pay him is an opportunity cost wasted when they could have had the low cost options (with at least as much, if not higher long term upside) of Seguin and Hamilton (and Knight) which would have then let the Leafs use that 5 million they saved to spend on other pieces, making the team as a whole stronger.

Burke's assessment of his team has been fundamentally incorrect. He believed them to be far better and much closer to legit contention than has been the case. This shows his LACK OF JUDGEMENT. That is a firing offence. He traded the future for the present and the present still is not good. Colbourne (who I do actually think is quite good) and Gardiner are building blocks, but they do not have close to the long term upside that Seguin and Hamilton would have had.

I just don't understand why the media continuously call for Wilson's head while giving Burke a pass. How is Wilson supposed to contend with this team - it simply does not have enough talent. That's not his fault. It's Burke's.

[Nick]

Value for any Leaf player is the lowest it could be all season. Now would be the worst time to sell. Acquiring picks to develop them is pointless. This team is 1-3 parts away from a legit push. Stability is needed, patience is needed.

As for goalies, there will be no deal unless there is a goalie that fits Allaires mold, so they would only be valuable through to the end of THIS season. Reimer is developing, Gustavsson is developing. The goalies need to own their mistakes and learn to grow from them.

The media is just as at fault for the perception of this team as the team themselves. The media is responsible for the tone of articles and the content of the opinion pieces, not the team. The media will pick and choose their quotes and then spin them for attention and use a cliched excuse to justify it later.

[Rob]

Finally a Cox article I actually agree with. Funny, Cox's opinions seem to flip flop day by day, but at least this is a lot more realistic. And this proves (as is being debated right now) that the Leafs have good management (ie. good prospects/young players) but may need a coaching change in the off-season. This also means that possibly doing nothing by the trade deadline is a good option. In hindsight, a Jeff Carter deal would have been awesome. I didn't think he would go for so little. Although he has a long contract, I feel LA really stole him, and would have been worth a Schenn or Aulie (plus a 1st round pick) even if you get stuck with the contract.

[Will Dickinson]

Wilson's time here in Toronto should be over as of right now. Accept that this year is likely another writeoff with this 12 game slump. It's time to move vetrans out. See what the market is for Grabovski, Lombardi, Armstrong, Konisarek, Macathur. Don't trade any of the young guys like Schenn, Kadri Colbourne etc. Let's give a new coach a chance to make something of these guys. Understand that this last losing stretch has all but cost us the playoffs and move on to next year. The key here is that Wilson must go. Not because of his relationship with the media but because he just isn't getting the job done.

[Victor T]

Is it the coaches says that is how it is and that is how they play or is it, that is how they play and the coach says that?

There is a diference. That said, it is still throwing the team under the bus so the down hill slide now has validation to accelerate. I would say he has lost the room and should be replaced immediately before his so called, " Blue and white disease," continues to spread.

[Jim Jack]

I think you have made a fair assessment of the situation. It is time to realize that Wilson is not the kind of coach to succeed in Toronto. Perhaps the greatest condemnation of him is in how the young players, including the goalies just seem to wilt in their confidence levels under him. With the exception of Gardiner, he has done nothing but damage these players. His inability to instill confidence in Gus after he played so well in Jauary but not continuing with him, well that just underscores that he doesn't know how to get the best out of a player. By the way, under Wilson, you can expect Gardiner to take a beating next year too. Get rid of this coaching staff this summer, continue on the path thus far established as we are not far off from being a perennial contender. Let things develop as they will and builf d the organization with more draft picks. I can't help but wonder how things would have turned out better for the Leafs had Reimer not been "concussed" in that game vs Montreal.

[Phil]

This team is pushed the cap because it has so many multi million $ guys who are contributing so little. i.e. Connolly, Armstrong, Lombardi, Komisarek. They are either injured or scratched most of the time.

They are all expendable for a draft pick if anyone will take them, a buy out if not. Could Kadri, Colborne, Frattin, Holzner be any worse? They are much cheaper and create cap space that could be put to better use.

I would rather sell than buy Nash at an unrealistic price. AFAIK, he can't play goal and that is the biggest problem of all.

[Wayne Morrow]

Any trades that BB makes are for next year! If anyone thinks that they have a chance to make the playoffs this year think about this - the leafs will have to win 15 of the remaining 20 games to get in and Washington will have to continue to loss. The odds of Washington heating up I think are greater than Toronto doing so.
To have saved this season BB needed to fire RW 6 weeks ago and brought in a rental goalie to calm the tidal wave of losing.
I really believe that this team will get the job done but they need a better - more defensive oriented - system and a fresh perspective that only a new (younger) coach might bring. I like RW but I think he is spent here and should really move on!

[Bob Barkwell]

The big problem with the Leafs (Jays, Raptors, Argos etc) is the drooling media and the incessant rumors that are spread.....mostly by media that has never played or participated in pro sports.....with the Media it is a business, for the fans it is a Sport and it is so hard to enjoy a Sport in Toronto....

[Moe Green]

Before any "fire sale" I think it would be prudent for Leaf management to replace the coach and then assess what we have. With Wilson at the helm we may not know the true potential of this group. Caution says: Make the playoffs with what you have plus or minus a minor piece or two or three, but replace the coach before hasty decisions, potentially of even Raskian proportion are made. Let's face it, replace Wilson now and at least we'll have an inkling of what we've got BEFORE free agency and perhaps more importantly, BEFORE next season.

[palbo]

Damien.. I think you must be getting smarter. I used to disagree with you regularly, but recently I find myself more in your camp. I also agreed with Feschuk's excellent article in the Star this morning. When you think about it, unless I'm missing something, Burke has not done anything he said he'd do when he hit town. If I had a buck for every time he said "accelerated re-build", I could buy the Leafs. If this is accelerated, I'd hate to see slow and steady.

[Gord]

A fair assessment of the state of Leaf Land - only slightly easy on Brian Burke, as well it should be. Just before this 9 game swoon the Leafs were on an 8 game tear going 6 - 1 - 1. If they'd only cooled down to a .500 pace the next 8 games, going 4 - 4, they would have faced Washington Saturday night in the midst of a 10 - 5 - 1 run, firmly in possession of a playoff position. It may not be a coincidence at all that the Maple Leafs hit their worst stretch of playing right before the trade deadline. How many of these guys have had enough already of Ron Wilson and playing in this city? None of them seem to even come close to bleeding blue and white like Mats Sundin did. Not even the perpetually hunched shoulder blue pylon masquerading as a #1 D-man.

[Ronnie Mac]

I think that because it has been so long since the Leafs have had a cup contending team, the Leafs fans and Toronto media forget what types of players are needed to win a championship.

You need top tier talent dummies! You need players like Rick Nash. Move heaven and earth to get Rick Nash. He is signed long term. He is a franchise player. A necessary piece moving forward. Jake Gardiner? What is he exactly? A rookie who could be what exactly? Unknown. Kadri? He has barely played more than half a season in the NHL. What is he exactly? A decent 2nd line player? 3rd liner? Schenn? What is he exactly? A 3rd or 4th d-man? All of these pieces are replaceable or their ceiling is not known for years!

The team that deals for the big fish almost always wins these types of deals. The handful of players and picks going back almost always amount to squat. All of the the above mentioned players are replaceable minus perhaps Gardiner in a few years. But that is a very long time to wait if you are a Leafs fan.

Look at all the cup winners from the past few years. Look up and down their line up. Now look at the Leafs roster. Getting Nash is just a start. They will still be missing a handful of pieces, none of which will be sacrificed if they give away 3 players and a pick for Nash.

This team is not the Edmonton Oilers. Good prospects are not even close to being the same thing as blue chip prospects. Get Nash and pray for next year.

[andy mcguan]

hi being a alberta boy and die hard leaf fan its sad to see how the leafs are run,how can MR.BURKE say Ron WILSON WAS the best out there in his job when a guy like Ken Hitchcook was looking for work and found in St.louis THE numbers don't lie look what kind of fire he lit under there butts in St.lous,what has wilson done in 3 yrs worst pk,pp,and those stats you get a new contrack any other GM. WOULD OF FIRED HIS BUT LONG AGO when will the new ownership wake up and see what you and your buddie have done to this team i think i miss JOHN JR. AS GM,and the guy what teach's your goalie,s how to play i think you also said was the best in the NHL at his job thank god he didn't get his hand's on this kid ottawa picked up i guess you most of been still bed at the time..leaf fan forever go leafs

[sarnia john]

Same story every year, similar stats the last four years, same March hope, same head coach, new players added every year, assistant coaches changed. Start with a new coach now. Fire up the team by bringing up Dallas Eakins one of the top AHL coaches see what he has to offer before he is gone to coach somewhere else in the NHL. The coaching change should be made now. The players may play better under Eakins cause they are not playing for Ron. Keep the first round picks, prospects and core talent.

[ravgames]

Why would Rick Nash want to go from one garbage team to another one? Good luck in the Nash sweepstakes, Leafs.