Here we are, one day left to start your free agent shopping, and Mats Sundin continues to show his true colors. He remains to be all about Mats. Which is fine. Its just too bad he isnt honest about it. You know he is sitting in Sweden loving the attention he is getting.

He lied when he refused to waive his no trade clause (which he didn’t have to wave). All he had to say, I want to do what is best for me. Instead he yabbered on, as he always has.

Mats remains true to one thing and one person..Mats

In my attempt to make this blog complete on all Toronto sports I am scouring the Dubya Dubya Dubya for a raptors blogger- any help would be appreciated.

Anyway, in the interim, I found a great blog with a pretty insightful run down on yesterday’s draft.

Check it out here

First off, it seems that Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun is my whipping boy of the week. Man, could this guy be any lazier this week. In today’s sun (http://www.torontosun.com/Sports/Hockey/2008/06/27/6001831-sun.html) Lance has this gem:

“The Leafs already have signed veteran Jamal Mayers from the St. Louis Blues and went big in the draft with 6-foot-2 defenceman Luke Schenn.”

Ummmm, no Lance, they traded for Jamal Mayers….. come on now, what do you need a refresher course??!!”

On that signing, seems like a no risk move too me. It is obvious Cliff thinks the team was in need of an overhaul in terms of leadership, they get a guy with a very good reputation, who is affordable and who can be dealt at the deadline for more assets.

One name that has interested me on the waiver wire yesterday was Rhett Warriner. The guy will be 33 later this season and is making 2.5 million for the next season. He too has a great reputation, he is pretty big 6′1 215 and would make a decent #5 defencemen for the buds. Again, come trade deadline day you could probably deal him for a pick or prospect.

DARREN DREGER, the newest insider is reporting this afternoon that in their latest discussions with Bryan McCabe, leaf management have given the impression that if McCabe doesn’t agree to waive his no trade clause, then McCabe will be told to stay home.

A history bufff I am not, but has this ever happened before where a player with a no trade clause, won’t waive it and the team then refuses to play him? I would love to hear of a similar story.

Dreger (hey, whatever happened to Bob Mckenzie?) states that the McCabe camp would file a grievance with the players union. I would love to see this play out (pun intended). There is no way any judge would force a team to play a player. I can’t imagine anything happening to them as long as he is being paid. McCabe’s damages would be clear, he is not able to continue playing so to further his career/skills once his contract expires. However, one can’t force one to work, and conversely I can’t imagine you can force a team to play a player. What a slippery slope that would start…

I for one don’t understand why McCabe would want to stay here. The fans and media are all over the guy. The team is going to be rightfully blown up in favor of a youth movement and to top it all off, he isn’t from here. All else being equal why not tell the Leafs the teams he would accept a trade to and get on with your life.

McCabe earned (thanks to JFJ) a no movement clause (and I can’t imagine one ever being “earned” in Toronto again for more then 1 yr”) and he has the right to do with it as he pleases. Sounds to me like he is getting bad advice form Goodenow’s bitter little buddy, his agent Ian Pulver.

Ok, so lets get this straight. “Rumor” has it that the buds are interested in bringing back both Gary Roberts and Curtis Joseph; kudos to the globe for this one!(editorial to follow). So, what does Toronto Sun leaf beat reporter do? Well of course he goes to Don Meehan, super agent for Cujo and to Cliffy.

““A nice idea, but I’ve had no talks with the Leafs,” Joseph’s agent, Don Meehan said.””
“Fletcher refused comment while Joseph still is under contract to Calgary, as well regarding speculation that soon-to-be ex-Penguin Gary Roberts might talk to the Leafs about filling their veteran leadership void. ”

Come on Lance. Am I wrong, but what is anyone going to say here. First the free agent period hasn’t started and why would either party admit that talks are on-going when doing so could lead to tampering charges.

So often one paper is so hell bent on bashing reports out of another that they will just write anything; this is a classic example.

Having said that, with respect to Roberts and Cujo….why the hell not. You have to players on the team that play. Both would be good leaders to the kids. I know what Cox will say, why the hell sign a player who is going to take valuable time away from the kids? Well, its simple. You need some sort of veteran leadership and the kids can’t play 60 minutes a game.

I wouldn’t give either more then a 1 yr deal.

If Cito can come back, and Cliff, why not Roberts and Cujo??!!

Wow…has hell really frozen over. Mister Toronto negative has written an article in which he actually suggests brighter days may be ahead.
Don’t be fooled fellow Torontonians it is not a rah rah article. Cox does however rightfully acknowledge that by cutting Darcy Tucker, Mats Sundin, Andrew Raycroft, Kyle Wellwood the world will not come to an end.
“But it really doesn’t matter what any of these players do in their post-Leaf career. None were going to help the team in the immediate future, with a very difficult 2008-09 season looming, and with their no question any longer this is a major rebuild.”

That as close to a compliment as Cox will ever give.

I for one wholehardedly agree with his last assertion: “Would the Leafs pitch for Marian Hossa to replace Sundin as the team’s franchise player?

Or will this club do the smart thing, suffered through a difficult season next year, pick very high in the ‘09 draft and really try to build something that lasts?”

Lets hope it’s the latter.

The article can be found here http://thestar.blogs.com/thespin/2008/06/breaking-up-the.html

Well, as Mr. Eklund reported last night, Kyle Wellwood has been claimed by the Vancouver Canucks.

More here..

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=241636&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_main

Anyone else sick of the Argos/Bills Story?

So, for the past 2 weeks we have been infiltrated with pointless stories about how the Buffalo Bills upcoming entry to the Toronto sports market is going to kill the CFL.  I mean, come on who cares.  Truth of the matter is, Toronto has always been a town that backs the pros (especially when they are winning).  Team Rogers will fill the Ted Dome when the Bills come to town simply because there is a market for it.  Its not a condemnation of the Argos or the CFL.
Hats off to Elliotte Friedman the boy wonder from the CBC who wrote an excellent piece in today’s National Post. (http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=608744)  This is about business.  Ted’s team knows how easily they will be able to make a few bucks because quite simply the NFL is the biggest marketing machine out there.
I am not so sure the CFL needs a team in Toronto to exist.  Quite frankly I am not so sure too many people beyond the avid fan care about either the CFL or the Argos in Toronto (save for the guy who hosts the 9am show on the fan590).  Having said that, to the only way the Argos exist in a Bills in TO era is if Team Rogers owns them.  Why? Simple.  Anyone who wants to buy Bills tickets will be stuck with buying Argos tickets too.  Eventually the CFL could act as a real feeder league for the NFL.
At the end of the day, its business.