The Toronto Sun has been running, and re-running the “Maple Leafs suck, have always sucked, will always suck, it’s the fans fault” ticket for several weeks now. Bill Lankhoff has been leading the way, each article less intriguing then the next. Today’s 2 pager is no real exception.

Let me start my review by asking a series of questions:

What was it that everyone knew and wanted in a new GM?
What was it that everyone wanted the new GM to do?
Didn’t we all say that we had patience for the rebuild?

“Brian Burke promised there would be changes when he took over as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

And, there have been.

It’s just that nobody expected it would be a change for the bad.”

We all wanted a GM who would come to Toronto, without blue and white colored lenses and would have the conviction to do the things that many of his predecessors didn’t. Yes, the goal is to win a stanley cup. However, we all knew that the goal ahead was to blow this team. We had seen the quick fixes. None of them fixed anything. What was needed was, as Steve Kee referred to as throwing the proverbial bomb in. Yet this time the bomb needed to be nuclear.

As Howard Berger wrote in his blog last week, of the thirty something players who wore the blue and white in 2007-2008 one remains, Tomas Kaberle. Next in line in terms of seniority is Kulemin only to be followed by the cagy old veteran, Luke Schenn.

“Toronto is now the only city in North America with two teams that have American Hockey League rosters.

In rebuilding the Leafs, Burke has left this team naked of much of its recent history.

Maybe, that isn’t such a bad thing.

Maybe this was a dirty job that someone had to do.”

Maybe?????

I’m told that the vast majority if not all of the candidates considered for the GM job when Burke was hired all said the same thing. The franchise had to be totally blown up. From the bottom up. Everyone acknowledges that this has been done.

“There is no denying that today’s roster is weaker than the one — flawed as it was — that Burke has blown up.

People want to believe in Burke.

They want to believe he can rebuild the Maple Leafs as he did the Anaheim Ducks.

They want to believe he is constructing an Iron Curtain defence like he did in Vancouver. ”

Isn’t the notion that it’s weaker redundant? Look at the guys he has jettisoned. Their has to be 2 steps to this, knocking down and then building up. The vast majority of Burke’s work so far has been in the blowing up. For those, like Lankhoff bitching, consider all the crap that was leveled at the teams in the past. Look at the guys Burke has thrown over board in order to start again. He hasn’t lost or given up 1 player that you really wish he had kept(we’ll talk draft picks in a second).

The mere fact that he was able to get anything, let alone a guy like Phaneuf for the guys he got rid of remains nothing short of remarkable. You have to knock it down before you build it up. No matter what anyone, Lankhoff included thought, Burke wasn’t going to turn every piece of chicken bleep into a stud young player. As the guys on TSN said on deadline day, the Calgary Flames now contain a strong nucleus that was the Toronto Maple Leafs. The same Toronto Maple Leafs that owned the non-playoff track record. Burke can’t really be on the hook for last years miss. So his clock starts at 1 this year. Gone are, what really amount to, as the old saying goes, a bunch of over paid bums.

What’s left really is a bunch of maybes. At least these maybes are young. As with the Blue Jays, I am much happier watching a bunch of hungry kids losing yet trying then a “bunch of over paid bums”. I too am going to have to bite my tongue the rest of the way this season and most likely next as the losing mounts. Games like the one this past week against Carolina can’t be tolerated. Losing is okay, not showing up isn’t.

“But when looking at a roster of mostly college kids, untested rookies and a sprinkling of second-hand veterans that faith is being severely tested. People look at what Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment is selling and who can blame them for wondering about what they’re buying.”

Sorry, if your faith is being tested, your a tad clueless and your expectations aren’t realistic. The team was full of crap and this is part of the process. I will say this once again about prices, tickets etc. If you don’t like the prices, stop paying them. MLSE, the New York Yankees, Morton’s Steak House, the Four Seasons hotel will ONLY CHARGE WHAT THE MARKET WILL ALLOW. This constant chatter about shame on MLSE for doing what their doing is crap. They are a business. My company runs the same way. I am sure everyone who is reading that works, works for a company that is the same too. Private schools, restaurants, do it as well. No one is holding a gun to anyones head saying you must keep paying. If you are questioning anyone, question yourself. If you aren’t happy, stop buying.

“Plus, I personally share a pair of greens and they’re $180 a pair and my wife is a hockey nut too, so we’re there all the time. And, I’m looking at the roster. We have maybe seven bona fide NHLers and one top-six forward. If we’re an American Hockey league team and you can get top of the line tickets for twenty-five to fifty bucks why should I be paying this kind of money for a team when only 30% of the roster is NHL calibre.”

That’s crap. Go to a retailer in Toronto pick up most items, look at their price and then go home and see what you can pay for it in buffalo. My family is going to Las Vegas this summer. I need 4 plane tickets. The cheapest flight in Toronto is $504 roundtrip. They are flying from Detroit for $219! Don’t give me this crap about gas….4 people in one car, driving 4 hours each way will be in total an extra $120 TOTAL, not per person. Take a look at Buffalo Sabres tickets. Drive to Pittsburgh and see a game. “why should I be paying this kind of money for a team when only 30% of the roster is NHL calibre.”? Becuase your a fan, you want to go and that’s the price of tickets. IF you don’t like it, don’t pay it! I guarantee you there’s a ton of others out there who will.

“Fans expected that Burke would have to gut the place before rebuilding but few expected that the hole could get this dark and this deep.”

Then we (and me included) were idiots. You can’t get uperstars by trading collective crap. Answer me this. If Burke hadn’t traded our picks to Boston for Kessel, would Leaf Nation be elated? Would these articles be written? What were we expecting?

Now- the Kessel issue. Im not sure there’s been a more polarizing issue for Leaf fans since the whole Mats Sundin saga. The hard part to swallow with the Burke era so far is that Kessel appears to contradict what he is preaching. Trading picks for a player doesn’t flow the right way. Yes he got a kid back, but man he gave up a lot. The biggest problem is, is that Kessel has yet to capture the imagination of the Leafs fans. The biggest question is will he ever? Those who watch junior hockey are drooling over the the guys who could be drafted at the top of this year. On paper they appear to have much greater star value than Kessel. Burke argues that he likes the kid he has. A bird in the hand…..as the saying goes. What if Burke is right? What if the Kessel produces at a clip of 20-30 + goals a year and the guy Boston picks becomes the next Alexandre Daigle? I am not suggesting it will happen- but what if?

The point is we all have to (and most of all me) take a deep breath and relax. Let’s enjoy the ride and watch this unfold. More bodies are going to go overboard this summer. No one saw or predicted the Phaneuf move. Right now the prospects of a gaining any forwards of any significance are slim given the UFA list. Let’s see what happens.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

The breaking news of the Thrashers sending Ilya Kovalchuck, and Anssi Salmela to the Devils for Johnny Oduya, Niclas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier and a first round pick, one thing is clear…The Devils got hosed.
The Devils received one of the most talented players in the NHL in Kovalchuck who has been playing well for the Thrashers this season with 68 points on the season. There is no question that he will provide an excellent offencive punch for New Jersey to help them push to the Stanley Cup this June. That is all fine and dandy but it seems one thing is overlooked.
Kovalchuck is a free-agent at season end, and according to the rumours, he is heading back home.
Unless they come to terms on an agreement. But, it appears that Kovalchuck, he doesn’t want to stick around in the NHL and wants to head back to Russia and the KHL.
Darren Dreger reported on That’s Hockey earlier Thursday, that the Thrashers offered him $500,000 per year more than any other player in the NHL. That is a lot of money.
How could a player turn down that kind of money with the only team he has ever known in his North American professional career, unless there was some underlying issues.
I don’t think Atlanta was the problem, which points to one thing, Kovalchuck wants to return home. Also, with the rumour circulating that the possible deal with a KHL team that could command upwards of $20 million dollars…Per Year!
That is also TAX free and would probably come with most if not all of his expenses paid. Very similar to the deal LeBron James was offered by the Greek basketball team Olympiakos. The one major flaw in that logic, Kovalchuck could be a big name in the KHL or the NHL. Both leagues could make Kovalchuck a global icon. The NBA deals would make their players stars in their own country. Marketing in the NBA has gone so far, they have the chance to be a global icon only in the NBA.
Devils GM Lou Lamoriello is one of the smartest men in all of hockey. This time Thrashers GM Don Wadell appears to have pulled the wool over his eyes.

Item- Kevin Allen’s blog post today:

” Here’s what I believe is happening, or will happen, as we move close to the March 3 trade deadline.

3. Although Tomas Kaberle has a no-trade clause, he probably will, around the trade deadline, give GM Brian Burke a list of trade destinations he would accept, just like he did last season. Why wouldn’t he want to play with a team with a chance to win the Stanley Cup?

8, Toronto will move potential free agents Matt Stajan and Alexei Ponikarovsky, and maybe a couple of others at the deadline.”

Ah yes, the annual who will be willing to wave or not wave their no trade clause as the deadline approaches. To be followed by semantics Burke who will say yet again that he won’t ask a player who has a no trade clause to wave theirs. Leaf fans will call the shows with their huge overestimates of what Kaberle would land in a deal.

Burke is in a real catch 22 with Kaberle. He isn’t arguably the best player on the team, he is hands down the best player on the team. Kessel may be come it, but he isn’t right now. I don’t care what Kaberle makes, it’s, for this argument totally irrelevant. If you are going to deal Kaberle the return has to be remarkably better than what you are giving up. Forget the first round talk. If you are dealing Kaberle it’s going to be a team he wants to go to. Those are going to be teams with a legitimate shot at the cup. So a late first rounder for TK? I think not. Prospects? Well, again, unless they are quality A+ why take the risk? I have said this before, and will say it again, Burke can’t let Kaberle go for nothing when his deal is up. However, before he trades him he has to be 100 % sure that either he can’t resign him or he is hitting a grand slam.

Now, as for Stajan and Poni or anyone else on the team not named Kessel- I have full faith that Burke and co can exchange these spare parts for some degree of upgrade. If they are resignable at below market prices, then don’t let their asses hit the door.

Item: From Kevin Paul DuPont :

“It’s the first public tickle the 22-year-old Kessel has received since his departure from the Hub of Hockey. His very public scratch from the first round of the 2008 playoffs, issued by Julien, got him going. Now we’ll see whether he responds to the same kind of goose north of the border.”

Kessel getting singled out by a coach who can’t seem to get any type of performance out of his team for the season and a half that he has been here and being benched during a playoff series, are two entirely different things. i highly doubt that Kessel was remotely bothered let alone similarly embarrassed by Wilson’s antics. Kessel is squeezing his stick way too tight right now. He needs a puck to go in off his head, his ass or some other appendage and he will be fine.

Item- From Steve Simmons weekly column:

“A quick Brian Burke report card. His team stinks. His friend, the coach, can’t get the Maple Leafs to kill penalties or play anything resembling team defence. His big acquisition, Phil Kessel, has gone soft and sour. He won’t be drafting Taylor Hall in June or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins the year after. And his college free-agent signings are nowhere to be found while David McNab, who signed Andy McDonald and Dustin Penner for Anaheim, has come up with another good one for his former team in Dan Sexton. Outside of goalie Jonas Gustavsson, who has had two heart procedures and a groin injury in his rookie season, little has gone right in Burke’s world and, knowing him, that has to driving him to absolute frustration ”

Hard to disagree with what Simmons writes. knowing and hearing Burke lately however his ego is fully intact. He is just over 1 season into his tenure. Let’s talk at this time next season. If we are still on par for an 11 point decrease from the previous season (as we are now) then Burke has a major problem.

Item- From Larry Brooks weekly column:

“Here’s what we get to find out about Brian Burke as he runs the Maple Leafs: Can he succeed taking over as GM of a club that doesn’t have a brother of a pending Hall of Fame free agent defenseman on it?”

Here’s the question, is it the Maple Leafs, that Toronto seems to be the focal point of the NHL media or Brian Burke that Larry Brooks loathes? There was a time I actually rooted for the Rangers, now given Larry Brooks, I hope they never win another game. I wonder if Burke were to take over the NHLPA if Brooks would change his tune?

Item: From Damien Cox’s article in today’s Toronto Star:

“There’s no question Gustavsson is agile and quick and aggressive. But a No. 1 goalie? That’s unclear, and there’s just no way the Leafs can go into next season just wishing they have quality netminding.

They hoped Vesa Toskala would bounce back strongly from off-season surgery, and Burke was as wrong on that as John Ferguson was on banking that Andrew Raycroft could replace Ed Belfour.

They can’t just hope Gustavsson can do it next fall. They have to know. That means the final 36 games have to include at least 25 Gustavsson starts, assuming he’s healthy enough, and then a cold, realistic assessment has to be done over whether he’s ready.

If he’s not ready now, it doesn’t mean he won’t be eventually. But a serious contingency plan, like the Islanders had with Rick DiPietro’s status unclear last summer, would be necessary if Gustavsson still has too much to learn.”

This is a serious dilemma for Burke. After all the moves Burke made this off-season, the critics who claimed the Leafs would make the playoffs all did so on the strong belief that the goaltending this year would be improved this year. Hell, given the year in net last year it HAD to be better. Ooops. I don’t care what the numbers say. The reality is, barring a miraculous turn around, the same questions about goaltending will remain after this season. Few teams have been successful with questionable goaltending. Burke has to solve this problem as Cox writes and fast.

Item- Curtis Joseph set to announce his retirement

My memories of Cujo are very strong. I remember him being one of the leagues elite goalies when he played in St. Louis when Doug Gilmour did his round and round in that playoff game where the Buds finally knocked the blues off. I then remember the return to glory on Cujo’s back when he signed with the Leafs. It was the start of one hell of a run with the Leafs. Dare I say the Maple Leafs were respectable when he played in nets here. Then I remember the stab in the heart when Cujo jumped ship to sign with the Detroit Red Wings, claiming to think he had a better chance at a cup. Of course I remember cheering as hard as I could against Cujo and the Wings while he played for them.

In all, it’s fitting that Curtis ends his career here in Toronto. He had a tremendously successful career with stints in multiple cities. Few who get to wear the Blue and White capture the hearts of the fans like Cujo did. Hats off to a great career Cujo. Here’s hoping you find something that will keep you happy and occupied in the future.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Kevin Allen is here

Kevin Paul DuPont is here

Steve Simmons is here

Brooks is here

Cox is here

College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

With only three games remaining for most teams in baseball it’s tough to ignore what’s happening in the AL Central. The Detroit Tigers still have a two game lead over the Minnesota Twins. So if the Tigers win and the Twins lose tonight the division title and final playoff spot would be claimed by Detroit. Both teams are at home. Detroit welcomes the Chicago White Sox, while Minnesota hosts the Kansas City Royals.

If baseball is not your thing you can always turn to hockey. The NHL season kicked off last night. Tonight the two teams that battled for the Stanley Cup last season are in action, just not against each other. The Detroit Red Wings are on the road tonight, a long way away from Detroit. They’re in Sweden to take on the St Louis Blues. Even though there are more Swedes on Detroit, St Louis is the home team. The Red Wings lost a little depth over the off season and hope that Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom have enough in the tank to lead the winged wheel back to a third straight final series. The defending champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, open their season at home as they battle the New York Rangers. Pittsburgh lost some depth at the blue line, but with superstars like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin leading the team the Pens should be a lock for postseason play.

So Mats’ agent couldn’t convince him to come back for another year. I guess JP’s kids aren’t going to get that play structure this year after all. So the end of a brilliant career officially begins. Or does it? Don’t get me wrong, it was a brilliant career. The talking heads will most certainly fill the hours today already asking questions about his Hall of Fame eligibility/selection etc. The question that really should be asked today is do we believe him. I mean, defend the player all you want. How he left Toronto, the whole no trade clause “thing” if nothing else can’t instill an ounce of confidence in the words he chooses to use right? I have written here before that Mats lied. When he said you have to be there from the beginning of training camp and then signed with Vancouver way after, it was a in complete conflict with what he said when he refused to waive his no trade clause(which he had EVERY right to do). Mats lovers around the world claimed that he changed his mind (which he also has every right to do). So at the very least, Mats has the penitence to change his mind, at the worst is a liar.

Either way, it says here that we should bank on at the very least rumblings on his return. You already know what the stories will say. Apparently, the goats in Sweden are telling sources that Mats is disillusioned with retirement, that he has started skating in earnest and is talking to no less than 6 stanley cup contending teams, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The question isn’t if the rumours will hapen but when. We all know they will appear on at least one website. The question is will he “change his mind” again. I suspect right around the time of the Olympics we will start to hear the drumbeats. You know when visa bills post Christmas start to arrive. That’s likely the time his agent will start calling Mats and saying, are you sure you are retired?? I can probably get us, I mean you a couple million prorated for the rest of the season!

Kudos to Mats on a great career. Hell yes he will enter the hall of fame. I just don’t believe it’s time to call it over just yet. I mean a man can change his mind right?

Interesting place we are at this juncture of time. The Toronto Maple Leafs are just about to conclude their first off-season under new GM Brian Burke. So we are really about to start the first season under the new regime. This, unlike last year is the first season of building the Toronto Maple Leafs. So of course I have lots of questions for you….

What do you want this coming season? What are the expectations, what will you be happy with? None of us, not even an overly homeristic blogger expects the Leafs to compete for the Stanley Cup this season. What then are realistic goals? Does it include the playoffs? Does it have to include the playoffs? Here is my take, I want a season where we don’t get embarrassed at home. I want a season where they show up 9/10 nights. I want a season where the kids play a lot and they are afforded the opportunity to make mistakes as Schenn was last year. Most of all I want a season where they are fun to watch. The outcomes of the games to me is secondary. I don’t care if they make the playoffs. I want ever young kid to get their chance and to grow as a player.

On a more specific point, which Maple Leaf do you want to really break out, have an incredible season, won where you can say, he is a true Maple Leaf? I am not sure which player specifically it is as I don’t’ know much about them, but I am rooting really hard for the US college players. I have so much respect for the guys who go that route. I have a lot of time and respect for guys who are bright enough to get educations in case things don’t work out for them on the ice. I am not so naive as to think they are all rocket scientists, but there is something admirable about having a college degree in your back pocket in case things don’t pan out. I would love to see more and more players go that route. I firmly believe that if the NHL is sincere in it’s hope to grow the game south of the border than it has to fully endorse and help grow the college game. Hockey isn’t basketball or football, but if they could get 1/100th of the focus on college hockey that they do nationally for football and basketball then the game would grow.

Now, I am also curious, if you aren’t cheering for the Maple Leafs, who is your team? Which teams do you want to have break out years, which do you want to see fall back? Me, I am a huge Capitals fan. I love their coach and I think Alex Ovechkin is a rockstar on skates. I really want to see them continue their climb upwards in the standings. Same goes with the Blackhawks. I am a little less enthused with them after they turfed Dale Tallon, but I love the young guns on that team, they are fun to watch and I think they play the game the right way. Of course, my two favorite teams are the Maple Leafs and whomever the Senators are playing on any given night, so as a die hard Leaf fan I really hope the Sens improve just enough to not make the playoffs but high enough to not have a good draft position.

From a media perspective, I hope that Jonas Siegel grows as a reporter, that someone new emerges as the voice of reason in covering the Maple Leafs. Jeff Blair was a fresh voice last season, Steve Simmons has grown by leaps and bounds in my books and Damien seems to luke warm on the Maple Leafs prospects as well. Finally, I hope that the Howie rants are greeted as warmly by Ron Wilson and Brian Burke as they are by each of us. How about you, what are your wishes from our beloved beat writers and broadcasters for the 2009-2010 Maple Leafs season.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Theodore Samuel “Teeder” Kennedy who was born December 12, 1925, passed away today, he was 83. I don’t say this often, but Wikipedia says it best about this hero:

“He won the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1955 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966. In 1998, he was ranked number 57 on The Hockey News’ list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. In 1951 he was captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs when he greeted the future Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. He won the Stanley Cup five times — 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951. The last 3 Stanley Cups were as captain of the Maple Leafs.”

He played 14 years in the NHL, each and everyone as a Maple Leaf. He was many a fan of that generation’s favorite Maple Leaf (including my mother’s)

Here is a great video on him:

Let’s hope the Leafs pay tribute to a great member of the Maple Leaf family and a terrific piece of our history.

How cool is this?:

Chris Kunitz of the Pittsburg Penguins returned home to Regina with the Stanley cup. Greg Johnson was hired to capture the moment. Thanks to Greg and the folks at Flickr for this.

Well the clock has turned August. Still no guarantees that anyone will need to buy playoff tickets or Stanley cup final tickets here in Toronto. While Burke has done a lot, it certainly seems that the winds of change have “grinded” to a halt. We still don’t know who will be coaching the Toronto Marlies, that after we were told it should be about a week for an announcement. That was nearly 2 weeks ago. Kaberle is still a Leaf, but only tradeable for 13 trades or so. There remain scoring challenges up front and there are holes in other areas. What, is Burke doing with Brad May?

Lots of players are on the sidelines still. Burke has some space left to play with. Garrioch suggested the C word in a column last week in suggestion that the teams are working together in concert to keep players on the sidelines. I am not buying it. It says here teams are being way more careful.

So, with it being August, is Burke having problems? Is it the dog days of August and we won’t hear anything until mid to late August?

Time will tell.

TSM

Short Maple Leaf update this evening folks. I did have the good fortune to chat via email with Brian Burke today. I asked two simple questions and Burke was too kind to respond to both with prompt efficency:

First I asked Burke if, despite Petr Sykora’s age Burke had any interest in the Stanley Cup winning forward. Burke said that while he had Petr on his team in Anaheim and really liked him a lot, he has no interest in Petr for the Maple Leafs. I am not totally surprised, but nothing ventured nothing gained. Personally, I would love to see Sykora in blue and white. I think he would be a good addition to the forward group as he can put the puck in the net.

Secondly I asked Burke for an ETA on an announcement on the Marlies head coaching position. Burke wrote that he hoped to be in a position to make an announcement next week. it is interesting to note that I checked with a couple of other folks around the league tonight and none had heard anything, much to their collective surprise, about the Marlie job. When I asked the other folks if they had any opinion on the rumored front runner, Dallas Eakins many said that they would be surprised if Eakins got the post but that they really hadn’t heard anything about the next coach of the baby leafs. Eakins currently works for the Leafs and therefore if he were the guy (and we are really about a week away from an announcement) the fact no one is talking may suggest that the candidate is in fact a person currently inside the leaf organization.

I can tell you that Burke is in fact back from his fishing trip and was at work before 6 o’clock this morning! One can only assume that with about a month to go until training camp there is much work for him to do.

Sorry the nightly update is so short.

TSM