Image by Aaron Webb via Flickr

I will elaborate on this later. But I think Leafs Nation should vote for Ian White as an all-star this year. The guy is the best defensemen on this team and is criminally underrated. He deserves more recognition.

I know I will be writing him in on the ballot and I hope the entire Barilkosphere can get behind this.

Update: I forgot there is no All-Star game this year. And I don’t think we can get Ian onto the Olympic team so we now have 15 months to get this thing going!! Huzzahh!

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Via Pension Plan Puppets.

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I have been a hockey fan since the age of 6. That’s 40 years. Whilst growing up in Newfoundland I was a habs fan and didn’t really pay much attention to your team.

Then while in university and in my vegetarian punk rock days I swore off hockey because all the punk chicks were all like “sports is a violent demeaning tool of the patriarchy” so I thought if I didn’t watch hockey it would impress them and I would get laid more. It didn’t work.

Then I moved to Toronto and it was a novelty to watch a team that was so bad that a regular season win seemed like a playoff victory. So out of a sort of morbid curiosity I began to root for your lovable losers and have been doing so for the past 21 years.

I have a high tolerance for bad hockey and one sided games.

In 1972 in the opening game of the Canada-Russia summit I watched to the bitter end fighting back tears as the evil commie horde shelled my favorite player at the time (Ken Dryden).

In 1990 (or 91) I watched the Black Hawks (then in their prime) slaughter the Doug Carpenter coached leafs 12-3 (or something ridiculous like that). I can even remember and obviously deranged Carpenter saying in the post game presser that the Leafs would meet and beat the Black Hawks in the playoffs that year.

I watched every minute of those 8-0 beatings Ottawa laid on us during the Paul Maurice years.

But tonight I did something that I have never done in my entire 40 years as a hockey fan - turned off a game in disgust.

This is the absolute most brutal hockey I have seen in some time. And you know what? I ain’t watching it any more.

When this bullshit collection of overpaid babies starts playing at an NHL level call me. I will happily tune back in.

I don’t mind losing. It’s how you lose. Christ, even last year the team fought for every minute of every game and frequently came back from 2 or 3 goal deficits. And most of the time outshot the other team too.

WTF? Seriously WTF?

Well at least we will get a high draft pick right? Oh wait never mind.

PS: To the CBC, Jim Hughson is the worst hockey announcer in the history of the game. Are you people stupid, brain dead or both? How much of my tax payer extorted money is going to pay some guy to say “here’s (insert First and Last Name of player) over and over again for 60 minutes? You’re supposed to be the best hockey broadcast on the planet. You sound like a regional Fox Sports network in a southern market.

Update (5 weeks later) : Et Tu Godd Till? Obviously his tolerance is a little higher than mine. Note that we each had a final paragraph directed at something other than the on-ice product in his case a brilliant take down of the awful new leafs song.

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That’s right I am actually linking to a Cox blog post - and I agree with every word he says:

If there is a surprise element to the Leaf woes so far, it’s that despite all the talk of the off-season, so far they’ve not demonstrated themselves to be a very tough or physical hockey team.

Montreal banged them around at home last week, the much-bigger Caps shrugged them off on Saturday and Tuesday night the Sens gave out more than they absorbed, including a crushing hit by Anton Volchenkov that eliminated Leaf rookie winger Viktor Stalberg from the game in the first period with a suspected concussion.

The Leafs had the three fights on opening night with the Habs, but since then, neither the Caps nor Sens have obliged the Leaf pugilists. Otherwise, Colton Orr (6:06) and Jay Rosehill (4:17) don’t play much and there’s really not much muscle or sandpaper among the rest of the Leaf forwards.

Fights aside, the Leafs also haven’t demonstrated much of a crease presence at either end. Up front, their forward lines are populated by players who much prefer the shot from the perimeter to taking the puck hard to the net. The number of times individuals like Jason Blake and Mikhail Grabovski have elected to skate around the back of the net rather than to the front of the cage must be driving Burke nuts.

In the final minutes, as the Leaf pressed with some noteworthy vigour for the tying goal, Blake was rudely tossed to the ice after the whistle. His teammates looked away.

Where’s this truculent, belligerent Leaf team the fans were promised, the kind of squad that would ensure Kaberle wasn’t “picking up his teeth” every time he touched the puck?

The Leafs promised hard and nasty. So far, it’s all talk.

And again a first for this blog, read the whole thing here: Leaf losses piling up - thestar.com

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Just go here: Toronto media stops figuratively beating up Leaf fans, moves on to literally beating them up and watch the video and remember the author of the book covers the Leafs. Boy sure glad all the local journalists are homers (at least that’s what everyone tells us) wouldn’t want him to be fair and objective.

You know what I think would be great. If Leafs fans organized a boycott of Strachan’s also the other book (Abomination I think it’s called) then they could see how it feels to have fans not buy their product as they are always telling us we have to do.

Let’s see if it motivates them to write better.

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Why do Leafs fans hate the local sports media? All you need to know is summarized below in this excerpt from Steve Simmon’s latest column:

A scout wondered last night why it is always the Leafs who seem to be rolling the dice. They tried this with Owen Nolan, who was expensive to acquire and about as popular on the Leafs as early morning practices. They tried it with Jason Blake, who went from a college team to several pro teams with the same knock against him.

General managers always seem to think they can turn someone else’s problem into their own gem. That’s why Todd Bertuzzi keeps getting work. That’s why at least four teams — Nashville, the Rangers and Minnesota are the other suitors — have been kicking the tires on Kessel.

1. Attribute a questionable management practice as being ALWAYS tried by the Leafs? Check.
2. Unnamed anonymouis scout or GM from a rival team (who obviously has no vested interest in saying bad things about an opponent)? Check
3 Contradicting your logic in your own column mere sentances later? Check (If the Leaf’s ALWAYS do this why is Todd Bertuzzi not a Leaf (ditto Sean Avery, Alex Kovalev, Ray Emery, Dany Heatley, etc, etc,)

No wonder Brian Burke is so surly with these guys.

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There was a time a long time a go that Mats Sundin played hockey for the Quebec Nordiques. It was a team featuring future stars like Joe Sackic and aging vets like Ron Hextsall.

One memorable playoff series featured the Canadiens and the Nordiques (all series between the two teams were memorable and usually full of the type of truculence that Brian Burke can only dream about) in 1993 had then Nordiques coach Pierre Page flipping out at his players and Mats Sundin in particular.

There is a short clip on youtube of part of his diatribe after pulling goalie Ron Hextall which you can see here:

But as the game wound down I distinctly remember Page again walking up to Sundin and really tearing a strip of him. Does anyone remember this? Anyone got a clip? And what in the world could he have said to Sundin?

My theory:

“You will never win a Stanley Cup in this league”

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This has been linked all over the Barilkosphere but in case you haven’t looked at it, do yourself a favour and spare 3 minutes and 43 seconds to hear Hitler’s take on the whole Dany Heatley mess.

The bit from 2:38 to about 2:52 is absolutely priceless. I am still laughing at it.

Hat tip

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Interviewed on Prime Time Sports tonight (Fan 590 and Rogers Sportsnet) Toronto Maple Leafs Coach Ron Wilson let the (Swedish) cats out of the bag (so to speak).

Whilst being interviewed by Bob McCown and Globe and Mail writer (and Nick Cave hater) Jeff Blair the talk turned to Burkies intentional drafting of large North American blunderbusses over svelte European baby faces.

Wilson talked about the difference between the two types equating the Euro players to fast pricey sports cars and North Americans to Pick-Ups (you but them for completely different purposes) and then went on to say something which clearly caught McCown and Blair off guard:

“And I think y’know that’s where we find ourselves with the Leafs. I mean your hearing right now.. sounds very contradictory but ,,,there is a real possiblity I would think that we are going after the Sedins, let’s just speculate there…”

McCown immediately took off his headphone and started whispering to Blair. I don’t read lips very well. but it looked like “not supposed to say that, something something”  (maybe he meant tampering?) meantime Wilson moved on to talking about KAdri (unprompted) and was saying how Dale Hunter says that Wilson will love him as a player.

But Blair went right back to the Sedins and asked a follow up question saying that it would address the need to upgrade the top line in one fell swoop.

Wilson I think realized he had made a boo boo because he started umming and ahhing and qualifying that the Sedins might be looking at a lot of other teams.

McCown’s final question was around the risk of the Sedins coming in one package. To which Wilson said that he might have been concerned if they had gotten Braydon Schenn because you respond to what is happening to your brother good or bad.

He also said that the Sedins would be fun to have on a team because of their ability to cycle and their ability to play with any players big or small.

So looks like Burkie is intent on bringing the ginger twins to the “Mapes” and I must say I am starting to warm to the idea. I think it was Bill Watters on Leafs Lunch or whomever Howard was talking to on Hockey Central (John Garrett?) today that pointed out that the Sedins are 80 point a year players who might be available for less than 6 million whereas there are plenty of players who are similar in point totals but are making 7-8 million per year (I think Mats Sundin would have fallen into that category as well as Scott Gomez). When you put  it that way the Sedins look like a decent  pick up for a decent price.

Listen to the Ron Wilson interview here

Update: Berger (yes I am actually linking to Berger) says if the Sedins don’t sign with Vancouver then they’re Leafs property tomorrow

I spoke to a well-known executive of a Western Conference team this evening, who happened to be listening, on line, to THE FAN-590 during the noon hour today. Though I do not advocate Burke spending mega-dollars at this premature stage of the Maple Leafs’ restructuring, I ended the HOCKEY CENTRAL AT NOON program by offering a gut instinct: That if Swedish twins Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin are available on the open market at 12 o’clock tomorrow — thereby remaining unsigned by the Vancouver Canucks — they’ll both be members of the Blue & White by 3 p.m.

Berger also says something that I tend to agree with:

I’ve suggested Burke wait at least one more summer before taking the plunge. It’s conceivable that Henrik and Daniel could nudge the Leafs into playoff territory after a four-year absence, but they could also struggle in the absence of a supporting cast. Better, in my mind, to play the living daylights out of youngsters such as Jiri Tlusty, Christian Hanson, Tyler Bozak, Nikolai Kulemin and (potentially) Mikhail Grabovski, all of which will assume secondary roles to the Sedins in key offensive situations.

I have the same concerns and also what about the development of John Freaking Mitchell?

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Leaf haters even one of your own knows what’s coming.

We are going to be bigger and tougher. No matter what it costs us, we are going to be bigger and tougher. This is how my teams play, like it or not.” - Burke, yesterday.

In other words, the Leafs are eventually going to be relevant, and they will skate into your building and punch your prettiest players in the face. Burke will happily employ guys whom he refers to as “the beef,” and they won’t be out there to be liked. Unless, of course, you are one of the people wearing Doug Gilmour jerseys. Then, your cheers will drown out the locals on a good night.

“I think Toronto is the most important hockey market in the NHL,” Burke said yesterday.

Love him or hate him, he is right. And once he has transformed the Toronto Maple Leafs into a contender and into a bully, he will be proven even more correct.

The rest: Making the Maple Leafs more hateable

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

There are plenty of Leaf haters out there both in the media and fans of other teams. Many are unabashedly reveling in the current state of the organization but are still annoyed at the loyalty and insufferable (to them) optimism of Leaf Nation. Here’s a little warning: If you think we are annoying and insufferable now. Wait till we get competitive again and if you think that will be bad you better hope and pray the team doesn’t win a Cup. Leaf Fans: I can’t wait to rub everyone of their collective noses in it. Can you?

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On his scouting department:

“I hate the guys all year then sit on their ass on draft day.”

Wow he really hates his scouts doesn’t he? Read the whole thing here:

The Canadian Press: Leafs general manager Brian Burke heading into NHL draft with open mind

For the record his exact quote should have read “I hate the guys to work all year and then sit there on their ass on draft day”

Update: It’s now about 10 hours since I posted this and CP still hasn’t corrected the quote. It’s unintentionally funny but geez…

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“We had a passive group, all year long our trainer was on the ice,” Burke said at Mohawk Racetrack where he was the guest drawmaster for Saturday’s $1.5 million North America Cup harness race. “We are going to be a much more hostile group.

“We will be tougher. I’m not watching this again.”

First off. Burke was just 15 mins up the road from me and no one told me? I could have invited him over for slabs of brisket pork and smokey barbequed turkey. Maybe next time

But in all seriousness you doncha’ just love Burkies attitude? He’s not talking about winning more games or making the playoffs his priority first is to make the Leafs an absolute nightmare to play against. And at the same time isn’t this a bit of a shot at the supposed tough guys we had last year? Jamal Mayers we’re looking at you. I guess it didn’t seem like it was a critical issue to me last year but that is probably because the Maple Leafs haven’t really been a tough team to play against in the physical department since Roberts decamped to Florida at exactly 12:01 of the free agent signing period some years ago.

The great thing about this is the Leafs were pretty entertaining last year despite their awful record so even if they finish with roughly the same number of points this season they are going to be even more entertaining to watch and less fun for other teams to play against. Remember that game in Montreal when Grabovski was practically challenging the entire Canadiens bench? How recklessly will he act if he actually has some muscle to back him up? Recall if you will that in future games after that both Guy Carbonneau and Bob Gainey decided it would be prudent to match lines by putting Georges Laraque on whenever Grabovski was on the ice. For some reason or other this brilliant move garnered neither of them a Jack Adams nomination.

Here’s a second gem from our newest favoritest GM:

When I do go to mass on Sunday, I pray for our goaltending,” Burke said.

Hopefully that includes a prayer that Jonas “the Monster” Gustavsson is in God’s plans for the Maple Leafs.

BTW has anyone noticed that there has been a real dearth of rumors around what trades or moves the Leafs have in mind coming up this summer? This is potentially the most important off season for the Leafs in quite some time yet the papers and radio haven’t talked a lot about what the LEafs might do. Tomas Kaberle and Pavel Kubina are both trade eligible because their no trade clauses are void during the off season if the Leafs didn’t make the playoffs but we don’t hear a peep about what might happen to them. Last year the papers regularly had stories speculating as to where they might land. This year nothing. In fact the only time a story seems to appear is when Burke is directly quoted in public.

Could it be that Burke has finally clamped down on what was one of the leakiest front offices in the League? IF so there are going to be a lot of bored reporters around.

source

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Over the past 24 ours the local papers and sports media have been all atwitter (this is a real word and predates the ADHD microblogging trend) about the NHL actually meeting with a group that would like to bring a second NHL Team to Toronto.

The hockey mad Greater Toronto Area could certainly support one, possibly two more teams but where the commentators are wrong in my opinion is the assumption that a second pro team would have cheaper ticket prices than the Maple Leafs.

The Maple Leafs are able to charge what they charge because of extremely high demand. There are over 5 million people in the GTA and only 18,819 seats at Air Canada Center. Scalpers still get double the face value for tickets to Leafs games despite the fact that most seats cost over 100.00 and the team has been decidedly uninspiring over the past three years. So the market is telling us that the Leafs tickets are actually underpriced based on demand.

The addition of another NHL team would only add another 18,000 seats (roughly) to the market. This is not a huge amount. Why then would they have to be the cheaper alternative? While certainly the new team (when, not if it arrives) wont have the tradition of the Leafs there is still a huge market for NHL hockey here. Expecting that this team will have to charge 39.00 a ticket plus free beer and pizza is ridiculous.

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For the past few years Leafs fans have had to endure the torment of watching a bunch of wholly undeserving teams compete for a prize that we all know rightly belongs here in the Centre of the Universe.

Usually we “adopt” a team to cheer for in the absence of the mighty Blue and White. Some go with a Canadian team. Some cheer for the biggest underdog. Some will pick a team that has never won the Stanley Cup before (this has been my typical modus-operandi). This year however I have adapted a new method to determine who to cheer for which is entirely different and rooted solely in loyalty to the the Maple Leafs even if they aren’t playing.

Allow me to explain. As Leaf fans we are continually exposed to derision, scorn and ridicule on an almost daily basis and not just from the local sports writers but also from fans of other teams.

Any article written online on the major sports sites about the Leafs will generate a ton of comments and if you peruse them it will become quite obvious that a lot of people hate the Leafs more than anything in the world except for one thing: Leaf Fans.  Whatever someone feels about the team the fans themselves bring out a level of hatred that makes Bush Derangement Syndrome look like a moderate and mild neuroses.

You can work someone into a froth just by admitting you are a leaf fan. It seems to drive people crazy just by the fact that you actually exist. And of course the main club we get beaten with over and over again? 1967. We haven’t won a cup in over 40 years and fans of other teams and sports media remind us of that fact over and over and over again.

So I got to thinking. There are a lot of teams that haven’t won a cup in a long time.  Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia. Why should we be the only ones subject to such a unique level of scorn just because our team hasn’t won one lately.

With that in mind my new strategy for Leafless playoff watching is as follows: I don’t want any teams to win who haven’t won a cup for a long time. I don’t mind that we haven’t won in 42 years but I don’t want the other long term losers ending their drought before we do.

Therefore Leaf fans let me now present a brand new way to cheer in the playoffs and still stick it to Leaf haters.

As it stands right now  here are the teams that are in the playoffs today with their last cup win in brackets. If they haven’t won a cup the year they entered the NHL will be listed and then the number of years they have been without a cup.

Anaheim (last won the cup in 2007)  years since last win (2)

Boston (1972)  (37)

Chicaco (1961) (48)

Carolina ( 2006) (3)

Calgary (1989)  (20)

Detroit (2008) (1)

New York (1994) (15)

New Jersey (2003) (6)

Montreal (1993) (16)

Philadelphia (1975) (34)

Pittsburgh ( 1992) (17)

Teams with no cups:

Columbus (entered the league in 2000) (Years without a cup 9)

San Jose (1991)  ( 18)

Saint Louis (1967) (42)

Vancouver (1970) (39)

Washington (1974) (35)

Take a good look at that list Leaf fans. With the exception of very few teams most of these groups have droughts almost as long as the Leafs. And in one case longer!

That’s right the Black Hawks have been without a cup for 48 freakin years.  Is there a book out called 1961?

How about Boston with 37 years. And hey look at perennially overrated Calgary who have won only one cup and that was 20 years ago. Or Vancouver not a single cup in their entire 39 year existence. And best of all St.. Louis. they haven’t won a cup since… 1967!!!! From now on when someone brings up 1967 just look and them and say “your taking about the Blues, right?”

None of these teams will end their drought if I have anything to do with it.  I will cheer for the Detroit Redwings to crush the drought quenching dreams of the fans of any team that dares to cross their path. If Detroit is gone I will cheer for Anaheim. then Carolina then New Jersey.

See how this works. I don’t care about any of these teams in the grand scheme of things so I feel no great emotion cheering for Detroit or the Ducks except for their ability to keep the Stanley Cup away from those other losers.

Here are my teams I will cheer for in order of the last time they won a cup. If Detroit gets eliminated I will cheer for Anaheim then Carolina etc etc.

Detroit

Anaheim

Carolina

New Jersey

Columbus

New York

Montreal *

Pittsburgh

San Jose **

Calgary ***

Philadelphia

Washington

Vancouver

Boston

St Louis (1967!!!)

Chicago

* Montreal is an exception to this rule. I don’t think there is anyway possible I could cheer for Montreal and besides Boston is crushing them.

** In a way I want San Jose to lose in the first round to the Ducks if only to keep the local sports writers from using it as a club to attack Ron Wilson with since he never won a playoff round with the Ducks.

*** I will have to really think hard about cheering for Calgary since I never cheer for any other Canadian team.

So there you have it leaf nation you must cheer for Detroit  to repeat this year and all the other teams and their fans can suck it. 

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How pathetic is it that in all of North America the only decent announcer (aside from Joe Bowen) is a seventy six year old Newfie?

I am watching the Boston Montreal game and that’s the first thing I thought of.

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The Maple Leafs president and general manager said this morning that no matter where the lottery balls end up following tonight’s draft lottery, he will aggressively attempt to move up to get a shot at the consensus top pick, London Knights sniper John Tavares.

“Whoever has the top couple of picks, we are going to go after them,” Burke said. “We will start planting the seeds understanding that it will be a long process.

“We are going to talk to everyone between us and the first pick to see what the landscape is.”

Burke said he will pick up salary, deal picks and young prospects, whatever it might take to get a shot at the junior sensation, who is expected to go No. 1 overall when the draft is held this June in Montreal.

If getting Tavares is so important why did you ice a team that wasn’t near bad enough to compete for a lottery pick? I am sure you could have made more deals at the deadline and banished some players to the Marlies if Tavares is your ultimate goal. In fact we were in a lottery position in the last game of the year. All we had to do was lose it. Couldn’t some players have mysteriously been ill? Now you will have to trade away assets to get him (or at least a crack at him)

Question #2 What makes you so confident at this point that any team will be willing to part with the consensus number one player in the draft and a possible franchise player for years to come? Do you know something we don’t? Has someone from Tavares’ camp made it be known through back channels that he has no intention of reporting to the Isles, Thrashers, Lightening or Avs if they get the magic #1 ball? If not why be so blatant in your intent? In this market you have set your self up for failure if you don’t land him. If I am a rival GM I am licking my chops at the price I can extract from you - unless I already know that Tavares ain’t coming and have to salvage the situation.

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Reaction here.

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Because the logic of Cox Bloc is truly impeccable.

Fun Fact: I was a Habs fan all my young life until I moved to Toronto and eventually (somewhere around 1989) became a Leafs fan.

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the book is apparently aimed at fans who thought the Macleans article from last year was great, but just wished it had been 200 pages longer and written by two NBA beat reporters. It features a front cover with a Leaf fan wearing a bag over his head and a very clever “$19.67″ price starburst, which we should all appreciate now since it will be covered by an “80% off” sticker by November.

This from Down Goes Brown who has a hilarious posting up eviscerating the upcoming book from Dave Feschuck which is supposedly directed towards Leaf Fans but we all know who the real market is: The anti-leaf nation.

Bonus: Down Goes Brown’s fake Brian Burke twitter account is loved by the media and it should be.

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The honeymoon (if there ever was one) is fast drawing to a close. Pat Burns was not as crusty with the local scribes and they were pretty tough on him over the course of his tenure. Ron is currently safe in his position but three years from now expect this relationship to be a lot more frayed.

Howard’s bleating near the end of “you question our integrity all the time” seems somewhat misplaced. Can anyone remember Ron questioning the integrity of the local sports media? Can we get an example?

Video via Pension Plan Puppets who has lots more on this (and the actual game itself)

Update: Berger’s self serving response dissected here at Toronto Sports Media Blog

Update II: lots of reaction from the Barilkosphere here, and here

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Brian Burke

You could probably make a case that Brian Burke is not the absolute best GM to rebuild an NHL team. You might be right. However Burke is one of the top GM’s in the league and there are very few GMs that the Leafs could have had that would have been better. Sure Ken Holland in Detroit and maybe David Poile in Nashville would have been superior choices but neither was a remote possibility and Burke is probably one of the top 5 GMs in hockey. His arrival has instantly put an end to one of the annoying TSM (Toronto Sports Media - the hive not the excellent blog) meme that the Leafs “have no plan”. Burke has a plan - he wants his team to be tougher, bigger, meaner and more competitive. Or as he put it “truculent” (I looked that up, it has nothing to do with trucks). Whether Burke can bring the leafs to a championship is hard to predict. However he will without any doubt fashion this team into a solid top tier contender that will be knocking on the door within 5 years. Equally as important he will build a team that will be nasty and that other teams will flat out hate to play against.

Burke’s other great talent (aside from hockey mgt) is his ability to handle the media. There are few GMs who can stomach the relentless pressure of living in a hockey mad city with three newspapers, three sports TV networks and two radio stations devoting coverage to the Leafs (rumor has it that Poile wouldn’t entertain overtures from the Leafs for that very reason). Burke is one of them. One of the interesting things that we we’ve learned is that he is pretty consistent in his message. And he has a sense of confidence about him that JFJ didn’t. This is important because once the media smells blood you’re done in this town.

Burke also has gone out of his way to make the players feel they are being treated fairly. Calling some players up to allow other teams to claim them (which in part may have been contract juggling) and steadfastly refusing to ask players to waive NTCs has certainly put an end to any speculation as to what might happen to certain players and may be setting the table to attract premier free agents this year, not just over the hill types who want to finish out their careers as overpaid pseudo-saviors in Toronto

He’s also shown that he is willing to change his mind - now saying that Kaberle could very well be a key piece going forward.

His performance at the trade deadline wasn’t dramatic but he told everyone that it wouldn’t be. His real test will come in the upcoming (and future) draft as well as the free agent market.

Ron Wilson

As evidenced by the performance of this team over the past two games without Antropov, Moore, Kaberle and (last night) Toskala. Wilson can flat out coach. Most teams would have bailed when missing a few key components but Wilson coaxed a victory and an ot loss out of them for three out of four possible points against two bona-fide Cup contenders.

In addition (which is no help to Tank Nation) he has taken a team bereft of Mats Sundin and Brian McCabe and despite some pretty shoddy goaltending fashioned the same point total that Paul Maurice’s “playoff guaranteed” squad had at this point last year.

Wilson has no qualms about sitting players, effectively ending the cult of worship that previously existed which kept any criticism of players under wraps while the city at large adored them. Players now feel the unflinching eye of the entire city focused upon them if they don’t perform. And Wilson is right. In an era of multi-millionaire star players there is precious little a coach can do to turn a player around. It seems that public shaming as distasteful as it might be to some certainly has worked. Case in point: Jason Blake who has recovered his scoring touch and could crack 30 goals this year after a miserable start. Case in point two: Matt Stajan who was banished to the press box earlier this year and returned to begin putting up career numbers.

Wilson’s acerbic style may wear thin sooner than later but for the moment he is the best coach for this team. As the talent level upgrades expect to see a climb in the standings.

John Mitchell

Earlier in the season during a game against the Rangers John Mitchell took control of the game in the third period and led the Leafs to a stunning victory over what was then a very hot Rangers squad. He seemed to disappear after that (I believe he did have an shoulder injury for a while) and toiled on the fourth line until the trade of Domenic Moore elevated him over the past two games and he has been a key contributor in both contests. Mitchell has shown flashes of brilliance in the offensive zone. When he is on his game he controls the play and is able to stickhandle in a phone book. More importantly he doesn’t panic. His heads up play which led to Kubina’s goal last night was a tantalizing example of what might be expected if Mitchell can continue to hone his craft. Worst case scenario he will be an excellent third line center. Best case he could be a top six power forward. Neither of those options is a bad thing.

Jiri Tlusty

Around the time Brian Burke rode into town I figured Jiri Tlusty would be a goner. His stints with the leafs were uninspired to say the least. He often looked lost. It didn’t help that he was bounced back and forth between the Marlies and the big club either. When Burke arrived my prediction was that Tlusty would be shipped out as a throw in as part of a larger deal.

But what a difference two months make. Tlusty was sent to the Marlies permanently and has responded by tearing up the AHL. Several media types have been saying he is the best player in the AHL right now. Tlusty has been scoring at a torrid pace and has 56 points in 50 games. Many of those have come in February where he was AHL player of the month. In that span Tlusty had 12 goals and 23 points in 11 games. He matched a franchise record with four assists in a win over Grand Rapids on Feb. 8 and set a team mark by scoring five goals against Syracuse 10 days later. Not to be outdone he then had a 6 point game on March 4th shattering his earlier record and helping his team defeat the Providence Bruins 6-4 (Tukka Rask gave up all 6 in case you are wondering).

Currently Tlusty stands 11th in AHL scoring but only two other players in the top ten are young enough to be called true prospects. The others are all 25 and over and are more or less AHL lifers. If Tlusty can translate his production to the NHL he will instantly crack one of the top two lines for the Leafs next year.

Luke Schenn

Despite the mutterings of a certain Toronto Star columnist Schenn is not, nor has he been touted as an offensive defenseman. Schenn is a rugged stay at home defender who plays with poise beyond his years and has plenty of runway to develop into a bonafide superstar. Considering that most defensemen don’t hit their stride till age 24-25 one wonders just how good this kid can get. Expect a sophomore step back next year but he could very well be the future captain of this franchise.

High Draft Picks
A lottery pick would be nice and don’t discount Burkie making a trade up on draft day to get into the top five or top two but still this year’s depth in the draft means there will be plenty of good players left in slots 5-9. and if the rebuild continues into 2010 there’s this kid with the Windsor Spitfires named Taylor Hall…..

College Free Agents

Not bound by the entry level contract rules Burke can aggressively go out and pursue players from the College market and rumors are that he intends to do so. The Leafs are in a position to outbid many teams because of their cap room and because of the financial challenges that currently are hitting several teams. A free agent signing or two on this front would further add prospects that don’t require trades or tanking to acquire. Potential acquisitions on the college front are: University of Denver sophomore sniper Tyler Bozak, University of North Dakota senior and 2007 Hobey Baker recipient Ryan Duncan, Boston University senior defenseman and Hobey Baker candidate Matt Gilroy, and Notre Dame senior center Christian Hanson.

Cap Space Galore

More than top draft picks or prospects it seems that the biggest thing on GM’s shopping list these days is cap space, lots of cap space. And for the first time since the cap era began the Leafs have plenty. 17 million at this point and possibly more if they shed more contracts this summer. Burke says he intends to be very aggressive on the free agent front and I hope that means free agent signings and turning the screws on cash strapped teams through RFA offer sheets. Jay Boumeister and Mike Cammalleri seem to be the two best on the market this year and I don’t know if the Leafs are willing to pay what Jay Bo is looking for but if Burke deals Kubina or Kaberle he would certainly have the money to get in the game.

Kaberle/Kubina

The final two players remaining from the infamous “Muskoka 5″ of last year both would prefer to stay in Toronto and Burke has spoken positively of both players. But they are both eligible to be traded this summer and if he gets the right offer expect Burke to pull the trigger. Kaberle is the most affordable and is a rare commodity in this league ( puck moving defenseman) however he has looked shaky this year and some feel he hasn’t been the same since his concussion last season. Kubina is rounding into his late season post deadline form and using his blistering shot to great advantage. However Pavel makes 5 million and if it takes another 1.5 to get Jay Bo it might be a no-brainer for Burke. If both remain they are still excellent defenders with a lot of life left in them. Win-win.

The return of the Battle of Ontario:

Since the lockout the provincial rivalry between the Leafs and the Ottawa Senators has lost some luster with the teams (before this season) going in opposite directions. However if the Senators commit to a rebuild we could see both teams gradually improving along similar time lines which should make for increasingly competitive games and perhaps playoff meetings as early as three years from now. The Battle of the Rebuilds will be awesome.

One more for a bonus:

Farewell to Schadenfreude

There are plenty of leaf haters out there both in the media and fans of other teams. Many are unabashedly reveling in the current state of the organization but are still annoyed at the loyalty and insufferable (to them) optimism of Leaf Nation. Here’s a little warning: If you think we are annoying and insufferable now. Wait till we get competitive again and if you think that will be bad you better hope and pray the team doesn’t win a Cup. Leaf Fans: I can’t wait to rub everyone of their collective noses in it. Can you?

* Possibly not included in recent FTBs because of “repellently right wing views”

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