I have many mixed feelings about how the Leafs rebuilding process is going. As many hockey personalities know, the Leafs have never been a team that built their success through the NHL entry draft.
Thus, when they selected Luke Schenn with the fifth-overall pick in the 2008 draft, I was absolutely thrilled. I thought they were finally onto the right track of how to rebuild and make their team stronger.
Around that same time, I recall watching the morning edition of Sportsnet, and finding out that the Toronto Maple Leafs had placed Darcy Tucker, Kyle Wellwood, and Andrew Raycroft on waivers. As much as I enjoy watching these players play the game of hockey—Tucker with his relentless grit, Wellwood with his magician-like puckhandling, and Raycroft's timely saves—none of them have aided the organization like anyone thought they would.
After this exceptional start, I begin thinking that the Leafs are actually going to take the right steps in rebuilding the franchise—maybe signing a big name to replace Sundin, or maybe even trading some of the slow and inconsistent D-Men for quick and powerful offensemen.
But despite these thoughts, low and behold—the next few days I see reports on some of the deals the Leafs have executed, including acquiring Jamal Meyers, Mikhail Grabovski, Niklas Hagman, Curtis Joseph, and re-signing Dominic Moore and John Mitchell. If they plan to make a run for the Cup by acquiring rookies, tough guys, and formerly retired goalies, they are seriously mistaken.
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Now I like Cujo just as much as the next person. However, when I look around the league I see players that I remember playing on one of Team Canada's dominant junior teams from a few years back—who are now some of the biggest names in hockey. Names like Sidney Crosby, Mike Richards, Ryan Getzlaf, Patrice Bergeron, Dion Phaneuf, Johnahan Toews, Corey Perry, Shea Weber, Karl Alzner, Steve Downie, Andrew Cogliano, Sam Gagner, Kyle Chipchura, Marc Staal, Kristopher Letang, Cam Barker—the list goes on and on.
This is my problem with Cujo being signed: If you look on the Toronto Marlies roster, you will see a goaltender by the name of Justin Pogge. This young man, if you remember, was the number-one goaltender on Team Canada for the 2006 World Junior Hockey Championships. If you also remember, he won every single game for them in that tournament—albeit, with a pretty outstanding offense and defense helping him—and he did it without letting in a single goal.
The fact that Pogge is still in the minor leagues while his major-league team is signing formerly-retired goalies instead of bringing him up is a joke. The Leafs are throwing this kid's talent away without even giving him close to a fair chance at proving himself in the big time. Even using Pogge as a backup would get him up with the big club and allow him to play a game here and there, giving Toskala a break and Pogge the chance to gain some very helpful experience.
This kid was a first-round draft pick, and he hasn't played a single regular-season game with the Leafs. The fact that they struggle finding consistent goaltending should have them bringing him up to Toronto on a regular basis, if not keeping him there.
Out of all the problems I have with the Leafs organization, that is my biggest. There is no way a goalie chosen in the first round of the NHL entry draft—by a team that has difficulty year after year in finding consistent and solid goaltending—should still be waiting to don the jersey of his NHL team for this long. Especially when there is a vacant spot for a backup goaltender on the squad.
If I was in Cliff Flethcer's shoes the day Raycroft was released to waivers, I would have called Pogge up from the minors in five seconds. Mind you, I would've called him up last year, when Toskala and Raycroft were sucking it up.
E-mail me with your thoughts bo-sox_93@hotmail.com
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about 1 month ago
for 1 toskala lit it up last year, and 2 he wasnt a first round draft pick he was a third or fourth round draft pick, let him play a full season as a starter in the minors before you cry about him not being in the NHL
from about 1 month ago
I agree. Toskala is a Top 10 goalie in my opinion, and with Vesa there is no need to rush Pogge and screw him up. Sure, montreal rushed Carey Price and its worked out pretty well, but in most cases its better to give goalies time to develop.
about 1 month ago
I agree with you Matt, Pogge should be backing Toskala, I didn't see Price staying in the minors that long...put him in and see, what good is it to keep him in the minors so long, and this will be what his 3th year? Not only that if he does work out, you have a trading commodity in Toskala.
toSPORTS.ca
about 1 month ago
First with the departure of a number of former encumbents in the locker room and potential departure of more the signing of mayers makes sense a no nonsense player with a positive attitude who will be a steadying force in the locker room of the franchises new youthful look. Joseph as a backup at 700,000 is perfect he showed in the Spengler Cup tourney and with Calgary he can still play and he will also provide a much needed professional example for the youth, Further their is no need to throw Pogge in the mix just yet as next year could be a wild one with a defence in flux, that kind of rushing a player can ruin them especially a goalie.
Hagman plays an uptempo man on you kind of game and he can be a complete pain in the butt to play against further on an offensively thin roster like Toronto's he bound to see more ice time then in Dallas and I believe we will see results. Grabovski Brilliant very quick and good hands Creative as well he to will have a better chance for Ice time which may also yield very nice results. Moore ad Mitchell may be cosidered depth players but you could do worse.
I want to go on record and say Kulemin will contend for the Calder trophy I have been watching him for 2 years+ and he has a very complete game and great attitude.
Adam E
Top Shelf Jerseys
about 1 month ago
i no what your saying but cujo just wants one more year in the NHL and the way he wanted to retire is playing his last seasons wearing blue and white....watch this year toskala will get hurt and pogge will come up and play for 5-10 and if he shows his stuff he will be on the leafs 2009-2010 squad..
Mitch.
about 1 month ago
ok first of all, it's "lo and behold" not low and behold.
secondly you have no idea what you're talking about, the leafs obviously aren't building a cup contender for next year, but a solid foundation for the future.
also toskala is one of the best in the league, if you think cujo or any backup is going to get any kind of playing time next year, you're not being reasonable.
what the hell good would it do pogge to sit on the bench for 80 games?
about 1 month ago
I somewhat agree..but i think it's better Pogge play 60+ in the minors. The speed is the same, the chances are the same, the only difference is consistency and accuracy in terms of snipes..either way i think its better pogge see more shots in the ahl..on another note..Pogge was not a first round draft pick. Rask was..Pogge was a third rounder at 90th overall.
about 1 month ago
No team ever brings in a young goalie to sit on the bench behing a starter who is going to play 65+ games in a season, which Toskala will. If these moves dont prove that writing is on the wall that Fletcher is keeping the Leafs in a holding pattern until Bryan Burke arrives next year, I dont know what does. Theyre going young, theyre going to lose...a lot. Theyre planning for the future.
about 1 month ago
Pogge wasnt a first round pick. And would u rather have him on the bench backing up for 70 games or playing for the marlies and being the starter
about 1 month ago
I see we have another Mitch scribe,so I best be careful.
I love reading the write ups of each and everyone of you,but please, if you do not agree, or the guy makes a mistake in his writing,...drop the name calling.
As for "Pogge",.. someone, must know he is not ready,but I would like to see him playing a couple of games.
As for "Curtis Joseph",if he is given the same playing time as "Raycroft" we will have the same results,
what do you want for $700.000 plus 42.
Never mind guys,as far as the Leafs and there handling of Goalies over the years they may think "Bower" has a couple games left in him.
Matt,...you take care!.
about 1 month ago
Matt, I think you've confused "rebuilding" with "running for the Cup."
Signing a big name to replace Sundin, as you mentioned, would be a terrible way to rebuild. That's called a band-aid solution, and it would set the rebuild back.
You criticized Fletcher for bringing in rookies - well, that's exactly what a rebuild is about. You bring in young players and hope that in the near future, they will develop into core players. You don't bring in big names. You said the Leafs should be going for the Cup - that's the exact opposite of a rebuild. Rebuilding means you're going for a Cup a few years down the road, which means bringing in young players who can make an impact.
about 1 month ago
Toronto is still years from contending for the Cup, and all those outstanding players you mentioned have been locked up long term. This year's free agent class has been the weakest since before the lockout. Fletcher had few options and is building through youth. What should concern you is that many of these players cost draft picks. Buying out Tucker and Raycroft (Tucker was never put on waivers) is something of a mystery. Yes, Tucker had a down year, now the Leafs will pay him $1 million for the next six years to play somewhere else, Colorado it appears. As far Pogge, yes, a lot of people think he should be up with the big club...but not yet. Pogge's development will suffer if he is a backup at the ACC. Coach Wilson has indicated he will ride Toskala, look at 60+ games, and Pogge the chances Pogge would get to play would be few and far between. He has NO NHL experience, and yes, you have to get it somewhere, but let's also remember, Scott Clemensen, not Pogge carried the Marlies to the Calder Cup Finals. Pogge is still learning, and needs another year or two of development. Joseph provides a cheap, reliable planB should Toskala get hurt or need a break. Also with Sundin's future still undecided, Joseph's veteran presense is what Fletcher really needs. Unloading a lot of vets in favor of youth has it's cost. Pogge will get his chance, he is still a young guy and still learning!
about 1 month ago
matt u r a moron, the point of rebuilding is to sign young players for the future, and u had a ton of mistakes in ur post; pogge is not a first rounder he is a third rounder and if i wasn't mistaken I thinks he was 90th overall (i may be wrong but he is definatley in the third round), and u said that toskala was sucking it up last year were u joking cus the leafs wouldn't have won a single game if it weren't for toskala. Toskala is da man. And i think that cliff is going in the right direction, and a future superstar for the leafs to build around is nIKOLIA Kulemin. He is sick.
about 1 month ago
your an idiot, the cujo signing is the best one they made. Pogge is not ready to come up for another year, you dont want to rush him up to the nhl, so joseph is a perfect fit for one year. Hes a great leader, awsomer character, and will help the young guys out in the dressing room. He is also a fan favorite in toronto as he has his own charity there still, and he lives there with his family. Also cujo is not formerly retired, before you put up a story like this get your facts stragiht. Obviously you dont know much and dont watch enough about sports to write an article like this.
about 1 month ago
you have no idea what your talking about. he is not ready and good for cliff for understanding that he needs to be the full time starter for the marlies before he can back up or play with the maple leafs.
about 1 month ago
I agree. And while we're at it... why don't we put Luke Schenn on the big club as the 7th defenceman as well? If you sense sarcasm... then you're right! It always amazes me how people are so quick to rush young players into the NHL.
Now... let's talk about Pogge! He's 22 years old and has played less than 100 games in the AHL. While he has shown flashes of being a very good NHL goaltender he has not done anything to take away Toskala's job as #1 with the Leafs.
Speaking of Toskala, he didn't play his first full NHL game until he was 25. Other notable NHL goalies were also in their mid twenties when they played in the NHL for the first time. Mikka Kiprusoff was 24. Ryan Miller was 22 when the Sabres first brought him up in 2002-2003. He played 15 games that season and basically played two full seasons with the Rochester Americans before being brought back up in 2005 at the age of 25!
My point... not every goalie is a Roberto Luongo, Carey Price, or even Felix Potvin and jumps into the NHL at 20 or 21. Let's hope that he's like Toskala, Kiprusoff, or Miller and just needs a little time to develop.
about 1 month ago
Cujo is a good bridge for Pogge, Pogge can develop in the minors and become the backup after this year, Pogge needs more time to develop in the minors.
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