Midway point of Toronto Maple Leafs' Season Brings More Questions Than Answers

As the NHL regular season approaches its halfway marker, teams and their fans get a chance to look back on the first half of the season, and judge their first half of the season accordingly.

Optimistic fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs will say, "Listen, we're only four points out of a playoff spot."

Pessimistic fans will say louder, "We are 13th place in the pathetic East! Burn the organization down. Fire Peddie, JFJ, and Paul Maurice! Tear up McCabe, Raycroft, and Kubina's contracts. Trade Sundin and Kaberle!"

Both views are extreme and quite unrealistic.

While the Leafs are only four points out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference, they are on pace to miss the playoffs again. Toronto would have to win close to 75 percent of their remaining games to make the postseason—and if you've watched this team, that statistic doesn't seem too comforting.

And although the performance of McCabe, Kubina, and Raycroft has been disappointing, their contracts are nearly impossible to dump.

The question really becomes this: For an organization that is as successful as the Toronto Maple Leafs (dollar-wise, the most valuable team in the NHL), is it okay that the team should be consistently fighting for the final playoff seed?

The answer is obviously no. The fans deserve better than that.

Here is my opinion on what must be done to fix this franchise. I do not see the Leafs being able to compete for the Stanley Cup in the near future. It will take a number of steps to fully re-form Toronto into a competitive team in the new NHL:

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1) John Ferguson Jr. must go. This team needs to get a fresh start under someone new. It doesnt make sense to rebuild under John, because he knows that if he doesnt make the playoffs, he loses his job. He will run this franchise deeper into the ground by making big deals for aging vets at the deadline to try reach for that eighth spot.

The Leafs must bring in a hockey mind who has had success in the new NHL. I would normally have said Brian Burke, like most Leaf fans, but after seeing what he has done to Anaheim this season by idly waiting for the return of Teemu Selane and Scott Neidermeyer, I would be reluctant to hire him.

 

2) Trade Sundin and others. I have all the respect in the world for Mats Sundin. I love watching him play, and he, is in my opinion, the greatest Leaf ever. However, we must recognize his peak in value right now. He is 36 years old, and is one of the top point getters in the NHL. Realistically, how long can that last? Are we getting any closer to a playoff spot because of him? We must stock up on draft picks and prospects, which leads to my next point...

 

3) Invest in a good scouting team. The Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, and Colorado Avalanche have all enjoyed success over the past two decades because of their excellent scouting. With a bundle of draft picks, the Leafs need a good team of experts to be able to make wise selections, unlike the recent history of the club.

 

4) Get a coach who can bring up young players, and can handle the Toronto media spotlight for a couple of down seasons. I don't know if Paul Maurice is an ideal candidate for that job.

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Until these steps are followed, I believe the Maple Leafs will remain a team that is consistently inconsistent.