Being a Maple Leafs Fan is difficult.
The team has been bad for year and has become hard to defend against its critics.
Getting a seat at the Air Canada Centre is about as easy as a sobriety test on New Year’s.
And since Pat Quinn’s most recent attempt at the Stanley Cup, draft picks have been traded away at a furious rate.
However, like the start of every year, this one was supposed to be different. There were changes in the offseason that seemed to be pretty good for once. Forty-goal scorer Jason Blake was brought in to add some firepower, and the talented Vesa Toskala was acquired from San Jose to relieve the much maligned Andrew Raycroft from the net.
Since Blake was a free agent, and Toskala was traded for draft picks—again—the core of the team remained pretty much the same, leading the fans to believe that a Cup was due anytime now.
But so far, this season has not played out as many had envisioned, and the hopeful exuberance surrounding this Leafs team has rapidly diminished into cries of discontent.
The season started like most, with a modest win-to-loss ratio, but the one feature of this season that remains most alarming is overtime points. This Toronto team seems disturbingly prone to picking up points from overtime and shootout losses.
So far this season, the Leafs have picked up eight points from overtime losses, which is the only thing keeping them in any type of playoff contention in the tightly-packed Eastern Conference.
More importantly, it seems that the Leafs are prone to going to overtime so much because they are unable to hold a lead in the third period. Countless times, this team has gone into the final frame with the advantage on the scoreboard, only to watch it vanish before ultimately losing the game in overtime or the shootout.
It’s hard to actually pinpoint what the exact problem is. It might be that John Ferguson Jr. hasn’t been able to put together a formidable lineup, or it might be that Paul Maurice is not able coach this team into contention.
Even worse, it might just be that beloved captain Mats Sundin is worn out.
His 20 goals, 28 assists and +11 at the midpoint might not indicate that his talent is declining, but dealing with the Toronto media and the constant scrutiny this team has endured may be taking its toll after 13 long years.
Maybe, just maybe, its possible that Sundin can’t effectively lead this team anymore despite playing some very good hockey now and being an amazing captain over the years.
Again though, it’s hard to know exactly what the problem is. It might be one of these factors, a combination thereof, or maybe something completely different—nobody really knows for sure.
What we do know is this—so far this year, the Toronto Maple Leafs are not a Stanley Cup contender. What should be done is not easy for many to swallow—especially the General Manager, whose job hinges on making the playoffs‚ but it is still clear. This team needs to rebuild.
Sundin can be traded at the deadline this year for a premium, much like we saw Forsberg, and Smyth last year. Draft picks can be re-acquired, and prospects can be restocked.
Over the past few years, teams like Pittsburgh, Chicago, Phoenix, and St. Louis have shown the benefits of what intelligent rebuilding can do. Pittsburgh and Chicago made their turnarounds in only a year—and while they aren’t Cup contenders just yet, they are still very competitive and exciting to watch.
Until some kind of change happens in Toronto, though, the Maple Leafs will continue to be trapped within a quagmire of mediocrity, just waiting and hoping throughout another painful spring.
5 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Anonymous about 1 year ago
belive leafs it will turn around critics you watch
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
This is the most inaccurate stiry about the leafs I have ever read.
This guys hasn't got a clue, "Again though, it’s hard to know exactly what the problem is. It might be one of these factors, a combination thereof, or maybe something completely different—nobody really knows for sure. " Come on man!!!
There coach is primarily the problem, He can't find lines that have chemistry and he is afraid to make bold line changes or bench players for there terrible play. His System is the worst Defensive system in the league and the leafs are the only one who runs a Man to Man defense. Why Cuz it doesn't work!!!
"Over the past few years, teams like Pittsburgh, Chicago, Phoenix, and St. Louis have shown the benefits of what intelligent rebuilding can do. Pittsburgh and Chicago made their turnarounds in only a year—and while they aren’t Cup contenders just yet, they are still very competitive and exciting to watch. "
Pittsburgh and Chicago have been terrible for years!! there tunraround took years of top 5 draft choices to get it right. Pittsburgh and Chicago turned it around in a year. WHat league are you watching???
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Sith Willy about 1 year ago
leafs never have built for the future just for the suits in the platinum sections. Go to a red wings game and you'l see real people watching real players. Not suits watching matts work. I say move the whole franchise to Steeltown and start all over. After the NHL became more than 6 teams the laffs had done NOTHING!!!(and quit blaming gretzky!) It's frustrating being a leafs fan? Grow up!
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GroundTruth about 1 year ago
It is good Richard Peddie is traveling westcoast with the team and witnessing the mess created in the Maple Leafs Hockey franchise, the worst years in entire Maple Leaf’s 100 years history. Ironically this should be the best period for the Leafs considering strong Canadian dollar, the size of the city of Toronto, fan base and record revenue. With all these strengths, Maple Leafs should be undisputed powerhouse in NHL. But from the results and performance we see with the Leafs, one could imagine how pathetic and dysfunctional the Maple Leafs Organization is. Will these kind of things happen in New Jersey for 3 months, I don’t think so? But it is happening with Toronto Maple Leafs for last 3 years.
How can Peddie allow sorcerer’s apprentice JFJ to fire one of the NHL Winningest coach Pat Quinn for his (JFJ’s) mistakes? Peddie still keeps JFJ in the position despite missing two play-off and most likely third year in a row.
If Teacher’s Pension Fund really cares about their investment, it is the best time for them to get out of MSLE and allow some young entrepreneur’s with money to fill in their place. Otherwise eventually teacher’s Pension Fund will have to sell MSLE in yard sale, the same way Teacher’s bought Canada’s another mismanaged corporation BCE.
Maple Leafs need to be infused with new culture, passion for winning. It has to come from the top. If the owner’s and management are so complacent, how can we expect the coaches, players to have that? Say for example, Bryan McCabe get his work ethics and discipline from Maple Leafs organization. If McCabe goes to Detroit or New Jersey, he would be entirely different person. So it is wrong with McCabe or MSLE? Answer is simple, it is MSLE.
As long as the owners and top manage don’t realize that, Maple Leafs woes will continue to persist for many years.
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Nick Healey about 1 year ago
just to respond to anonymous....
1. you're right... i was a bit mistaken in saying that the pens and chicago turned it around in one year. I was more just saying that for emphasis, but still it didn;t take them that long to become legitmate teams... especially with the caseof chicago, two good draft years and then next thing you know, they are a solid team. also, the Flyers legitimately did turn their whole organization around in 1 year, so it can be done... and they did tht with the forsberg trade being a big part of it... this year the leafs could use sundin in the same way (although they still have way too many long term over priced contracts causing problems)
2. also, in the case of the coaching, well i agree to an extent, but paul maurice has gone to a stanley cup finals so he can't be THAT bad of a coach... i think much of the problem was due to the fact that the team JFJ put together was just not really suited to his style of coaching, so its a chicken or the egg sitution... is Maurice given the wrong team to work with or is he unable to coach a good team that JFJ put together... it is actually a bit hard to say, especially given that maurice has a better track record than JFJ. Also, Maurice has tried about every line combo in possible with this team, on the PP, SH or regular shifts and nothing seems to work out... he even threw Steen on the point for the PP the other day, so I wouldnt blame him for not trying different line combos, i think the team is just not complete enough.
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