Toronto Maple Leafs Chances are Slim to None

Toronto Maple Leaf fans are currently united in asking the one question, what has happened to their beloved Leafs and will there be any chance at making it through the rest of the season? Fans are also pretty united on the root of the problem, which would be the GM John Ferguson and his lack of good decision making.

The Toronto Maple Leafs has some strong players, as well as a good coach, but there are still some weak points in the line up, such as the defense. Many games that the Leafs won mostly can be credited to nearly flawless goaltending. Vesa Toskala can't carry the team for much longer and why should he? Thanks to John Ferguson he's making significantly less in salary then Andrew Raycroft who spends most of his time earning that by sitting on the bench.

Most NHL teams are owned by a single or small group of owners who care about the teams' success and are hockey fans themselves.  Unfortunately the Maple Leafs are owned by the Teachers Pension and are part of a corporation (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) that is more concerned about profit than the teams performance and the fans happiness.

Leaf fans not only pay for insanely overpriced tickets, but they also pay to watch the games on Leafs TV ( another great money grab from Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment). In addition, Leaf fans pay for the merchandise regardless if the Leafs are a cup contender or a basement dweller. The owners know this and choose to use it to their advantage. They invest as little as possible into the team to keep profits high.

With their strong fan base and financial resources there's simply no excuse to have a weak lineup, even though there is a salary cap, a good GM is formed by working within the limits and being successful, yet those are the cards currently being dealt to the team. Unless the Leafs obtain a GM who has the teams best interest in mind and makes the decisions accordingly, the chances of even making the Playoffs are slim. A GM with no experience or know how, lack of scouting and lack of overall concern for the bottom line rather than team success.

Some claim that there's a salary cap and that the Leafs are limited and can't do much else than they already have. That could not be further from the truth!

Yes, they are limited as to how many players they can sign due to the cap, but there are no restrictions on how much money they put into areas like scouting and player development.

There are many things the Leafs can do to improve the team, but it always comes down to the bottom line with the Maple Leafs ownership. The chances of the Leafs turning things around without a drastic change are slim.