Bleacher Report - Articles by Scott Quinn

Maple Leafs Win, Tank Nation Smashes Their Television Sets in Frustration

Scott Quinn — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:20:56 -0400

Well it happened.

With two games remaining in the Leafs' NHL season, those following the draft lottery positioning more so than the playoff push realized it was possible for the Leafs to fall back into a lottery position.

All that was required was for the Leafs to lose their remaining games in regulation, and hope to get some help from our friends in L.A. and Phoenix.

In Leaf game #81, the Leafs lost in regulation, holding steady at 79 points. Phoenix picked up a win in their 81st game, putting them at 77 points, where Los Angeles also sat with one game remaining.

Both the 'Yotes and Kings have more wins than the Maple Leafs, so if all three were to finish with 79 points, the Leafs would sit behind them both in the standings, putting them in 26th overall, and thus holding the fifth last spot, giving them a slim (8.1% chance) at winning the draft lottery and moving into the first overall pick.

Before the Leafs took to the ice to face Ottawa on Saturday night, the seemingly impossible had happened, and the slumping Kings recorded a 4-3 victory over the Presidents' Trophy winning San Jose Sharks. This tentatively putting the Kings above the Leafs in the standings.

So all that was required was for the Leafs to lose in regulation and they would sit in 6th last, with the possibly of moving into fifth last if Phoenix recorded a win against Anaheim. Guess what?

Phoenix did win (in a wild game that ended up going to shootouts). Only one problem, the Leafs didn't lose.

The help received in the Western Conference was all for nothing, as the Leafs failed to lose and thus picked up points keeping them ahead of L.A. and Phoenix and sitting in 7th worst position.

While I am not in favour of tanking games for a number of reasons, I found myself, for likely the first and last time ever, cheering for Ottawa to win against my Maple Leafs.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see the Leafs play with pride and passion, I'm happy Deveraux recorded a hat trick which will strengthen the odds of him getting a new contract, it's good to see guys like Stepniak, Hagman and Gerber end the season strong... it's just, why couldn't they have lost?

While they still hold a 4.7 percent chance of winning the draft lottery and moving from seventh to third pick, a loss tonight would have moved them from seventh to fifth pick.

To provide some context, making the move from seventh to fifth last June to draft Luke Schenn cost the Leafs a second and third round pick. So it would have been like saving a second and third round pick, if the Leafs had been able to get into fifth.

Not to mention, of course, the small possibility of winning the draft lottery and moving the maximum four spots up into the first overall pick.

While life is filled with "What if" scenarios, this is one that may sting for many Leaf fans; especially if the fifth place team ends up winning the draft lottery.

Sorry for the rant...congratulations on the win Leafs.

Toronto Maple Leafs: No Expectations in 2008-09

Scott Quinn — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:49:23 -0400

For the first time in years, this Maple Leafs team has no expectations of success.

There is no “this could be the year” hope, no suggestions of contending for the Cup—not even the expectation of making the playoffs.

This has certainly been one of the busiest offseasons in recent years for the Leafs. Along with a new GM and Coach, Toronto drafted a top prospect, added a few new players, and bought out or let go of others.

But there is one big difference this year—all moves have been done in the name of “building for the future” rather than for the present. It is because of this that nobody is looking at the moves and saying we will be better next year.

There are many reasons for these lowered expectations. Firstly, Leaf fans have been told that the team is officially rebuilding (although it’s more of a semi-rebuild) and will likely go backwards before they move forward. By doing this, Cliff Fletcher has lowered our expectations by telling us that the Leafs won’t contend this year.

Secondly, seasons of high hopes have led to unfulfilled expectations year after year, leading fans to be less optimistic. There is no longer a sense of “all we need to do is make the playoffs, then anything can happen”.

Going into this season, there is absolutely no expectation of immediate success. For once, the Leafs will begin a season with no pressure. We expect them to be bad. We have been told that they will likely be worse than last year, putting them near the bottom of the league.

With so little expectations, how can they possibly disappoint?

Last offseason, the Leafs seemed to address their biggest needs—consistently strong goaltending and a scoring first-line winger—by adding Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake.

They had just barely missed the playoffs with Raycroft in net. Surely these additions would push them into the East’s Top Eight. After all, nobody in the Northeast seemed to have improved as much as the Leafs—Buffalo lost Drury and Briere, and Montreal lost Souray. (Obviously no one realized Montreal would significantly improve through player development.)

When Paul Maurice said the Leafs would make the playoffs and contend in the East, I agreed. Needless to say, he and I were completely wrong and the Leafs never came close to meeting those high expectations.

I still believe they underachieved—but either way, they once again let down the fans.

This season, without high expectations and pressure, maybe the players will finally feel comfortable playing in the world’s craziest hockey market. Maybe the team we expect nothing of will overachieve and do well. Maybe I’m completely wrong again.

But I see it like this—even if they start the season off pretty well, they won’t face the normal amount of pressure, because we will still expect them to fall off and finish at the bottom. This might give them even more motivation to succeed—to prove everyone wrong.

I’m not saying they will win the Cup, but I don’t think it’s impossible for them to have a shot at the playoffs. Unfortunately, this would be more of a curse than a blessing.

Being somewhat successful is counter-productive to rebuilding. This is why Fletcher may have to act fast and figure out how much rebuilding this team needs to be a legitimate contender.

If the Leafs perform as I have suggested in the first couple months of the season, management will have to decide whether to blow the team up by trading away assets like Toskala, Antropov and Blake for draft picks in order to prevent another mediocre but not bad enough seventh- to twelfth-place finish.

Or, the Leafs could decide to speed up the rebuilding process, and go back to the old methods of patching the holes for short-term gain. Realistically, I’m not quite sure what to expect.

Writer’s Note: This article is based on a lengthy comment I wrote earlier on a Bryan Thiel article. After rambling off on a tangent from his article, I decided to just write a whole article.

Wordplay: Fake Sports Headlines

Scott Quinn — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:38:14 -0400

Inspired by Greg Caggiano’s look at Hockey Books That Would Just Never Sell and real sports headlines involving humorous names (such as the many now infamous “Leafs Get The Finger” variations), I have come up with some funny fictional headlines. Yes, all stories are fake, and I was pretty bored.

L.A. Sports: Angels, Devils Play Today

Today in Los Angeles sports, the Angels will host the Royals at 1 p.m. Later on, the Kings will visit the Devils in New Jersey.

Predators Acquire Foote, Finger

The Nashville Predators announced today the acquisitions of Adam Foote and Jeff Finger from Colorado in exchange for Martin Erat. “The original asking price for Erat was an arm and a leg,” said Avalanche GM Francois Giguere. “Luckily, I was able to negotiate down to Finger and Foote.”

Former Knicks GM Extremely Close to Getting Head

Reports surfaced today stating that former New York Knicks GM Isiah Thomas attempted to get Luther Head from the Houston Rockets multiple times over the last three years but just wasn't able to close the deal. He was especially close to receiving head last season but was then hit with the backlash of a sexual harassment lawsuit by a former Knicks’ employee. "The timing of the lawsuit was extremely damaging to sealing the deal that evening," Thomas admitted.

Jazz Players ‘at home’ in New Orleans

The Utah Jazz spent the past couple days exploring the city of New Orleans prior to tomorrow’s game against the Hornets. Jazz player Carlos Boozer told the media he feels “right at home” in the many bars, restaurants, and other attractions New Orleans has to offer.

Satan Goes Down in Flames Loss

The Penguins iced the Flames 4-0 in last night’s match. One loss for the Penguins was that of Miroslav Satan who went down in the Flames zone after taking a big hit. However, Satan maintained that he will be back in less than a week, setting Saturday’s game versus the Devils as the expected date of his return.

Moon heads to Suns

Toronto Raptors forward Jamario Moon is headed to the Suns in the NBA offseason’s latest trade. The Moon to Suns move came as a shock to many. Especially since the Rockets were rumored to have had their sights locked on Moon for weeks now. “We will now aim towards a new target,” a spokesperson from the Rockets said Tuesday after Moon was taken off their radar.

Feel free to add some of your own funny headlines (real or fake) in the comments section.

Lucky Number 7? A Look at The Seventh-Overall NHL Draft Pick

Scott Quinn — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:57:53 -0400

John Arvai points out that the 19th-overall draft pick has had a mediocre return rate in recent years.

Due to another disappointing season, the Leafs have the highest overall draft pick the franchise has held in years at number seven. Here is a look at the history of the seventh-overall pick in the NHL Draft over the last 20 years:

Draft Year - Player (Drafting Team)

2007 - Jakub Voracek (CBJ)

2006 - Kyle Okposo (NYI)

2005 - Jack Skille (CHI)

2004 - Rostislav Olesz (FLA)

2003 - Ryan Suter (NSH)

2002 - Joffrey Lupul (ANA)

2001 - Mike Komisarek (MTL)

2000 - Lars Jonsson (BOS)

1999 - Kris Beech (WSH)

1998 - Manny Malhotra (NYR)

1997 - Paul Mara (TBL)

1996 - Erik Rasmussen (BUF)

1995 - Shane Doan (WIN)

1994 - Jamie Storr (LA)

1993 - Jason Arnott (EDM)

1992 - Ryan Sittler (PHI)

1991 - Alek Stojanov (VAN)

1990 - Darryl Sydor (LA)

1989 - Doung Zmolek (MIN)

1988 - Martin Gelinas (LA)

1987 - Luke Richardson (TOR)

While most of these 7th Overall Draft Picks became pretty good NHL Players, many were busts. So, there is no guarentee the Leafs First Round Pick in this year's draft will become a star—but there certainly is hope.

Toronto Maple Leafs: If I Were GM...

Scott Quinn — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:23:36 -0400

With Draft Day fast approaching, the NHL offseason is about to kick into high gear.

This should be one of the busiest offseasons in recent Leafs history—but even if it is, the immediate future remains pretty bleak.

Here is a look at the moves I would make if I was GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, ignoring the Draft. These moves would likely not immediately turn the Leafs into a playoff contender, but would be the start of the rebuilding efforts necessary to become a Cup contender:

Trade McCabe or Kubina

The goal here would be to trade McCabe, so the first would be to call Islanders GM Garth Snow and asking him to make an offer for McCabe. If a decent deal can be negotiated, it's up to Bryan to give the trade his okay.

If this fails, Kubina must go. There is a trade window in his no-trade clause, and it could be used this offseason. Ideally, a second-line forward or young prospect would be coming back—but really this is more about shedding salary than much else. Kronwall or Harrison would likely become the sixth defenceman.
Trade or Buy Out Raycroft

If a trade can be made, it will be. Otherwise, Raycroft's contract should be bought out. The second part of this would be to re-sign UFA Clemmensen to back-up Toskala, making Pogge the No. 1 goaltender on the Marlies.
Bring Back Sundin

There isn't any big-name UFA worthy of targeting this summer, so re-signing Sundin to a one-year deal for a reasonable amount ($7.5 mil or less) should be done, even if a NTC must be given. Sundin can still mentor the youth and be an effective top forward—assuming he wants to come back.
Our UFAs

Aside from the previously-mentioned Clemmensen and Sundin, only Pohl, Moore, and Wozniewski remain unrestricted free agents. The only one I would re-sign is Dominic Moore—to a two-year deal at $800,000 per season.
The RFAs

Stajan, Wellwood, Ondrus, and Foster should all be re-signed to small deals. Obviously, Stajan deserves the biggest contract of the group, and Wellwood's injury problems will keep his contract low.
Kulemin

Sign Russian prospect Nikolai Kulemin to an entry-level contract.

Now, it's time to look at additions. There aren't many big name UFAs available—Hossa and Avery aren't worth the contracts they'll command, in my opinion—and I don't think it would be smart to give up high draft picks for expensive RFAs like Corey Perry.

So, this year the Leafs should focus on smaller additions, and saving the big-money contracts for next summer.

UFAs

Here are some of the 'best of the rest' worth looking into, all fairly likely to be available on July 1—Ryan Malone (PIT), Pascal Dupuis (PIT), Pavol Demitra (MIN), Michael Ryder (MTL), and Matt Cooke (WSH).

Malone is who I would go after—but it's rumored other teams are prepared to offer him over $5 million per year, which would make him too costly. Ryder would then be my second choice.
RFAs

The ideal RFAs to look at here are those that may be lured for under $2.34 milllon per year, so that compensation is only a second-round pick or less. Here are some possibilities—Dan Paille (BUF), Wojtek Wolski (COL), Shea Weber (NSH), Ryan Suter (NSH), R.J. Umberger (PHI), Ryan Clowe (SJ), Marcel Goc (SJ), and Joe Pavelski (SJ).

Granted most of these are either worth more than $2.34 million or would have offers that low matched by their current teams. But they would all be worth a shot—especially if the Leafs could target a group of players on one team that doesn't have much cap room, and force that team to let one of them go.
Trades

Its hard to predict trades that could be considered fair by all teams involved, but young forwards should be Toronto's targets—and almost everyone on the Leafs should be considered tradeable.