Well as it turns out, my assessment of Lee Stempniak was WAAAAAY off. Jesus, should we even give the kid a stick anymore? He might as well be skating the entire rink along the boards at 2 miles per hour like me at a public skate.
And speaking of bad predictions, what the hell is wrong with Vesa Toskala? I'm now fully convinced this guy just doesn't care, and gives up on plays way too easily. I still stand by my claim that the Leafs will never draft Johnny T, but obviously it won't be because of the reasons I laid out earlier.
You'd think if Ves wanted to leave or wasn't comfortable in this god awful losing environment, he'd string together 5 or 6 good efforts in hope that Burkie could unload him to a contender. I really don't get it with this guy. But, we can't have it both ways can we Leaf fans?
I'm one of the many that like what they see with the Leafs long term, in that they're sucking harder than ever and will likely end up with a good to great player come June. I do, however, find myself getting increasingly disappointed with the players that are supposed to be our best, namely Kaberle, Antropov, Poni, Toskala, and Kubina.
But really, if they were playing great, that would just gum up the works in terms of trying to bottom out now wouldn't it? Shouldn't I be glad that they're sucking along with everyone else? Bah, my brain says this is what we need, but my gut says this is definitely not what we want.
Hopefully a couple of GMs will be idiots come the deadline (god I wish JFJ were working with another team, but hey look, Don Waddell!) and we'll get good value for the aforementioned players. I hope Kubina, Kaberle and Toskala all leave, and even though they are young, lets be real for a second: Antropov and Ponikarovsky are not players you build championship teams around. An average car always looks nice next to a rusted out shit box rather than a brand new lamborghini.
I guess we can't have our cake and eat it too my fellow Leaf sufferers. In fact, the mere smell of cake is 3 - 4 years away and for now we have to stomach shit pie, especially from the all knowing media for the next few.
Hang in there people!
January 19, 2009
January 8, 2009
The gift that keeps on giving...
Apparently Tomas Kaberle saying "obviously when the GM is going to tell you he doesn't want..., you don't want to play for a team if someone doesn't want you" equivocally means "will be waiving his no-trade clause, end of story". I'm not going to get too excited yet over what he may potentially bring the Leafs in return for his services, because we all remember what happened with Kubina at the deadline last year.
I will take Burke at his word, and therefore think it's safe to say that Kaberle will not be traded for the sake of a trade. In all likelihood, Burke will tell either Tomas or his agent that he will only mention a possibly deal IF something of good to great value is offered his way. Until then, I don't see Burke even giving Tomas a "what up" between now and the deadline. That said, Kaberle's comments will let other GMs know that prying him out of Toronto is plausible - and at the same time sends the right message: the offer better be damn a good one.
But speculation aside, one wonders why Tomas was so adamant about staying put on a shitty Leaf team last year, but now all of the sudden he's understanding the plight that Toronto faces these next few years because "obviously, the team is re-building now and I can’t control that". I guess it's true that Toronto wasn't openly rebuilding last season, but the circumstances surrounding the team really haven't changed all that much. So what gives?
Some have suggested that it was the "Muskoka 5" that had plotted to remain solidified in their effort to stay in Toronto, all agreeing over dinner to not waive their NTCs no matter what. True, none of them ended up waiving, but no one knows for sure if it was something all five players conspired to do. It seems likely, but I have another tag-along theory as to why Tomas, as well as the others, refused to be traded:
Mats Sundin.
Why yes, the man who stuck it out in Toronto for all the reasons we've heard a thousand times, only to end up a hypocrite who signed with a new team who offered him the most money. I get that he was within his rights, bla bla bla, but his methods haven't done much to hold on the respect of his long time fans. I personally will always have fond memories of Mats (I don't have many other fond Leaf memories other than him), but for now I couldn't care less. I don't give a shit what he says or what he does anymore. He's no longer my guy. But, it is what he said [i]last year[/i] at the deadline that would have made it difficult for anyone else to waive their no-trade. Let me explain:
The feeling about Mats leaving was pretty much a Catch-22 for him - if he lets the trade happen, he abandoned the team and its fans at their lowest point for greener pastures. If he stays, he's selfish and refuses to give back in the most meaningful way he can to an organization that has given him so much and desperately needs the help. He said and did all the right things at the time, but that's only if you consider "right" to be synonymous with "the easiest".
Had Tomas, or anyone else, agreed to a trade, it would cast a negative light on the other players who wouldn't leave, but most importantly on Mats Sundin. Kaberle becomes a Flyer, Leaf fans rejoice, and not many people would be that upset with Tomas, because he's not [i]the[/i] guy like Mats was. Mats, on the other hand, looks like a selfish ass if the deal is completed and he stays put. Tomas was willing to waive it to help the future, why won't you? Kaberle's sacrificing personal short-term comfort for the good of the team, while expressing his desire to win (which we all know wouldn't happen in Toronto) at the same time, yet you won't go too? Aren't the playoffs even further away with Tomas gone? You're the captain, shouldn't you be the one that falls on his sword before the followers do?
I'm not saying these arguments are legit in the least, but knowing the MSM in Toronto, you better fucking believe that this kind of bullshit would have been hurled Mats' way from every angle. The rest of his season would've been much harder if people had a solid reason to cast doubt on his motivations. And we see now that Mats was being selfish from how things are today. Again, its his right to be selfish, but that doesn't mean I, and all Leaf fans, have to like it.
I believe McCabe, Tucker, Kaberle and Kubina all knew what an agreement to a deal would have meant for Mats. No one would look to those four for answers, but a lot of media and fans certainly would've gone to Mats and questioned him as to why some would agree to go, and some would not. The easiest course of action was for all five to stay, and the next easiest would be if all five agreed to go. Anything in between and you'd have a couple friends and teammates making the life of one other teammate particularly difficult because of their actions. Kaberle in particular knew this, and that's why I believe he wouldn't agree to be dealt.
This year, though, agreeing to go won't affect anyone else around him. Kaberle can leave with a clear conscience, and Leaf fans will love him for it. No one will boo, no one will accuse, and no one's life is any harder because of him.
But fuck, Carter and Sbisa sure would have been nice. Lets start the bidding at a 1st rounder, 2nd rounder, and a blue chip prospect.
I will take Burke at his word, and therefore think it's safe to say that Kaberle will not be traded for the sake of a trade. In all likelihood, Burke will tell either Tomas or his agent that he will only mention a possibly deal IF something of good to great value is offered his way. Until then, I don't see Burke even giving Tomas a "what up" between now and the deadline. That said, Kaberle's comments will let other GMs know that prying him out of Toronto is plausible - and at the same time sends the right message: the offer better be damn a good one.
But speculation aside, one wonders why Tomas was so adamant about staying put on a shitty Leaf team last year, but now all of the sudden he's understanding the plight that Toronto faces these next few years because "obviously, the team is re-building now and I can’t control that". I guess it's true that Toronto wasn't openly rebuilding last season, but the circumstances surrounding the team really haven't changed all that much. So what gives?
Some have suggested that it was the "Muskoka 5" that had plotted to remain solidified in their effort to stay in Toronto, all agreeing over dinner to not waive their NTCs no matter what. True, none of them ended up waiving, but no one knows for sure if it was something all five players conspired to do. It seems likely, but I have another tag-along theory as to why Tomas, as well as the others, refused to be traded:
Mats Sundin.
Why yes, the man who stuck it out in Toronto for all the reasons we've heard a thousand times, only to end up a hypocrite who signed with a new team who offered him the most money. I get that he was within his rights, bla bla bla, but his methods haven't done much to hold on the respect of his long time fans. I personally will always have fond memories of Mats (I don't have many other fond Leaf memories other than him), but for now I couldn't care less. I don't give a shit what he says or what he does anymore. He's no longer my guy. But, it is what he said [i]last year[/i] at the deadline that would have made it difficult for anyone else to waive their no-trade. Let me explain:
The feeling about Mats leaving was pretty much a Catch-22 for him - if he lets the trade happen, he abandoned the team and its fans at their lowest point for greener pastures. If he stays, he's selfish and refuses to give back in the most meaningful way he can to an organization that has given him so much and desperately needs the help. He said and did all the right things at the time, but that's only if you consider "right" to be synonymous with "the easiest".
Had Tomas, or anyone else, agreed to a trade, it would cast a negative light on the other players who wouldn't leave, but most importantly on Mats Sundin. Kaberle becomes a Flyer, Leaf fans rejoice, and not many people would be that upset with Tomas, because he's not [i]the[/i] guy like Mats was. Mats, on the other hand, looks like a selfish ass if the deal is completed and he stays put. Tomas was willing to waive it to help the future, why won't you? Kaberle's sacrificing personal short-term comfort for the good of the team, while expressing his desire to win (which we all know wouldn't happen in Toronto) at the same time, yet you won't go too? Aren't the playoffs even further away with Tomas gone? You're the captain, shouldn't you be the one that falls on his sword before the followers do?
I'm not saying these arguments are legit in the least, but knowing the MSM in Toronto, you better fucking believe that this kind of bullshit would have been hurled Mats' way from every angle. The rest of his season would've been much harder if people had a solid reason to cast doubt on his motivations. And we see now that Mats was being selfish from how things are today. Again, its his right to be selfish, but that doesn't mean I, and all Leaf fans, have to like it.
I believe McCabe, Tucker, Kaberle and Kubina all knew what an agreement to a deal would have meant for Mats. No one would look to those four for answers, but a lot of media and fans certainly would've gone to Mats and questioned him as to why some would agree to go, and some would not. The easiest course of action was for all five to stay, and the next easiest would be if all five agreed to go. Anything in between and you'd have a couple friends and teammates making the life of one other teammate particularly difficult because of their actions. Kaberle in particular knew this, and that's why I believe he wouldn't agree to be dealt.
This year, though, agreeing to go won't affect anyone else around him. Kaberle can leave with a clear conscience, and Leaf fans will love him for it. No one will boo, no one will accuse, and no one's life is any harder because of him.
But fuck, Carter and Sbisa sure would have been nice. Lets start the bidding at a 1st rounder, 2nd rounder, and a blue chip prospect.
January 4, 2009
I would kick a puppy to listen in on those phone calls.
Trade season is almost upon us folks. While the relatively late March 4th trade deadline still exactly two months away, my gut tells me we'll be seeing a few moves involving any and all teams in the league a while before that.
Every year general managers talk to the media about how they will be patient with what they have, they want to retain their youth and picks because "that's how the new NHL works", and that they won't, in simple terms, make a stupid move. And every year, right up into those last entertaining hours watching TSN's TRADE DEADLINE DAY BONANZA SHOW, we still a lot of desperate, wasteful, and mind-numbingly stupid moves. It never fails. And this is why I, and I would think many other Leaf fans, are licking their collective chops in anticipation of seeing what we have and what it will bring.
The reasons why I think some teams, especially those with any cap space, will try to pull the trigger earlier is this:
The deadline does nothing but drive the price of players up the closer we get to 5:00 p.m. on that day. More teams are likely to be involved with or know about the player you're after, and thus bidding wars commence. Team A will be targeting Player 1, and Team B will be targeting Player 2, but as soon as Team fails to acquire Player 1, they will turn their sights onto Player 2. A lot of general managers will kick the tires on players they might not even be all that interested in simply because they (1) want to give the impression to their fans that they aren't NOT trying to improve the team and (2) the GM doesn't want to feel like he was left out of the party (which is more of an ego thing than anything else).
How do we know this to be true? Simply look at the most ridiculous deals made over the last couple of years (or the rumored deals that were nixed by NTCs, I'm looking at you Tomas), and you can see that the general manager, in an effort to ensure he got his guy, made an offer so ridiculously out of whack that his competition would back off.
The rumor mill has been churning quite well these last few weeks, and the team that keeps getting the mention along with Toronto is the Columbus Blue Jackets, most notably for their interest in Antropov and/or Kubina.
With the all this said, it would likely make sense for Scott Howson to begin talking trade with Burke now as opposed to say, March 3rd, to ensure that any possible transactions remain strictly between Burke and Howson. They will have all the time in the world to hammer out a fair deal without market fluctuations coming from other teams' interest in said players, or with prescident setting trades happening prior to the conssumation of the potential deal.
This sort of scenario isn't necessarily fact by any means, as there is no concrete evidence that Burke and Howson are even engaged in trade discussion, but as an example that could be expanded to include all teams, one might surmize that a deal is likely coming sooner rather than later.
Burke knows that his assets will only increase in value the closer we get to March 4th, but he also must be chomping at the bit to make his first mark on this franchise. That, and should teams look for other options come trade deadline day, the cap space required may not be there for guys like Kaberle, Kubina and Toskala once the music stops and teams start looking for chairs.
Every year general managers talk to the media about how they will be patient with what they have, they want to retain their youth and picks because "that's how the new NHL works", and that they won't, in simple terms, make a stupid move. And every year, right up into those last entertaining hours watching TSN's TRADE DEADLINE DAY BONANZA SHOW, we still a lot of desperate, wasteful, and mind-numbingly stupid moves. It never fails. And this is why I, and I would think many other Leaf fans, are licking their collective chops in anticipation of seeing what we have and what it will bring.
The reasons why I think some teams, especially those with any cap space, will try to pull the trigger earlier is this:
The deadline does nothing but drive the price of players up the closer we get to 5:00 p.m. on that day. More teams are likely to be involved with or know about the player you're after, and thus bidding wars commence. Team A will be targeting Player 1, and Team B will be targeting Player 2, but as soon as Team fails to acquire Player 1, they will turn their sights onto Player 2. A lot of general managers will kick the tires on players they might not even be all that interested in simply because they (1) want to give the impression to their fans that they aren't NOT trying to improve the team and (2) the GM doesn't want to feel like he was left out of the party (which is more of an ego thing than anything else).
How do we know this to be true? Simply look at the most ridiculous deals made over the last couple of years (or the rumored deals that were nixed by NTCs, I'm looking at you Tomas), and you can see that the general manager, in an effort to ensure he got his guy, made an offer so ridiculously out of whack that his competition would back off.
The rumor mill has been churning quite well these last few weeks, and the team that keeps getting the mention along with Toronto is the Columbus Blue Jackets, most notably for their interest in Antropov and/or Kubina.
With the all this said, it would likely make sense for Scott Howson to begin talking trade with Burke now as opposed to say, March 3rd, to ensure that any possible transactions remain strictly between Burke and Howson. They will have all the time in the world to hammer out a fair deal without market fluctuations coming from other teams' interest in said players, or with prescident setting trades happening prior to the conssumation of the potential deal.
This sort of scenario isn't necessarily fact by any means, as there is no concrete evidence that Burke and Howson are even engaged in trade discussion, but as an example that could be expanded to include all teams, one might surmize that a deal is likely coming sooner rather than later.
Burke knows that his assets will only increase in value the closer we get to March 4th, but he also must be chomping at the bit to make his first mark on this franchise. That, and should teams look for other options come trade deadline day, the cap space required may not be there for guys like Kaberle, Kubina and Toskala once the music stops and teams start looking for chairs.
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