I fell for it as well. I thought that Pat Quinn and John Ferguson deserved another chance because, with the stretch lineup, the Leafs are good enough to have made the playoffs. Well, until I read this from Damien Cox.
Let's be clear. Ferguson and Quinn didn't fix this team in the final three weeks of the season. Injuries fixed it for them, essentially reversing their poor decisions. They preferred Alex Khavanov to Ian White. Their assessment was that using Jason Allison was a likelier recipe for success in the "new" NHL than giving Matt Stajan more ice time. Ferguson didn't believe it was sensible to buy out Ed Belfour last summer and create useful salary cap room, and Quinn blithely ignored the veteran goalie's obvious inability to carry the load of a No. 1 goalie until Belfour's season was ended by back problems. These hockey men, understand, had younger, faster players at their disposal all season long, but instead preferred to go with an older, slower lineup featuring a broken-down goalie. When there were personnel choices to be made, they made all the wrong ones.
Let's hope that the first task is to dump Nik Antropov and get Mats Sundin a winger who can skate and pick the puck in the net. Second, since Sundin has proven that with Top 10 ice-time you get Top 10 results, let's have a Leaf coach who plays Sundin a heckavu lot more.
Comments (9)
Now is the precise time to trade Sundin. If you don’t do it this summer, the Leafs will never get anything for him and he’ll end up like Eddie Belfour sucking up salary without contributing enough to the win column.
And lets be serious, Toronto will never win a cup with a Swede captain. Trade Sundin for Luongo and some young blood and lets break the 67 curse.
Posted by strongconservative | April 17, 2006 4:30 PM
Posted on April 17, 2006 16:30
Too bad the Canucks are out too.
I’d be having fun with this otherwise.
Posted by Brandon Langhjelm | April 17, 2006 4:41 PM
Posted on April 17, 2006 16:41
The Toronto Make Believes … Sorry to be even cynical about a past time, but the Maple Loafs represent everything wrong with all of Toronto and much of Toronto. Better things down the road. Refs suck. Other team’s dirty. Proven performers. Ifonlyifonlyifonly.
Posted by Brian Lemon | April 17, 2006 7:42 PM
Posted on April 17, 2006 19:42
That was an excellent piece by Cox. Thanx for pointing it out, Greg.
Maybe it’s a little grandiose to say, but I believe the Leafs are to hockey what the Yankees and United are to their respective sports. Can you envision either of these two latter teams hiring a rookie GM?
As far as I know, there is no salary cap on management. Gas Ferguson ASAP. Gassing Quinn is also a no-brainer. Replace them with experienced personel who are proven winners.
The notion of giving the current GM $20MM plus to invest in this club’s future when you’re realistically given him one year probation to perform is absurd. Sadly, that’s exactly the kind of executive decision I would expect from Leaf brass.
Posted by Dr. Strangelove | April 17, 2006 10:07 PM
Posted on April 17, 2006 22:07
Leafs suck.
Bring back Robert Reichel.
Posted by James Bowie | April 17, 2006 11:11 PM
Posted on April 17, 2006 23:11
The Leafs need to get younger and faster - get rid of all the oldsters (including Sundin and Belfour) and stick with the kids. The Leafs have developed a few good young players as we have seen down the stretch, it’s time to hand the reigns over to them. Forget about a Stanley Cup in the year or two, try to develop a team for once…
Oh and dump Ferguson and Quinn… NOW!
Posted by Ian | April 17, 2006 11:14 PM
Posted on April 17, 2006 23:14
Go Habs Go!
Posted by Colin | April 18, 2006 10:59 AM
Posted on April 18, 2006 10:59
Leafs to their sport? ..g’wan! The Habs was to hockey as the Yanks was to bb. The Leafs was temporary (to beef up SeeBeeSee reserves), but the Sens will prevail (once they cut ties with Winter Olympics and all Euro play). You can’t concentrate on the series at hand here when your head is overseas, or when you play there and your body doesn’t come back (wink..wink..Hasek).
Posted by MadMacs of Bytown | April 18, 2006 11:12 AM
Posted on April 18, 2006 11:12
“Maybe it’s a little grandiose to say, but I believe the Leafs are to hockey what the Yankees and United are to their respective sports.”
Wash your mouth out after you slander Hockey like that, ‘kay?
Posted by DCardno | April 18, 2006 12:03 PM
Posted on April 18, 2006 12:03