| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alex |
Posted - 11/18/2007 : 06:54:11
Hey guys, some of you saw my forum 'If I was John Ferguson Jr... '
Just to catch you all up, i am writing a speech for class about how i would turn around the maple leafs. i took some advice from the comments posted there, and here is draft 2.
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Toronto Maple Leafs.
If I weren’t speaking in as formal a setting, I would barely be able to get those words out of my mouth before being booed off the podium.
I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all pretty much given up hope. They suck, end of story.
Ironically, Toronto is the most successful market in the NHL; they bring a net worth 43 million dollars per year, to be precise. The Air Canada Centre is sold out every single game.
Compare that to the fact that the last three teams to win a Stanley Cup were Anaheim, Carolina and Tampa Bay. I can sum it up in one word: frustrating.
Of course, there’s the other big aspect. The Leafs have 5 million general managers. Take anyone off the streets of downtown, and I guarantee you they have their own two cents worth on how to be running the show.
Needless to say, I, too, have my opinions about where we are going wrong. I’d say it’s about 70% underachieving, and 30% the need for some changes that could take us the distance.
So dear teacher and fellow classmates, for the next five minutes, I will assume the role of John Ferguson Junior, the man in charge of the most storied franchise in hockey.
Odd as it may sound, my first task on day one of the job would be the hardest of all. It’s called chilling out. Let me explain.
Since his arrival in August of 2003, John Ferguson has facilitated the acquiring of about 40 notable players. With all due respect, all they cultivated into were a bunch of old farts.
Brian Leetch, Ron Francis, Joe Nieuwendyk, Ed Belfour, Jeff O’Neil, Jason Allison, Eric Lindros and Michael Peca are all arguably future Hall of Famers. In Toronto though, they were about as useful as a bunch of pylons.
Ferguson brought them all in as they pushed the 36 and 37 marks, and now they’re all gone. Talk about blowing it big time.
The reason is very simple. Mr. Ferguson is selfish.
That’s a nice way of putting it, considering the other options were a toss up between plain old dumb, and ignorant.
As Paul Maurice, coach of the Leafs – at least for the time being – put it: ‘The two hardest jobs in Canada are being Prime Minister, and general manager of Toronto.’
The media is always on his back. He, in turn, tries to find short term solutions to get himself out of the spotlight. He creates a whole bunch of fanfare by signing old ‘have-beens’, and making us believe, as we have for the past 40 years, that this year is the year.
When we win a preseason game, Toronto fans are cheering ‘Stanley Cup’ in the streets. But all it takes is twenty games, by which the injuries have taken their toll, and the city is going after the infamous scapegoat that is JF Junior. This vicious cycle keeps repeating itself over and over.
And money is the source of the other form of selfishness.
Wade Belak has been caught saying that he doesn’t lose sleep over missing the playoffs, since he knows that the fans will remain loyal regardless.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are primarily a business venture. Larry Tanenbaum, the Teachers’ Association, and Mr. Ferguson have a hidden agenda. It’s called filling seats.
As long as the big name players are in Toronto, the money is in Toronto. And if they win a few games – well that’s an added bonus.
Their goalie can’t save a beach ball; their offence is simply nonexistent… One would think the defense is the only unit that can get things right. Hey, at least they’re scoring.
With only one minor setback. Will someone please tell Bryan McCabe that he’s supposed to be putting the puck in the opposing net, not his own!
Yet, all this doesn’t mean anything. The TV ratings are up, and they continue to profit. In their eyes, they are succeeding.
You can’t enjoy Saturday nights because there’s always some amateur level hockey team stinking up the government sponsored CBC network on prime time.
Just look at the contrast between a team like, Montreal or Pittsburgh, for example, and Toronto. When you watch these other teams, you are watching sixty minutes of end-to-end action. The score is always close, and it really comes down to the wire. Even if your team ends up losing, the game was played the way it was meant to be played. It was enjoyable.
This, coming from a Montreal team who manages to excite its fans every game, despite one of the lowest budgets in the NHL, and a Pittsburgh squad who is appealing to Americans otherwise having nothing to do with the sport; because they play with passion and intensity, they have sold the game to an entirely new market.
Compare this to our Maple Leafs. They are out of shape. By the third period, all you’re watching is pucks being thrown down the rink, and line change after line change. They have adopted a style of hockey called the ‘Score a couple goals in the first period, and then don’t show up for the remainder of the game.’
So, not only are they terrible; they don’t even put up a fight. In all honestly, they are boring.
I, for one, am sick of it. Do we deserve this? We have arguably the strongest and most loyal fan base in the industry! And instead of rewarding us with the elite level of hockey that the team used to be known for, they take advantage of us. They play on our passion.
At this point the choice, really, is ours. You, I, and the city of Toronto stand at a crossroads. Do we really want to see another decade of mediocre hockey clubs? Or rather, is it time for change?
The answer in my mind is clearly the second option. It’s time we do something to get our boys back in the finals.
Easier said than done is the only argument that is keeping John Ferguson his job. But, is that in fact the case? While it’s true that I don’t have to look at the financial side of things, logic would compel anyone to agree that if you build your own talent rather than buy someone’s used up assets, you will be getting more bang for your buck. That being the case, I have a simple three step formula that can get us from here to the top. It is foolproof, so even John Ferguson should be able to follow.
It might take a couple of last place finishes. No pain, no gain.
In any case, though, I fail to see the difference between a tenth place finish and a fifteenth place finish. Either way, you’re hitting the golf course early.
On the bright side, it does mean a pretty good selection of young talent come the spring.
Agree or not, 1967 is becoming a number known oh too well by fans of the blue and white.
Right here, right now, is the time to rebuild. They have the core guys.
I see no reason why Justin Pogge, now a third string, 21 year old goaltender for the Leafs, can’t be anchoring a Stanley Cup run by the time he is 26.
By that time, both assistant captain Nik Antropov and Alexander Steen will be 32. Matt Stajan will be 33. Throw in Tomas Kaberle, Kyle Wellwood, Carlo Colaiacovo, John Poll, Ian White, Jiri Tlutsy and Simon Gamache, and you have ten guys who can be honed into superstars five years from now. Plus, who knows what the future holds in store for some of the budding farm players Toronto owns the rights to.
It’s funny now, because a lot of these guys are just benchwarmers. But consider this.
Daniel Alfredsson was a sixth round draft choice. Henrik Zetterberg is a seventh rounder. They have led the NHL in points through the first quarter of this season. Even Mark Messier, second all time in NHL scoring, was a third round pick. And Luc Robitaille, a 9th round 171st pick, is the highest scoring left-winger of all time.
Meanwhile, all the talent in the Toronto system are high prospects. Lock these guys up.
That is step one.
There is another fundamental issue with Toronto. They throw away anything they get in the entry drafts.
How about keeping all future draft picks as opposed to trading them away for players that are either over the hill or have yet to prove their worth? That, Mr. Ferguson, is what we call planning ahead. That, Mr. Ferguson, we also call step two.
All it takes is patience.
It also wouldn’t hurt to have some brains.
Right now, one of the hottest commodities in the NHL is none other than Mats Sundin. The Leafs, however, need to clue in that he is a depreciating asset. The man is 36. With the right balance of strategy, innovation and risk though, they could convert on his potential very nicely.
I’m talking about a Marian Hossa – Mats Sundin trade.
Farfetched, maybe slightly. But you can’t argue that it’s flawless on paper.
Hossa is 28. He was a first round pick by the Ottawa Senators. Right now, he’s struggling on an Atlanta Thrashers team that just can’t seem to get everyone on the same page. They came in third last year, but have never won a single playoff game in their history. Even though they hold arguably the strongest one-two punch on offense, they sit lower than half the league in goals for.
All this, while a certain Ilya Kovalchuk of the same team is excelling as the goal leader in the NHL. Mats Sundin could be the final piece of the puzzle. Right now, he is one assist shy of leading the NHL in assists. Even more, as good as his numbers are in the regular season, he simply explodes in the playoffs, and has more experience there than the entire Atlanta organization. The Thrashers need a short term answer, and Sundin is the best choice to carry them to the title this year.
Of course, we’re speaking strictly hypothetically here, but if such a deal were to fall through, the Leafs should take their trade contract and run.
Hossa is useless right now. But slumps come and go. In his last four NHL seasons, Hossa averaged 89 points, more than Sundin has to show for himself. It won’t take someone of this talent even three more months to shake off his current scoring pace. In five years, at age thirty four, he will be at the peak of his career.
While we’re at it, might as well go full out. Exercise the options on the lucrative trade bait that is Bryan McCabe, Hal Gill, Pavel Kubina, Jason Blake, Mark Bell and Vesa Toskala. A couple of right moves could land you with rising stars that will be leading the way come 2012. Is that hardcore enough for you?
Cashing in on what we already own. That, my friends, is step three.
Of course, the final piece of the puzzle is learning from history. Right now, our team is not as bad as they seem. But they’re learning bad habits from the guys in charge.
Lack of work ethic is at the very top of the list. Right up there with the need for more conditioning sessions to build stamina, and learning some discipline. We can’t continue to have players sitting in the penalty box for half a game, nor be the league-leader in goals allowed, and expect to get any farther than March.
And finally, for god’s sake, would it kill you to show some enthusiasm? How can players like Alexei Ponikarvosky and Wade Belak be allowed to take games off every now and then? Is this what they get paid millions for? Under my lead, they would be long gone. If you don’t show up every game and give it your all, why are you still getting ice time?
The team of 2012 will be different. They will be young. They will be talented. They will be in shape. They will be disciplined. And it goes without saying, they will be winning.
This is my plan for victory. In five years, the Stanley Cup might be more in Toronto than a showcase at the Hall of Fame downtown. In five years, Toronto could be a contender.
In five years, Toronto could snap a streak forty years long and counting. In five years, Toronto could be saying, once and for all, ‘this is the year.’
And in five years, I will be reminding you: you heard it here first.
That is how I would manage things. That is my plan ‘A.’ And while I strongly believe in what I say, I understand why you might simply not believe that a championship in Toronto is possible.
Therefore, I have one more thing to add. If all else fails… seriously consider investing in some Ottawa real estate.
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| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Antroman |
Posted - 11/21/2007 : 08:39:56
Hey Alex: The last post was mine as I forgot to log in and was assigned a guest number? I am not totally sure as to how bad the Leafs actually are? They seem to be a team that is somewhat snake bit at the moment and a team that is in transformation to the defensive side. They have played several great games in the last while like the shutting out of the Sabres and the Sens while beating the Rangers and Pittsburg on the road. They have also had some clunkers losing twice to Boston and stinking out the joint against Washington. The loss last night was particularly heartbreaking because they had played a good tight game and lost on a shot late in the game that should easily have been stopped by Toskala. The last time they played the Habs we pretty much controlled the game but lost in OT. They are sitting around the middle of the pack at the moment and are not as good as allot of people think they are and not as bad as allot of Leaf haters and border line Leaf fans say they are. I believe the best thing to do right now is to be patient just a little longer and see how this new for them trap defence works out and some of the guys who just came back from injury and suspension like Bell and Wellwood get up to speed. I can't honestly condone a trade of Sundin for Hossa because Sundin brings so much more to the table as a leader and team first attitude than I think Hossa does. Hossa is a fabulous player when he wants to be and possesses scads of talent but Sundin is and has been a great leader and consimate team guy for this franchise and that unceremoniously dumping him for Hossa would change the whole landscape of the Maple Leafs for the worse for some time I'm sure. Yes, getting a twenty-eight year old Hossa for a thirty-six year old Sundin is probably the right thing to do but I have not completely written off this season just yet. I believe with a little patience we just might get the team back pointed in the right direction. If we don't, then in another twenty games I will jump on your blow it up theory and after eating allot of crow, I will support your start the major rebuild for the future theory....Antroman. |
| juice32 |
Posted - 11/21/2007 : 08:39:00
Great job Alex!!!!..........Way to tell it like it is my man!!! |
| Guest5287 |
Posted - 11/21/2007 : 07:42:57
Hey Alex, I thoroughly enjoyed your post regarding The Leafs and John Ferguson. I am not totally in agreement with everything you said but it was certainly good reading and well thought out. It must have taken you some time and it was far more interesting than most of the drivel we read daily in the local rags like the Toronto Sun. |
| Guest4912 |
Posted - 11/20/2007 : 10:11:18
Hey man good job, Although I did'nt see the first draft this one is pretty sweet. and ya I guess you are right they are one of or the most succsesful market in the NHL i don't know why but they are. thank's for posting this gives us all a look at the other side of the story. |
| fly4apuckguy |
Posted - 11/18/2007 : 20:52:09
Awesome! Love this draft. Well done! |
| nashvillepreds |
Posted - 11/18/2007 : 07:11:33
Nice changes Alex, I like this one better...
GO PREDATORS GO |
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