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Why Am I Still A Fan Of The Leafs?

Written by: admin on 17th October 2009

Why Am I Still A Fan Of The Leafs? | read this item

This may not seem like the most organized blog because it’s being written in pure frustration.

But ok, isn’t this some frustrating garbage hockey that’s been going on so far?

I have read so many blogs about the Maple Leafs first six games of the schedule that I don’t think I want to read another for the rest of the season. The notable argument that I keep reading is the bullshit case that with new defenseman comes an adjustment period…”all teams have that problem”.

The Leafs are 0-5-1 and I’m supposed to believe they are now going to make the playoffs?

A team must get at least 92-94 points to make the playoffs so how the hell are the Leafs going to play 15 games over .500 the rest of the way?

If the Leafs make the playoffs this season or at least make a solid run at 9^th in the conference then I will be ecstatic. If the current pace continues and the Bruins draft 1^st overall in 2010 with the pick acquired in the Kessel trade then I will officially be a neutral NHL viewer. Until I replace the Leafs as my favourite – with say the Hamilton Coyotes – or whatever new team Canada gets. The Maple Leafs were finally choosing to rebuild through the draft after years of dishing off their first rounders but after just one year it was all abandoned.

Thanks a lot Brian Burke.

I’m not going to say that I think the Leafs will finish last because I don’t…all I am saying is that IF it happens I could never forgive the moves made this season.

Tomas Kaberle. Why the hell didn’t Brian Burke trade him away for a top end prospect or draft pick? So far he has not even been worth his super-bargain of a contract so trading him will be much tougher than in the past. Burke kept Kaberle to make a push at the playoffs and this mistake may have hurt his value….one thing it would not have hurt is the record so far this season, unless somehow without Kaberle the Leafs would have gone 0-6.

Of course injuries have hurt the Leafs record; they are going into their 7^th game with a 3^rd and 4^th string goalie. What is worse though is how injuries are hurting the future of the Leafs. Mike Van Ryn was not a good acquisition. I believe the Leafs would have been in better shape keeping McCabe because at least McCabe is still playing in the NHL! Van Ryn was a player that some – myself included – believed would fetch a 1^st round draft pick or a player of significant value in a trade. News has come out that MVR is going to undergo a potentially career-ending procedure to realign his knee… his injury is being tabbed as a hopeful 6 months recovery period. This is not good news. Before the McCabe-MVR trade, it was well known that we were receiving a player with a bad wrist but it’s turned into a ruined knee…a complete disaster. I’d like to say that the Leafs got bad luck on this case but they faulted because it was not exactly an NHL ironman they were acquiring for the ever wandering McCabe.

Then there’s Vesa Toskala. I am so frustrated that I could write an entire blog just about him. Toskala was not supposed to be the next Luongo or Brodeur but the Leafs acquired him to be a very steady and consistent stopper until – this makes me laugh every time – Justin Pogge would be ready to start his “Hall Of Fame” career with the Leafs. Things didn’t quite work out. Toskala has been injury riddled and Pogge….well he was about as good as Roman Cechmanek in his final season of NHL action. Toskala may end up just walking away at season’s end, a player whose cost was none other than a 1^st round draft pick.

The Leafs future was supposed to be a bright one with the cupboard apparently stocked with prospects. This justification led to Brian Burke trading not only this years’ 1^st round pick but also a 2^nd rounder and next seasons’ 1^st rounder. The sting of an 0-5-1 start is that for myself I was actually cheering for the current result to the Leafs schedule. This changed when Burke ended the rebuilding project after just the first year. I was forced to say comments like “wow I actually think they will now make the playoffs because Komisarek is sooo good”. After the tilt on Sat. Oct. 17^th between the Leafs and Rangers it is not until the following Saturday that the blue shirts take to the ice.

I pray for a Toronto victory – hope seems stupid at this point – because another week of winless hockey would be way too agonizing.

For OpenIceHockey, I’m Kyle Raby

Topics: Brian Burke, Bryan McCabe, Justin Pogge, Leafs Struggle, Mike Van Ryn, Tomas Kaberle, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vesa Toskala

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