love the puck

Friday, August 12, 2005

Initially, and by that I mean a few weeks ago, I wasn't that excited about the Leafs pursuing Lindros. I mean, in my mind all the problems are just too much to deal with, and the next concussion is only a matter of time, especially when Eric sits at the press conference yesterday and says "I've really been working on stickhandling with my head up." I hope so Eric, because you're in the NHL, and that's a requirement.

But when they signed him yesterday I was excited. This is a marquee talent, a bruiser who can score, and will punch you in the face if he feels like it. I saw a highlight of him in New York and it made me excited. Lindros came flying down the right side and sniped a slap shot top cheese, then an opposing defender bumped one of his celebrating teammates and Eric, who was still in the same momentum from scoring, lunged past his own teammate and punched that defenseman in the head. I love it.

So we acquired two players with a history of injuries and the potential for more. Howard Berger pointed out on the Fan last night that we had the exact same thing with Nieuwendyk, Roberts and Mogilny, so all the Leafs have done is got a little younger, a little more talented (Nieuwendyk is still the man though) and a little more potential for dominance. I can't wait to see Pat Quinn let the Big E loose on the Flyers. Primeau is going to get a little taste of life after being covered by Nik Antropov, and it won't be fun for him.

As to the Leafs need for youth, I don't think they're in as bad shape as people think, but I do realize that as long as Pat Quinn is behind the bench, they'll be a veteran team. Quinn hates babysitting, hates teaching, and just wants players that will do exactly what he says, and he only wants to say it once. The next few years the Leafs will get by on the free agent market, and hopefully they'll make some smart draft choices. I don't think they'll rebuild, I think they'll slowly morph into a half young, half veteran team, and then slowly those young players won't be as young, and then they'll just be a regular team. It'll take time, but there's no reason to do a firehouse sale just for picks, because if you do that, you're Washington, and NOBODY wants to be in Washington right now. Especially not Olaf Kolzig.

Hockey in Toronto will never die. There's a waitlist for season tickets that is 6,000 people long, and if hockey survived the Ballard era, there's nothing that can stop it now. People will complain and moan, but they'll keep coming, they'll always keep coming. But I do believe that Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment is committed to contending, and I do believe they've done really, really well considering their circumstances to start this little sprint of an off-season. It wasn't but three weeks ago everyone was wondering what Toronto was going to do, and then they've added 3 solid players, to salvage what they lost in Nieuwendyk and Roberts.

Obviously the kicker for Toronto is keeping everyone healthy, but it is every year, so really nothing is new under the sun.

I think that once the rosters are finished, I'll do a division by division preview. Than we can discuss all that. That's when I'll speak on Anaheim, Scotty, so don't wet yourself just yet.

Posted by Jon at 8:29 AM | | e-mail me