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BOSTON — Now that the inevitable is upon the Toronto Maple Leafs — their third consecutive finish out of the NHL playoffs — there is one thing the next general manager must remember.
Actually, a better way to put it is that there is one thing the new GM must forget — how the Leafs played down the stretch, tantalizing their fans with a 12-4-1 run before losing at home on Tuesday night to the Boston Bruins to crash against reality. The new messiah cannot make decisions about next season's team on that basis.
When the new GM decides who goes and who stays, the decision must be based on the player's body of work, not on the fact he had a good run late in the season when the pressure was off.
And that was the key to those tantalizing few weeks: There was no pressure on the Leafs. The key date was Feb. 26, the NHL trade deadline. Once that day passed, it was not only the Frozen Five, the players who refused to waive their no-trade deals, who were in the clear. Everybody in the dressing room knew he was not going anywhere, at least, not until the end of the season.
Related Information
- Boston Bruins
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Nik Antropov
- Mark Bell
- Tomas Kaberle
- Pavel Kubina
- Bryan McCabe
- Andrew Raycroft
- Mats Sundin
- Darcy Tucker
Even better, the Leaf players also knew no one expected them to make the playoffs. When general manager John Ferguson was fired in late January after a disastrous California trip in which almost every player quit, it was the official acknowledgment from owner Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment that school was out.
From that point on, the Leafs went 8-3-1 until Tuesday's 6-2 blowout at the hands of the Bruins popped their false playoff bubble. All that tonight's rematch in Boston means is official mathematical elimination if the Bruins win again.
This is a familiar scenario for the Leafs' veteran players. In each of the past three seasons, they frittered away games until it was too late, then staged a late, doomed rally, only to fall short of the playoffs each time. Those futile rallies seemed to play a role in Ferguson's off-season thinking, as he stuck with too many of the same players and paid the price.
The new man cannot make the same mistake. But that should not be too hard, since all he has to do is look at one statistic that shows the Leafs still succumbed to pressure even during their heady charge.
In March, as coach Paul Maurice noted after the devastating loss to the Bruins, the Leafs are 1-4 at home and 6-0 on the road. Put these guys in front of their own fans and their collars get much tighter. They forget how to play the simple, disciplined style they must play in order to win. Put the season on the line, as it was on Tuesday, and the implosion is painful.
Forget the bleating about the loss of Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov. That took even more pressure off this team. How could anyone expect them to win without their two best forwards?
The incoming GM has to decide who is worth keeping and who should be traded, bought out or put on waivers. And if a player clears waivers, pay his full salary to play for the AHL's Toronto Marlies simply to get his contract off the salary cap.
Underachievers such as Mark Bell and Andrew Raycroft, who have only one year left on their contracts, will probably be bought out. Among the Frozen Five, Pavel Kubina, whose no-trade clause goes on hiatus between June and August, can expect to be traded if someone will take him. Bryan McCabe, who has a no-movement clause, is a thornier decision, as is Darcy Tucker, another player who came alive too late. Only Tomas Kaberle is a surefire keeper. At 30, he is still young enough to rebuild a defence around.
The big problem is Sundin, who becomes a free agent on July 1. He says if he decides to play again, it will only be for the Leafs. But is this in the Leafs' best interest?
Maybe.
Losing Sundin means a gain of somewhere around $6-million (all currency U.S.) on the salary cap. But that amount is not going to turn the Leafs into a Stanley Cup contender. Not even double that will do it.
The decision rests on whether it is worth $6-million to pay Sundin to hang around and tutor the next generation while trying to keep the team semi-respectable.
Don't be surprised if Sundin himself takes a pass, given the prospects for next season.
