To call it a new story would be misleading, so I won't. But it's definitely a hot topic of conversation here in Toronto, even with only five games left and even though those may be Tomas Kaberle's last five with the Leafs.
After Tuesday night's 3-2 loss to the Thrashers, Ron Wilson was in a bit of a foul mood and tossed a few barbs at Kaberle (and Francois Beauchemin), leading to reports today of dissent in the dressing room. (Not that that's anything new on this or any of Wilson's previous stops).
Here are Wilson's comments from Tuesday:
“We’re in a nothing-nothing game and two veteran defensemen get caught pinching. They’re poor reads and that’s why we got down 2-0,” he said. “We talk about how solid our defence is and how well we’ve been playing and we still got some guys who are minus-16 or whatever they are. They’re supposed to be the guys who get the job done defensively and they haven’t improved their plus-minus over the last month when just about everybody else has.”
And it's pretty clear who Wilson's referring to in Kaberle (minus-16) and Beauchemin (minus-15).
I'll get to Beauchemin a little later, but defensively, Kaberle's had a really poor year -- and Wilson's has his eye on his plus-minus all year. Here he was back in January, talking to AM640's Jonas Siegel:
“He’s a minus 10 or 11 (this season),” Wilson said before a game in Nashville. “That’s to me, not acceptable. Points don’t matter if the other team’s scoring all the time when you’re on the ice. He’s got to get the job done in our own end a little bit better and he’ll play more minutes.”
That hasn't happened -- and if anything, Kaberle's regressed as the team has begun to play better. He's a minus-8 in the past two months and has been on the ice for 63 5-on-5 goals against this season -- dead last on the Leafs. Wilson rarely uses him against team's top lines (as he does with Beauchemin), either, and his offence has dried up since Dion Phaneuf arrived.
So, in my mind, the criticism's justified. It does, however, result in a bit of a to-do in the press -- and Kaberle, who rarely appears to talk to the media (especially on game days), was dutifully on hand to address reports he wasn't happy playing under Wilson.
"I'm here over 10 years in the league and I've never (had an) issue with the coach and I hopefully never will," he told a larger than normal gathering today. "I would like to know who said that (I am unhappy) obviously. But it's fun sometimes to read stuff like that in the papers. If that is the case, I would probably ask for a trade at the deadline, right?
"I didn't ask for a trade," Kaberle continued. "If something came up -- I was always honest with Brian Burke -- if something really good would come up for the team to make it better, then it's a good fit for both sides, right? But I never changed my story, I always want to stay here."
He was also asked if Wilson's the most difficult coach he's played under in his 11-year career.
"It's tough to say, every coach is different," Kaberle said. "Everybody's got different things to do. Obviously, it's not easy when you're in second-last place. It's not easy to swallow. ... I'm just happy lately we've been winning, finding ways to win hockey games.
"There's a lot of things that have been said (in the media) over the 11 years I was here. Obviously, a lot of things are going to be said even afterwards. It bothers me a little bit, but you know, what can I do with that?"
