Ah, here we are, that point that every hockey fan hates to see. Nothing. Is. Happening. But, I’m glad to say that the worst is probably behind us. The Leafs are bound to make some more moves as time moves on. Starcraft 2 and Mass Effect 2 are good distractions from hockey but let’s face it, it doesn’t even come close. So what do you do? You get up every morning thinking ok, this is the day, the day that your favorite blue team makes a eye popping trade. Instead, Kovalchuk hasn’t signed yet. Kovalchuk’s deal isn’t finalized. Arbitrator still undecided. No blue in sight. The question becomes not who, cause I think most of you will agree, we have exhausted all the possible options, but rather when. This will be a short overview of the situation the Leafs are in right now.
I mean, if Kaberle is indeed going to be traded, Burke is probably waiting for the last good defenceman in Willie Mitchell to get signed and then we’ll probably see a move if there is going to be any. And what about the devil you know? Well, after some serious thought, in the end I’ll stay undecided on the matter. If Kaberle stays, well that would give us a defensive corps that can rival almost any team in the league. If he goes, well, I’m counting on Burke to not give him away for peanuts. Our top six forwards, yup, better than last year, but still not top notch. A lot is riding on Nazem Kadri to step right in and take his NHL spot, but my guess is a stint in the AHL is probably a wiser move. Versteeg, Armstrong and Mueller are good additions but Versteeg is the only one I would call a strong asset. With or without Kaberle, our defense remains strong along with our goaltending which I addressed in my earlier article. One thing is certain, any trade the Leafs make is going to be made in order to boost the top six and maybe add some offensive depth. Aside from that, we can only speculate. Burke already said he’s not interested in a No1 center which might be a coup to get one. Although, until that happens I’m inclined to believe him. That must mean Kadri is close, which is a really good thing. But imagine this scenario: What if Bozak doesn’t repeat his performance from the end of last year (there is no reason why he wouldn’t though)? Will the load be too much for Kadri then, if indeed he makes the team and sticks around? I always like to look to Sam Gagner. The kid is an awesome player and I have no doubt he’ll end up being a really good NHL player, but this is what you get for throwing him into the lions den too early.
We’re really close to being a competitive team so I suspect this year is the breaking point for Wilson. If Burke gets that one top six guy, the Leafs Nation will expect success. There won’t be any more wiggle room, no excuses. That’s what’s scary about it. All this time, probably since we lost Sundin, us fans have found a way to justify losses. We are rebuilding, we don’t have proper management, we don’t have the players to succeed. All that changes now, we have the players, we have a captain again and we have Burke at the helm. It’s time to show the world why 70.78% of it is covered in blue.
Mislav “Xterratu” Jantoljak
