Maple Leafs Moving in Wrong Direction

Source: By JAMES DEACON, AOL Sports

Posted: 06/26/08 10:02AM

Filed Under: Columnists

Maple Leafs fans are repeatedly played for fools.

From Harold Ballard through JFJ, various execs and owners - not all but too many - have gotten rich by selling false hope to hopelessly devoted ticket-buyers. And to think Ballard was the only one ever sent to jail.

The latest indignity involves, ironically, the great Mats Sundin. It's ironic because Sundin has always delivered even when his bosses have not.

It's no surprise that lots of National Hockey League teams want the Swedish centreman. He will score meaningful points for his next employer, he will play responsibly in his own end, he will be an asset in the locker room and a terrific leader on the ice.

Hiring Sundin immediately improves the character of any team - Montreal Canadiens GM Bob Gainey is so keen on Sundin that he is willing to pay for permission to negotiate with Sundin before the 37-year-old becomes a free agent.

The big surprise, however, is that the Leafs offered to re-sign their long-time captain. It's a nice thought, but wrong-headed. And it suggests that recent promises by team management will, like so many others, be empty.

Those managers have been promising to demolish their hapless team and take the time to properly rebuild the roster to make it competitive in the faster, more skilled NHL.

So the Leafs didn't rush to hire an available general manager, opting to wait for better candidates who will be available within the next year. The team had a capable caretaker in Cliff Fletcher, whose interim job, allegedly, was to execute the tear-down before the permanent boss arrived to build things back up.

But strange things began to happen. The blueprint called for buyouts, trades and demotions to the minors, all designed to rid the Leaf payroll of dead-weight contracts and costly veterans who weren't part of the long-term plan.

Instead, Fletcher inexplicably tossed St. Louis a useful third-round draft pick in exchange for 33-year-old winger Jamal Mayers. Fletcher then offered a contract to the soon-to-be free agent Sundin.

There were more puzzling decisions at the junior draft in Ottawa, where Fletcher did a Bobby Clarke impression by drafting the largest specimens available.

In an era when mobility is prized over brute strength and size, Fletcher traded up to get hulking rearguard Luke Schenn in the first round.

Schenn is a fine prospect, but he doesn't remind anyone of Nick Lidstrom.

In the second round, the Leafs chose Jimmy Hayes, a six-foot-five winger heading to Boston College. The next five Toronto picks measured six-two, six-two, six-four, six-four and six-two. Their size is impressive, but Sidney Crosby and Pavel Datsyuk manage to do pretty well without towering over opponents.

What was Fletcher thinking? Wasn't the plan for next season to be terrible, so terrible the Leafs might vie for the consensus No. 1 draft pick, junior phenom John Tavares? Or maybe the Leafs don't want Tavares; he's barely six feet tall.

And how are Mayers, a solid role-player earning $1.2-million, and Sundin, who would cost $7-million-plus, going to help the effort to be terrible?

Both are unnecessarily costly, and Sundin alone would make the team more competitive, taking it farther away from the desired draft position next June.

During the tear-down, the idea was to acquire as many draft picks as possible and restock a woeful farm system. Fletcher gave away two picks when he traded from seventh to fifth to get Schenn, and he sent another to St. Louis for Mayers.

And while the Leafs need some bigger guys, their greatest deficiency is skill, especially now that they're without Kyle Wellwood. He could stickhandle in a phone booth and had a handy knack for scoring goals, but the Leaf brain trust didn't care for his less-than-heroic level of fitness.

So he was waived.

Given his talent and comparatively low cost, was he not worth subjecting to new coach Ron Wilson's tutelage to see if his effort might match his skill set? Apparently not. Meanwhile, it'll be years before fans know if any of the recent draftees have great hands and quick feet to go with their bulk.

On the surface, it appeared Fletcher decided the Leafs would benefit more from a renovation than a complete demolition. And he may have convinced some of the many bosses within Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment that this was a good idea.

Part-owner Larry Tanenbaum, for instance, insists that the team's goal every season is to win, so he would be predisposed to buy into Fletcher's pitch. (Trying to win makes it less vulgar to ask as much as the Leafs charge for tickets and sponsorships.)

But this week, Fletcher appeared to change course. A purge began: a couple of guys were waived, and the buying-out process began for long-time Leaf Darcy Tucker, who refused to waive his contract's no-movement clause.

There will be more blood, it appears, and there should be. The Leafs are lousy and they have an empty minor-league larder, so for fans it's vital that those managers stick to their commitment to rebuild, even though it's going to be a hard road at first.

No one is saying anything publicly, but MLSE officials had to reel Fletcher in. Despite efforts to off-load salaries, Fletcher's recent dealings make you wonder if the organization really has the stomach to do the right thing.

Does the purge mean Fletcher has been reminded that the team's goal is a complete demolition? Or will the Leafs settle for their usual half-baked reno?

If they re-sign Mats, you'll have your answer.

Contact James Deacon at JamesDeaconCA@aol.com