King Pig said:
First I want to say that I am a Leaf fan but unlike most fans I am a realists. The Leafs will be lucky to pass the first round and if they do there is absolutely no chance of them advancing past the second round.
Another charaterictic of Leaf fans that amazes me is the fact that a player can be an average player on any other team but as soon as he puts on that Leaf jersey he some how becomes on of the top players in the league. Case in point - Nolan. He is a good player but in no way is he in the top ten players or even top 25.
Leafs are never going to win the cup because there is no desire on the part of ownership to do so. Remember, the Teachers' Pension is in the business of making money and not winning championships. The Leafs need to establish a core group of young players, including a goaltender, and let these players develop and mature together. The fact that we got recycled and old players at the trading deadline is meaningless if it does not go towards the future success of the tem.
Nolan is easily a top 25 player. He was part of a lousy San Jose team, and all the players stats were down. If he can maintain the point per game pace, the critics will be proven wrong.
I happen to agree with the comment on The Pension Fund looking to only make money, but if the Leafs make it deep into the playoffs they will generate so much more revenue. A Stanley Cup would bring in a lot of money, and the Pension fund isn't losing any money either. The Leafs have been in the playoffs since 1999, playing quite a few games. Maybe the board thought the team needed little to take the next step, which was obviously wrong.
KingPin, Kaberle, McCabe, Berg, Jackman are around 26y/o on average. If they continue to develop, it is a solid nucleus. Problems in the future will be forwards and goaltending due to age. I am also a realist and don't see this Leaf team as having that spark right now, but hopefully come playoff time they can put together a good run.
