Oh, the life of Daniel “Danny” Briere – it’s just one injury after another these days, isn’t it? If you’re a fantasy manager, you were stoked to see Briere finally back, then pissed to see him get hurt yet again. If you’re Flyer GM Paul Holmgren, you’re probably slapping your forehead after just clearing a whole buttload of cap space at the trade deadline. But wait, it’s not as bad as we thought. It’s just a lot grosser than we thought. From Canadian Press:

“Briere was examined Friday morning, and his surgeon told him the adhesions broke from his last groin surgery and there was some internal bleeding. Briere said his surgeon told him that was common and Briere could possibly play Tuesday against Buffalo.”

Common? I hope my groin adhesions never break. In any case, don’t shut down Briere from your lineup just yet.

As for that whole trade deadline issue, the big fantasy winner is Olli Jokinen, but you knew that, right? Jokinen popped in a pair of goals in his first game skating alongside Jarome Iginla (guess which guy got to wear No. 12?) and everything’s sunshine and rainbows in Calgary, or as sunshine and rainbows as Darryl “Bitter Beer Face” Sutter can be. However, the knock on Jokinen has constantly been great start, poor finish. Will this happen up in Calgary? One would hope that having the playoffs around the corner would actually motivate the dude, but when you have someone who occasionally wears a porn star ’stache during the regular season, you don’t know what to expect.

The New York Rangers revamped their lineup to go along with their revamped coaching staff. Derek Morris becomes the de facto power play point man on Broadway despite having just a handful of points. He’ll certainly get his opportunities, so if you need some help on defense, it’s worth a gamble.

Hey, remember Martin Gerber? He’s back in the NHL thanks to the wacky folks over in Toronto. No, he’s not just there to serve Brian Burke pizza; Gerber’s actually got a hold of the starting position because Vesa Toskala’s been shut down for the year. You need starts to finish out your fantasy season? Gerber’s your man. Just don’t expect a ton of wins.

Erik Cole returns to the scene of the crime in Carolina. If you’ll recall, Cole was on the cusp of being one of the league’s best power forwards when a broken neck — yes, a broken neck — got in the way. Since then, he hasn’t put up goals at the same pace, but now he’s reunited with regular linemate/BFF Eric Staal. We’ll see if there’s any magic left over from 2005.

The other component of the Cole deal finds oft-injured Justin Williams in Los Angeles and underachieving Patrick O’Sullivan in Edmonton. For O’Sullivan, the key will be how much ice time he gets skating with talented Ales Hemsky.

Sidney Crosby’s linemates in his first game back from injury: Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin. It’s like Crosby woke up from a bad dream where he was surrounded by soft over-the-hill wingers (Miroslav Satan, say hello to the AHL). While Guerin’s numbers haven’t been anything to write home about this season, he still does love to shoot the puck and his aggressive style will work well with Crosby’s playmaking skills.

Brendan Morrison’s long strange journey across the NHL continues. Remember, at one point, this guy was a point-per-game player. Claimed off waivers by Dallas, he’ll be given every opportunity to thrive as the Stars remain depleted up front due to injury. Morrison probably won’t break up Mike Ribiero/Loui Eriksson, which means that he won’t have much scoring talent to work with. In other words, don’t look for a return to form from Morrison.

Antoine Vermette’s move to Columbus means that Ken Hitchcock has a few more offensive options, especially with Fredrick Modin coming back from injury soon. However, the combination of Rick Nash/Manny Malhotra/Kristian Huselius has found a pretty good groove, so don’t look for Hitch to tinker with things too much until it appears necessary. The Blue Jackets are filled with second liners like Vermette and R.J. Umberger that show first-line potential…whether they get there or not can make or break their playoff hopes.

And while this wasn’t a trade deadline move, the return of Martin Brodeur has provided the Devils an even bigger kick than making a big deal would. We sure hope you took our advice and picked him up if he was available, because good old Marty is 4-0 since returning from a 50-game absence and you can pretty well guarantee that he’s no longer on anyone’s wire. Brodeur is about to make history, currently sitting a mere four wins shy of passing Patrick Roy and becoming the NHL all-time leader in wins.

The Week Ahead

• How much can Jokinen ignite the Flame offense? We’ll find out as Calgary hits the road against Carolina (Friday), Atlanta (Sunday), New Jersey (Tuesday), and Detroit (Thursday).
• While a lot of Western teams are taking road trips out east, there are still key head-to-head match-ups for the playoff race: Minnesota at LA (Saturday), Minnesota at Anaheim (Sunday), Vancouver at LA (Monday), and Vancouver at Anaheim (Wednesday).
• Alexander Ovechkin is suffering from a bruised foot, but he should be in the lineup for the big game against Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. Don’t forget that the last time these rivals clashed sparked a war of words between the stars, and now even Don Cherry’s weighing in. All eyes will be on Crosby and his new linemates Kunitz and Guerin.

What a day it was. GM Brian Burke was busy; not as busy as I would have liked, but busy nevertheless.

Here is a review of the deals (in case you didn’t know):

1. The Maple Leafs acquired a 2009 second round draft pick and a conditional draft pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Nik Antropov.

2. Toronto traded forward Dominic Moore to the Buffalo Sabres for Carolina’s second round draft pick in 2009.

3. Toronto obtained goaltender Olaf Kolzig, defencemen Jamie Heward and Andy Rogers and a fourth round draft pick in 2009 from the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenceman Richard Petiot.

4. The Maple Leafs claimed goaltender Martin Gerber off waivers from the Senators and defenceman Erik Reitz from the Rangers.

Here’s a tour of the reviews:

Damien Cox, Toronto Star

“The Maple Leafs started the day with five picks in this summer’s draft, selections in the first, third, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. They ended it with eight picks, adding two second rounders and a fourth, as well as an extra conditional selection acquired in the Nik Antropov deal with the Rangers. Nothing spectacular, but certainly necessary. Instead of having one pick in the top 60 selections, the Leafs should have three in the top 50. Instead of having two picks in the top 120, the Leafs now have five.That’s how the restocking of the prospect cupboard starts.”

Interesting that Damien has a positive spin on the Burke’s day…

“Dominic Moore, acquired after waivers last year by John Ferguson, re-signed by Cliff Fletcher and traded away Wednesday by Brian Burke, netted a second-round pick, a net gain for the Leaf organization. And what of Antropov, the 10th overall pick in 1998, moved to Manhattan for a second rounder? Well, the Leafs got a lot of years of service for the Kazakh. We watched him grow from a skinny, confused kid with little ability to speak English into a power forward with scoring ability, not to mention a gentleman and a father. Was he a bust? Well, he didn’t become a star, but look at the other players taken in ‘98. After Vinny Lecavalier went first, the order went David Legwand, Brad Stuart, Bryan Allen, Vitali Vishnevski, Rico Fata, Manny Malhotra, Mark Bell, Mike Rupp and then Antropov. Based on that group, Antropov was a very successful pick by the Leafs. At the end, he was traded because he wasn’t good enough for the dollars he’ll be looking for as a free agent to a team that’s at the very early stages of a long rebuilding period. And if he pans out for the Rangers and helps them win two playoff rounds this spring, the Leafs will get an additional fourth rounder.”

The fact he is so positive scares the hell out of me. Let’s see what the days ahead bring…

Paul Hunter, Toronto Star

“Vesa Toskala is finished for the season. Toskala has been struggling though hip and groin problems and said he would have surgery to correct those issues next week. His spot between the pipes will be filled by former Ottawa Senator Martin Gerber, who the Leafs claimed on re-entry waivers. As expected today, the Leafs also traded Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore, two players who were headed for unrestricted free agency this summer. Antropov went to the Rangers for a second-round draft pick and another conditional draft pick. Moore went to the Buffalo Sabres for a second-round draft pick.”

Just the facts, ma’am!

Stephen Brunt, The Globe and Mail

“Brian Burke has a way with words, and in his current gig, that’s going to come in mighty handy. Yesterday afternoon, at the conclusion of his first signpost day as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was called upon to explain the absence of highlight-reel goals and home runs and one-punch knockouts. The trade deadline had come and gone, leaving the franchise minus a couple of useful pieces they declined to sign for what those players and their agents believed they were worth, Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore. The Leafs are now in possession of a marginal starting goaltender acquired on the waiver wire, Martin Gerber, to replace the now-shelved Vesa Toskala, and have four new drafts picks — two second round, one conditional, one fourth round — to partly fill the gaping hole left behind in that department by previous administrations. But there were no first-rounders acquired, though that was the original asking price for Antropov. There were no bright young prospects added who might some day be part of a contending Leafs team. There was no real blockbuster deal, through which a Tomas Kaberle might have brought something truly significant in return. It was more housekeeping than renovation, which for an understandably anxious fan base might not have been quite the Burkean miracle they had imagined.”

I don’t disagree with anything Brunt says there…

“To get better, the Maple Leafs will have to make far better use of the draft than they have in the recent past. They will have to patiently and skillfully develop those players. They will have to create a positive environment and create cap space so that they can attract free agents. And they will have to get lucky, because however adept Burke is at manoeuvring through the current collective agreement, however savvy he is in his dealings with his peers, at some point his team is going to have to stumble on a franchise player. Today, early in his honeymoon period, most fans are probably willing to take Burke at his word, and to cut him some slack, especially since he declines to make excuses. ‘If you hear me start complaining people should throw something heavy at me,’ he said. ‘I work in one of the greatest cities in the world, I work for one of the greatest teams in the world and we’ll get this sorted out. I didn’t think it was going to be an easy or quick process and it’s not going to be.’ But check in again in a couple of years, on another deadline day, in what will likely be a rather different NHL, with the Leafs’ building process advanced, the stakes higher, and the movie presumably well into its second or third act.”

This passage could have been written at any time during the last nine months. Nothing new here folks, nothing at all.

Tim Wharnsby, The Globe and Mail

“The Toronto Maple Leafs restocked their supply of draft picks, but also have left their roster bare to play out the remainder of this season. Not only did the Leafs deal forwards Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore for a pair of second-round selections yesterday, they also shut down goaltender Vesa Toskala.”

And this is a bad thing? Plummet, Maple Leafs, plummet, for god’s sake!

“Although such talk is taboo, the move enhances the Leafs’ chances of sliding into the bottom five in the league standings and being eligible for the draft lottery. With 18 games remaining, the Leafs are 23rd in the 30-club NHL, six points up on the 26th-place Colorado Avalanche.”

Now you are talking. That is more like it.

“As a fill-in for Toskala, the Leafs plucked Ottawa Senators goalie Martin Gerber off re-entry waivers. Gerber will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and he hasn’t played a NHL game since Jan. 8, when the Senators buried him in the minors. What made the Toskala decision intriguing was that Leafs general manager Brian Burke publicly scolded Toskala last month for poor work habits in practice. The harsh words prompted the Leafs goalie to inform his boss that he took it easy in practice because of his chronic hip problems. After the information session, Toskala, Wilson, Burke and the medical staff discussed their options. When surgery as soon as possible was agreed upon as the best course of action, Burke and his management team began searching for another goalie last week. ‘I have been talking with the team and I’m on the same page,’ Toskala said. ‘We made a decision that is best for me.’”

I am calling bullshit on this one. Bill Watters and Greg Brady have been saying for weeks that Toskala hasn’t been healthy. Then Burke attacks him. I don’t know why, but I am just not buying the chain of events as they are being laid out. This doesn’t smell right. To be honest, who cares?

“Both Moore and Antropov, who were kept out of the Leafs lineup on Tuesday, were moved because they are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer. Antropov was the first to be traded. He went to the Rangers for a second-round pick and a conditional pick. Moore went down the highway to the Buffalo Sabres, also for a second-round selection. These were moves expected to be made by Burke, who will now turn his attention to signing two or three U.S. College players, then the draft and possible trades there as well as the free-agency frenzy in July. ‘We intend to be aggressive on a lot of different fronts,’ Burke said.”

Let’s hope so. I am not thrilled with what happened today. I wanted more. Having said that, it appears to be a start. Maybe more tearing down is needed before the rebuild starts…

Lance Hornby, Toronto Sun

“Brian Burke is committed to rebuilding the Maple Leafs, but other National Hockey League teams were just as determined not to let him do it with their best draft picks. Burke’s attempt to wrestle a first rounder for Nik Antropov and a high second rounder for checking centre Dominic Moore were only partially successful on a day when the Leafs also shut down goalie Vesa Toskala with hip/groin surgery and added goalie Martin Gerber and defenceman Eric Reitz on waivers. Antropov is taking his act to Broadway, dealt to the New York Rangers at today’s 3 p.m. deadline for a second rounder and a conditional pick, likely based on the Rangers making the playoffs. Toronto began the day with a first pick in the top 10 at the June draft and hoping to parlay Antropov into another, but had no second or fourth rounder. It turned out just one first-rounder changed hands as the anticipated slow day because of salary cap concerns came to pass.”

Like his counterpart at the Star, Lance offers no opinion.

Bruce Arthur, National Post

“But you want a deal that epitomizes the new NHL? Try one of the day’s final trades, in which the Toronto Maple Leafs sent an undistinguished gentleman named Richard Petiot to cash-strapped Tampa Bay for the expiring contracts of Olaf Kolzig (torn biceps), Jamie Heyward (concussed), minor-leaguer Andy Rogers, and a fourth-round pick. Kolzig and Heyward are unlikely to play a game for the Leafs; Rogers, from all appearances, is an afterthought. So basically the Leafs are paying the salaries of Kolzig and Heyward until the summer – a total of about US$500,000 – to get a fourth-round pick, while the Lightning save some cash. Toronto can afford it; Tampa cannot. Welcome to the new NHL. ‘I think part of it is people are scared to death of the 2010-11 season,’ Burke said. ‘The coming season, what the cap’s going to be, the cap will be based largely on this year’s revenues, and most of our revenues were in the tills before the bad news really hit. So I think it’s artificial in terms of what revenues will be in a year. But because the cap always follows 12 months of financial developments, my sense is that teams – and I know I am – are scared to death of 2010-11 in terms of committing money or locking up guys. This is where, if you go back to when guys were doing six, seven, 12-year, 15-year deals and patting themselves on the back for how smart they were, I think some teams are really going to regret going that far along.’”

This is not editorial on Burke or the Leafs per se, however, it’s very interesting to see how Burke used cap space and wealth to acquire a later draft pick.

Mike Brophy, Sportsnet

“Toronto’s Brian Burke likely hoped to make a bigger splash than he did as he tries to resurrect the Maple Leafs, but with Antropov and Moore gone, and Martin Gerber tending the net down the stretch, perhaps the Leafs stand a better chance of getting a lottery pick. That, for the record, is a good thing especially if they get John Tavares or Victor Hedman.”

Here’s hoping…

Jim Kelley, Sportsnet

“One could even make a case that the winner is the one that comes up with the most innovative way to perhaps legally circumvent the rules of transaction, much the way Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke is attempting to do in essentially buying a fourth-round draft pick for $500,000 by buying off injured and likely retiring players via a complicated transaction with the Tampa Bay Lightning.”

If it weren’t legal, do you think the league would have passed it?

“Take Burke’s deal with Tampa Bay. Burke may have done something outside the spirit of the rules while working completely within them. He traded Richard Petiot to the Lightning for veteran goalie Olie Kolzig, Jamie Heward, Andie Rogers and a fourth-round pick. Knowing full well that Petiot isn’t likely to ever be a player in the NHL, that Heward hasn’t made it (and likely never will) and that Rogers is also looking at the end of his career, he essentially delivered about a half million dollars in cap space to the Lightning in exchange for a fourth round pick. If this kind of transaction holds up, Burke will have won a battle he’s been losing for years, that being the ability to trade cap space from a team that has it to a team that doesn’t. This bears a whole lot of watching.”

A GM has to do what he can within the confines of the rules. That is a two way street. The Bolts are tight on cash and need any break they can get. The leafs needed a pick and took some dead weight from the Bolts and turned it into a pick.

Howard Berger, National Post

“What seems like an emotional let-down today for fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs may ultimately be viewed as the perfect beginning to a long, complicated process. And, don’t fool yourself for even a second into thinking there are any short-cuts in the task of properly re-structuring the Maple Leafs, a franchise that only now – four years after the fact – is starting to be managed compatibly in the post-lockout NHL. Brian Burke was depicted by some as a media manipulator with his tempered comments of the past couple of weeks. He was merely lying in the weeds – managing expectations in the unseemly event he couldn’t re-shape the hockey club with a few bold strokes. In the end, however, Brian was typically shooting straight. He warned observers not to work themselves into a frothing mess over the Leafs’ trade deadline possibilities, suggesting as recently as Tuesday night that it was only the first step in his long-range plan.”

I think Howie is right (I know, two blogs in a row). Lots of us were hoping for much more today and are disappointed with the little that Burke did. I guess in time we will see if it was enough.

“Whether or not that plan actually lifts the hockey club out of its perennial quagmire remains to be seen, and will obviously determine if Burke was, indeed, the best man for the job. But, on the day of his first trade deadline with the Leafs, Brian kept his word. He mentioned on numerous occasions that his primary goal in this initial step was to re-stock the franchise with draft picks that were lost in recent trades, and he did exactly that – acquiring two second-rounders, a fourth-rounder and a conditional selection. In bartering for those picks, he vowed not to take on wasteful salary – contracts of middling players that extend into the 2010-11 season, when the global economic crunch is likely to affect the league’s payroll cap. Again, Burke stuck to his guns. And, the players he moved – Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore – were widely rumored to be going elsewhere as they prepare to test unrestricted free agency this summer.”

Credibility is a good thing in this town. I still am not buying the Toskala thing one bit, but that is a discussion for another day. While all the pundits were yelling bullshit, that Burke is merely playing poker, the reality is he was being pretty straightforward. Not only that, but his near f-bomb on the TSN deadline marathon was priceless.

“So, really, an outbreak of clinical depression should not be endemic among Leaf fans that chose to pay attention, and viewed the 2009 trade deadline for what it was – a table-setting exercise. Much more anticipation can be reserved for the warm months, when Burke will begin to replenish his draft stock, and will have more cap room to work with in free agency than most other big-market teams. It will enable him to sign a premium talent such as Richmond Hill native Mike Cammalleri – a bonafide 40-goal shooter that is young enough, at 27, to be a vital cog on a contending team three or four years down the road. It will allow Burke to try and deal for a top-end player with a contract that does extend beyond next season, now that he eschewed taking on fringe holdovers at the deadline. And, the process of fashioning the Leafs into a winning club will advance to the next level.”

Here Howie heads offside. One, he predicted in his last blog that Burke could make up to six or seven deals if he wanted to. So don’t give me this ‘if you paid attention’ crap. Also, folks, should Burke sign Cammalleri, remember this blog post for when Berger slams Burke for doing so.

“There was much deception from the Leafs – and from Toskala, himself – over the goalie’s suspected groin and hip problems this season. It’s never pleasant to be outright lied to – Ron Wilson, you’ll recall, assured that Toskala’s recent hip examination showed no structural damage – but the Leafs aren’t the only team to go down that path, and it’s understandable that teams would wish to protect their assets in any way possible.”

Hey come on, Howard, it’s not a lie if you know the truth!

“Burke doesn’t yet seem like the “hot shot” he rhetorically called himself on the radio last month. The moves he made at the deadline lacked even a modicum of flair. But, showy maneuvering isn’t the recipe for a pseudo-expansion team with legitimate designs of advancement in today’s NHL. Large steps must be preceded by baby steps.”

Modicum, love it! I don’t necessarily disagree with this comment. I think the Tampa deal was creative, though. Interesting to see Howie give a hat tip to Burke’s moves.

All in all, it was an interesting day. I think the TV networks looked like idiots for being on at 8 a.m. Going from eight to nine hours of coverage translated into an hour of my life I will one day wish I can get back. To me, the big winner of the day was those of you who were on Twitter, and Twitter itself [Note from the Editor: you can now find RotoRob on Twitter]. It was pretty wild to see all the dialogue on it. For those of you who are curious as to what I am talking about, go here and then enter #nhltrade into the search bar and you will see all those who were talking NHL trade deadline over the last several hours. I can tell you that the numbers were staggering. It just proves once again that NHL fans are the most tech savy of any sports fan out there.

Second place goes to the folks over at The Globe and Mail. Their online live blog was good. I don’t think they talked to the room enough, but this was their first time. Coverage on the Fan 590 was weak. Really weak. It started with Hogan and Toth who essentially started the day with nothing to talk about. They seemed almost annoyed to be there. The rest of the day was, well, just boring. I know the moves didn’t really start until later in the afternoon, but man, they didn’t seem to have an real planned programming. I only heard about an hour of Brady and Bill Hayes. In my opinion, it paled in comparison to what the TV guys were doing. Then again, that isn’t a fair comparison.

So technology won the day for me. A buddy hooked me up with his slingbox so i could watch TV on my laptop. It was phenomenal. Add Twitter to that and it was a fun day. Here’s hoping draft days and free agent days are more active in the future. I’ll be back with more thoughts and commentary tomorrow.

Check out more of TSM’s articles here.

It’s a frosty Monday morning, folks. It’s a blustery -15 C here in Toronto. The only place it may be colder is on Brian Burke’s cellphone. There are numerous theories out there this morning as to what is happening and what is going to happen. In essence, they all boil down to two:

Burke is playing rope-a-dope: Set expectations low and over deliver vs. there is no real interest in the Maple Leaf players and therefore Burke’s hands are tied.

Take a look at the Boston-based Tomas Kaberle rumour this morning — Kaberle for first round pick, a third round pick and a prospect. Burke quickly “pissed” all over it. Why would he do that? Of course it could be because there is no truth to it and Burke is a straight shooter. He said that he hasn’t talked to Boston about Kaberle. Now, let’s take a look at that comment too. Why would he say that, besides the fact that it is truthful?

Isn’t it in Burke’s best interest to at least give the impression that the wheels are in motion? With the Kaberle rumour, Burke not only shot down that specific story but shot down any talks involving the Leafs and Bruins as they relate to Kaberle. If you are Burke and you are hoping to get your socks knocked off, wouldn’t it be in your best interest to have as many teams think that you are talking about Kaberle as possible? Isn’t that how the game is played?

Let me throw this out there for a second. I believe that in many a hockey markets, owners react to news they read in the press. I am convinced of it. The owner of team A reads that the Bruins have offered X Kaberle, a player whom he has heard that his team may like and therefore he reacts. He calls or goes to visit his GM. In other words, I believe that the reason that stories get scooped in the media is that teams use the media as vehicles to help them get info and get shit done.

In some markets, the press (what’s left of them) can make or break an executive’s career. I would say that the press killed JFJ here in Toronto but I think it’s safe to say he did it himself. I think there is tremendous pressure on a GM from owners and I am positive that owners react to what they read or hear in the press. I think that GMs react to that pressure, or are forced to.

Which brings us back to Burke. From the beginning of training camp we have been told several, honest, not so flattering things about our Maple Leafs. Everything from Nik Antropov being the only top forward on the team, to the team being devoid of any real talent. We have also been told to be patient, that this could take some time. We are all fine with this. We have recognized that this season is little more than a necessary evil; we are doing little but hoping that the calendar would move a little faster than it is, without any real care for current results.

There are three specific days or times of the year that are actually important to us. They are milestones in the development of our team. These are: the draft, the opening of the free agent period and the trade deadline. For Maple Leaf fans that is it. That’s all we got. So people can or should understand the pent up energy as one of these days approaches. Burke is strong enough not to really care about that. He has the spine to do whatever he thinks is in the best interest of the team that employs him. However, like Cliff before him, he does have an ego.

Matt Millen will be forever remembered as the GM which built the first and only (so far) NFL team to not win a single game in an entire season. This is now Burke’s team. It has been for a few months. This is his shot to make his first imprint on it. Trading a pick for Brad May was one move. The next couple of days sets up the beginning of Burke’s legacy here. For now, all is quiet.

I will say it again. There isn’t a single guy on the roster I wouldn’t move for the right package. For 50 per cent of the guys, give me a draft pick back — any pick — and I am good. The rest, it would be nice to get an earlier draft pick for. It says here that Burke’s inability to move players for picks, or use available cap space to his advantage will be detrimental to the franchise. Does it all have to happen now? No. Does it have to start? Yes. To hell with the rest of the season…

For more content from TSM, visit his site Torontosportsmedia.com.

BY TSM

Editor’s Note: This article comes to us courtesy of Torontosportsmedia.com, a web site that focuses on the sports journalism scene in T.O. We will soon be engaging in a content-sharing arrangement with this site, so here’s a taste.

The world is going to hell in a hand basket. Unemployment is at a recent high, people are losing jobs, homes, etc. There is so much to talk about and yet the editors of the Toronto Sun in Friday’s paper actually had the balls to not only write about Mats Sundin’s return, but to shame Leaf fans into cheering for the guy. Are you kidding me? A freaking editorial on Sundin’s return? Pertinent snippets from the editorial and other stories on this issue can be found in quotes below.

“As hockey players say, the fans pay for the tickets and they have a right to cheer or boo whom they please. But we hope fans at the Air Canada Centre tomorrow night cheer Mats Sundin when he takes the ice for the Vancouver Canucks. In his first trip back to the ACC in an opponent’s uniform, Sundin deserves respect. ”

What a total load of crap. Utter, 100 per cent crap. He “deserves” respect. He plays for another team! Since when are we “supposed to” cheer another team? We fans of Toronto teams take a beating from the press. We are suckers, idiots, too quiet, too cheap, too die-hard, too biased and now this? Enough.

This isn’t an attack on Sundin. This is a matter of fact. When he retires and gets his jersey raised to the banners that will be the time for respect. We are supposed to cheer a member of the opposition now?

“Anyone who doubts that, need only look at them this year, without him. There’s not much worth watching.”

With Sundin and the rest of his “crew” over the last three years, what exactly was there worth watching? That is not a condemnation on No. 13. It’s a fact. The results over the last nearly four seasons — with or without Sundin — have been the same, so don’t give me that crap.

“Sundin grew into an NHL superstar in a Leaf uniform and a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame. He merits our respect because he’s earned it. The old-fashioned way. One game at a time.”

I agree 100 per cent, he was a terrific athlete and player and representative of our team. We don’t have to cheer him Saturday night. He plays for another team. Every time Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux touched the puck in the middle of their legendary careers they got booed. We as fans don’t cheer the opposition (unless of course you are a paying member of tank nation). When those guys came to town later in a non playing life or on their last visit, when they were honoured, they got what the respect they deserved.

“Some will bitch Sundin never led the Leafs to a Stanley Cup, even as they praise other captains who failed to do exactly the same thing. Some will whine Sundin should have waived his no-trade clause last year for some late-season draft picks or talent. We don’t hold any of it against him. Sundin simply exercised a no-trade clause he fairly negotiated. It wasn’t a sneak attack.”

None of those are reasons not to cheer for him. I would have preferred he won a Cup, but that alone doesn’t warrant him not getting cheered. Let’s get this no trade clause thing over once and for all. Oddly enough, The Sun’s Steve Simmons hit one out of the park on Friday, especially on the issue of Sundin’s no-trade clause:

“The last important decision Mats Sundin made as captain of the Maple Leafs set his beloved hockey team back several seasons. There cannot be much disputing of that. Sundin’s decision to remain a Maple Leaf last winter was a determination based on loyalty, his own built-in naivete and a position he was entitled to take by the very contract he had signed. But his public rationalizations for not relinquishing the no-trade aspect of his contract have been proven over time to be contradictory, baseless or, at the very worst, dishonest. He said one thing and did the other. He said he couldn’t envision himself in another uniform. He said he didn’t believe in being a rental player, that to live through the Stanley Cup process, you had to start from the beginning.”

Bingo. He owed the team and its fans nothing. Nothing. He had, if nothing else earned a reputation of being truthful, so many hockey critics said it over and over — Sundin is a genuine guy. We were told to believe what he said. When Sundin said he wasn’t willing to move after talking to Borje Salming and that he always had believed you have to be with a team from day one, we were told to honour that. That is fine. I had no problem with that then. I have a huge problem when he goes back on that word. Can he change his mind? Of course he can. We all do. We certainly do in our own lives every day. We all don’t look into a TV camera with a tear in eye and say something as powerful and meaningful as he did. When you do so, and you go back on your word (lie) you better be prepared for the repercussions.

“If I were a paying customer of the Leafs, overpaying for a less-than-capable NHL product, I would boo Sundin with fervour. I would hold him partly responsible for making Brian Burke’s job as onerous as it is. You can’t play both sides of the fence. You can’t say you are staying out of loyalty, out of passion, and then do the opposite, without angering the passionate, without being held responsible for some of the carnage you left behind.”

Exactly. That, from Simmons, in comparison to this from his editors, is the gospel:

“And let’s get real. Leaf management was never serious about building a Stanley Cup contender around Sundin. Where were the wingers Number 13 needed when he was in his prime? The seats were full and so were the owners’ pockets. The Leafs made Sundin rich, too. What decent NHL player isn’t? But more than a superstar, Sundin was that increasingly rare phenomenon in hockey and professional sport — a role model. Tomorrow night, cheer. He deserves that much.”

Raise your hand if you truly believe, in your heart of hearts, brain of brains, despite what Wilbur says, that the owners didn’t want to win. That is complete and utter horsekaka (check out Private Eyes starring Tim Conway and Don Knotts for more). It is such a hollow line of crap. Where they successful? No. Did they make huge mistakes? Yes. Should we be furious? Yes. Did they not want to win? No, that is just plain dumb. Any idea how much more cash they would make if they had won?

“The fact he is a rental player now with Vancouver makes that all the more difficult to digest. Sundin may have been acting out of love for his Maple Leafs in making his decision last season, but his love, in this case, has proven to be selfish, contradictory and externally damaging.”

Someone give Mr. Simmons a prize.

Over at The Globe and Mail, Roy MacGregor takes a more philosophical look at the comeback:

“Still, Sundin is both a special player — 1,332 points in 1,321 NHL games — and a special person, a quiet captain for the Leafs who was both a model of consistency and a model citizen. At least until last year, when he chose to engage his no-trade clause and thereby denied the Leafs the chance to trade him for something, anything, that might have advanced the team’s rebuilding plans. Then there were the embarrassing poker ads on television, Sundin essentially endorsing the wonky notion that there is something sporting in a card game. And then there was the endless hemming and hawing over where he was going — the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa and Vancouver were all in pursuit — only to have him declare the Canucks had been his choice all along. If only he’d just said so.”

I had never really thought about the Poker ad. That actually is pretty funny.

“’I feel good about going back. Toronto is still a home for me. I spent 13 years within the city as a Toronto Maple Leaf, so it’s always going to be part of my heart. At the same time, once the puck drops, it’s going to be a game like any other game.’ Sure. And Barack Obama is going to be a president like any other.”

Exactly. Sundin was less than honest then and he is being less than honest now. The lie he told then was more hurtful, this more recent one more understandable.

Even Damien Cox, who is usually pretty sane when it comes to this stuff, wrote the following:

“But if Maple Leaf fans can imagine any time in the near future that their team will regain a sense of respect around the NHL and become an organization that celebrates excellence over mediocrity, they might want to reconsider their too-frequent reflex to boo. They boo Sidney Crosby like they once booed Bobby Orr, apparently because talent offends them. They showered derision upon Larry Murphy, who promptly moved to Detroit and won a couple of Cups with the Red Wings. They boo Daniel Alfredsson for an alleged crime of disrespect committed, interestingly, against Sundin, mimicking the Leaf captain’s petulant toss of his stick into the audience five years ago. For Sundin on Saturday, however, the only reasonable response should be two-fold. The man deserves a good, hearty round of applause, with a good number of those in attendance on their feet. He may not have contributed more to the Leaf organization than Doug Gilmour or Wendel Clark, but he surely didn’t contribute less and deserves similar treatment. Once the ovation is over, the Leafs should then try to knock his block off. Nothing illegal or cheap, but good, hard hockey that would leave Sundin leaving the ACC thinking it was no fun at all.”

What a farce. Why are people comparing a current player to two retired guys? Why are we comparing guys who got traded away as opposed to one who chose to walk away? The media were equally as culpable for running Murphy out of town as the fans. Every arena in the NHL boos every star player. Is there always a handful of that star player’s jersey in attendance? Yup. Do they still get booed? Hell, yes. Oh, and Damien, that happens in every sports arena in every league in North America. Do Laker fans cheer on LeBron James? Of course not. Do they overpay to see him? Hell, yes. Do some wear his jersey? Yup. Do they boo him? Yes — it’s what fans do!

“That’s how to produce a strong impression that the club has turned the page on the Sundin years and is marching towards a better future with pride rather than wasting time trashing former heroes.”

Ummmm, no. When he retires, honour him. While he plays for another team, you do as Simmons says, you boo. Or as you accuse most Leaf game attendees of doing, you sit on your hands (sorry, I couldn’t resist!).

“Leaf fans, really, should care about only two Sundin related issues. First, that the classy Swede grew sick of the screwed-up manner in which the Toronto operation was being run. Are things different under Brian Burke? We’re still learning the answer to that question. Second, as with any number of good players in recent years, Sundin left town without fetching any assets in return. This is an organization that has consistently been unable to understand that the best time to move athletes is at the peak of their value, not when they’ve outlived their usefulness. None of this was Sundin’s fault. Those who accuse him of lying to the Leafs about his true intentions are fools. Those who would jeer him upon his return belong to the same category.”

It’s fascinating that the guy who called Sundin the most honest and truthful Maple Leaf in recent memory is drinking the Kool-Aid. I agree with Damien’s first point above. I think it is hilarious, mind numbingly funny that out of one side of his mouth Damien says that Sundin didn’t lie, and out of the other Damien blames the buds for not getting anything for Mats. The worst part is that Damien is dead on with one of the Leafs’ biggest problems over the years, especially John Ferguson, Jr., being “unable to understand that the best time to move athletes is at the peak of their value, not when they’ve outlived their usefulness”. That is right. This is why Vesa Toskala should have been dealt last year. It’s why perhaps Matt Stajan and Dominic Moore should be dealt this year.

Berger was just on The Fan previewing his blog (thrilling, I realize). He did say one thing that was interesting. He really loves argyle sweaters. No, just kidding. He said that the reason this is such a big story is because there is nothing else to talk about. To a certain degree, he is right. He is right in that there is a huge void in this town with regard to interesting sports stories. The Hab boys who are being tied to some mobster may be able to tell us which is a better bet, the Leafs or the Raptors will finish dead last. Can you imagine the lull on March 6? At least between now and then we can focus on the deadline. What the hell do we do between that and the draft? Seriously! Back to reality…this is a big story because the press has nothing better to talk about. None of these guys cares about Sundin. They all care about selling clicks or papers. This is controversial and right now there just isn’t anything else out there.

I will say it one last time. People should do what they want to do. Those who cheer are a little bit nostalgic and I suspect a little bit like sheep, doing that which they are told to do. Those who boo, I hope you are booing the opposition, or at the very least the liar. Sundin was one hell of a Maple Leaf player. Some called him the quietest Maple Leaf leader ever. If true, he should have kept his mouth shut; it is that and not his play that got him in to trouble.

Links

Read Simmons here.

Read The Sun idiot editors here.

Read Roy MacGregor here.

Read Cox here.