Leaf Talk

Sicker than the proverbial dog, lately. (Why "dog", I wonder?) I don't get sick near as often as I used to, thanks (I'm sure) in no small part to the flu shot I get every year. It also helps that I'm not on a rotating schedule--working at 7-Eleven probably shaved years off my life.
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Hockey non-fans will want to skip this.

NHL trade deadline
There has been a small forest sacrificed to try and get inside the head of Mats Sundin, who refused to waive the no-trade clause in his contract and go to a contender. He says he doesn't believe in the "rent-a-player" concept and that Toronto is where his heart is.
The opinions are all over the map. Some people say Sundin is simply exercising his contractual right, and that as a long-serving captain (and, incidentally, the leading scorer in franchise history), he's earned the right to control his destiny. Some admire the man for what they perceive is team loyalty. Others, noting the return Mats surely would have brought had he waived, and considering he could have signed back with the improved Leafs in the summer, believe he's being selfish, and question his will to win. Some have even suggested he be stripped of his captaincy, which would ensure nobody of any worth signed on with Toronto for a generation or so.
About the only opinion I haven't seen written is mine: that Mats is politely extending a huge middle finger to Leafs management. He's reported to have said he's not responsible for fixing management's mistakes (although he vehemently denies ever having said such a thing). If he didn't say that, he should have: the Leafs management has been nothing short of a joke for years. Sundin, who is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, has been saddled with soup cans for wingers nearly every year he's been in a Leafs jersey. He has quietly produced at a point per game clip while the team around him has deteriorated to the point they're within shouting distance of last place overall. No, not Mats' fault. But he could have done something about it yesterday, jetting off to Detroit or Anaheim or San Jose and possibly pushing the team he joined over the top. And he chose not to.
I get it: the man's near retirement...in fact it wouldn't surprise me overmuch to see him retire the summer. Given his burning desire to remain a Toronto Maple Leaf, he will retire without ever having won a Stanley Cup. I'd question the man's will to win if I hadn't seen him pick the entire team up and carry it on his back for long stretches. He's almost the only man on the team this year performing at or above expectations. No, I don't think you can say he likes losing. Maybe you can take his words at face value: that after thirteen years as a Leaf, donning another team's jersey and winning a Cup would feel cheap to him.
I'm less willing to forgive the other members of the no-trade, no-movement club, particularly whichever one of them it was who waived his no-trade clause late Monday night only to change his mind on Tuesday. At this point, nobody's sure which one of Tucker, Kaberle, Kubina or McCabe it was, although conjecture suggests one of the latter two. Kubina's no-trade clause expires at the end of this regular season and I'm thinking he'll be on the first flight out of town.
It's unlikely anyone will take McCabe at his bloated salary; Tucker, who is also grossly overpaid, is likewise unattractive. Kaberle's a keeper anyway, and maybe the only player aside from Sundin who has earned the no-trade clause included in his latest contract.
Ultimately the blame for handcuffing this team goes to John Ferguson Jr, who handed out all these no-trade, no-movement clauses like so much candy. I'm with Brian Burke, the GM of the Anaheim Ducks, when it comes to no-trade clauses. He calls them coach-killers. "Well," says the player, "you can bench me if you want. But I'll still be here next year, unlike you. You can't trade me, neener-neener-neener."
Given the fact Cliff Fletcher went into trade deadline day with both hands tied behind his back, I think he came out rather well. He made three trades, all for picks:

--Wade Belak to Florida for a fifth rounder

I'll miss Wade. He hardly ever played, but when he did, he gave his all and injected a touch of toughness and swagger into perhaps the softest, most passionless team in the league. He got a standing ovation a couple of months ago for scoring a goal. The fifth round pick doesn't sound like much, but it's a good return on a guy who's almost never used.

--Chad Kilger to Florida for a third round pick

Kilger's another guy who tries. Unlike Wade, he's been in the lineup pretty much every night. He hits anything that moves, almost the only man on the team who does. Has a bullet shot but limited accuracy. Swift skater, fairly soft hands, but never seemed to put it all together and live up to the hype of being a first round pick. Kilger and Belak will make Florida a tougher team to play against.

--Hal Gill to Pittsburgh for picks in the second and fifth rounds

Leaf fans have a propensity to single out a guy, usually on the blueline, and boo him mercilessly for no reason. Yes, he's slow, but Gill is positionally pretty sound and he has the wingspan of an Airbus. Pretty handy on the penalty kill and a mentor to our young D. I think he'll be missed. He was the only stay-at-home defenseman on the Leafs this year. He'll be an asset in Pittsburgh.

Fletcher has made his team worse for the rest of this season...by design. I'm sure he would have done more yesterday were there any takers for the likes of Antropov, White, or Stajan. The idea is to nip this winning-when-the-pressure's-off thing in the bud. The last thing this team needs is a heroic march to ninth or tenth place in the conference. Bring on the lottery pick.

Besides, Fletcher has said he's not done: there will be more moves in the summer. It appears as if the Toronto Maple Leafs are finally going to rebuild properly.
Hope springs eternal in the hearts of Leaf fans everywhere: our motto for four decades has been "maybe next year." That hope is, of course, dashed every season. Well, at last I see signs of genuine hope around this team, not for next year, perhaps, but it's coming.

Around the league, I think Pittsburgh and Washington made off like bandits, and Dallas and San Jose both strengthened already strong teams. Hossa to the Pens was a shocker, and it illustrates the kind of return the Leafs might have gotten for Sundin...two legitimate NHL front-line players, a good prospect, and a first round pick. Damn you and your loyalty, Mats!