Now that the Maple Leafs' season is over, for all intents and purposes, they are playing better hockey. In the past three games, they're playing like the team I expected to see all year. We all know the talent wasn't top notch but the work ethic was supposed to be strong. Well, it hasn't been, until recently. The Leafs have decided to play smart hockey this past week and the wins against strong teams this week is proof that hard work pays off ... with a little attention to defence.
But alas, they're too far back to make the playoffs this year. This means, in most organizations, that some heads should roll. Who is on the way out? Here's my list of who I think is responsible:
Peddie > Tanenbaum > all the teacher owners > McCabe > Allison > Antropov > Domi > Wilm > Richardson > BERG
There are many more I can add to that list. Here are some who deserve one more year to see what happens: Ferguson > Tucker > Wellwood > O'Neill > Ponikarovsky > Stajan > Khavanov
Realistically, you can rid of anyone on this team. We have a bunch of third liners. I don't see this team doing much better next year so I'm hoping they play a lot of the young kids like Steen, Stajan, White, Harrison, Kronwall, Colaiacovo and Suglobov to see if they have what it takes. Let's lay off buying players past their prime and try to develop some of our own. I'm willing to have a few bad years if it means watching a strong team develop from within.
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