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The Rog's Rant

Time for Leafs to give Ferguson an extension

It is certainly too early to try and give a grade to the work that has been done by Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Ferguson.

Since taking over the GM’s post he’s faced a lot of tough challenges. He’s made some good moves and he’s made some not so good moves. For the most part I like what’s he’s done, but a general manager needs at least a couple of years to fully make his mark on a club and implement his plan.

Which is why I think it’s also time that the management of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment gave John Ferguson an extension to his contract, for at least an additional year and preferably three.

I’m not signing Ferguson ’s praises completely, although I think he’s done a more than capable job overall. But he has unquestionably done enough positive things to get the opportunity to continue working his plan.

And whether you like Ferguson or not, there is no question he has a plan. He has hired his own coach (Paul Maurice, an excellent choice), he has hired Maurice’s replacement with the Toronto Marlies (Greg Gilbert, another excellent choice) and he’s brought in a new set of scouts and office people to his liking.

He’s made several tough decisions, he let some veteran players go, he re-committed a lot of money to some others, and has done it all while learning the ins and outs of the new salary cap era in the National Hockey League.

Ferguson is still a young guy (just 39 years old), and a relatively imexperienced GM. But he’s been an assistant GM of the St. Louis Blues, he’s run the Blues farm club in the American Hockey League, he’s worked as a scout for the Ottawa Senators and he’s been a player agent.

He’s a smart man and his father, John Ferguson Sr., was a very solid NHL player and then an NHL manager as well, so he has the bloodlines working for him as well.

He knows the league, he knows every aspect of the business and he is well aware of what it takes to succeed at the NHL level.

Quite frankly he wasn’t my choice for the job when it first became open. I would have hired someone with more experience to manage a team in Toronto , where hockey is in the spotlight 24/7, 365.

And he’s had to learn on the job and frankly I think some of the moves he’s made were not good ones for the club. But that doesn’t make him a bad GM, it just makes him human.

His final report card may well have a failing grade on it, who knows? The sport judges its managers by the win/loss column and the club did miss the playoffs after all.

But I have seen enough to say that he’s done enough positive things to get more time to see what he can do long term. It’s unfair to him to let him sit in the wind and wait to see what happens by the end of the season before making a decision to re-new his contract.

If MLSE is thinking long-term, then what difference does it make to the big picture if the Leafs finished fifth, sixth or 10th in the Conference this season? Any GM has to think long term for the franchise and a GM can’t do that to the best of his ability unless he’s been given enough time.

Ferguson ’s report card will get a final grade much later down the road. For now he deserves more time to pass more tests in the next few years and try and get this team deep into the playoffs.

I like the guy and I like the job he’s done. I don’t love him or the job he’s done, but I like it enough to say the Leafs should extend his contract.

And they should extend it sooner rather than later. Let’s give him a chance to see what he can do in the future.

Comments on The Rant of November 1 on Oshawa ’s new rink:

“The first thing I said when I went into the General Motors Centre was that I couldn’t believe it was in Oshawa . What a great thing for our city.” – Chris in Oshawa

“I was against the project at first I will admit, but here’s hoping it turns out to be a great thing for the city. Hey, now that it’s hear we should all be trying to make it work.” – Brian in Oshawa

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