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The Rog's Rant

History setting Maple Leafs now can rebuild

The Toronto Maple Leafs can now rebuild properly – whether they want to or not.

For the past several years the philosophy of the Toronto Maple Leafs appears to have been to make the team competitive enough to get into the playoffs, and then perhaps have a long playoff run.

Given the nature of the National Hockey League playoffs (16 teams getting in), and given the fact that anything can happen in the post-season, that strategy can sometimes result in a team getting hot at just the right time and then, who knows?

Just one problem with that logic – you have to make the playoffs to even have a chance for it to work. Sometime very soon the Toronto Maple Leafs will be officially eliminated from the playoffs for the third straight season, for the first time in franchise history.

No illusions of a “miracle” playoff run, no illusions of “anything can happen” and no illusions of “we’re close to a championship” just because they managed to find a way to finish 16th in a 30-team league, like that some kind of a major accomplishment anyway.

This historic franchise has never gone three seasons in a row without making the playoffs – until now. And unless this team gets younger and faster in a hurry, it’s only going to get worse.

Their best player is 38 years old next year. They have him and four other players with no-trade contracts that hamper the club in the Salary cap era. Their young players are decent NHLers but no better than that – there is not one young player on the Leafs that can be reasonably expected to be an NHL All-Star in the next five years. Not one.

There is no reason to be more optimistic than 2008-09 will be better than 2007-08 was. No reason at all.

They are doing the right thing by searching for a top-flight, NHL General Manager, and appear willing to offer him a contract that will give him full authority. That is a good thing.

But any GM worth his salt will make one thing clear from the start – he’ll say I need some time here. This ‘stopgap, let’s just make the playoffs and see what happens’ kind of thinking isn’t the way to build a true contending team for many years in today’s NHL.

For years the Leafs have avoided a true rebuilding for several reasons. Before the Salary Cap, they could try and buy a winner, which is easier than rebuilding. Sorry, can’t really do that any more.

There was always the feeling that Toronto wouldn’t stand for the Leafs rebuilding. Well guess what – the Leafs haven’t made the playoffs in three years and they’ve managed to do that without rebuilding. Yikes.

So with an aging captain, restrictive contracts and minimal levels of talent in their younger players, guess what? The Toronto Maple Leafs are rebuilding whether they like it or not.

If this team comes back largely in tact, it will only get worse. They will not get closer to a playoff spot, they will get further away. So now is the time to do it properly.

Nobody knows how long this process will take. Some teams have quickly re-tooled in two to three years, others have taken five or more. That’s not what long-suffering Leaf fans will want to hear, but that is also the bitter truth.

It has been 41 years since a Stanley Cup, but it is now three years since a measly playoff berth. Draft smarter, get younger, get a GM with patience and at least one day you’ll have a chance at ending both of those draughts.

The way things are now, this team isn’t even going to make the playoffs, never mind win a Stanley Cup. If you are going to miss the playoffs every year anyway, at least miss them the smart way.

Get younger, faster and rebuild properly. Let the new GM do his job and give him the time he needs.

If not – the Leafs playoff draught is going to last a lot longer than three years – and that’s already a club record. The rebuilding is already under way now…like it or not.

Comments on The Rant of February 21 on the new baseball season :

“I don’t even like baseball but Opening Day is the best – ONLY because it means the end of winter!” – Peter in Pickering

“I can’t wait for the new baseball season either. Yet another third place finish by the Toronto Blue Jays, how exciting!” – Dennis in Toronto

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