The season was a failure. You win as a team and you lose as a team. That was the overall message following Brian Burkes end of season press conference. Admittedly there were short-comings all the way through the organization, from the front office to the players. I would agree. As a life-long Leaf fan I had hopes, misplaced as they may have been, but I was sure that the Leafs, if they didn’t make the playoffs, would at least have been fighting for a spot. With a long summer ahead, Burke emphasized the need for the team to get better internally.
A very strict summer work-out regime is in place and players are expected to show up to camp in shape and ready to play. Komisarek is ahead on his rehabilitation schedule and a healthy Kessel playing 82 games will add much more depth to the team. Kessel had 30 goals in 70 games, not bad coming off a shoulder surgery that never really healed. Also there is Nazim Kadri, who has had a phenomenal year in the OHL, and will be looking to center the first line next year with Kessel. But like everyone else, he has to make the team. “...we’d all love him to make, but he’s got to come in and do it.... What happens between now and when he gets off the bus at training camp is going to determine whether he makes the team or not” Burkes said.
After going 0-7 to start the season, there appeared to be nothing positive about this team. If you look at their record since the house cleaning before the Olympic break, there are some positive notes. Since February the Leafs have been good enough to earn a playoff spot going 13-10-3, 7th in the east, 16 over all. However, the NHL is an 82 game schedule. “I’ve never been a big believer of digging a hole, then bragging about how hard you perspired filling it back in.” And thats what the Leafs seem to do. At least since the lock out.
They are now, however, the youngest team in the NHL, with young talent prospects in Jerry D’Amigo and Keith Aulie, and have plenty of cap space. Not much will happen for Toronto on draft day (their first and second round picks going to Boston for Kessel), so we shall all be looking forward to free agency day. Though there appears to be slim picking on unrestricted free agency market, there are a few teams that will have trouble with cap space and restricted agents ( i.e. Chicago) that might work out for Toronto.
Also there is Kaberle, and whether he will be suiting up for the blue and white next year is anyones guess. Kaberle has stated repeatedly that he wants to play in Toronto, and if Burke doesn’t get the deal he wants then he will be. Either way, Kaberle is heavy commodity on the ice or on the market.
Once again, all us Leaf fans can do is sit here and hope, and fantasize about next year, how good it will be to be atop the standings, but I’m not holding my breath. The only good thing about being a Leaf fan these last few years is that come playoff time, I can jump on any bandwagon I want. And if that team looses, well, I’ll just hop on another.
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