Lamoriello, during what he hopes is the first happy moment during his time in Toronto. (Tyler Anderson, National Post)
Despite their worst season in recent memory, the Toronto Maple Leafs would like to tell everyone that all is all right in Maple Town.
Yes, despite not having any resemblance of a team – they traded away their lone star Phil Kessel weeks ago to Pittsburgh – the Leafs are somehow on their way up. Hiring Mike Babcock as coach was the first thing they did that raised the eyebrows of everyone in the NHL world, and now the hiring of Lamoriello will apparently seal the deal in Toronto’s elusive quest for the Stanley Cup in the near future.
The problem with the Leafs, however, is that the team isn’t anywhere close to winning – it isn’t even close to getting close to winning. The problem is, every single person who played for the Leafs either didn’t perform as expected or is on their way towards a downward spiral or never really had the tools to succeed.
So how does someone like Lamoriello “fix” the Leafs for next season? That task may simply be impossible. But he’s been signed for a long-term deal. Unlike a coach, who needs to perform the minute he enters the door, the GM can take years for his work to translate to tangible success. So Lamoriello has plenty of time to work his way through the team.
The only way, however, that Lamoriello can manage to get Toronto into a winning position again is to send off everyone involved in the losing season in the first place. It started with the firing of most of the coaching staff in Randy Carlyle and Pete Horachek, and it started with the firing of Dave Nonis as GM. But it shouldn’t end there. The “star” players of the team should go as well. Kessel was the first, but they should keep going with Phaneuf and the silly Bernier/Reimer goaltender duo and van Riemsdyk and Kadri and Rielly and the whole lot. Teams who go into expansion have a fresh approach to their teams – so why not take the same approach in Toronto? The staff is new, the outlook is new, and the fans will definitely be renewed – so why not have all new players? The new approach will definitely change the dynamic of a team which has clearly lost it’s way. A new team might rejuvenate the fanbase. Instead of worn down players who are tired of the Toronto landscape, new players can bring in more enthusiasm to the team.
So instead of having a few players who have been through the tough times in Toronto, the team could simply trade or release them (if necessary) and not have their negativity bring the whole team down. Because the Leafs have had nearly 50 years of negativity and downturns and sadness. Lamoriello’s hiring might very well change that.
Given that the salary cap and contract rules may prevent every single player from the 14-15 Leafs from going, but that probably won’t stop Lamoriello from trying – given his resume with the Devils, he certainly has the balls to do what needs to be done.
It starts with dealing Phaneuf.
Fanbase One 