By Tyler
Norwood
Sunday, October 19th, 2003
Print
Recommend
John Ferguson, Jr. may have the toughest job in the world. As General Manager
of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he must do what TBK managers could not -- that
is, appease the masses of fans who have been starving for a Stanley Cup win
since 1967. The road to victory is paved with jagged rock and stone.
Ferguson has inherited an aging team with a high payroll and little to show
for it. In net, Ferguson has a starting goaltender at the age of 38 in Ed
Belfour and a backup (Trevor Kidd) at age 31. Furthermore, Trevor Kidd has
failed to reassert himself since his all-star '96-'97 season with Carolina
and may not be able to handle the reins of starting goalie, should Belfour
not return after this season or succumb to injury. It's a troubling thought
for Leaf fans.
On the blue-line, stands a group of has-beens. Bryan McCabe failed to follow
up on his breakout season, Tomas Kaberle has been prone to mistakes, and
Bryan Marchment is marginal and only useful in intimidating opponents. Ken
Klee will help, but he only replaces the departed Glen Wesley.
Meanwhile, Aki Berg is playing an AHL game at the NHL level and doesn't deserve
a roster spot in the worst of times. Maxim Kondratiev is in his first year
and may not be able to help as much as coach Pat Quinn would like. On the
bright side, Quinn has finally given Ric Jackman the chance he has deserved.
He plays a tough, physical game and his defensive ability will be much
appreciated. On the whole, the defense needs some serious tuning.
Up front, Quinn has an assortment of high-quality forwards such as Alexander
Mogilny and Mats Sundin. Despite this, the offense can be easily stagnated
by even halfway decent, defensive teams and this seriously harms Toronto's
capability as a powerhouse. Owen Nolan has been prone to frequent scoring
droughts and Quinn may begin to regret trading Alyn McCauley and Brad Boyes.
Sundin often forgets his defensive responsibilities. Robert Reichel is overpaid,
soft, and it seems as though Tie Domi scores more goals. Ferguson acquired
the aging Joe Nieuwendyk in the offseason as Toronto continues its bid for
the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest team in the NHL.
And Ferguson has already rid himself of playoff hero Travis Green.
For those of you looking for a savior, look not towards John Ferguson, Jr.
It seems he takes his orders from Quinn and will not provide the thorough
shake-up that the club needs.
Leaf fans have been waiting 37 years for the Stanley Cup to return again,
but you might as well scratch this year. The Toronto Maple Leafs will not
win the Stanley Cup for a long time to come.
Back
to NHL
Back to
Home
