Two Questions
The NYT has asked blogs from all 30 teams to answer two questions about their club:
1. Will your team make the playoffs? Why or Why not?
2. What team is it vitally important to have *miss* the playoffs, and why?
My answers have just been submitted and should be posted over at Slap Shot in the next few days, in the interim I'm interested to know how other Leaf fans would have answered these two questions...
I would have been strongly tempted to answer:
ReplyDelete1 - No.
2 - Toronto.
... with the idea being that a successful run to a playoff berth, followed by a likely first-round defeat, could do more harm than good by fooling management into giving the current core one more year. We need to bite the bullet on this rebuilding project, so might as well start now.
That said, I don't think Fletcher is going to be fooled by this latest run. And in any event, if they do make it I reserve the right to deny any knowledge of this posting.
1. No. There must be no doubt remaining in the mind of management that this group needs to be scattered to the winds. Contending for the playoffs at this point might delay the process another year.
ReplyDelete2. Toronto must miss the playoffs in order to be rebuilt for next season. Any possibility of keeping this group together another year must be completely obliterated.
The Mats Sundin question must be answered. Should he be offered another contract? His absence has not hurt the team in the latter part of the season since younger players have been getting more ice and playing better as a result. Another point to consider in the overall restructuring of this beleaguered franchise.
Thanks for the comments guys, it seems we're all on the same page.
ReplyDelete