| Jonathan Volpe. 25th June, 2007 - 6:47 pm
 If John Ferguson Jr. ever offers you advice, don’t take it. Although heavily influenced by Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), Ferguson has made yet another terrible acquisition.
While Vesa Toskala will be an improvement in goal, acquiring the overpaid Mark Bell was a mind-boggling move. Bell will earn $2 million this upcoming season and Toskala $1,375,000, which yet again, puts the Leafs close to the cap.
In the process of acquiring Bell and Toskala, Ferguson also traded away draft picks to the San Jose Sharks, all but throwing away a possible re-build of a team that finished ninth in the Eastern Conference for a second straight year.
Ferguson has no plan, and should seek advice from the Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson. Wilson was able to trade away salary in Bell and his backup goalie in Toskala, while freeing-up salary space so he can make himself a legitimate buyer this upcoming off-season. In doing so Wilson was also able to maintain depth in his organization with the draft picks.
It was one year to the day that Ferguson began selling us on how Andrew Raycroft would be the savior to the goaltending woes Toronto suffered a year ago. Let’s not forget though, in acquiring Raycroft Ferguson gave up Tuukka Rask, a solid goaltending prospect. Raycroft had a predicted less than stellar year. We shouldn’t be surprised though, because that’s what Ferguson does best, sells the buyer on his “predicted plan” and watches as his team struggles year in and year out.
For two straight years the Leafs have missed the post-season by one point and don’t show any signs of winning Lord Stanley for an eternity. Yes, ’67 does feel like that long for some that bleed the blue and white. So why not re-build?
Ferguson should look at the upper-echelon teams in the league and follow the patterns of the General Managers who run these teams. Clearly, if your team shows no signs of winning a cup for some time, you must suffer some rough seasons and re-build, a word that doesn’t exist in Ferguson’s vocabulary.
Ferguson should be canned because true Leaf fans are, finally, beginning to feel betrayed.
If Leaf fans are as upset as they should be, I recommend making a trip down to BMO field to watch some entertaining soccer and support the Toronto FC. At least there’s a team that isn’t run as poorly as the Leafs are. |
