Problems in Leafland
Yesterday, I read this stupid blog about one idiot’s suggestion on how to fix the Leafs. For those of you who are too lazy to click the link, it basically says the Leafs should just forget about the upcoming deep draft and instead focus on Jeff Carter.
I’m tired of people giving their “expert opinion” on topics that they clearly know nothing about. The best line in the whole blog is the author’s comment on the draft, “That’s fine — if you like playing the lottery and dreaming of a better team for tomorrow with an untested talent.”
Maybe somebody should tell this guy to name the most successful franchise of the past 10 years. If you said the Detroit Red Wings, you would be correct. This is a team that has 2 Cups in the last 10 years (3 if we stretch to 11) and most of its recent success has to do with success in the draft. Because of their success, you never see Detroit landing a lottery pick, and yet despite this, they still manage to find gems in the later rounds. Look at some of their key players and when they were selected:
Pavel Datsyuk- Round 6, #171 overall, 1998 NHL Draft
Henrik Zetterberg- Round 7, #210 overall, 1999 NHL Draft
Niklas Lidstrom- Round 3, #53 overall, 1989 NHL Draft.
Detroit has more impressive picks, but these three are most important because:
a) They will finish the season as Detroit’s top leading scorers
b) Detroit has hung onto them this whole time since they were drafted.
The New Jersey Devils are probably the second most successful team, and they have also been successful in their drafts, although with a slightly different approach. They drafted a franchise player many years ago (Martin Brodeur) and also found several supporting talents.
Meanwhile, the Leafs have missed the playoffs the past three seasons partly because they liked to mortgage their future for short term solutions. When the lockout was resolved they had little to show for it, and no one was celebrating the additions of Owen Nolan and Jeff O’Neill. I am not comparing Jeff Carter to these two players. Perhaps if they were to throw their latest draft away, Carter might not be a bad person to do it on, since he is young and highly regarded. But it would still be a terrible idea, seeing as how he’s still unproven (career year at 49 points so far), and it is basically sticking with the same formula the Leafs used for the past 10 years. If the Leafs want to model themselves after anyone in the league, Detroit might be a good team to do so.
Also, there is no rush. Rebuilding does take time after all. But no one is laughing at the Pittsburgh Penguins or Montreal Canadiens this year after spending a few playoff-less seasons not long ago.
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