December 07, 2008

Superstar Dreaming...

I watched a lot of Joe Thornton this past week. On Tuesday when his Sharks spanked our Maple Leafs, and last night on Hockey Night in Canada. Thornton's, umm, pretty damn good.


I don't think the folks in San Jose understand just how lucky they are to have him. I don't think Joe Thornton is fully appreciated down south.

Imagine Thornton in a Leafs uniform.

As days go by, I find myself longing for a superstar. As I turn the page on the Mats Sundin years, I find myself longing for a player who can simply dominate the game.

You know, a Thornton, or a Jarome Iginla, Vinny Lecavalier, Henrik Zetterberg, or an Alex Ovechkin.

Don't get me wrong, the Sundin years were tremendous. There wasn't a more consistent mother sucker than Mats to ever wear the blue and white. Sundin was who he was: a point-per-game performer. And considering the talent that he was surrounded with, that's an accomplishment in itself. I mean, he made Mike Johnson a 20-goal scorer, for crying out loud. While Sundin was a "superstar," he wasn't a "superstar superstar," you know what I'm saying?

I want a guy on the Leafs who can challenge for the Art Ross, and the Hart. I want a guy who simply, well, runs shit.

I want Joe Thornton.

And I'll be honest, I cried myself to sleep last night. Matt Stajan, after all, leads the Leafs in scoring.

Last I checked, he ain't no Thornton.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

be patient. your star is coming on draft day!

Johnny G said...

Im not sure Hedman or Tavares will be a Superstar Superstar though.... I think they will be a great player but not in that top tier of Hart and Art Ross guys.

blurr1974 said...

as your source for all things California hockey related, let me tell you, Jumbo Joe is VERY much appreciated @ the tank...

I'm with ya, an Ovie type of player (bull in a china shop with soft hands...swoon) would be just an awesome thing.

some day eyebleaf, someday...

bkblades said...

Maybe it's unfair to Joe Thornton, but until he plays up to his ability in the playoffs, I'm not putting him above the other aforementioned guys you mentioned.

Who knows if the Leafs will get that superstar anytime soon. But unlike past years when the team held onto that faint hope that all the stars want to sign in Toronto, we have the management in place that wants to draft/acquire a superstar of their own accord. That's what keeps my hopes up - the belief that the team is finally being proactive in finding our own superstar.

Tex said...

I got to watch the Leafs in person for the first time at the game in LA. The lack of a superstar, or even just a "go to" guy was the biggest thing I noticed. It leaves a huge hole in the lineup - and I think it needs to be at the top of Burke's priority list.

Bhattorious said...

Finally Navin....i have been preaching this for years....we need a SUPERSTAR....not a Sundin, Sedin, Riebiero, Kovalev...i am talking about an Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin....and yes Thornton...until we have this we have NOTHING....

Preet said...

^if I may add, if we get a superstar, can we make sure he isn't someone that's now 42 years old and past his prime? Just sayin.... historically, when we do sign them, its always like 10 years too late.

Navin Vaswani (@eyebleaf) said...

@ Woodpeck: I'll be honest, bro, I'm running out of patience.

@ Johnny: Beggars can't be choosers.

@ Blurr: Someday, indeed. Just hopefully in our lifetime.

@ BKBlades: Yeah, a Cup eludes Thornton. But I think he'll get it. And your optimistic look at the Leafs is inspiring. Hopefully this management team is the one to right the ship.

@ Tex: Although he wasn't a "superstar superstar" Sundin was still the go-to guy, and a good one. He scored a lot of clutch goals in his time in Toronto. It was telling to see that, down a goal with 25 seconds left to play, it was Dominic Moore on the ice. And we've seen Moore in these positions already this season, but it fucks me up every time.

@ Bhatti: I know what you're saying, and that's why you want Tavares. But I don't want Tavares. I won't Ovechkin.

@ Preet: Yeah, hopefully that nonsense has stopped, and I'm getting the feeling it has. Although I was pretty STOKED when we signed Lindros, even though deep down I knew his signing in Toronto would result in epic failure.

Bhattorious said...

Tavares could be a Stamkos...at best, i know what you mean....but who is the next big thing....who right now...not in the NHL....who is about 15 years old is looking to be the next big thing....i have no clue...you tell me.

Bhattorious said...

We might be closer to the lottery than you think....Look at the win % up to date....NHL does not look at this stat (they should)....but here it is....Lottery here we come.

Team Win%
San Jose=0.852
Boston=0.769
Detroit=0.769
Montreal=0.673
Pittsburgh=0.654
NY Rangers=0.633
New Jersey=0.625
Chicago=0.620
Philadelphia=0.615
Calgary=0.611
Minnesota=0.596
Washington=0.589
Vancouver=0.589
Anaheim=0.589
Nashville=0.577
Edmonton=0.538
Buffalo=0.519
Carolina=0.518
Colorado=0.500
Los Angeles=0.500
St. Louis=0.500
Ottawa=0.500
Phoenix=0.481
Florida=0.481
Columbus=0.463
Dallas=0.462
Toronto=0.444
NY Islanders=0.423
Atlanta=0.404
Tampa Bay=0.385

Johnny G said...

852 for San Jose is friggin nuts...

Navin Vaswani (@eyebleaf) said...

Respect for that, Bhatti. That's nuts. We really do suck.

And Johnny's right, an .852 winning percentage by the Sharks is ridiculous.

dani said...

NO! I WANT JOE! When Dru and Briere left I said, Joe or nothing. And we got Steve Bernier. And then Craig Rivet. BUT NO JOE! :(

Bhattorious said...

All it means is...LOTTERAE...

Anonymous said...

eyebleaf - a little off topic but thought you might enjoy this. Vince Carter being dunked on by rookie Kevin Love.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=fPeZ3cEPBDU

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