Cheers, Darcy Tucker

I think it's safe to say that Cliff Fletcher wasn't fucking around when he vowed to change the face of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club going into next season.

Darcy Tucker is Fletcher's latest victim, bought out of the remaining three years of his contract, his career in the blue and white over, just like that.

While I knew it was definitely within the realm of possibilities that Tucker could be bought out, the news that it was actually going down still floored me.

Darcy Tucker. Darcy fuckin' Tucker. My boy. The man I've adored ever since the Leafs acquired him years ago for the lousy Mike Johnson. What a steal. And what a player. It's hard to believe I'll never see #16 lace 'em up again in Toronto colours. It's a sad day. I will truly miss him.

For Darcy, it all came down to his contract. Of all the guys with no-trade clauses in their contracts going forward (Tucker, McCabe, Kubina, and Kaberle), Tucker's was the most buyout-able. With three years and $9 million left on his deal, the Leafs are now on the hook for two-thirds of it, $6 million, and are able to spread it out, $1 million a year over the next six years, against the NHL's salary cap.

In other words, the Leafs are paying Darcy Tucker $6 million to leave.

A lot of the reaction I've already read and heard has to do with Jason Blake. If Tucker is being shown the door, why is Blake still a part of the club's plans? Again, it all comes down to Blake's contract. With $16 million and four years still left on his deal, buying out his contract would cost the Leafs over $10 million against the salary cap, and Fletcher has decided that he can't go down that route.

Ditto for Bryan McCabe. He's too expensive to be given the boot.

It hasn't sunk in that Tucker is done in Toronto. It won't until training camp opens in September and he's not around. At the same time, I can understand why he was targeted. His production dipped badly last season and his defensive shortcomings were glaring. In the past three years, in which the Leafs failed to qualify for the playoffs (just in case you forgot), Tucker was a -31. He'd become a power play specialist and, last year, a predictable one at that. He's also been slowed by injuries.

Still, in my heart, Tucker was the embodiment of a Toronto Maple Leaf. He played with so much pride and passion that it was impossible not to love and appreciate him. Who can possibly forget the time he jumped right into the Ottawa Senators bench, ready to take them all on.

Darcy wore the Maple Leafs sweater with so much pride. At times, even when it was probably beneficial for him to rest his battered little frame and get healthy, he'd still go out there, because all he wanted to do was contribute and help his fellow Maple Leafs. Nothing gave the small town Alberta boy more joy than being a Toronto Maple Leaf. I truly believe he wanted nothing more than to succeed in Toronto and help deliver a long overdue Stanley Cup to this championship-starved city. That's what makes his premature departure so difficult. He didn't take off the Maple Leafs jersey he wore with such immense pride. He had it removed from his shoulders.

While I know that Tucker's injuries have taken his game down a level or two - he's "worn out," to use Coach Wilson's words - I still believed he had a role on the Leafs. His sideshow act from years gone by aside, I thought he had a lot to teach the young players who will lead the Maple Leafs into the future.

Shoaltsy at The Globe is reporting that, of course, Tucker took the news like "a real professional...who's looking forward to getting his career back on track somewhere else." I hope he lands on his feet, and I'm sure he will. Tucker has something left to give, and I hope the next city he plays hockey in appreciates him as much as those of us in Toronto did. That guy lives for the playoffs. I hope he gets back there as soon as possible, and gets his name on the Cup for all eternity.

Stay classy, Darcy. Your grit, heart, passion and determination will be sorely missed. Even though you were drafted by the Montreal Canadiens, played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and will put on the sweater of another NHL team in the coming days, you'll always be a Toronto Maple Leaf to me...

To read Greener's tribute to Darcy Tucker over at He Score, He Shoot! click here. Sean over at Down Goes Brown thinks Tucker might be back. One day. Check out his post on #16 here.

Showing Tucker towards the exit wasn't the only order of business for Grandfather Cliff yesterday. Much to my dismay, Kyle Wellwood was placed on waivers, along with the human sieve Andrew Raycroft. Welly will likely become a free agent, while Raycroft will be bought out of his contract, because no GM, not even one drunk out of his mind, will touch that contract with a thousand-gajillion foot pole.

I'd like to take this opportunity to once again thank John Ferguson Jr. for completely butchering the Leafs for years to come thanks to the completely boneheaded contracts he handed out and ridiculous personnel decisions he made. So, umm, thanks, fucker. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

I'm honestly a little shocked the Leafs are throwing in the towel on Wellwood. Clearly we're embarking on this whole rebuild thing, yet Wellwood isn't welcome back. Why? Is it because of his injuries? His work ethic? He's only 25! Who's he going to keep a roster spot from? Boyd Devereaux? Dominic Moore? Nothing against those two, they were great waiver wire additions, but this one just doesn't make sense to me. It wouldn't have cost much to bring Wellwood back, I'm thinking $1.2 or $1.5 million, but I guess that's too rich for the Leafs. They gave Carlo Colaiacovo a raise after a season in which he was injured again and played only 48 games, but Wellwood's got to go. Right.

In a sick and twisted supportive stance of Wellwood, I hope this one comes back and bites the Leafs in the ass. History has proven that some of the smallish players, who clearly do have some skill, take a little longer to develop. Remember Steve Sullivan (props to Sean at Down Goes Brown for the reminder)? The Leafs released him for nothing, and he went on to have a pretty decent career.

Daniel Briere was put on waivers back in 2001. Every NHL team had a chance to pick him up. For nothing. None of them did. Ditto for Martin St. Louis. He was put on waivers by the Calgary Flames, went unclaimed, released, and then signed as a free agent by Tampa Bay. The rest is history.

I'm not saying Wellwood is going to become the next Briere, who was a first round draft pick and came with much higher expectations. I'm not saying he's going to be the next St. Louis, a seriously late-bloomer who slipped through everyones cracks. What I am saying, however, is that Wellwood is way better than Matt fucking Stajan!

In all honesty, I do think that Wellwood does have the potential to have a decent career in this league, much like Steve Sullivan has. I find the notion that his NHL career might be over to be a ridiculous one. Someone is going to take a chance on little Welly.

Here's hoping Kyle and Darcy both gives the Leafs a little something to regret in the coming years.

As for Raycrap, he's dead to me. Buy him out. It doesn't matter what it costs, it's worth it. Raycroft is a disease. We must be cleansed of him. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

And I must say, Cliff Fletcher is serious about success.

Say It Ain't So

Shoaltsy at The Globe is reporting that the Maple Leafs are set to bid adieu to diminutive playmaker Kyle Wellwood. I am rather saddened by the news. Say it ain't so, Cliff, say it ain't so.

I guess I just assumed that Wellwood, a restricted free agent come July 1st, would get another shot with the Leafs. I know, he was awful last season - 21 points in 59 games, and a nasty -12 rating - but he was coming off two abdominal injuries and surgeries, and those are traditionally the toughest ones to recover from. Can we just forget last year ever happened?

I know, it doesn't help that Kyle doesn't give a damn about off-ice conditioning and that his exercise regiment is centred around carrying two-fours from the Beer Store to his car. However, on a team so devoid of offensive talent, there's no room for Kyle Wellwood? Really? Seriously?

We're talking about a guy who is only 20 months removed from a season in which he put up 42 points in 48 games, and who was a big part of a mostly successful power play back in 06/07. And now we're just going to give up on him, and let him walk away for nothing?

I don't get it. Wellwood should be a part of the youth movement going forward. He's only 25 years old and clearly possesses gifted offensive talent. His 108 points in 189 career games proves that. Let's give Ron Wilson a chance to work with him, and mould him into the stud playmaker we all know he can become. Or at least give Wilson a chance to write his name on the white board and call him out.

Come on Fletch. Please. Don't do this to me. Welly made $975,000 last year. Give him a one-year deal at, say, $1.2 million. Let him earn it. If he doesn't perform 40 games into the season, send his ass to the minors. If someone claims him off waivers, so be it. But let's give him another chance. I know he doesn't really deserve it but, well, just do me a solid, Uncle Cliff.

You want to know why I'm so desperate to retain Wellwood? I'll tell you. Because I'm scared. Yeah, I'm scared. I'm man enough to admit it. If Mats Sundin bolts for greener pastures (not that there's anything wrong with that), and Wellwood isn't brought back, who the hell is going to play centre? I'm assuming Nik Antropov would take over line one duty, and I shudder to think that Matt Stajan would be expected to be the teams second-line centre. Stajan is a third-line centre, at best.

Speaking of Stajan, Shoalts' excellent reportage also fills us in on the fact that talks between the Leafs and the restricted free agent are not going well. Stajan apparently wants $2 million a season. Based on that request, he's clearly smoking a lot of dope. I would have to respectfully agree with Fletcher that Stajan is not worth that kind of money. Alex Steen is scheduled to make $1.7 million next year, and there's no way in hell Stajan should be making more than Steen.

As for Wellwood, look no further than Antropov as an example for dealing with young players and injuries, and the question of whether to keep fishing or cut bait. Antropov dealt with his fair share of injuries, serious knee operations at that, after teasing us with his initial progress. Much like that jackass George W. Bush, we stayed the course on Antropov, and he certainly paid off last season.

I can only hope we'll do the same with Wellwood. Stay the course, Cliff, stay the course...

Alive

Wow. What a hockey game. The Toronto Maple Leafs, down 3-0 in the third period with 15 minutes left to play, refused to roll over and die. With a courageous 4-3 overtime win, the Leafs live to see another day.

That's one game, more specifically one third period, I won't soon forget. It was textbook Toronto Maple Leafs hockey: outplay and out-shoot your opponent badly, find yourself down 3-0 in the biggest and most important game of the season with the clock running out, and then roar back with a vengeance.

The table was set for the dream of sneaking into the playoffs as the eighth seed to finally and mercifully be put to rest, or so it seemed. But the Captain still had some fight in him. Sundin finally broke through the wall known as Martin Biron - what's up with these French goalies named Martin coming to Toronto and stoning the Leafs? - and got the Leafs on the board.

Then Pavel Kubina found the twine, after Sundin won an offensive zone faceoff; 3-2 Philly. This is when I started to curse. The Leafs. You know, when I figured out what the hell was going on - they were coming back. They were teasing and torturing me yet again. They would not go quietly into the night. They would not let the dream die.

Then an unlikely hero: Jeremy Williams. The sniper, summoned from the fourth line for a rare shift with Dominic Moore and Alex Steen (great hunch by Maurice), roofed one over the shoulder of Biron to tie the game at three's, with less than four minutes to play. Props out to Steen for his forechecking on the play. He was huge. Cue some serious elationage.

Then a penalty to the Flyers with exactly two minutes left to play, with the season hanging in the balance. The Leafs needed two points, and had to make sure the Flyers left with nothing but a regulation time loss.

Then Maurice pulls Toskala from the net with a minute to go, 6-on-4 man advantage Toronto. What the!?!? Cue more cursing and some serious stomach churnage.

Did you agree with Maurice's call to pull Toskala? I certainly didn't. I actually couldn't believe he did it, especially with the game tied. Tied, you know, as in not losing. Sure, Philly holds the eighth seed, but who cares about them? The Leafs need to reach 92 points, regardless of what Philly does. The Buds had a point secured and for Maurice to put it, and the season, on the line was a straight riverboat gamble. I was shocked by Maurice's move. Yes, I wondered whether he might do it but when he did, I was speechless. I was without speech. Had Philadelphia scored into the empty net - and because they were killing a penalty they were able to ice the puck, freely - the Leafs would have been toast, and I would have never been able to forgive Maurice.

A ballsy move by the coach. A really, really ballsy move. I give him mad respect on the call because it could have seriously backfired on him. I sure as hell wouldn't have been able to do it. It's clear Maurice truly believes in the motto of "no risk, no reward." But I still disagree with the decision.

It did, however, almost pay off. Hell, it probably should have. Alex Ponikarovsky had a glorious, and I mean really glorious, chance with Toskala on the bench that would have given the Leafs a 4-3 regulation win. He was all alone in front of the net, with Biron down and out, after a tremendous no-look pass by Nik Antropov. Poni had all the time in the world, but he didn't know that. Had he moved the puck to his backhand and tucked it in, the roof would have came down in the building. But he didn't, and Biron made one hell of a save on Poni's attempt, a game-saver if there ever was one.

Poor Poni. He simply cannot finish, and he rang one off the post - again! - in the first period. I know he probably didn't get a lot of sleep last night. He shouldn't have. You're still my boy, Poni, but, fuck, that was brutal.

Kubina made sure the Leafs got the two points in the end, banking the fourth and winning goal off a Flyers defenseman and behind Biron. The comeback was complete, and what a comeback it was. Say what you want about the Leafs and their difficult season, but they were full marks on the win last night. They were the better team and threw everything and the kitchen sink at Biron, who played a hell of a game for Philadelphia. They had no business escaping with their solitary point and have only their tender to thank.

Some people will say that the Leafs can't do anything right, and that losing would have been the best thing to happen last night. Not me. I don't feel anything but proud about the way the boys rallied and refused to quit, even with a 3-0 margin on the scoreboard. It says a lot about the Leafs, and especially Sundin. It's no surprise he scored the first goal of the night, and assisted on the second, to get the Leafs back into the contest. He's a gamer, pure and simple. A leader of men.

So the Leafs pick up one point in the standings on Philadelphia, and now trail the Flyers by seven points with 11 games left on the calendar. The situation is still pretty damn bleak, but the point is the Leafs are still in their bleak situation. As a fan, and a dreamer, that's all I really can ask for. If the Leafs don't make the playoffs, and it's still a mighty long shot, I'll take with me the memories of last night's game, and cherish them. It was a beauty. As exciting a third period as I've ever seen.

Of course, some people saw Toronto's comeback as another opportunity to throw salt on the Leafs' wounds. I'm looking right at you David Shoalts of The Globe and Mail. His column, "Too Little, Too Late" rips the Leafs for showing up only when it's too late, and that by giving Philadelphia a point it's all but over anyways. Hey, Shoaltsy, tell me something I don't freakin' know. He calls the Leafs' shot total "deceptive" and remarks that their comeback goals "came from a distance." Really, who gives a flying fuck "where" the goals come from?!?!? I love Shoaltsy and his work at The Globe, but that was low. It doesn't matter where the puck comes from when it goes into the net, all that matters is that it crosses the goal line. Unreal.

Throw me a bone here, Shoalts, jeezus. I watched that entire contest last night and the Leafs were all over the Flyers from the drop of the puck. Sure, it may not mean much if, and likely when, the Leafs miss the playoffs, but for one night would it have been so difficult for Shoalts to give the boys in blue and white some God damn credit for coming back when all seemed lost? I'm sure Damien Cox will be all over the Leafs this morning as well. Maybe even Dave Feschuk! Come one, come all, lets all lambaste the Leafs for showing some moxie and beating a Philadelphia team that had a 25-1-1 record when carrying a lead into the third period.

Eleven games to go. Seven points out. The goal is not to catch the Philadelphia Flyers. The goal is to reach 92 points. With 72 points to their name, and 22 points still up for grabs, the Leafs need to win 10 of 11 to close out their schedule. If they can do that, catching Philadelphia will take care of itself. And if they can do that, it will also prove, undeniably, the existence of God. So, umm, God, if you're reading, show yourself. Please. In the form of a 10 game win streak. Would appreciate it. That'd be pretty sweet. Thanks in advance, Big Guy.

Another date with the Flyers tonight. The back end of a home and home. Bring it on.

Paul Maurice said it best: "We're alive."

So is my dream...

The Lunacy Continues

Thursday night's embarresment in Los Angeles made for one helluva interesting Friday in Leafs Nation. Roster moves and rampant speculation were the order of the day. I have to admit that it sure is entertaining following the train wreck known as the Toronto Maple Leafs. Good times, indeed.

Friday began with The Toronto Star's Damien Cox reporting that John Ferguson was frantically pressing the Staples Easy Button. In a move that only signals sheer panic and desperation, blue-chip goaltending prospect Justin Pogge has been recalled by the parent club and will be in the lineup Saturday night. The future, it seems, is now.

At around 1:00 pm yesterday afternoon I learned that the Leafs dipped into the waiver pool and acquired Dominic Moore from the Minnesota Wild. Moore has one goal and two assists in 30 games with Minnesota this year.

Well, whoop. Dee. Doo. Problems solved! Throwing a rookie goalie, who is to be the future of the franchise, into the fire, and picking up a discarded forward famous for attending Harvard and being the brother of the guy who got his ass kicked by Todd Bertuzzi.

Pardon me while I uncork the freakin' bottle of Bambino champagne (only $12.15 a bottle at your local LCBO).

At 3:00 pm news hit the wire that the Eastern Conference All-Star reserves had been announced. Tomas Kaberle was going to Atlanta for his third all-star go-round but, astonishingly, Mats Sundin wasn't.

The rest of the day was all about coach Paul Maurice and general manager John Ferguson. My man David Shoalts at The Globe wrote a beauty of a piece saying that it's all but over for Ferguson. He's not going to finish the season as the GM of the Leafs, and could be out of a job by Monday. While Ferguson has not asked management's permission to fire Maurice, Shoalts says it ain't going to happen anyway, even if Ferguson did ask, because Ferguson's tenure in Toronto is down to its last few days. Maurice's fate looks like it will be decided by the next general manager of this pathetic team, but with a couple more efforts like the ones in Orange Country and Los Angeles, I wouldn't be surprised if the Leafs don't have a coach or general manager come next week. They can't play much worse without 'em.

I've got to give Ferguson some props though (maybe his last props?). While he's watched the team he built get flushed down the toilet, he's stayed 100% loyal to his coach. Kind of makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn't it?

I can't remember the days when the Leafs took so much flack in the papers, on the internet and on the radio. I'm even hearing parallels to the Harold Ballard era, when the Leafs were one of the league's perennial doormats.

I've got a feeling that Damien Cox has got an extra spring in his step these days, and a perma-grin to boot. He must be enjoying the Leafs' free-fall thoroughly. Like Godd Till at CoxBloc pointed out, this is a man who actually titled a column he wrote: "Not So Cocky Now, Eh Boys?" Cox gets a stiffy when the Leafs suck this good.

I can't blame the media for most of the negative coverage, though. The Leafs are a sad state of affairs. Dominic Moore? Give me a break. Give me a Kit Kat. The Leafs are a team full of guys like Dominic Moore. He's nothing more than a fourth-line player, another Bates Battaglia, or Kris Newbury. Ferguson said Moore will be in the lineup Saturday night to provide "energy." My question is, why not summon Newbury, or Jeremy Williams, or Robbie Earl, from the AHL-best Toronto Marlies? It boggles the mind.

And the promotion of Justin Pogge to the Leafs is my worst nightmare. The Leafs simply couldn't afford to mess with this kid's development, and they may now going to throw him into the pressure cooker head first, while everyone's ass is on the line. Oh yeah, I really like this idea. Pogge was having a solid season in the AHL and while he may be hungry to get some NHL action, keeping him in the minors for the full season would have made him even hungrier.

When will these douchebags ever learn? I blame Ferguson, Maurice and Andrew Raycroft for this pathetic last stand in Justin Pogge. First of all, I blame Andrew Raycroft for being such a pathetic excuse for a goalie. I think the summonage of Pogge may finally mean that Raycroft is done with the Leafs (read: the silver lining). He cannot play in this city any longer. He doesn't have, and I'm reaching back to my WWF days for this one, the testicular fortitude to get the job done. And testicular fortitude is quite essential to tend the twine in this town. Quite.

Raycroft's incompetence set off a chain of events Thursday night that led to Pogge being called up to the show. Vesa Toskala was forced into action after Raycrap's brutal first period, in which he let in four goals on 11 shots (a typical Raycrap night). Toskala apparently reinjured his groin while he mopped up Raycroft's mess. Instead of playing goalie carousel with Scott Clemmensen (who was ironically sent back to the Marlies on Thursday afternoon), the Leafs chose to phone Pogge, for reasons I will never understand. Like I said, It stinks of a general manager and coach trying to save their bottoms, and is the worst possible scenario for Pogge to join the Leafs, with rumours of a team having quit on their coach flying around the dressing room and following the team like a virus.

Now I've read, and I think it was Shoalts, that Toskala has announced himself fit and ready to go tonight in San Jose, so I don't know who's getting the start and whether Vesa is really injured again. If it is Toskala between the pipes against his former team, look for Pogge on the bench and Raycroft...well, who cares where that douche is, as long as he's not with the team.

If Toskala in fact has been reinjured, I'm going to be mighty peeved at Maurice. He had absolutely no business putting Toskala into a game in which the team was down four-to-nothing after 20 minutes and showing no competitive spirit whatsoever. Vesa had just returned to action for the first time in three weeks the night beofre, for Christ's sake. It was a move akin to playing with fire, and it simply shouldn't have been done.

But, most importantly, Maurice wouldn't have even needed to think about sending in Vesa had Raycroft not shit the bed entirely. I read a comment on TSN's website after the LA Kings debacle that read:

"If Andrew Raycroft were a horse................we'd have to shoot him."

I couldn't agree more, and believe me, I've tried. It's time to put Raycroft, that mother sucker, down, and bury the memories of him far, far, really far, away.

As for Sundin, I think his All-Star snub is a good thing. Mats has been to a boatload of the games over his career and, well, shit, it's the All-Star game, so who really cares? Mats' odometer has put on some serious miles over the years and a weekend off can't hurt the man. It will give him some time to contemplate his future, and hopefully decide on a team he would like to be traded to at the deadline. Here's one for you: Sundin to the San Jose Sharks for Patrick Marleau and a draft pick or two. What do you think? Marleau's been brutal this season, but I'd take a chance on him in a heartbeat. And Sundin would give the Sharks the secondary scoring Marleau was supposed to provide. Imagine a one-two punch at centre of Joe Thornton and Mats Sundin. Very excite!

It should be one doozy of a game tonight in the Shark Tank, especially if Justin Pogge gets the nod in goal. A little baptism by fire, please! And if the Leafs get their behind's handed to them on a platter once more, Sunday will be memorable as well, I'm sure.

Welcome to the life of a die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan. The lunacy continues, and Toronto is burning...