FanNation

It kind of makes me laugh that the most dysfunctional team in the league is the one that keeps thinking it is too good for certain people. Scotty Bowman wasn't the right man for the job (what a joke), Fletcher is too old to keep the job (best man for the job right now), Nonis sits on his hands (Vancouver will be better off for the moves he DIDN'T make within the next 2 years). Who's going to be left at the end of all this? Can they wait a year, in hopes Burke will come to Toronto? This team just keeps finding new ways to embarass itself

goCanada! is a happy man! | 05/14/08, 08:54 AM

and its fans

goCanada! is a happy man! | 05/14/08, 08:54 AM

Peddie on tsn...."well i am the CEO but Cliff has a lot to do with this too". Run far and fast from this position!!! Maybe Wendle? Domi? Funny that nobody ever tried to groom Sittler for this job. He was smart enough over the years to stay at arms length. I cant wait until Cliff says "fo ok this im outta here too". And btw goC did you get my msg?

Peter Goezinya | 05/14/08, 09:15 AM

I haven't heard this buffoon, or "sit on his hands" criticism yet so I'm wondering where they are being levied from. The only criticism I've heard is that he hasn't won a Cup, like 75% of all the other candidates.

Bring him on board MLSE, I'm of the opinion that you can never have enough good Hockey people in your front office, and this would bring MLSE's total up to 1.

Bentley00 - Welcome Schenner | 05/14/08, 09:15 AM

GMs and coaches are not the problem in Toronto. It's upper management, stupid! As long as that den of incompetence (MLSE) remains intact, it doesn't matter who they hire as GM or coach.

And, anyone dumb enough to shakes hands with Leaf president Richard Peddie and his crew on a deal, deserves what he gets. They're just buying another scapegoat to cover their ineptness!

DCruiser | 05/14/08, 10:32 AM

richard peddie is a joke, he is what is wrong with the leafs....agreed gocanada turn down bowman? you have got to be kidding me....i agree with don cherry on this, go sell condos richard peddie, you are not a hockey person

volcomstoner180 | 05/14/08, 11:16 AM

no, Pete, I didn't...what message?

goCanada! is a happy man! | 05/14/08, 11:38 AM

Peddie is the puppet-master. How can the Leafs fire him anyway? Seriously? Do the "teachers" have to fire him or what?Till this GM wannabe gets fired or dies,the Leafs are stuck with him. They are also stuck with mediocrity. They both go hand in hand. Keep up the good work Leaf-Land!!

bostongm | 05/14/08, 12:28 PM

Peddie is Ballard re-incarnate.

Euronuck | 05/14/08, 01:07 PM

At least Ballard was funny, irritating and abrasive at times. Piddie has none of those "qualities" to measure up to the man. The only one he seems to have inherited from old Harlod is incompetence.

DCruiser | 05/14/08, 01:20 PM

I dunno guys. I'm kinda hoping the Leafs continue to act as clueless as ever. Over the last couple of years I could always say "Yeah, the Caps are horrible but at least we're not the Leafs". Thats gotta count for something.

Capsfan | 05/14/08, 01:40 PM

I like one comment I heard last night on this.
If you can't get the sexiest (Burke) or the one with the prettiest smile (Holland) then at the end of the night on your final beer, you have to take what's left and available. (Nonis)
Not that I feel that way, because Nonis would be a good GM and have the money to make things happen and the experience to handle the Toronto scene.
Changes need to start replacing the GM...then the coach and then down to the players.
Peddie can be removed by the board bosongm on a vote if need be.
If the new GM does not have the automamy that Peddie has promised...he will be run out of town and MLSE on a rail!

Baun-ded | 05/14/08, 01:45 PM

Same here Bentley, all I've heard as they might be looking to hire him as an assistant GM or something. Idiots. Just hire Nonis as GM already, then in 13 months hire Burke as President, let them two get rich and probably fired when the fans get too impatient after 2-3 seasons.

Sports_Fan_19 | 05/14/08, 01:48 PM

Given the fact Nonis ignored obvious flaws in the Canucks in a hockey and town and basically cost them the playoffs due to his "standing pat" position, I can see how critics can be riding him.

I sort of wish he was still in V Town working his magic and keeping the Canucks as bottom feeders.

Hank Kingsley | 05/14/08, 04:00 PM

He didnt want to sacrifice the kids for a play-off run. Thats it. Was that the right way to go? Only time will tell. You have to give him some credit though. He had a vision(long term) and he got fired over that vision. Todays NHL is all about DEVELOPING your youth and putting them in postions where they can flourish. The OWNER got mad because he doesnt have the patience for that plan. Is that PLAN flawed? Absolutely not!! Alot of great teams were built that exact same way!!

bostongm | 05/14/08, 04:08 PM

If it's Burke then fine, but either way it'll have to be the 'name' they were looking for in the first place if they are going to hire them as President over the GM Nonis (theoretically if he's in). Then have those two find good Hockey people to bring in to insulate them (Ast.GM, Director of Hockey Op,. Scouting Director, Senior Adivsor...whatever)

As for Peddie, well he's not going anywhere as the CEO, but my money's on him stepping out of the Pres. role and handing it over to whomever it is they hire as the "big gun". I've seen the Peddie syndrome before, where really smart businessmen apply their tactics to the sports side of things - and it usually doesn't end well.

Bentley00 - Welcome Schenner | 05/14/08, 04:09 PM

bostongm

That's an apologistic point of view.

They are clearly made up of soft players. Their captain is dogmeat. The sisters dissapear when the going gets tough. Their "ace" goalie has his heart in Florida as he displayed down the stretch.

As I said I sort of wish Nonis stayed on so I could expect more of the same. Living deep in the heart of Canuckistan it is very hard to do anything other than be contrary to the brainwashed masses.

Hank Kingsley | 05/14/08, 05:34 PM

I disagree that Luongo's "heart is in Florida", strongly.

How quickly we forget how integral he was to that team last year, and that fact that the 'nucks would have been competing with LA for last without him this season. He had a KID, his first, right before the playoffs. And his wife had a rough pregnancy. Troubles at home often equate to poor play on the ice, and this guy's family was first and foremost in his mind. Add to that the frustration of a disappointing season where he had no offensive support for his heroics, and seeing the team do nothing to address it at the deadline, and you have a recipe for weak play. Luongo is still likely the best goalie in the world right now, and I certainly don't begrudge him the fact that he couldn't carry his team of scrubs into the playoffs two years in a row

goCanada! is a happy man! | 05/14/08, 07:11 PM

Not to mention Nonis isn't the one that acquired Naslund or the Sedins, furthermore this summer Naslund comes off the books and Nonis would have had cap space for the first time this summer. His plans were well laid and quite obvious (He even said he was looking to build a team that wins 4 playoff rounds, not win one round this year.) and quite obvious, they just took time, but at least he had a vision.

Sports_Fan_19 | 05/15/08, 06:30 AM

Luongo flat out stunk down the stretch. His wife does not live in Vancouver either. Canucks have been down this road before. They aren't going to win a cup with him so why not download him? I forget nothing about how well he played 2 years ago but even that was not good enough once he decided to hail a cab at a crucial point in the last Ducks game.

They should trade him and Naslund to Tampa for Lecavalier and whoever patrols the pipes for TB.

They would be ahead of the game. The need grit and a real leader more than they need a goalie who doesn't want to be there.

But I hope they don't. I hope they stand pat and deliver more seasons of mediocrity.

Hank Kingsley | 05/15/08, 10:31 AM