I like that he is being realistic about the fact that some players just don't/can't/shouldn't play here. But he isn't being honest because he isn't putting the "blame" where it really belongs. On us.
The ONLY reason the media is the way it is in Toronto is because the Leaf fans base is the way it is (and its not unique - Yankees, Cowboys, Lakers, Red Socks etc... all get similar treatment, in fact within that group we are probably on the easier side of things). Every newspaper has 3 people who cover the NHL and the Leafs because its what sports fans in this city are interested in. We have 2 lunch time Leaf centeric shows because its what people want to listen too. There are news stories every day about which Leafs will be traded, who is hurt, who is slumping and why because its what WE read.
You want to see the media back off the Leafs, stop following them. Don't listen to the radio shows, don't read the sports section, don't read the blogs, don't post on sites like this, don't follow hockey and Leaf people on twitter. Completely and totally with draw, make covering the Leafs a money losing endevor for media outlets.
Its not the media, they are just giving all of us what we want. Its all of us that are this problem.
Lets look at the last 20 years.
Yankees:
7 World Series
3 Missed playoffs (granted, the MLB playoffs are FAR harder to qualify for; in the NHL you need to not be worse more than half the teams in the league, whereas in the AL east you have to be one of the best teams in the league)
Cowboys (the worst of this lot, especially lately):
1 Superbowl (although they won another 2 in 92 and 93)
11 Missed playoffs (again, a league thats harder to qualify for the post-season in)
Lakers:
5 World Championships (1 3-peat, 1 back-to-back)
2 Missed Playoffs (in the much tougher Western Conference)
Notable players acquired:
Red Sox:
3 World Series
9 Missed Playoffs (again, see note about how difficult the AL East is)
Leafs
0 Stanley Cups, 0 Finals Appearances, 2 ECF appearances
10 Missed Playoffs
All of these teams above have massive media scrutiny, but one of these things is not like the otherrrrrr....
And don't get me started on the players these teams have been able to attract or trade for (granted, the Yankees and Red Sox don't have a cap just a tax, and the Lakers have a soft cap).
In the last 80 seasons above, those teams (2 playing in the same sport and same division) have won 16 World Championships while in the almost 100 year history on the Leafs, we've gotten 13 (all when there were no more than 6 teams in the league). Even with the Cowboys bringing down the average of those teams to 4 Championships in 20 years, its far more than the Leafs that have 4 conference semifinals appearances in 20 years.