MuchoMacho
Registered User
This is just wild speculation, but the point of it is that I don't think this team is as bad as their record shows. I think the monumental collapses over the years are attributed to a problem with the make up of the team. So this is my baseless speculation on what I think is the problem...
1. Kessel is not a leader.
2. Phaneuf wants to be a leader but is not a good one.
3. When Phaneuf is rah-rah vocal Kessel is unmotivated by it because he marches to his own beat.
4. Because Kessel is the best player on the team, the other guys look at Kessel and see he's unaffected by Phaneuf's leadership and they in turn are less affected by it as well.
5. The team lives and dies by Kessel's stick and because he's not a leader, when the pressure is on they fold.
I really think that if Kessel was on a team where they had solid leadership, he would be phenomenal. I also think that at this point in Phaneuf's career, if he were to go to another team, he would accept a role that required less leadership because when he left Calgary he probably was thirsty for the Captaincy, now that he has had it, I believe he'd be willing to give it up for someone else who wanted it.
I think if the Leafs get rid of Phaneuf, but keep Kessel, it won't be good. They'll still live and die by his production and will still collapse whenever there's pressure. Not a good environment to groom prospects. If they get rid of Kessel and keep Phaneuf, I think it'll be even worse because Phaneuf can't lead a team even with Kessel's production and so without it the team will just be even worse and the media scrum will fall on other (younger) players like JVR and/or Kadri.
My solution to this team is to trade Phaneuf and Kessel to the highest bidders -- whatever it takes. Keep JVR, Lupul, Bozak, Bernier, etc unless someone pays full value. From there, sign a bunch of "this year's" Winniks, Santorellis, Raymonds, Booths, etc. Make sure the team competes and puts forth 100% effort, then next trade deadline sell all of the 1 year vets and embrace the tank once again. This (a) protects the youth from being front and center and eases the media's scrutiny over the 82 game season (b) gives the vets on one year contracts the ice time they want (and they get traded to a contender at deadline for a chance at the cup) to prove themselves for a contract in the off season and helps the rebuild by still being able to bottom out between the deadline and the playoffs while stocking up on draft picks.
I think at the end of the day to see the epic collapses these teams have gone through and not admit there's a problem in the locker room, would be foolish at best. The only way to shake it up is to cut it off at the head, which would be Kessel and Phaneuf. It's not to say they're not good hockey players, it's just that they're not fit to lead a team together (or at all) and in order to change the make up of the locker room, you need to get rid of the leaders (hopefully) before they taint the younger guys.
1. Kessel is not a leader.
2. Phaneuf wants to be a leader but is not a good one.
3. When Phaneuf is rah-rah vocal Kessel is unmotivated by it because he marches to his own beat.
4. Because Kessel is the best player on the team, the other guys look at Kessel and see he's unaffected by Phaneuf's leadership and they in turn are less affected by it as well.
5. The team lives and dies by Kessel's stick and because he's not a leader, when the pressure is on they fold.
I really think that if Kessel was on a team where they had solid leadership, he would be phenomenal. I also think that at this point in Phaneuf's career, if he were to go to another team, he would accept a role that required less leadership because when he left Calgary he probably was thirsty for the Captaincy, now that he has had it, I believe he'd be willing to give it up for someone else who wanted it.
I think if the Leafs get rid of Phaneuf, but keep Kessel, it won't be good. They'll still live and die by his production and will still collapse whenever there's pressure. Not a good environment to groom prospects. If they get rid of Kessel and keep Phaneuf, I think it'll be even worse because Phaneuf can't lead a team even with Kessel's production and so without it the team will just be even worse and the media scrum will fall on other (younger) players like JVR and/or Kadri.
My solution to this team is to trade Phaneuf and Kessel to the highest bidders -- whatever it takes. Keep JVR, Lupul, Bozak, Bernier, etc unless someone pays full value. From there, sign a bunch of "this year's" Winniks, Santorellis, Raymonds, Booths, etc. Make sure the team competes and puts forth 100% effort, then next trade deadline sell all of the 1 year vets and embrace the tank once again. This (a) protects the youth from being front and center and eases the media's scrutiny over the 82 game season (b) gives the vets on one year contracts the ice time they want (and they get traded to a contender at deadline for a chance at the cup) to prove themselves for a contract in the off season and helps the rebuild by still being able to bottom out between the deadline and the playoffs while stocking up on draft picks.
I think at the end of the day to see the epic collapses these teams have gone through and not admit there's a problem in the locker room, would be foolish at best. The only way to shake it up is to cut it off at the head, which would be Kessel and Phaneuf. It's not to say they're not good hockey players, it's just that they're not fit to lead a team together (or at all) and in order to change the make up of the locker room, you need to get rid of the leaders (hopefully) before they taint the younger guys.
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