Another problem with the Leafs is that they've become a team of wusses!
Last night, at least 3-4 Canes players were taking liberties at the Leafs captain. No one stuck up for their captain. The only players willing to drop the gloves once in a while are Phaneuf and Clarkson, and Clarkson isn't very good at it. Troy Bodie did it once recently, but he had only played one game. I can't remember any other player fighting this season & this is due to the team's new philosophy when the season started. I doubt it was Carlyle's idea, so i figure it came right from the top.
I'm not really pro-fighting, but at least it makes the games a bit more exciting. It also imposes respect & warns other teams that if they take liberties at the Leafs players, there will be a price to pay. That's how the Leafs played two years ago and they were one of the most feared team in the league. They had truculence and were willing to go into the trenches to battle for their mates.
Now, with Colton Orr & Frazier McLaren spending the entire season on the farm, the team has become somewhat of a joke when it comes to team toughness. I still miss Mike Brown & still feel that going with McLaren over Brown was a boneheaded move by management. At least Brown could skate well & had a bit of skill, which McLaren doesn't have & never will ahve.
Too many players have been going through the motions & suffering from blue & white disease this season. I'm not blaming Kessel, Bozak & JVR since those guys will never become tough, character players. Neither will Reilly or Gardiner. Signing Gardiner to a long, expensive contract was a mistake. He had never proven that he deserved it & has always been a defensive liability. Okay, i'm ready to admit that the David Clarkson was a bad move, but at the time everyone was all for it & he even accepted less money to sign with the Leafs than he would have got from Edmonton and Ottawa. Stephane Robidas has been a huge disappointment and he was signed for 3 years. One year would have been okay, but three years???
Phaneuf has been okay. He's been overused, but what do you expect when they don't really have a bonafide #1 defenceman? Give that team a true #1 defenceman and Phaneuf's value will increase dramatically. But the only way to get a true #1 defenceman is by trading some of your top assets, which the Leafs don't have much of. Should they trade Phil Kessel for a #1 defenceman? If so, who sill score goals for a team that is badly struggling scoring goals? Could future star Morgan Rielly fetch a current #1 defenceman? Should the Leafs trade their #1 upcoming pick for that #1 defenceman? And what is upcoming RFA Jonathan Bernier really worth? Half of the goalies in the league are bigger than he is, and he hasn't won games by himself much this season.
And finally, i'm sick of James Reimer. He's been among the worse goalies in the league this season & i'm certain he still believes he's a #1 goalie (yeah, in his dreams!). This season would have been great for the Leafs to sign Martin Brodeur, which nearly happened had they been able to find a team that wanted Reimer.