How to build a team in the cap era!
Now this is just my view, and in no way am I saying this is the only way to build a successful team.
In order to be a competitive team now and every year is to achieve a cycle in the organization. The cycle would be the older leaders and warriors, the middle players biting at the heels of the elders, the younger players who are still learning, and the upcoming prospects looking to make the big team. This article is an attempt to see how close the Leafs are to achieving that.
When a player gets older and cannot help the team anymore he is either traded, or left to free agency. Natural leaders within the team will arise and take over the leadership roles left vacant by the older players, and one will become the new leader (captain). Then new players will come in and fill the roles left by those players. This is the cycle which keeps a team competitive for years on end.
While I believe free agency can help bring in leaders, I don’t think you should bring in a player, and instantly make him captain. Look how that has worked out this year for teams like Boston, and Philadelphia. A captain is a player that other players naturally follow, not one they are supposed to follow.
On the Leafs the leaders and warriers are Sundin, Tucker, Peca, O’neill, Kaberle, McCabe, and Kubina. The problem with the Leafs is the other players aren’t ready to jump up and fill their roles yet. This is why I believe players like Sundin, and Tucker must be re-signed. A team without leaders is a team with no direction but down, and this is not a good environment for younger players who are learning.
JFJ has done a good job bringing in filler players like Battaglia, Pohl, Westrum, and Devereaux. These are guys with good versatility and some experience that can help fill the void until the younger players (Stajan, Steen, Wellwood, White, Colaiacovo) can rise to the leadership roles. The new wave of prospects is already comparable to other teams, IMO. Tlusty, Earl, Pogge, Kulemin, Vorobiev, Stralman are some of the new blood, and should all be on the farm next year and preparing to take their roles on the team.
I believe the Leafs are only a couple of years away from achieving this cycle, and disagree with blowing this team up. I also believe that this years team is not all that bad, and have actually dominated some of the better teams at times.