Hockey Trade Rumors

The Toronto Maple Leafs have talked the right talk thus far.mBut it really has been all talk.

Paul Maurice comes into training camp saying the Leafs need to work on 2 things:
1. Playing a better team defense
2. Staying out of the penalty box

That was over a month ago.

And now, a month into the season, Maurice decides its time to start defensive drills…..call me crazy, but that doesn’t sound like the Leafs did much to improve team defense a month ago.

Then of course, we look back to the goaltending situation a month ago. Maurice says he’ll go with the hot hand every night…..yet a month into the season he does the opposite. Toskala plays amazing against florida, but Maurice plays 6 goal Raycroft against the Hawks….

So the team philosophies about team defense, staying out of the box, and the two goalie system were all in the doghouse before the first puck was dropped.

Paul Maurice is a smart man, and says smart things, but he hasn’t turned around and implemented any of it.

Maybe the team has been ignoring him…. maybe Maurice lied to the media…

Any way you slice it, it doesn’t look good moving forward. Paul either needs to get control of his team, or cut the crap with the media. If not, he’s almost assuring his dismissal at the end of the season.