This good ship Leaf is sinking but not yet sunk.

They say that there are no simple solutions to the Leafs woes. But I’m not that sure that the answer is all that hard. Every one and their mothers have had an opinion on what the Leafs should do. Most jounalists are crying for Richard Petty’s head on a platter. It’s been stated that the leafs need to rid themselves of petty in favor of a Colagelo type manager.
But we all have to remember who it was in the first place who signed Colagelo in the first place. I do feel the Leafs are in need of better management, and the leafs can not allow JFJ to make an other bad deal. Or trade away another draft pick for a good, to average goaltender. they must not allow him to sign one more player to an obscene contract witha no trade clause attached to it. That being said I believe the Leafs need to fire him as soon as they can. My candidate for GM would be Cliff Fletcher, he’s the type of GM that has a Knack for getting the better out of most of his trades. EX.. Gilmour, for Leeman, Sundin for Clark, Andrechuck for Fuhr, Gilmour for Sullivan Jason Smith, McCauley. Yes he does have a reputation for trading draft picks, but he always getts the best player he can ex..Demitry Yushkevich. On the coaching situation I would leave it alone for the remainder of the season. Next what I would do is send Raycroft to the minors. Save on salary for a future deal, maybe he can regain his confidence in the minors and bringing up Clemensen as a pure backup, putting to bed the Goaltender issue once and for all. As far as deals are concerned I think the leafs have a good enough offense, the only thing that’s lacking besides confidence is stability and confidence in their defense. The leafs defense is the greatest problem and is the cancer of this dying team. They have too many offensive minded defensemen. White, Kaberle, Coliacovo, Kubina, Stralman, I can’t tell what the other twoo kids are good for. The only stay at home diffense is Gill,who is average at best. I feel the Leafs can play a run and gun game with the best if they had a more reliable defense to back them up when they give up the puck. and since we’re stuck with an average goaltender who is good enough to stop the pucks he’s supposed to but not good enough to carry the leafs his back, it is imperitive that the Leafs trade some of their offensive defensmen and aquire a more stable and tough defensmen in his own end. Ex Brenden Witt, Glen Wesley type. I don’t feel the price would be to high, and I believe that there are many teams who need offensive D men. I would trade White, or Stralman, only because we can’t trade McCabe or Kubina because they make too much money. As far as the offense is concerned the only thing a feel the leafs a lacking besides chemistry and a pure sniper, is leadership. Gary Roberts type. I would have signed Smyth, or Shanahan but I’m not the GM. Last and most certainly not least they desperatly need a guy who can score in the shoot outs.Ex..Sykora type. Any way this is my first posting and I know its long but I had a lot to say. If anyone would like to respond E-mail me at theleafmanlair@hotmail.com

P.S. This message is to the Leafs; please if it looks like you wont make the playoffs please trade Sundin, get a couple of good prospects, and high draft picks, Next year try to resign him. But allow the team to free fall this year so we can get a good draft pick. The End