The NHL Franchise Fire Sale of 2008.

There is no secret that people are losing a lot of money in the US right now. Consider that alongside the state of several conceivably insolvent NHL franchises. Phoenix, Tampa and Atlanta are barely scraping by at the best of times -- there screwed now that people aren't spending their money.

What about franchises in regions that have been hit hard with foreclosures? There are two teams in California, notwithstanding the surrounding areas of Detroit or Florida where corporate dollars are scarce and the fan base is frugal. Its a tough way to run a franchise and they talked about the pressure of the economic on the Fan 590 today (credit to McCown, Brunt and Kypreos) when the trio threw out the figure of 8 or 9 franchises which could be for sale courtesy of cash-deprived owners looking down the barrel of a creditors gun.

Awesome. There is nothing better for hockey than leaving poor sunbelt cities. Full Stop. Contraction and subsequent re-location would be a legacy event: some suit in on the NHL board of governors would get a plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame uprooting these failing teams and sending them over the pacific.

Hockey in Europe

Their economy is shaky as well but the NHL in Europe should be made to work. If the NHL was really smart, they would institute relegation in a fashion modeled after the European Premier Leagues. It's crazy and bold, but it will work if crafted appropriately.

7 Habits of Highly Effective NHL Forecasting: Part IV

To open the Western Conference, I honour the champions from last season: The CENTRAL DIVISION. ---------------------------------


Detroit Red Wings:
What is there to say? They have been lauded endlessly since destroying the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup final, lost no one of significance and gained Marion Hossa: they took a great thing and made it better (like undressing the Mona Lisa, or loading beer and strippers onto Noahs Ark). The only reasonable assumption is that they will be on par with their achievements last year -- a championship standard that is difficult to live up to. With a target squarely on their already-battled-worn backs I would not be surprised to see the injury bug sweep through the team. The subjective nature of that aside, Zetterberg, Datsuk, Hossa, Holmstrom, Frazen, Lidstrom, Rafalski and insert All Star here will make others look stupid on-the-regular throughout the season and well into the playoffs. Repeat? Ask me when they get to the dance.

2008 Record: 54-21-7, 1st Central
'09 Projection: 49-25-8, 1st Central

Chicago Blackhawks:
-- are the sweet heart team in the Western Conference this year. Look for them to sweep hockey fans off of their feet (straight onto the band wagon) much the same way Washington did last season, minus the AO-like dominance from their young snipers. Kane, Toews and Sharp carried the offense last year on a Blackhawks team that missed the playoffs by a slim margin (which may be accounted for by exuberant rookies playing too hungover on the road, something veteran piss-tank Robert Lang surely advised them on in the off-season). They added free-agent Brian Campbell to an already stacked offensively-adept blue line (Keith, Seabrook). Apparently trending upwards and due for a playoff appearance there remains some problems capable of grounding their expectations: Will Pat Sharp back up his shockingly productive season of '08 similarly in '09? How will they get rid of Knabiboulin and his 6.75mil contract so that newly-signed free-agent Christobal Huet can call the team his own? Whether or not they materialize into a threat this season is debatable, but their future is very positive as indicated by the willingness of Scotty Bowman to leave Detriot for Chi Town. This is a playoff team, but they need to iron out a few things before they can win it all.

2008 Record: 40-34-8, 2nd Central
'09 Projection: 42-30-10, 2nd Central


Nashville Predators
-- should prepare themselves to be usurped by Chicago as the 2nd-best team in the Detriot-dominated division. While they're at it, might as well err on the side of caution and be ready for numerous Western conference teams to fly past them having made zero notable moves in the off-season. Naturally I know headlines are not correlated to performance, but an offense with the punch of a Jaleel White circa 1995 is. With 2/3's of their second line doubtful (Alex Radulov set to play in Russia, Steve Sullivan's back doesn't work anymore) the Pred's need Arnott, Dumont, Erat and Legwand to produce over what most reasonable prognosticators will expect. Their saving grace will be their strong defense (Suter, Hamhuis, Weber) which will regrettably be without offensively-gifted Martin Zidlicky (gone to Minnesota). In support of their admirable cast of blue-liners is emerging goaltending star Dan Ellis (fantasy alert?). He was stellar during both the regular season (23-10-3, 6SO, 2.34GAA, .924%) and the playoffs (.938% over 6 games). Should he continue to demonstrate this type of consistency and reliability Nashville will be sniffing around the bottom of the playoff rankings in lieu of spiralling down the shit can.

2008 Record: 41-32-9, 2nd Central
'09 Projection: 39-34-9 3rd Central


Columbus Blue Jackets
-- are not only competing for their first-ever playoff appearance in '09, but are also in contention for the most numerous roster changes. They finally said goodbye to frustrating forward Nik Zherdev (who as an aside is still held in high regard by Doug MacLean. It's hard for your draft picks to live up to Gretzky when they play like Valari Bure, Dougie. Welcome to radio). Also wearing other threads are Hainsey, Brule and Dan Fritsche all of whom will contribute on their new clubs, albeit to varying degrees with Hainsey purportedly the most promising for the otherwise burning-tires-and-skunks-awful Atlanta Thrashers. Their top line is respectable (Nash - Umberger - Huselius), but everything between them and goaltender Pascal Leclaire is unimpressive. With Raffi Torres on the second line, Mike Commodore playing top 2 minutes its looks like the Battle of Fallen Timbers all over again.

2008 Record: 34-36-12, 4th Central
'09 Projection: 36-34-12, 4th Central


St. Louis Blues
-- John Davidson is viewed as a miracle worker by some given the resurgence of the team during his tenure (est. June 2006). However, their on-ice successes have much more to do with the brilliance of Brad Boyes and his 43-gino career-year. His partner-in-crime is sneaky point-producer Andy MacDonald who shares his habit of making plays and setting up tap-ins with their aging linemate (Paul 'if only prime wasn't so far away' Kariya). This will be another rung up the rebuilding latter for the hockey team in Mizzou, so we might get to see a lot of promising young talent, but only for 82 games or less.

2008 Record: 33-36-13, 5th Central
'09 Projection: 35-35-12, 5th Central

7 Habits of Highly Effective NHL Forecasting: Part II

Part II of VI in the on-going NHL 2008-2009 season predictions. For Part I, click here. If this image at-all resembles Kovalevs' season this year, the Habs are in trouble. --------------------------------------------------

Northeast Division
There exists some formidable competition in this division, which could match the 3 playoff teams it generated last year. Find out whats good with the Leafs, Habs, Bruins, Sabres and Sens below.

Boston Bruins
-- A long shot for the Cup, this years Bruins squad is nonetheless trending upwards after putting a legitimate scare into the heavily-favoured Habs this past post-season. Their offensive forwards are young and skilled (Savard, Lucic, Kessel) and have some new tools to work (free agent signing, Michael Ryder, who will get a chance to replace Glen Murray on the top line). Returning from injury after getting shameless obliterated from behind is a fully-recovered Patrice Bergeron who's presence will aid the drowsy offense under Claude Guillien. Defensively Zdeno Chara will continue to be the most under-rated defensman in the league (+102 in his last 6 seasons and managed a career high 51pts last year) alongside newly re-signed Denis Wideman (who shockingly averaged 25:09mins per game last year). Another notable something-for-nothing is goaltender Manny Fernandez. I know we all the the quirky aggressiveness and agility of Tim Thomas, but does anyone think he can win a Stanley Cup? I don't and Manny Fernandez is Bostons solution; he thrived in the similarly uber-defensive system in Minni, but has been unremarkable during his tenure in Boston. All things considered the success of the '09 Bruins is reduced to one question: Can the team-defense concept forcibly nullify the inconsistency of a youthful offense and uncertain goal keeping? Probably not.

2008 Record: 41-29-12, 3rd Northeast
09 Projection: 40-27-13, 3rd Northeast

Montreal Canadians
-- Going into last season the Habs were treated with absolutely no respect. They were too young, had too many vets along for the ride and a lack of grit. They proved everyone wrong and excelled to the top seed in the East, thanks largely to major contributions from the Kostitsyn Brother and career-years from two defenseman, Mark Streit (who chased the free-agent money offered from the dreadful NY Islanders) and Andrei Markov, who Montreal brass hopes will uphold the standard set. They are stacked in goal with Price, Halak and Denis, the former two being the likely 1-2 respectively, but not without significant controversy in broadsheets of La Belle Province. Losing Streit will dent the previously impenetrable power play that supplied more offense for their club than any other last year, whereas the another year of maturity should improve their even-strength play. The Stanley Cups odds are very generous for a team that over-achieved last year, but I feel their chances to take the division are justifiably high.

2008 Record: 47-25-10, 1st Northeast
09 Projection: 44-27-11, 1st Northeast

Ottawa Senators
-- Two lackluster off-seasons have followed their run to the 2007 Cup Final meaning Ottawa enters the 08-09 campaign with the same unimpressive group that turned the best start in the NHL into Chernobyl. The exit of aging liabilities up front (Corey Stillman and Martin Lapointe) and at the rear (Redden and Commadore; contract pending for RFA Mezaros) has done little to boost my expectations of this team. These departures were countered by signing down-trending warrior Jason Smith, and gritty pest Jarko Ruutu. These two should improve the club defensively, much the same way buying out Ray Emery will boost their internal prospectus. However, if you think the aforementioned Ray Emery was the sole proprietor of their dressing-room dysfunction you probably rode the short bus to grade school. Complacency and stagnation has messed with the confidence levels of a team who has demonstrated its fragile make up regularly. With a new coach behind the bench (Craig Hartsburg) I anticipate tension and infighting to continue, problems that can be buoyed by their talent level which is admittedly upper-class. The likelihood of a playoff birth is high, but I feel the stars need to align for them to get out of the East. Oh, and is anyone convinced about Martin Gerber now that Emery is gone?

2008 Record: 43-31-8, 2nd Northeast
09 Projection: 42-27-11, 2nd Northeast

Toronto Maple Leafs
-- Leafs Nation is prepared for a well-overdue rebuilding program, but didn't anticipate doing so under the guidance of GM Cliff Fletcher. Having botched their last 40 seasons on-ice, the Leafs have unsurprisingly fumbled the GM search and delayed the maturation of the new vision. They will finish last in this division, receive less HNIC coverage and still make more money than the entire South East division combined: most Torontonians also rode the short bus, by the way. New coach Ron Wilson, and his increasing frustration with the media bombardment will provide the majority of the entertainment from this years abysmal squad (unless you are inexplicable fond of Joe Bowen and Harry Neale).

2008 Record: 36-35-11, 5th Northeast
09 Projection: 32-37-13, 5th Northeast

Buffalo Sabres
-- All indications suggest a Groundhog Day-like 08-09 for the blue-collar Sabres. Narrowly missing the playoffs last season left a bad taste in the mouth of Buffalo fans who have watched three All Stars leave town in a period on one-half season (Briere, Drury and subsequently Brian Campbell). That the challenging Buffalo market has impedes the Sabres annually surprises no one, however locking up their franchise goaltender (Ryan Miller) and signing a steady veteran D (Craig Rivet) may breed some optimism among their youthful core (Pominville, Roy, Hecht, Gaustad, Paille). This brief gaiety notwithstanding, I expect the Sabres to struggle mightily until they get an explosive offensive contributor (/huge annoying cough: Tomas freaking Vanek). Having dealt their return for Campbell (Bernier; to Vancouver) the message is clear: we need picks because this team isn't ready to win. They might surprise beyond in 2010 and beyond, but until then...

2008 Record: 39-31-12, 4th Northeast
09 Projection: 37-36-9, 4th Northeast

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check out the future installments in a few days. Cheers, Derek.

Dealing with Crooks is Gary Bettmans' Fatal Blunder!

Well, it appears the perfect image from melroserocks blog has been eaten by the internet. What a shame, thankfully here's an equally compromising shot. ---------->

It's tough to fire people for being stupid, because doing so implies the error was that of the hiring agent and not the discarded individual themselves. However, firing someone for being dishonest and subverted is contrarily fun and easy. Assholes that are ignorant (or arrogant) enough to lie and deceive others deserve the guillotine when they get burned for their covert practices. Why the tirade in light of my ongoing pursuit of positivity?

Bad judgement is like a disease, I believe this axiomatic. That Bettman has failed in numerous respects as a commissioner of the NHL is unto itself lacking the fatal qualities of his most recently publicized decisions. Because Gary Bettman, the lawyer, ex-NBA official, rat-lookalike, general douche bag and current NHL commissioner has finally made a critical error inspiring the venom spewed above. Others have taken him to task for his part in the back-door non-sense that awarded yet another unfit investor an NHL franchise, but I feel responsible for ensuring this is his last mistake.

Perhaps the firing squad has finished their inexhaustible supply of cigarettes and liquor. Perhaps now they can draw up their guns and inoculate the NHL of its most crippling and virulent problem: its leadership. Gary has made but 30 friends during his tenure in the league: The 30 owners who have reaped windfall profits while the fans have suffered bad TV deals, poor coverage on major networks, rising ticket prices (associated with non-NHL-related cost of living increases) and a slue of inconveniences analogous to being given the short-end of the stick (or taking a fisting for those under 35). Enraged, but powerless the fans have persevered while the owners remain gleaming like silver, safe and proud above the hot struggles of the poor.

I am hopeful this incident will incite action among those of sound morality and adequate influence. I am hopeful change will fix the NHL. I am realistic and disheartened by its unlikelihood. "I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repeled by the inexhaustible variety of life."

Cheers and thanks for reading. Come back soon. Subscribing helps... Check out the radio show tomorrow night (Tues 6-9pm, 101.5FM or live online).

Best-Ever Tennis, Russian Cheerleaders and Brett Favre v. Mats Sundin

Sometimes its the little things in life that matter. Russian cheerleaders for example will bring a smile to your face. And when they happen to be brought to your attention on the same day as the greatest tennis match of all time, everything is coming up Milhouse.

Except if you're Brett Favre, who is more than obnoxious with his persistent desire to be important. We all may make decisions in life we regret, it is unfortunate in this instance that the very conundrum facing Favre is most frequently one which ends disastrously. Few things are as sure-to-disappoint as Pacman Jones or a new Will Ferrell movie, but a pro athlete set to come out of retirement rivals our most of epic letdowns. The numbers are not in Favres' favour if the Vikings think he'll be their saviour, and I think we'd all prefer if kept his musings to a simmer and made decisions behind closed doors like a grown up.

I am confident my neighbors in the US would rather watch the clinical removal of a hangnail than another sports-news clip featuring Brett Favre rumours. As a small consolation you can take solace knowing we have endured parallel suffrage in Toronto and -- although to a slightly lesser degree -- Canada. Mats Sundin is as enigmatic and annoying as the Old Boy Favre, but notably every bit as talented and potentially valuable. He's got offers from nearly a third of the league to join their club, with the Vancouver Canucks deeming a debatable top-15 player worthy of the largest contract in the league. He's not worth all that bread, but at the risk of wasting one of the best goalies in recent memory Vancouver is desperate to put a winning club in front of Roberto Luongo.

On a rather gossipy note, Kevin Lowe dropped a bomb on Brian Burke recently and I am thrilled. The saga is well documented. Who isn't interesting isn't piqued by the successive manifestations of two executives clashing through public channels? It is truly better than fiction. In The Ego and the Id (1923), Freud said, "...the ego uses borrowed forces" which fittingly meanders us to the root cause of this quarrel: Lowe broke the a gentleman's agreement in the NHL (by soliciting a restricted free agent on Burkes' team to a very generous offer sheet) effectively nailing the stones of the Ducks GM to the wall. Slighted and betrayed, Burke pushed back and the carousel thankfully continues. Sadly, their interpersonal spat doesn't go near the real problem: salary inflation in the NHL will eventually force the league into contraction (a tactic I've long been in support.) Much of what Burke preaches has merit, but the message is often muddled by his palpable infatuation with his own grandeur. This tabloid-like feud has guised the legitimate problems like salary inflation and the nature of RFA offer sheets (which do skew the market undesirably for the league and owners). Look forwards to more on this later, as it deserves it own piece.

Thanks for reading and support the site. Check out the Cloud9 Radio show tomorrow (Tues. Listen Live here) 6-9pm and subscribe to show some love. Cheers, Derek.

How to Fix the Maple Leafs: Player-by-Player

So the task is obvious: rebuild. The methodology is – in stark contrast – very much up in the air. Until a permanent GM is in Toronto this raging debate about how to rebuild will incessantly be overheard. So in a light piece, enjoy how to repair the Maple Leafs one player at a time.

Going out from the net:

Starting Goaltender: Vesa Toskala (27-21-6, 3SO, .909SV%, 2.59GAA)
Has proven himself as a viable #1 on a poor defensive team. One of few Leafs that has played to their potential this year. The main issue with Toskala will be his tolerance for playing on a losing team next year, as goaltenders are not immune to flaking when presented with the opportunity.

Backup: Andrew Raycroft (2-8-4, 1SO, .868SV%, 4.07GAA)
Had one good year, continues to disappoint and has all but officially been cut. He needs to earn some starts in the AHL in order to become a tradeable commodity, otherwise he'll get cut, or bought out (or both just to make a point!).

Defensemen:

Tomas Kaberle (7g, 39p, -6)
Lose 15-pounds bag-skating. Force yourself to uphold a two-shot-per-period quota and welcome to elite status.

Brian McCabe (5g, 21p, +1)
Drop your no trade and take your shattered stock to Long Island.

Carlo Colaiacovo (2g, 4p, -3)
Say healthy. Really, just stay healthy and you'll be a solid defender on any 2^nd pairing in the NHL.

Pavel Kubina (6g, 28p, +2)
Drop 10lbs bag-skating with your Czech brother, Tomas. At NHLPA meeting kick Dion Phaneuf in the onions and remember the intensity with which he responds so you can incorporate it into you game.

Ian White (3g, 19p, -3)
As a puck mover, he is solid. Otherwise, his game leaves too much to be desired. In order to stay in the NHL White needs to get his +/- near the top of the team and be among team leaders in helpers, both sadly unforeseeable events.

Anton Stralman (4p, -11)
Unlike most of the Maple Leafs squad, the upside is that he actually has an upside. The Leafs are hoping he matures a little more Kaberle-ian and less Kubina-ian, which at 21 is not outside the realm of possibility.

Forwards:

Mats Sundin (31g, 75p, +14)
By far this years MVP. How to fix Mats? Magically make him 28 again.

Nik Antropov (26g, 52p, +8)
Is playing the best hockey he is capable of and might be enjoying the peak of his career. Keep it up, but watch his value drop if/when Mats retires.

Jason Blake (13g, 43p, -1)
Re-negotiate his contract or trade him. Skill players who don't produce are like wooden sticks – when something better comes along they are easily replaced.

Darcy Tucker (15g, 26p, -5)
Make him the key to the powerplay again to inflate his stats and justify his ludicrous contract. Since that won't happen, begrudgingly buy him out and sign a bigger, younger and faster grinder who can play the role the way it should be played.

Kyle Wellwood (6g, 16p, -10)
To be an undersized dangler, he needs to bolster his dangling. The size if fine, but hes no Scott Gomez or Danny Boyle. Get in the gym – it might be news to Wellwood, but weight training has been shown to help athletes perform better!

Matt Stajan (14g, 30p, -5)
Get the trainer to fit you with a flac jacket and learn how to play like Tomas Holmstrom, but with more speed through the middle.

Alexei Ponikarovsky (15g, 26p, +2)
Compete with Stajan to become the Leafs version of Tomas Holmstrom. The loser goes home and opens a car dealership.

Alex Steen (13g, 34p, +3)
What to do with a smart player who offers average hands and size? Steen is a prime example of a player being reward for his position in the draft. He is an interchangeable part of this team that could play on the first line and thrive, or kill penalties for the Marlies. His role needs to be defined and he needs to start making a difference, even if it means by giving up his roster spot.

Dominic Moore (4g, 12p, -5)
Confident puck-handler with good speed and hockey sense. Moore will likely be a good fit centering the 2^nd line with a capable scoring winger (see below).

Jiri Tlusty (5g, 10p, -10)
Drag Moore to the rink daily in the off-season and start watching tape of Datsuk and Zetterberg in Detriot. This is how undersized skill players produce points, so take notes and learn how to win battles and anticipate the play. As a 19yo he has time to mature into a valuable offensive contributor, lest he become another ineffectual Alex Steen.

These are the players worthy of an appearance on this list as the remaining players on the roster are notably less significant. As the course of the season plays out it will be interesting who will demonstrate their willingness to compete for a job, because once the the curtain falls the axe from the GM's office won't be far behind. Expect as many as half of these players to be purged from this horrendously average roster and hope, pray – whatever – that the Leafs can get lucky in the draft for years to come.

The Sundin Aftermath: He stays, who wins??

It looks like John Ferguson Jr. has risen from the grave and stabbed the hearts of Leaf fans yet again. By giving captain Mats Sundin transcendental ability to veto any and all trade offers the former general manager handed the new one a shroud knot that proved too securely fastened. Yes, Mats will remain a Maple Leaf and thus divide the fans of the blue and white into one of two camps:
1. Mats is a selfish jerk. The Leafs are destined for innumerable seasons in the dumpster.
2. Mats has earned the right to choose and I admire a captain who goes down with his ship, regardless of how bad my team will be next season.

But, wait! We needn't be shortsighted and hasty to judge Mats, particularly without considering the outcome of his decision, rather than the decision itself. Its not like whatever Cliff Fletcher could have received in return for Mats Sundin would have turned them around fast enough to sneak into the playoffs. Even if this miraculous feat occurred it would be ill conceived -- they need to be bad for a good pick, so keeping the current good-enough-for-14th-place nucleus together is paradoxically advantageous -- it's just the nature of the cycle in sports where you have to be bad to be good.


There is yet another simple scenario whereby Mats can atone (assuming one demands atonement, as per above) for this trade deadline decision. When he sits down to re-negotiate his contract prior to next season, he will be given the opportunity to demonstrated where his allegiances lie. Assume he agrees to a sizable pay cut; so sizable that the Leafs now have $4-5 million extra dollars in which they can do as they please. Surely having Mats in addition to $4-5mil extra under the cap would perk up a few Leaf fans on this otherwise gloomy day?

As for the other party in this negotiation, signing Mats for pennies on the dollar is the only scenario in which we'd judge Cliff Fletchers' brief reign as a success. Notwithstanding the fact that JFJ left him with an organization in the contractual Clink, Fletcher has yet to improve the Toronto Maple Leafs, precisely what he was hired to do.

Unfortunately for Cliff, it could get much worse before it gets better. What if Mats retires? Imagine the ire of the Leafs Nation in the event Mats hangs them up at the end of this season abruptly erasing the optimistic picture painted above? Cliff Fletcher would instantly be transformed from The Silver Fox to The Horses Ass. His legacy being forever tarnished in the process (once again, thanks in part to JFJ and MLSE).

Since Toronto will be talking about this for the remainder of the year -- and sadly -- for many seasons to come, I thought it necessary to enlighten my readers with the above considerations. Please go forth, and spread the reason and rationality you've gleamed from this piece throughout the streets and airwaves of Southern Ontario and save us from the clamoring fools who think Mats, JFJ, Cliff and the MLSE board should leap from the CN Tower for their injustices upon hockey fans.

Counting Down the Sundin Saga: Make or Break for Mats. (w/ Chart)

It is with a substantial degree of reservation that I throw my hat into a ring whose floor is completely saturated with those of others also speculating on the future of Mats Sundin and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Fortunately for myself and my valued readership, I am much smarter than most of my colleagues, hence the necessity of my commentary on this burning issue.

That being said, I always strive to differentiate myself from the pack. Here, via a chart , is a slightly innovative way to dissect the current speculation regarding Mats Sundin and a variety of NHL clubs. Besides, doesn't reading a chart make you feel smarter and more efficient regardless? Well it should, so check this out:



Looks far more concise when framed in that manner, doesn't it? It also leaves plenty of room for explanation as well.

Please note that players named are listed as BEST-case, and under no circumstances will these players be easily acquired. It is Cliff Fletchers' job to suss out deals of this magnitude, thus we are required to consider the names mentioned.

Secondly, it is very obvious that draft picks often shape these deals. They are therefore impossible to speculate on since they are commonly used by GM's to find a common ground in the negotiation(s). Speculating on where the picks will fall is determined once the players are settled, and since we are not privy to this knowledge I didn't waste time analyzing potential draft picks. Furthermore, it is my belief that Cliff is looking for young players who currently offer NHL-level talent in addition to star potential moving forward, with draft picks being a very close secondary priority.

Lastly, the comments in the “Would Cliff Pull the Trigger?” column are terse for the purposes of space. Each one has been expanded on in great detail in several of my previous podcasts and articles that can be found here and here.

Those with a keen arithmetic sense will also note the likelihood percentages sum to 100. Yes, I think there is 0% chance Mats will stay a Toronto Maple Leaf. Surprised?

Comments and thoughts are more than welcome. Thanks for reading – Derek.