Welcome to Leafs bashing week

This Saturday the Toronto Maple Leafs pay a visit to Vancouver for a hotly-contested game with the Canucks. This match-up always creates particular excitement, as there are many transplanted Torontonians in BC and Vancouverites in Ontario (of which I was one for seven years). Western Canadians tend to be particularly antagonistic towards the Leafs, and while I tacitly support the Leafs (in the same way I generally support all Canadian teams that aren't in the Northwest Division) I can't help but join in the fun.

This week, in the build-up to the Canucks/Leafs game on Saturday, 'Nucks and Pucks will feature a number of posts dedicated to Leafs bashing, hating and taunting. If I was still living in Toronto this week would be a great back-and-forth banter session with my friends who are Leafs supporters. In lieu of this annual tradition, I hope that this blog can recapture a little bit of that spirit.

I start with a highlight package from the last time the Canucks and Leafs met. I had the pleasure of attending that game, which took place at the Air Canada Centre in January 2007. There were probably 2000-3000 Canucks fans in the building, creating what was at the time the largest hockey crowd ever at the ACC. You can read a recap of the game here. Or you can watch this video for a visual reminder of the smackdown that the Canucks laid on Toronto. Oh yeah, Andrew Raycroft was in goal. Need I say more?

Handing Out Some Awards on Day 1 of Free Agency

The “Say What?!” Award: Colorado Avalanche

Andrew Raycroft? Really? The man who was 2-9-5 with a 3.92 GAA last season and who was booed out of Toronto will be going to toe-to-toe for the starting job with Peter Budaj, who was inconsistent enough during the season to give Jose Theodore one more chance to resurrect his career. Which, by the way, paid off fairly handsomely for Theodore today. This signing baffles me. Colorado needs a bona fide keeper to compete in the tough Northwest Division, and unless Raycroft or Budaj steps up in a big way the Avs could be in serious trouble next season. No wonder Joe Sakic is contemplating retirement.

The Shrewd Move Award: New Jersey Devils

Bringing Brian Rolston back to the fold for reasonable money ($20.25 million over 4 years) significantly upgrades the New Jersey forward corps heading into next season. Rolston was one of the most highly-touted UFAs this year: he had his credentials pimped by The Hockey News and was aggressively courted by the Tampa Bay Lightning who traded for exclusive negotiation rights but failed to sign him. With Bobby Holik also returning to the Devils after a lengthy absence, Devils’ fans are likely having visions of a ‘90s renaissance.

The “‘Til Death Do Us Part” Award: Chicago Blackhawks

Brian Campbell is on the books for an average of $7.1 million for the next eight years (ie. 2016 – even the International Olympic Committee doesn’t plan that far ahead). Better hope Campbell works out in the Windy City, and that he’s not a liability at age 37 when his contract finally expires. Then again it looks like the Hawks will be jettisoning Nikolai Khabibulin and his $6.75 million annual salary, assuming they can find a buyer, so perhaps they will look to shop Campbell and his monster contract when he becomes an inconvenience. The question is: by that point, will anyone take him?

The Feel Good Nostalgia Award: Toronto Maple Leafs

Bringing back Curtis Joseph to back up Vesa Toskola, even as the franchise prepares to bid adieu to Mats Sundin, is more than a solid roster move at a reasonable price ($700,000 on a one-year deal) – it is also a great PR move for a Leafs organization that is losing its captain and best player, and has egg on its face after bungling the Bryan McCabe situation. Joseph was one of the most popular Leafs of the last 25 years, and twice led the team into the Eastern Conference Finals. His return is sure to please Leafs fans at least on a nostalgic level, and he should be a valuable veteran presence on a rebuilding Toronto team.