We just enjoyed night one of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Marlies won their playoff game and the Jays won another one, so naturally I'm writing about the Leafers first thing this Thursday morning.
Guys and gals my age have the same laundry list of great Leaf memories. We remember sweeping the Blackhawks in the first round in '86, we remember Gilmour's wrap-around goal in game one of the Norris division final against Cujo and the Blues, we remember losing game seven of the conference finals against the Kings, making it back the conference finals in '94, a couple of similar runs with Quinn at the helm and many, many playoff victories against the Sens. That's it. None of us remember a Stanley Cup appearance or any moment in the history of this club when the best player in the league wore the blue and white. Sure, Gilmour was great the in the early 90s, but in my lifetime, we've never drafted a potential superstar. Never.
I'm sick of it. I want a bonafide blue chip prospect. I'm sure Luke Schenn will be a fantastic player, but I want the next one. I want John Tavares, and so does Brian Burke.
The New York Islanders have the first pick in this year's NHL Draft. Burke's already on the phone with Garth Snow seeing what it will take to pry that pick out of his hands. I say we should do whatever it takes. I can't imagine what we have that the Islanders would want, other than our next ten first round picks, but the Islanders are a franchise known for questionable decisions of this nature, and Burke seems serious about acquiring the Oakville native.
Snow can have whatever he wants. I want to go big or go home. I want John Tavares because our current "never draft a potential superstar" model ain't working.
