Q of the Day
Question of the Day
July 5th, 2010

Matt in Toronto asks…

Jake, What do you think of the Leafs’ latest acquisitions of Colby Armstrong and Kris Versteeg? Will they help get the Maple Leafs into the playoffs?

Answer:

The two newest significant Toronto Maple Leafs’ players, Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong, should improve the club. The two add grit and modest scoring ability. Versteeg seems poised to develop into a 25-30 goal scorer after netting 20 goals in his 79-game sophomore season.

But, these acquisitions will not catapult the Leafs into meaningful contention. Sure, the combination of obtaining Versteeg and Armstrong, a (barring injury) full season with Dion Phaneuf, Phil Kessel, as well as the underrated penalty killer Fredrik Sjostrom in the line up, and the absence of Vesa Toskala will likely keep the team out of the Eastern Conference basement.

However, Brian Burke’s building model is unlikely to transform Toronto into an elite team, like the Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals. Frankly, the most judicious and effective construction model of the post-lockout era (and arguably pre-lockout age) is ranking among the National Hockey League’s worst squads, hence collecting top draft choices. It provides an organization with frontline talent on entry level contracts. As such, free agent signings and trade gains can compliment homegrown superstars.

The Leafs’ building strategy is radically different than the NHL norm. Whether it will be successful is uncertain. But, the chance of Burke’s plan ending the Buds’ Stanley Cup drought is low.

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Karen Stintz, Toronto City Councillor, on the G-20 Summit

  • Person of The Week

    • Mayor David Miller
      June 28, 2010 | 3:25 PM

      Toronto’s Mayor David Miller has been named Anabolic Stories’ Person of the Week for his blunt and accurate criticism of the G-20 Summit.

      Miller has implored Canada’s federal government to compensate businesses that the small group of “ideologically” idiots damaged. While Prime Minister Harper certainly discouraged and condemned the Black Bloc’s actions, the culprits are unlikely to be identified. As such, the financial responsibility ought to belong to the second most blameworthy party: the feds. Canada’s Parliament chose to hold the Summit in downtown Toronto, which was an incredibly irresponsible decision for obvious reasons. The parliamentarians either understood the potential consequences of this disruption or were too naïve to be in office. Their decisions brought the Black Bloc to Toronto.

      The Mayor also noted the unproductiveness of the conference in an interview with the Toronto Star. The G-20 merely agreed on fiscal responsibility, which certainly did not vindicate mass chaos. History dictates that the promises will likely be broken. 

      As Anabolic Stories has continually argued, videoconference would be the most judicious and efficient meeting method. Miller’s disapproval, though it does not include using technology instead of face-to-face conferencing, echoes this corner’s concerns.

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