An Open Letter to Tomas Kaberle

Dear Tomas,

Last night was rough. Not so much the game. The game was actually pretty awesome. Especially that Schenn goal. You've done good by him, and that goal was a testament to your role as his mentor.

Look, I know it hasn't always been easy with the two of us. In fact, you could probably even call the 2008-2010 stretch a tad tenuous. But who was the first person to admit she was wrong when you showed up to play back in October? It was me, Tomas. And I had your back, for better or for worse, when Burke didn't move you during the summer window in the no-trade clause. Sure, maybe it was partially due to not thinking the potential return would be worth the cost, but perhaps it had also finally hit me how empty it would feel when you were gone. That, and the fact that you're a really, really good hockey player.

I'm sure it's my own naivete, but after the various media circuses Burke conjured up every time there seemed to be an opportunity to move you, I truly didn't believe he ever would. So February 18th hit me hard. Over a month later I'm still trying to come to terms with it.

I didn't think I was this sentimental. I thought I knew what I wanted -- a complete turnover; a fresh start for the blue-and-white that could be only be achieved by completely jettisoning the old guard and starting from scratch with all those draft picks the Leafs didn't actually have.

But now there is no remaining vestige from the glory years of my childhood -- the time when every year could have been the year; the years I took making the playoffs for granted and instead spent my time concerned about seeding and home-ice advantage; the years that the powerplay actually scored every once in a while; the years before I ever worried about roster depth or having strong pivots.

You were a part of that. You served as a constant reminder that there was once a time when hockey didn't end in April and blaring car horns were all that could be heard in the Toronto streets. Both of us believed you could be a part of that again, believed that you could help bring the Leafs back to postseason relevance. And now you're wearing white, yellow, and black and I don't know what to do.

For all your critics, at age 33 you're 15th in points for defensemen, ahead of all three of last year's Norris finalists, and still an example of exactly what an offensive-defenseman should be. There are so many good years ahead of you, and it kills me to know I'll have to watch them while listening to Jack Edwards' truly scintillating play-by-play.

But I'm still a fairly young Toronto Maple Leaf fan, not yet jaded enough to accept the realities that make me uncomfortable. I have faith that you'll make it home one day, Kabby. And I will meet you there, no matter what the ticket price.


All the best,
Gary Roberts: Baby Eater

SLUMP BUSTERS

The story so far: Kessel scored two goals in Boston, busting not only his goal-scoring slump of 14 games, but also scoring for the first time against his former team, finally signaling an end to the Curse of the TopDraftPickserino (Burkerino?). 

The next night the Leafs beat the Sabres in Buffalo with a game-winning shorthanded goal coming from - of all people - Joey Crabb. This puts the Leafs only six points out of a playoff spot. Hell, even Pierre McGuire wasn't excruciatingly terrible tonight (though that's likely a subjective judgment on my part after having to suffer through Glenn Healy commentary earlier this week). Keep your eyes out for the four horsemen of the apocalypse, because this would be their cue.

(You're going to have to imagine the ghost as
the Sabres logo. My Adobe Photoshop trial
was up last week.)

Additionally, I would like to take this opportunity to point and laugh at everyone who doubted Phil Kessel in the previous weeks (I'm looking at you, TSN). If you're a fan of poetic justice, take a gander at them apples:

Grabbo, and Kuli, and Phil - oh my!

That, ladies and gents, is an excerpt from the list of top goal scorers this season. And no, you are not suffering from the same blurred vision plaguing poor Armstrong, that is in fact Phil Kessel's name slotting in at #23, right above none other than Alex Ovechkin. But hey, shed no tears for Ovi - he'll always have his All Star memories.

But all is not perfect in Leafland; as he is apt to do, Burkey just had to open his big mouth. Once again the rumours around a Kaberle trade are intensifying and, much like every other time, it is being handled terribly.

Yesterday, a mere day after releasing a statement saying that all talks with Kaberle and his agent were to be kept private, Brian Burke confirmed to a radio show in Boston - unprompted, nonetheless - that he was in fact discussing a trade involving Kaberle with the Bruins.

Besides making me sick to my stomach for the brief period there seemed to be a chance that Kaberle could be traded before the actual game, I'm sick of Burke continuing to dangle him in front of the media as some sort of trade bait, even if he was just using it as a distraction from the terrible game that took place Saturday.

After a mediocre 2009/2010 season, Kaberle has stepped his game up and has been consistently showcasing why it is he is still considered one of the best puck-moving defensemen in the league. He had the assist on Kessel's go ahead goal tonight by doing just that, and man was it a beauty.

For the record, I would love nothing more than to see the Leafs resign him at the end of the year. However, with each additional publicized attempt of Burke's to get rid of the guy, I just get more and more desperate for the circus to come to an end. I don't want to hear another word about what may or may not happen from Burke about Kabby until he is actually announcing a transaction - deal or trade - that has been completed.

For all Burke's talk about respecting players, I'm not impressed. Kaberle deserves better than the pony show he's had to put up with these past few years and the idea of having him leave the organization after twelve long years under these circumstances is deplorable. Get your act together, Burke, and please learn to shut your damn mouth.

Disclaimer: Yes, I get increasingly sentimental about players the longer they're in blue and white. Deal with it.

Update: Burke actually did it. As of Feb 13th, 2011 Kaberle has been traded to Boston for Colborne, Boston's 2011 first round pick, and a conditional 2012 second rounder. Hold me...