Ferguson, Simmons and McCabe
Phew. I’ve waited a full day before commenting on my Leafs’ atrocious 7-1 collapse against the Carolina Hurricanes. I figured I was just about calm enough to analyze what happened rationally rather than rant and rave (remember, it was merely one game - how good does any team, any individual, anything look when you isolate the bottom of its barrel?
Then I saw this article this morning from Steve Simmons and my calm mood got thrown out the window.
This is John Ferguson’s legacy. He made the mess but can’t clean it up. Question is: Can anyone?
First off, yes, the Leafs have problems. They gave up too many goals a year ago, they’ve given up too many goals this year. But let’s at least be fair year. When you’ve played but 4 games, one outing where your opponent nets 7 markers stilts the average just a bit beyond reasonable. The Leafs currently sport an ugly 4.25 GAA, but removing the blowout against the Hurricanes drops that to 3.33 - still ugly, but far less atrocious. If you count only Vesa Toskala’s first two games the GAA drops to about a 2.5.
Fair to remove the worst two outcomes of a 4 game season? Of course not! But recognize that the Leafs ugly totals in goals against have far more to do with the fourth game they’ve played than with the three that preceded it.
The commitment was made by Ferguson to build this team around the most expensive defence in the National Hockey League. That wasn’t the plan — there never has been a plan — but it’s how things have worked out.
Seven million a year for McCabe.
OK, here’s where Simmons loses me entirely. For the record, as if it hasn’t been pointed out enough times already, McCabe’s salary this season is different from his salary cap hit. That he’s taking home over $7 million this season does not mean he uses up $7 million in cap space - his average salary over the course of his contract is $5.75 million.
Would discussing McCabe’s faults as a $5.75 million defenceman rather than a $7 million man have changed the argument? No! So why make yourself look silly with such a glaring error?
It’s no surprise I’m not a fan of Bryan McCabe, particularly his monster contract. It’s no secret that I think the Leafs would be better off benching him and playing a rookie in his place most nights. It’s no enigma that I feel his albatross of a contract is what does - and most frightening, will - tie the Leafs’ hands when attempting to lure a replacement for Mats Sundin.
However, there’s more to this story than McCabe tripping over his own skates for $5.75 million per season.
As David Johnson pointed out recently, little separates the Leafs and the supposed cream of the crop Ottawa Senators. The Leafs stack up quite well against their provincial rivals in terms of goals scored and shots allowed. The difference between the two teams over the past two years has boiled down almost entirely to goaltending - as in the Sens have had it and the Leafs have not. The supposedly sloppy and invisible Leafs defence gave up about 150 shots less than the Senators did last season.
Behind the Net is really making me take a closer look at the Leafs’ blueline, notably Bryan McCabe. Statistics do not back up McCabe’s label as the sloppy, offense-not-defence blueliner. The Leafs goals against average with McCabe on the ice last season was 2.63 (these numbers count only 5-on-5 play, something I will get to in a minute); with McCabe off the ice the GAA rose to 2.72. In other words, the Blue’n'White were a little better at keeping the puck out of their own net with McCabe on the ice than on the bench.
I think there are three reasons why McCabe gets so much heat for his play: firstly, his contract is monstrous. He’s the highest paid player on the team - he makes more than Mats Sundin, more than Toskala and Raycroft combined (not true after this season, but close), just a bit more than Nik Antropov and Jason Blake combined. With big money comes big responsibility, and when McCabe tries to do too much, he inevitably fails. He’s much better at being a $3 million defenceman than a $5.75 million dollar one.
Secondly, McCabe is prone to making the glaring, brutally obvious giveaways. When he decides to make a gaff, he goes all-out - gift wrapped and hand-delivered. Contrast that to Hal Gill, who is often stripped by fleeter opposing forwards but tends to at least maintain position and presence afterwards, McCabe’s giveaways look worse and draw far more attention.
And thirdly, the Leafs don’t play McCabe to his strengths. Bryan McCabe has played nearly five minutes per game short-handed so far this season. Now, I know the Leafs are short-handed alot, and I know they’re a bit short on shut-down defenceman, but 5 minutes a night short-handed is just ridiculous for Byran McCabe. I know they lack the size, but give more of this time to the swifter (and more sound positionally!) Tomas Kaberle or Ian White. Give it to the more defensive-minded Andy Wozniewski.
McCabe’s contract is a reality the Leafs have to deal with but it’s not as bad as some make it out to be. But both he and the Leafs need to start playing to his (and their) strengths before it’s too late.