Leafs still suck on ice, but new jerseys sure look sharp!

I see where the new Maple Leafs brain trust has unveiled a new logo.

And not only do those new jerseys look sharp, the new logo is apparently fraught with deeper meaning!

I suppose that partially compensates Leaf Nation for the fact that the new management team, old-boy NHL insiders every one, haven't been able to unveil a new attitude on the ice.

That's quite a team... Shanahan had what qualifications to be President of Hockey Operations?

Lou last won a Stanley in 2003. That's 13 years ago. The world has changed and so has the game.

And Babcock? Well, good for him for finally getting that set-for-life contract, but seriously... what's he brought so far?

As far as I'm concerned, you could have saved many millions by offering Don Cherry the combined President/GM/Coach position, and I'm sure he would have been happy to do it just for the coach's paycheque.

Hell, Don could lace up the Bauers and he'd be the first Pres/GM/PLAYER-coach in league history!

And he'd do more on the ice than some of the stiffs out there wearing that new logo.

Can Lou Lamoriello turn around the Leafs, or is he yesterday's man?

This is a move that smacks of desperation. No question that the Devils prospered under the stewardship of Lamoriello. Three Stanleys and a .75 make-it-to-the-post-season average may not be Scotty Bowman numbers, but they're certainly better numbers than we've seen in Toronto for fifty years.

If Shanahan's best and brightest idea is to hire the guy who drafted him almost thirty years ago, then I think the Big Dogs who run the show in TO maybe made a mistake with the Shanahan hire.

But hopefully I'll be proven wrong.

If Lou enjoys the same level of success in Toronto that he enjoyed in New Jersey, we'll at least get to see some playoff action three years out of every four. And if Lou stays on for 28 years, by which time he'll be 100, Toronto will see three Stanley Cup parades...

That's the positive spin.

On the minus side, the game has changed. What might have worked for Lou in '95 isn't necessarily going to work in Toronto going forward. Don't forget his last Stanley was twelve years ago.

I'm not much impressed by the new team in the front office, but let's see what the new Leafs can do on the ice.