Groundhog Day ---- There I was, somehow in front of the TV set, wondering -- how did i get here? I knew all season this would happen, and yet somehow, that 5% hope pulled me in. But I always end up feeling like an idiot. Why would things change this year?
There they are -- skating around in circles, no doubt trying hard, Keefe looking lost behind the bench, yet another problem goalie, why am I watching this?
You can't argue with math. You can't bend it and shape it to make a point. Fundamentally: because of what i do, I know about "income inequality" measures, so I calculated one for all NHL teams this year. This is the ratio of the top four salaries to the bottom four. Toronto had the highest ratio, by a considerable margin. It is a bit misleading, because all teams have 3-4 players on minimum salaries. So instead, I calculated the top 4 to middle range ratio, and of course, Toronto was the worst again. Meaning: Toronto does not have the money to pay third line players, defenseman, and goalies that are good enough. You can pay some -- like Bertuzzi --- but you are going to run out of money.
Coaching matters, but the collective greed at the top is the problem and there is no way around it. Hyman is gone, Kadri is gone, people traded away that became top players elsewhere. People like Kampf, Holmberg, Lillegren, remain because it is what we can afford.
It's hopeless....