Why Keeping Tomas Kaberle Was a Great Move
While myself and the rest of Leafs Nation were convinced we were about to get a premier forward in exchange for the much-maligned all star defenseman, the reality is our expectations and demands were all blown out of proportion, both by an eager Toronto media that was utilized by Burke to increase exposure of his situation, and by an Internet community desperate for activity in an offseason marked by long periods of waiting. Obviously, none of the offers presented to Burke were as imaginative as the blogosphere has been in the last 3-4 months, and BB stuck to his guns. If we are to believe what Burke has said regarding Kabby all along, he’s never been actively shopping the veteran, but rather open to receiving offers for his services. If none of the offers equaled or exceeded the value placed on him by the Leafs, then the honest fact is that we were better off to keep him, and here’s why.
Since the lockout, Kaberle has been one of the most consistent point producing defensemen in the NHL. Four of the last five seasons, he’s been among the top ten scoring defensemen in the league. The only other players to accomplish the same feat? Sergei Gonchar, Dan Boyle and Nicklas Lidstrom. Consider the fact that the Leaf teams Kaberle has been a part of have been nothing compared to the Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings, and Kaberle’s stats look a bit more impressive.
Ok, you might say, but he still can’t play a lick of defense and he’s coming off a season where he finished with a -16 rating, worst on the team with the worst GAA in the league. True, but that can’t all be blamed on Kaberle, who’s never been relied on for his stoutness in the defensive end. Also, I blame the starting goaltender team of Vesa Toskala/Joey Macdonald/Recovering-from-heart-surgery-rookie-learning-the-North-American-system more for the incredibly poor defensive numbers last year. In case no one noticed, as soon as the Leafs were confident that the goaltending situation was stable with veteran JS Giguere and a finally comfortable Jonas Gustavsson, things looked a whole lot better. Going back to Gonchar, Boyle and Lidstrom, obviously we’re not comparing Kaberle to Lidstrom or even Gonchar as being the same caliber player. However, Kaberle’s career +/- rating of 27 is far superior to Dan Boyle’s -30, and the two have been in the league for the same number of seasons. Now if Dan Boyle were in the final year of his contract, would the entire fanbase be disappointed if he wasn’t traded?
To be honest, having Kaberle is a great asset to the franchise. He’s only 32 years old, clearly loves (or did, at some point before this mess) playing in Toronto, and probably saw himself finishing his career here. If he can come out strong at the start of this season, silence the critics early and help the Leafs off to a solid start, there’s a good possibility I’d be very interested in seeing what it would take to re-sign him next summer.
Another reason keeping Kaberle was a good move is that it gives the Leafs an incredibly deep NHL-caliber blueline. As Burke stated recently, it takes more than 6 good NHL defensemen to win in today’s NHL. With Kaberle still on the roster, the Leafs’ defense is much deeper, and we’ll take a look at just how deep Toronto is on the back end very shortly. For now, on paper, the Leafs will have to make do with 3 top 10 draft picks (Komisarek, Schenn, Phaneuf), 2 Stanley Cup winners (Lebda, Beauchemin), a diamond in the rough in Gunnarsson, Kabs and everyone’s favorite Leaf, Jeff Finger. Not too shabby, if you ask me.
Kaberle struggled on the powerplay last season, but a full season of playing with Phaneuf across the ice looking to rip one timers should be the cure for that. I just don’t see how a successful NHL defenseman coming up on the last chance for him to earn himself a major contract or contract extension won’t be pushing himself to have the best damn season of his career.