by Bobby Coles

Created on: April 30, 2008

Another season mired in futility befell the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2007-2008 year. What at times showed hope turned bereft of hope midway through the season. Unable to string together quality outings, the Leafs stumbled and erred far too often along the journey that is the regular season.

Led by example, this franchise has been less than impressive for far too long. Even after the Harold Ballard years, the team has rarely been able to make any sort of amends to its legions of loyal fans.

There were several promising showings this season for Toronto, and yet they got overshadowed by the bad apples that spoiled the whole bunch. For every terrific night of hockey played by Nik Antropov, Darcy Tucker pathetically challenged the referees. As Matt Stajan and Alex Steen began to blossom, Jason Blake proved that he was a one-trick pony, and Bryan McCabe was undressed more often than the stars of a burlesque show.

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to be fodder for jokes and occasional chuckles, replete with an organization that does not care about the product that it ices each season. The 2007-2008 season proved to be of little or no difference. The Leafs finished a dismal season with a late winning streak that gave fans a slightly larger than faint hope of post season inclusion, only to fizzle at the end and leave their collective fan base cursing yet again.

The Maple Leafs are the richest organization in the National Hockey League, yet they seem unwilling to do what it takes to house a contender. Toronto loves its hockey, but have to enjoy the opposition on most nights if they want something to cheer about. Toronto had a glorious chance to better its team this year, when at the trade deadline, they could have pulled off a doozy of a deal and improved themselves greatly.

Approaching the trade deadline, many teams were clamoring for the services of Mats Sundin, who agelessly produced another fantastic season of offense. Sundin refused to waive his no trade clause (an option they should never have given him in the first place), which led other Leafs to do likewise. This was an unfortunate turn of events for a struggling franchise that has not hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup in some forty years. Disco and man landing on the moon have happened since the Leafs were last the final team standing come the termination of the playoffs.

Mats Sundin had every right to not waive his no trade clause, and I applaud him for having the wherewithal to not prostitute himself out to the

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