Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 3.15

www.afootinthecrease.com

It’s been that kind of season for Bryan McCabe. Struggling to start the season, he loses all confidence whatsoever and was practically run out of town by so many of the fickle fans of the Maple Leafs. Finally about four weeks ago, McCabe started to look like the McCabe of old: playing physically and tough in his own zone and being, for the most part, reliable with the puck. Just when people were starting to get off his back and back into his corner, McCabe breaks his wrist in three places on a questionable hit in a game that had already been decided.

Now Leaf management has to decide how they are going to fill the nearly thirty minutes of ice time per game that McCabe was chewing up until he returns. Staffan Kronwall spent ten games with the Leafs during Kubina’s absence but he too is now hurt. Wade Belak has played on the blueline in the past, but for eight weeks and at least ten to twelve minutes a game: probably not the best option. So then you look to the farm and find Derrick Walser, Bryan Muir, Jay Harrison and Anton Stralman.

None of these options will provide the offensive production that McCabe is capable of so you look for which one will be the most reliable in around fifteen minutes of ice time. Stralman is a top prospect but didn’t look entirely comfortable yet in the NHL in his first tour of duty with the Leafs. Harrison seems to have slipped on the depth chart somewhat and did not look comfortable when he started last season with the Leafs. Walser is producing offensively at the AHL level but remember there is a big difference between the two leagues. Muir has close to 300 games NHL experience and has shown that he can be a dependable player on the blueline who will keep things simple and get the job done. And over the next eight week, that’s all the Leafs will be looking for. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.