[panoo]

Darren Dreger
11/22/2006 9:04:18 PM

A Tuesday board meeting determined the Toronto Maple Leafs will pick up the option next season on John Ferguson's contract as general manager, however, Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment has done little to address Ferguson's future.

Industry sources view this announcement in two ways; either a vote of confidence, with the next step being the negotiation of a long term arrangement in the new year or a potential severance package, which provides for a $75,000 dollar bonus and boosts Ferguson's salary to $850,000 next year.

Has Ferguson been rewarded for his team's start and his role in building a team from the coaching staff down that is committed to a culture change? Or does this option year buy the board more time to assess the change and determined whether it's working?

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Neither. They "rewarded" him because they know the team will make the playoffs and that's it.

Their goals isn't to win the Cupm it's to keep selling tickets and preach false hope to us Leafers, because that "some of us" that think they win the Cup every year, is more than enough to fill the building. Otherwise, JFJ would be gone.

Clearly there are players that not only don't belong on this team, but also don't belong in the league. Rather than remove them and let the team be more "free" to maneuver, not only under the cap but on the ice as well, they are given contract extensions, signed to long-year deals, and given no trade clauses, while other players are given fits and are nosed off at when they try to sign on again.

People can say what they will about what he doesn't get to help the team, but my concern is more about what he doesn't get rid of to help the team.