The emergence of the young Penguins has been a godsend to Gary Bettman. He couldn’t have dreamed up a better scenario for a Stanley Cup Final. The NHL’s most dominant team of the decade versus Bettman’s most marketable player, Sidney Crosby. This couldn’t have come at a better time, as the National Hockey League is still trying to promote a more lucrative turnout in American cities and certainly create more of a hockey market in the United States.

Unfortunately for the little General, he didn’t get his storybook ending. His golden boy struggled mightily for the majority of the series. To Crosby’s credit he did manage to play ‘Johnny-on-the-Spot’ in game three of the Cup Finals, long enough to score two key goals. But other then that, he failed to generate more then a a bout of consistent whining to the referees. Some may say that he was a key contributor in game five, as he was credited with two assists, but anyone who watched that game, knows that he was so invisible that it made it possible for our first Evgeny Malkin siting of the series. Thankfully for Pittsburgh guys like Marian Hossa, Jordan Staal, Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, Maxime Talbot and especially Marc-Andre Fleury put in yeomans service to help steal a super important game five. That game will go down as one of the more exciting Cup Finals games in recent memory.

It wasn’t necessarily a case of Pittsburgh playing terribly, as much as it was that Detroit was absolutely dominant throughout the series. They ruled the roost of the NHL from start to finish. I don’t think I remember such a dominant performance. Sure Pittsburgh stole two games in the series, but they were outmatched by a well coached team that was stacked with puck possession skilled players, and loads of chemistry.

For once the best team finally won it all! But take nothing away from the achievements of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Barring future player movement due to contract extensions, this team has just scratched the surface of what accomplishments it can achieve. That fact has led many to compare this team to the Oilers of the 80’s. Knowing how much of a competitor that Sidney Crosby is, one thing is for certain: next season he will be more hungry and dangerous than ever! Considering he is already the most talented player in the National Hockey League, this provides a scary proposition for the rest of the league.

The Leafs brought back Cliff Fletcher as General Manager, hoping that he could rekindle the magic that helped them make it to the Western Conference Finals in 1993. Unfortunately he was only able to pull off a couple subtle trades, unable to deal pricey veterans for future assets because of No-Trade Clauses that had been handed out to them by former General Manager John Ferguson Jr. like they were raffle tickets at a Woman’s Institute quilt raffle.

Although it would seem that Ferguson Jr. put his faith in the wrong players, there have been a few positives to this situation. Granted, it is tough to start a true rebuild without being able to purge older veterans, but a few remaining may not be such a bad thing. Keep in mind that even if the Leafs received a top five pick, it wouldn’t necessarily mean quality, as they have not been as successful in scouting and drafting as other teams, such as the Detroit Red Wings.

Two players that have really turned it on since being publicly scrutinized for not waiving their No-Trade Clauses are Mats Sundin and Pavel Kubina. Sundin was vocal about his desire to remain in Toronto, regardless of the team’s current turmoil. These players have showed a lot of class and professionalism in the way that they have turned up their play recently.

Captain Sundin has matured as a leader since he arrived in Toronto during the 1995-1996 NHL season. It was refreshing to hear him speak about not wanting to be traded this season, and he has earned his right in this regard. While this may seem selfish, as he could have brought high profile picks and prospects back to the Leafs had he allowed himself to be traded, he has committed to remain leader of the team regardless of their standing. This is admirable since many professional athletes wish to be traded to a team of their choice in order to win a championship. Until a recent injury, he responded to not being traded by scoring six goals and 14 points, propelling the Leafs to several victories. Winning may seem counterproductive during a rebuild, but how can you ignore such a great showing of leadership and determination? The downside to this situation would be if he finds employment elsewhere come July 1^st, or possibility of retirement, which wouldn’t lead to compensation for the Leafs by way of youth or picks.

What about Pavel Kubina? He’s been portrayed as mediocre since arriving in Toronto, due to scrutiny caused by the amount of money Ferguson Jr gave him. Is this a fair assessment? It’s tough justifying how Kubina makes more money than Tomas Kaberle, but this is a business of supply and demand. Though not a top defenseman, the Leafs needed defense and Kubina was the best available, making his services pricey. Fans generally justify a defenseman’s worth by the points he scores. Kubina has never scored more then 38 points in a season. He possesses subtle talents, like puck movement and is an underrated defender. Lately, he has been red hot, scoring three game winning goals, with a plus five rating since the Trade Deadline. Players shouldn’t be judged because of a hot streak, but these are great contributions by a player judged unfairly for a big contract and failure to allow the Leafs to trade him. When healthy, he has proven to pair with Kaberle to form a great power play combination on defense.

In a huge hockey market such as Toronto, everyone in the organization will be constantly under the microscope to maintain a high level of accomplishment. The Maple Leafs organization is finally coming to grips with the fact that they need to rebuild this franchise back to respectability. It’s going to be a longer process than expected, with fans and media alike, continuing to call for change until the team is successful. Can we blame them? In an article posted by USA TODAY on November 11, 2007 , it noted that Forbes reported that the Maple Leafs were the most valuable NHL franchise. Even if it may not be fair to those involved in the Maple Leaf Organization, this fact definitely justifies all the pressure given by Leaf fans and media. Sundin and Kubina have shown that they want to win in Toronto, no matter what the makeup of the team. This attitude could positively influence the development of team youth, and bring improved results.