From: srnwhite@violet.uwaterloo.ca (Shannon R.N. White)
Subject: Re: Trade rumor I can't believe
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 16:08:59 GMT

In article <1992Dec22.211238.29600@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca>, golchowy@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Gerald Olchowy) writes:
> In article <1h7fe0INNloa@fnnews.fnal.gov> jeffk@cdibm.fnal.gov (Jeff Kallenbach) writes:
> >In the Hawks' pregame Saturday, it was mentioned that a deal that would have 
> >sent Joe Murphy to Toronto for Wendell Clark (even up) was gonged by.....
> >the Leafs!  I know they must have exercised some bad judgement along the way to 
> >be so consistently weak, but this one is too much to believe.  Can anyone 
> >confirm this?
> 
> It is hard to tell who is telling the truth about this one...supposedly
> in September, Fletcher turned down this deal...
> 
> ...the current version of this transaction is more complicated with
> Murphy and Tikkanen being offered for Pearson and Clark with perhaps
> another prospect in addition going one way or another...I have seen
> different things in print...that Fletcher is holding out for Rice and
> that Sather is holding out for Convery...but then this whole deal
> could only be a ruse by Sather to put more pressure on
> Pulford to come through with the Kravchuk-Krivokrasov offer.
> 
> If it is just Murphy and Tikkanen for Pearson and Clark, I think the
> Leafs would be coming out ahead in talent...but the Oilers would be
> relieving themselves of Tikkanen's hefty contract...Tikkanen has not
> played like a million dollar player, and if someone is willing to
> assume the financial risk of that contract, Sather might have to be
> willing to lose on the talent end.  
> 
> I'm not overly impressed by Pearson, but then I don't think Burns
> is a very good coach, especially for younger players.  Watt was even a
> better coach than Burns, and I think Fletcher will regret hiring

And Watt was soooo good with the younger players was he?  Can you think
of a single young player (under 24) that Watt ever gave significant icetime
to?  Face it, Watt would have prefered a whole team of guys like Foligno,
Ellett, Krushelniski, Gilmour, and Macoun - not that these guys are bad,
but they're too old to take anyone to the playoffs.  I admit I'm a little
disappointed that Burns hasn't been able to motivate the young guys
like Berehowski, Sacco, and Manderville, and despite his reliance on
youth in Montreal he seems to be sticking with the old guys just like Watt did.

At least with Burns the Leafs will make the playoffs.

> Burns.  The coach Fletcher should have hired was Dave King...which

Fletcher would have loved to get him, but King gave the Flames the first
chance.  King's Olympic team was headquartered, I believe, at the Saddledome
and he knew the Flames' organization and players quite well.

> also would have had the effect of denying King to Calgary.
> Pearson might be an entirely different player under Ted
> Green.  Clark will be Clark.
> 
> I don't
> particularly think Murphy would play well under Burns...for Murphy's

Murphy came alive playing for Muckler and Green, and he stunk playing
for Demers.  I think Burns has more in common with the former two than
Demers.  Murphy needs a task master as a coach, not a motivator like Demers.

> sake, I would rather see him playing with Roenick...their speed
> complements each other, and their ages and experience are well-matched
> to be a duo for the rest of the decade.  Roenick and Modano were
> deadly in the last Canada Cup, with Modano playing the speedy
> left-handed shot on right wing...Murphy is the next best thing, and
> really couldn't miss in Chicago.
> 
> 
> Gerald
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