This website has been a great resource for independent articles on all things Maple Leaf related! A little while back they had done interviews with Director of Amateur Scouting for the Toronto Maple Leafs Dave Morrison , Assistant General Manager Dave Poulin, and newly hired (former General Manager) Rick Dudley.
Here are a few excerpts from these interviews:
Dave Morrison Interview:
James Reimer really burst onto the NHL scene with a fantastic stretch of games as a rookie, but seemed to struggle a little bit toward the end there. Is conditioning one of those things James needs to work on in order to solidify himself as a true number one goaltender?
Morrison – You’re right Alex, this was his first real extended stretch of games at the NHL level and that was a big challenge. He certainly proved himself at the AHL level, but the workload he shouldered there at the end… any goalie would start to feel the effects of that. That part of James’ game and the process of him learning how to be THE guy are going to come with experience and maturity. He understands what he needs to do. The management staff as well… they’re going to work with James as well to know when he’s okay to play and when he may need a night off here and there.
Dave Poulin interview:
Looking at the goaltending as constructed at this time last year, James Reimer wasn’t a player who many thought of as a long-term solution. I suppose he’s proof that any player can be looked at as a long-term piece of the puzzle, regardless of their place on the depth chart.
Poulin -- You have to look at every player long-term. If we look at last year, through the course of the year, the pieces we were able to add through through the draft, through trades, through free agent signings, we ‘re a much deeper, much better organization. Now, that has to translate into success on the ice short term as well, but I think from a positional standpoint the depth we’ve created and the prospect list we’ve created, and the team we’ve created are all better than they were a year ago at this time.
Rick Dudley interview:
We often hear players comment on having to adjust to the level of attention and scrutiny that comes with a market such as Toronto. Does the same hold true for management also?
Dudley -- Certainly there’s a little more scrutiny in a city like Toronto, more media coverage. Fortunately for me, I’m a little ways down the totem pole so I’m not as subject to it. That’s really Brian [Burke]‘s baby. But it is a different market, obviously the fans are incredibly passionate. Even the Director of Player Personnel will be relatively well known in Toronto. It’s a fact of life, and you have to get used to that. I was fortunate enough to have been the General Manager of the Ottawa Senators so I have a bit of experience with Canadian hockey markets and staunch, steadfast hockey fans.
All three of these interviews can be found at the following links:
Dave Morrison Q/A
Dave Poulin Q/A
Rick Dudley Q/A
Keep an eye out for the Maple Leafs Hot Stove's magazine - The Maple Leafs Annual 2011-12 coming this September. It will have the full-length articles as well as tons of other Maple Leafs information!
