Lou Lamoriello Named Leafs GM: My Take

The Toronto Maple Leafs named 73-year-old Lou Lamoriello, the long time GM of the Devils, as General Manager. Lamoriello was General Manager of the New Jersey Devils from 1987-2015, at the end of this past season, he stepped down as GM to make way for Ray Shero; Lamoriello remained as President. In his first year with the Devils, he helped build the team to its first winning record in its then-14 year history (including the Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies). In his 26 seasons with the Devils, they made the Stanley Cup playoffs 21 times, made the Stanley Cup Final 5 times, and won 3 Cups.

However, since the lockout, the Devils haven't been the powerhouse they were in the 90s and early 2000s. After making the playoffs 6 of the first 7 years since the lockout (including making the final in 2012), the Devils have gone 3 straight seasons missing the playoffs. This is due to an ageing core and a lack of prospects coming up through the pipeline.

This is a move that came out of left field for just about everyone except Brendan Shanahan and Lamoriello. It seemed like most of Leafs Nation believed Shanny would resume most of the responsibilities as GM along with Kyle Dubas. However, the experience in an NHL front office for most of the Leafs front office doesn't extend beyond their time with the Leafs. Lamoriello brings some much needed experience not just in terms being a GM, but in terms of knowing what a team needs to win.

Lamoriello is a GM that wins by building from the net out (it helped that he had Martin Brodeur for years). The Leafs ranked 27th in Goals Against last year (262), and were among the worst in term of puck possession. The Devils have famously played and won using the dreaded trap game under Lamoriello.

The signing, although unexpected, makes sense. As I said above, Lamoriello brings a wealth of experience to a very inexperienced Leafs front office. There are some risks however, Lamoriello was at his most successful in a pre-cap era. The Leafs have a clear plan ahead that they're looking to rebuild, which means they will be awful for at least a couple of years, everyone from Shanahan to Babcock and even the board above Shanny is supposedly on board with this plan. Lamoriello seemed to understand this was the direction the Leafs were taking, but he also apparently has full autonomy. If his famous impatience comes into play, can he derail the Leafs plans? (Cliff Fletcher 2.0 immediately comes to mind).

All that being said, having a mind like Lamoriello in the mix giving his two cents isn't a bad thing. Kyle Dubas now has the opportunity (for the next 3 years, at least) to watch one of the greatest hockey minds at work and learn from him. If they had an all-star team for front office staff, most of the team would be made up from the Leafs' front office. There are so many great minds at work here, if they stay the course and stick with the plan of a rebuild, the Leafs may finally, one day, be a competitive team with a shot to win the Cup.

How the (Original) Phil Kessel Trade Looks Today

Back in 2009 the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Phil Kessel from the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 2010 1st and 2nd round draft pick, and their 1st round draft pick in 2011. Unfortunately for the Leafs, they finished the 2009-2010 season in 29th and that 1st round pick became the 2nd overall pick. The Bruins selected Tyler Seguin 2nd overall and Jared Knight 32nd overall. In 2011, the Bruins selected Dougie Hamilton 9th overall.

For the first few years of Kessel's tenure in Toronto, the trade was debated. The 2nd overall pick was a high price to pay, but Phil Kessel was/is an elite talent that most teams would dream of having.

With the trade of Phil Kessel on July 1st, all 4 pieces of the original trade are no longer on Boston or Toronto's roster. Let's break down what the trade looks like today:

Tyler Seguin

Following Boston's loss in the Stanley Cup Final of the lockout-shortened 2012-2013 season, Boston shipped Tyler Seguin along with Rich Peverley and Ryan Button to the Dallas Stars for Loui Eriksson, Joe Morrow, Reilly Smith, and Matt Fraser. 

Eriksson and Morrow are still with the team, but Rielly Smith was traded to Florida for Jimmy Hayes (originally a Leafs draft pick) and the Bruins lost Matt Fraser to Edmonton via waivers.

Dougie Hamilton

The morning of this year's NHL Entry Draft, the Bruins traded Dougie Hamilton to the Calgary Flames for their 2015 1st round pick (15th overall), their 2nd round pick (45th overall), and Washington's 2nd round pick (52nd overall). They used the three picks to select Zachary Senyshyn, Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, and Jeremy Lauzon respectively.

Jared Knight

The Bruins traded Jared Knight to the Wild for Zach Phillips.

The Original trade now looks something like this:

To Toronto:

Kasperi Kapanen
Scott Harrington
Nick Spaling
Conditional 2016 1st Round Pick
Conditional 2016 3rd Round Pick


To Boston:

Loui Eriksson
Joe Morrow
Jimmy Hayes
Zachary Senyshyn
Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson
Jeremy Lauzon
Zach Phillips

Did the Leafs get enough for Kessel?

This is a question I've seen answered on many blogs and news stories, here's my take:

The Leafs could have gotten more for Kessel, no doubt. But given where the Leafs and Penguins are, the trade made sense. The Leafs needed to get rid of Kessel for many reasons. For one, the Leafs are in a rebuild, you don't need a 30+ (borderline 40) goal scorer in your lineup if you want to rebuild. Secondly, it was fair to Kessel, an elite talent like him deserves a legitimate shot at trying for the Cup. Thirdly, the Leafs needed to dismantle their core, Kessel was a huge part of that, trading him changes the core completely.

I'll admit, I'm a little disappointed we won't get to see Kessel under Babcock, but it was time to move on. The most unfortunate thing is the Leafs wasted the "Kessel Era," instead of surrounding him with talent, they surrounded him with Tyler Bozak. With Crosby, there is very little doubt in my mind that Kessel will hit 40 goals next season. I wish Kessel nothing but the best in PIttsburgh.

Like the original Kessel trade, we won't know who the clear winner is for a few years. At best, the Leafs broke even with the original trade, in reality, they lost it (imagine how good Seguin, a 1st line centre, and Dougie Hamilton, a top 2 defenseman, would look in a Leafs jersey right now). For the first time in over a decade, the Leafs have a clear path they want to follow, and for now at least, they look like they're sticking to it, with a priority on getting younger and developing prospects to create a new core. I might revisit this one again next year to see where the trade is at following the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Not Saluting the Fans: Bad Timing or a "Screw You"?

On Thursday, the Toronto Maple Leafs snapped a three-game slide by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2. The previous two games saw the Leafs lose by a combined score of 15-4, losing 6-2 to Buffalo, and a somehow even more embarrassing 9-2 loss to the Nashville Predators. Following those losses everything came under the microscope in Leafs nation: the coach, the GM, the leadership, and the core players. The 9-2 loss was a home game, which meant more jerseys thrown on the ice. A trend this season for Leafs fans. I've already shared my opinion on jersey tossing.

Now the news following the Leafs win over the Lightning was not that they won, it was what they didn't do that made headlines: salute the fans. After every home win this season, the Leafs have been saluting the crowd. To be honest, I was at Thursday's game and it didn't even register with me that they didn't do the salute. So at first, when I realized it, I didn't take it as a snub, I just thought it was interesting that they would decide to do that after the last two embarrassments of games, but I just chalked it up to bad timing. But then I saw this Mark Masters report and I got angry.

"For us as athletes...whenever we can change something up and try to change routine, if it works for us, then that's something we're going to stick to," Captain Dion Phaneuf explains.

Then someone, who I assume is a reporter, asks Phaneuf "how does this help?" Phaneuf cannot answer and abruptly ends the interview after the reporter presses him a couple more times on the issue. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Captain of Leafs Nation!

How does saluting the crowd affect how you play in a game? You salute the crowd after the game after you've won! It sounds to me like the players are, for lack of a better word, punishing the fans for tossing jerseys. Of course, this is all speculation.

On Thursday, the Leafs played one of their best games this season. They came out strong, and they played a solid 60 minutes. The Leafs really competed, and they showed the fans what they're capable of against a strong Tampa Bay Lightning team. And you know what? That was one of the best mid-week crowds at the ACC that I've ever been a part of! The crowd backed their team 100%.

We can't say for sure whether the Leafs decided to not salute the crowd because fans tossed their jerseys, all we're doing is speculating. But common sense dictates that if you're going to make a decision like that, you probably shouldn't implement it after your first win after a 9-2 loss.

TSN's Bob McKenzie tweeted out this morning something that sums up this whole situation perfectly:

It's REALLY dumb so many talking about TOR players not saluting fans, but not half as dumb as players picking THAT moment to alter routine.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) November 21, 2014

If the team really did just want to change their routine for whatever reason, fine, I don't really care about the salute that much. But if you're doing it to send a message to fans because they tossed jerseys, then all you're doing is angering an already pissed off fan base. Why should fans respect an organization where the players don't respect the fans?

Looking at the Bigger Picture: Life is Bigger than the Game

In the totem pole of journalism, sports ranks fairly low in importance. Let me explain why I chose the route of sports journalism. I'll be honest, I find news depressing. Everyday there are murders, defecits, scandals, etc. I just couldn't find myself immersed in that world every day. Whenever I needed an escape, I would turn to sports, it's a great distraction. That's why I decided to follow this path, to give people an escape when they need it.

But then there are times like this morning where a gunman or gunmen shot in three different locations in Ottawa, including killing a soldier. It's times like these that out things into perspective.

During the Boston Marathon bombing, I was still just an intern at TSN and that was one day I will never forget. One of my fellow interns was subclipping the Boston marathon (which was on tape delay), when our producer told him to "look out for explosions." Obviously, we were both confused, why would there be explosions? So we Googled "Boston Marathon explosions" and Twitter pictures popped up showing people with legs literally blown right off. After showing the producer, maybe about 30 seconds after, the whole back of the newsroom was taken over by feeds of CNN, CTV, CBC. That day SportsCentre looked more like CTV. Death and destruction should never lead a sports newscast, because sports is an escape from those terrible things.

All the journalism degrees in the world can't prepare you for something like what happened today. It's absolutely disgusting. Ottawa is a beautiful city, I have been there many times. I extend all my condolences to everyone effected in Ottawa right now. After all this is done, after everyone is detained I urge all Canadians to NOT change what they do day to day. Don't let those who incite fear win, keep going to those games, keep walking out on the streets at night.

The Ottawa Senators next home game is this Saturday against the New Jersey Devils. Everyone in Canada should be cheering for the Senators this weekend. When that national anthem starts, sing it loud and sing it proud! You've got a whole nation behind you.

Defending the Jersey Toss

The Leafs stumbled out of the gate this season with a pair of losses, then followed that up with a pair of wins, followed by another regulation loss and an overtime loss. For those of you keeping score, the Leafs currently sit 2-3-1. That's not a great start, it's not terrible, but it's not great either.

However, already fans are growing impatient, there has been two games where fans have thrown their displeasure by tossing their jerseys on the ice. We're only 6 games in.and fans are already growing restless.
The Leafs have shown flashes of a better team, but more often they have looked like the same team from last season.

Personally, I'm okay with the jersey toss. Now before you react, hear me out. There are a lot worse ways fans can show their displeasure, throwing a jersey on the ice, is a lot better than say, throwing beer on the ice, or waffles.As long as it's thrown during a stoppage in play (and when the Leafs are actually losing badly), it's fine. Now normally I'd agree, 5 games into the season is way too early to start giving up on the team, but the greatest argument I heard for this came from Late Night Game Night on TSN 1050: some Leafs fans don't see it as game 5, but rather they see it as a continuation of the previous season and they're fed up.

It seems that way, Carlyle is still coach, Nonis is still GM, and other than a few depth players, this is the same Leafs team from last season. Fans of most other teams can show their displeasure by not showing up, but let's face it, that's never going to happen in Toronto. For every person that boycotts going to the games, there are at least 1000 people who would gladly go to the game in your place.

With all the being said, there is one thing I do worry about: that this will become too habitual. It's happened twice in 4 home games already, it doesn't need to happen EVERY game the Leafs lose, and it especially does not need to happen if the Leafs are only down 3-2 with 5 minutes to go in the 3rd. With the massive popularity of the Blue and White this is one of the few ways fans can show their displeasure, and it's very visible.

Who Should Captain the NHL's Captainless Teams?

The NHL pre-season has come and gone. Fans got to see some of the talent their teams have in their feeder systems. Going into the pre-season, 7 teams were without captains but Ottawa named Erik Karlsson captain and Florida named Willie Mitchell their captain.

No team has ever won a Cup without a Captain (although the New York Rangers came close last season, which led to an interesting situation when they were awarded Prince of Wales trophy. Five teams are still without Captains this season: Buffalo, Columbus, Montreal, New York Rangers, and San Jose, let's take a look at the 2 or 3 best candidates for each team.

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres are undergoing a rebuild right now and there's a very small chance of them even making the playoffs. Some are even saying the Sabres are purposely tanking to have a chance at drafting Connor McDavid. However, for the purposes of this blog, let's take a look at potential Sabres Captains:

Drew Stafford

Stafford is the longest tenured member of the Sabres, he was drafted by the team 13th overall in 2004 and has only played in the Sabres organisation. Because of this, Stafford actually has some playoff experience: 20 games. Stafford was on this team when they were more successful and knows what it takes to win. With over 500 NHL games under his belt, Stafford would be a great mentor to a team that is filled with players 26 and younger.

Brian Gionta

After Montreal didn't extend Gionta's contract, he signed a three-year deal with the Sabres. Now, I know teams don't often name players they just signed captain (although Edmonton did it last year), but Gionta is coming off being captain with the Montreal Canadiens. Even though he's 35 years old, he can still be dependable to get you 40-50 points in a season, if he stays healthy.

Tyler Myers

Tyler Myers won the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year in 2010, but he hasn't been able to live up to the hype, It's tough to tell whether Myers will never live up to that hype, or if it's just because of the Sabres have been getting worse. That being said, once the Sabres are a competitive team again, look for Myers to be in the thick of things. At 24, he's a little young, but that means he hasn't reached his prime yet. If he can get back to his Calder form, he would be a solid leader for this club.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets have been without a captain since they traded Rick Nash to the New York Rangers in 2012 after going 29-46-7 in 2011-2012. However, two seasons after the trade, the Jackets made the playoffs for only the 2nd time in franchise history and won their first ever playoff game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Things look bright for the Blue Jackets' future and maybe it's time they had a captain leading the way.

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson was acquired by the Blue Jackets from the LA Kings in 2012 for Jeff Carter. That season, the Kings went on to win their first Cup. After Nash was traded, Johnson was considered to be one of the leaders on the team, he wore the 'A' that season, and continues to do so. Out of any players on the Blue Jackets, Johnson probably has the best shot at being Nash's successor.

Nick Foligno 

Nick Foligno was traded to Columbus from the Ottawa Senators for Mike Methot. Foligno was an RFA at the time of being acquired by Columbus. They signed him to a three-year extension. Foligno has previous playoff experience with the Ottawa Senators, which would make him a good leader for this club. He also scored the overtime winner in Game 4 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Penguins to give the Blue Jackets their 1st home playoff win. However, barring some chance Johnson doesn't get named captain, it's unlikely Foligno will be given the 'C'.

Montreal Canadiens

After Montreal didn't re-sign Brian Gionta, they found themselves without a captain. Fans had it narrowed down to 4 candidates. Evidently, so did the Habs, they just couldn't decide which one to name captain, so they named all 4 alternate captains: Andrei Markov, P.K. Subban, Max Pacioretty, and Tomas Plekanec. As much as I'm a Leafs fan, I applaud the Habs for this move. A team as historic as Montreal shouldn't just name a Captain for the sake of naming one. Go one year without one, and see who steps up as a leader. Before we see who steps up. let's take a look at these four and see who would make the best Captain.

Andrei Markov

Markov is entering his 14th season with the bleu, blanc, et rouge. He has spent his whole career in Montreal. That longevity alone makes him a great candidate for Captain. He's not the most gifted goal scorer, he's never reached the 20-goal plateau, but with 344 career assists, he definitely helps out on goals. He has been with Montreal for both of their runs to the conference finals since they last won the Cup. He has 71 career playoff games under his belt, he knows what it takes for success.

P.K. Subban

Subban is the type of defenseman you hate to play against. He can deliver big hits and he can score, he's deadly on the powerplay from the point. Subban won the Norris trophy in 2013, becoming the 1st Hab to win the award since Chris Chelios did in 1989, the same year Subban was born. Subban hasn't even reached his prime yet. Although his defensive play can sometimes be a little suspect, he can let his emotions get the better of him, he is maturing and it is clear that Subban will be a defensive force in this league for many years to come. It's not a matter of will Subban be captain, it's a matter of when.

Max Pacioretty

Pacioretty has been an offensive force for the Habs in the past couple of seasons. He was 4th in goal scoring last season with 39 and he's done it quietly. He leads by example on the team. However, goal scoring alone isn't enough to wear the 'C' in my opinion. If I had a say, I would pick Subban or Markov as Captain ahead of Pacioretty. That's not a knock on him by any means, he's a skilled player, he can lead his team in other ways, he doesn't need the 'C'.

Tomas Plekanec

Plekanec is another longtime Hab. He's only ever played for Montreal making his NHL debut during the 2003-2004 NHL season (he played 2 games). Plekanec has played over 600 games for Montreal collecting 439 points along the way. Unlike Markov, Plekanec has hit the 20-goal plateau, and has done so regularly with 7 career 20+ goal seasons. He also has 69 career playoff games where he has 42 points (14 goals, 28 assists). His longevity with the club and his experience in the post-season makes him a good candidate to be the next Habs Captain.

New York Rangers

After sending Ryan Callahan to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Martin St. Louis, the Rangers found themselves without a captain. However, that didn't stop them from surprising everyone by making it to the Stanley Cup Final. The Rangers have a lot of skilled guys on their team, and a lot of them are great candidates for captain, that might be why the team hasn't named a captain yet. Let's see who could become the Rangers' next captain.

Martin St. Louis

The story of how St. Louis ended up on the Rangers is a messy one. St. Louis demanded a trade out of Tampa, because Lightning GM Steve Yzerman, who was also GM of Canada's national team for the 2014 Olympics, left him off the roster (he was later added as an injury replacement for Steven Stamkos). St. Louis had a no trade clause and would only waive it for a trade to the Rangers. St. Louis would make a good captain because, he's a veteran, and at 39 years old, he's still putting up 60+ points and is just 19 shy of 1,000 career points. He has also won a Stanley Cup, where he was instrumental for the Lightning (potting 25 points in 24 games). Even though he hasn't been on this team for a full season yet, there's no doubt of his leadership abilities. 

Dan Girardi

 If you don't feel comfortable giving the 'C' to a guy who is new to them team, then Girardi is a good pick.He has been with the Rangers since 2006. Girardi originally signed with the Rangers AHL affiliate Hartford, as an undrafted free agent. He has played 569 games, as well as 89 career playoff games all with the Rangers. During the lockout shortened 2012-2013 season, the Rangers named Girardi one of the Alternate Captains. It's clear the team sees him as a leader already.

Henrik Lundqvist

Okay, hear me out. I know technically goalies aren't allowed to wear the 'C,' however they are allowed to be named captain in name, the Vancouver Canucks did it with Roberto Luongo. Most people don't think of goalies as a leader because...well...they can be insane. But Lundqvist is a different breed of goaltender. He's not insane, he's just go to be one of the coolest people ever. Why not add captain of an original six franchise to his resume? And his 2.26 career GAA can't hurt either. Seriously, New York, make this happen!

San Jose Sharks

After the Sharks blew a 3-0 series lead to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings, there was the feeling that something was going to happen in San Jose. They stripped Joe Thornton of his captaincy and took the 'As' off as well. The team wanted to head into training camp giving everyone a fresh slate and making anyone who wants to wear the letters earn it. So I'm going to restrict myself here: I'm going to see who would make the best captain on the team that isn't Joe Thornton (that would be too easy).

Logan Couture

Literally the first name I thought of when I think of non-Joe Thornton players on the Sharks (yes, even more so than Patrick Marleau. Spoiler alert: Marleau doesn't make this list). He's still young at 25, but he hasn't hit his prime yet, and is reliable for 50+ points a season. At only 25, he already has 56 career playoff games under his belt (18 goals, 18 assists). If the Sharks are looking to head in a different direction, Couture would be the logical choice for captain. He's the face of the next generation of talent on the Sharks.

Brent Burns

Burns is entering his 4th season with the Sharks. He plays defense and occasionally the wing. A guy who can be so versatile that he can play both defense and forward if needed would make a good leader. Not to mention his majestic beard. Last season he set a career high in points with 48 (22 goals, 26 assists). At 29, he's in his prime and the Sharks should take advantage of that, now would be a good time to hand him the 'C'. Plus, he has a majestic beard. Did I mention I like his beard?

Joe Pavelski

Pavelski has been with the Sharks for the past 8 seasons. In 561 career games with the Sharks he has 415 points. Along with his NHL experience, he has an Olympic silver medal from the 2010 Winter Games. He also had a career high 41 goals last season! He's at the tail end of his prime, but his experience would do wonders for the next wave of Sharks talent. I would not be shocked to see Pavelski wear the 'C' in the near future.

The Blue Jays Post Mortem: Not as Bad as you Might Think

Another season has come and gone, and once again the Jays are left out of the postseason. After the Kansas City Royals clinched a berth into the wild card game, the Jays now have the longest active postseason drought. After the abysmal failure of the 2013 season, expectations were low for this club as it remained mostly unchanged this season. This season was full of ups and downs, let's take a look at the positives and negatives from this season.

The Good: The Young Guns

Throughout this season, the Blue Jays took advantage of the closeness of their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo by calling up some young guys to fill holes in the lineup that were there due to injury (more on the injuries later).After Brandon Morrow was placed on the 60-Day DL, Stroman was called up. Stroman showed he could be a legitimate big league starter, he pitched two 9-inning games, one of which was a complete game shutout. Stroman was also used by Manager John Gibbons as a pinch-runner on multiple occasions.Not to mention, he was pretty damn good defensively too. I fully expect him to be part of the Jays starting rotation next season.

Mississauga, Ontario native Dalton Pompey also made his big league debut this season. After being a bench player for a few games, Pompey finally started games in the outfield, where he made some highlight reel catches. He also got his 1st career home run in a 10-2 drubbing of the Mariners. Pompey is a solid prospect, he'll either be with triple-A Buffalo next year or he could be taking Colby Rasmus' place, Rasmus probably won't be back next year.

Daniel Norris is another pitching prospect I'm excited about. On September 5th, Norris made his MLB debut. His first batter? David Ortiz. It didn't seem to phase him though. He made his 1st career start on September 25th, going 3.1 innings with 2 earned runs. In total he's only pitched 6.2 innings with the Jays, but I have liked what I've seen so far.

The Bad: Injuries

The Blue Jays had a multitude of injuries this year, like last year. Jose Reyes, Jose Bautista, Brett Lawrie, Melky Cabrera, Adam Lind, Edwin Encarnacion are all just a few of the players who missed time this season. Some can chalk it up to rotten luck, but I think some of it might have to do with the fact the Blue Jays are one of 2 teams that play on turf (the other being the Tampa Bay Rays). The turf is essentially running on carpet placed on concrete, it really can't be good for your legs. However, there are plans to add grass to the stadium by 2017 (look at the picture in the article, you can see turf is literally carpet on concrete). Injuries happen, that's just the way it is in sports, but it just seems to happen to the Jays more than any other team.

The Good: Melky Cabrera

Cabrera's first season in Toronto was a disaster. He had back problems that kept him out of the lineup (he only played in 88 games), and was batting a .279 with only 3 home runs. Well it turned out that Cabrera's back problems were the result of a benign tumour on his spine. He underwent surgery to have it removed. The result was a turnaround season for the "Melk Man." He batted a .301 with 16 HR and 73 RBIs, his 2nd best offensive career in both those categories. Melky showed that he is a capable player, even without steroids. Cabrera went from being hated by the fans to the fans demanding AA re-sign him (he is a free agent this offseason). Cabrera was an important part of this team's core this season, hopefully AA can re-sign him.

The Bad: No Moves at the Deadline

July 31st came and went, and the Blue Jays were the same team. No moves were made by Anthopoulos at the non-waiver trade deadline. Fans, and even Jose Bautista were not happy with the team's inactivity. Anthopoulos countered by saying teams were asking for too much. Whatever the reason, it was clear that something needed to be done because there were still some holes in this lineup. Other teams got deals done, how come the Blue Jays couldn't?

The Good: Dioner Navarro

One hole that was filled during the offseason was the role of catcher. After the Jays let J.P. Arencibia go, the Jays signed Navarro to take his place. Fans were excited when Arencibia made his debut, especially since his first career game was nothing short of absolutely amazing. However, after batting .194 and striking out 148 times, it was time for the Blue Jays to move on. Navarro on the other hand batted .274 this past season. Not an amazing batting average, but the timing of his hits is what impressed me the most, he had 69 RBIs this season. He also managed to steal 3 bases this season! Navarro has been a solid catcher for this club and has been a huge upgrade from Arencibia. He was one of my favourite players this season, and I hope to see him stay in Toronto for another few years.

The Bad: Team Was Streaky

The Blue Jays were an extremely streaky team this season. After a sub-.500 April (12-14), the Jays went 21-9 in May and found themselves 1st in the AL East. They remained in 1st until July 3rd, a total of 48 days (or 61 if you count off-days). Things looked really promising for the Blue Jays. In June and July combined they went 27-26, not great, but it kept them in a race for the wild card spot. But then August happened, the Jays went 9-17. In September they still had a chance, but the bad August made it tough for them: they had to jump too many teams and had to depend on a lot of teams to lose. In the end, it just wasn't meant to be, and the Jays finished 5 games shy of the final wild card spot. 

I've seen a lot of people write this season off as a failure after not qualifying for the postseason. However at the end of the day, this team had the same core as 2013 and yet played meaningful baseball in September. The ride was fun, the Jays are obviously not there yet, but they're heading in the right direction, it's only a matter of time.