JFJ gets the last laugh - sorta

By The Meatriarchy
From The Score via Spector's Trade Rumours

Bad news for the Florida Panthers, who may be without the services of veteran center Joe Nieuwendyk (back) for the rest of the 2005-06 campaign--according to published reports out of South Florida. In fact, the 39-year-old Nieuwendyk's career may be in jeopardy--depending on what the results from examinations done earlier in the week show. If back surgery is recommended, Nieuwendyk will be done for the year. In seven games this season, he managed just one goal and three points--to go along with a plus-1 rating and eight penalty minutes.

Remember how the local media went nuts when Roberts and Nieuwendyk jumped to Florida? They claimed JFJ was completely unprepared:

The Leafs, without question, have been caught utterly flatfooted by the frenzy of activity over the past two weeks.

They were seemingly floored by the entire Owen Nolan mess, and then, after making a decent move by picking up Jeff O'Neill from the Carolina Hurricanes, found that addition overshadowed by the loss of veterans Gary Roberts and Joe Nieuwendyk to Florida.

Thus spake Damian Cox author of such classics as "Scrimping Leafs Short Changed on Talent", "Leafs Beaten Again" "Leafs Hamstrung without trade bait" and lets not forget "Old-look Leafs set up to fail in the New NHL". Sorry I don't have time to hyperlink them but most are still on the Star's website.

Most people who had a reasonably objective view of hockey saw the departure of the two veteran Leafs forwards and later Mogilny as a necessary evolution. All three were past their prime and all three were as injury prone as their three replacements (Lindros, Allison and O'Neil). Several media wags took great pains to point out that the Leafs would not be able to replace all that prolific scoring from Joe, Gary, and Almo.

Well to date Lindros himself has outscored the three amigos.

I guess Strachan, Simmons, Cox et.al. are preparing their mea culpas?

I wouldn't hold your breath on that one.