With everything that has gone wrong for the Leafs this season, the one thing that stands out for me is Darcy Tucker. GM John Ferguson showed complete faith in Darcy by nearly doubling his salary and giving him a no-trade clause in his contract. There was some basis to the contract since Tucker has a reputation as a hard-nosed irritant with 6 20-goal seasons.
So with all that security, Tucker is on pace to score 8 goals and 19 points, his worst season since he broke in 11 years ago. I had a very bad feeling when Tucker was signed last year. He's a small player that plays a physical game. I thought even if he was slowed by injuries and age, he would at least provide some passionate leadership. Instead we got nothing. Absolutely nothing.
No scoring. No body checks. No passion. No leadership. Nothing. Each game he just goes through the motion of pretending to be a professional hockey player. He seems perfectly happy to collect his paycheck and go home every day to drive his kids to school or hockey.
That's how life goes for members of the country club they call the Toronto Maple Leafs.
