Smith should be the man to rebuild Leafs

The Maple Leafs have officially missed the playoffs for a third consecutive year for the first time since the franchise was known as the St. Patricks. Despite the late season rally in which the team played just well enough to take themselves out of the Steven Stamkos sweepstakes, the outcome of their status post- season was never in doubt, among the realists.

What remains to be seen is the appointment of the successor to interim Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher. Whoever is named the 13th GM in Leafs history will be unlucky enough to face the daunting task of breaking the perpetual cycle of mediocrity that has plagued the team for several years. For too long, the Leafs have been far from contention for the Stanley Cup - a prize that has eluded them for forty-one years - yet too good to finish at the bottom of the league and stockpile high draft picks and prospects.

A true commitment to rebuilding must be overseen by an individual with proven success at the NHL level. A folly in the hiring of ousted GM John Ferguson Jr. was the assumption that the experience Ferguson gained as an assistant general manager in St. Louis would translate to big league success as the top gun. Ferguson appeared to crack under the pressure of the Toronto spotlight, making questionable moves such as the long-term signings of Ed Belfour and Bryan McCabe - transactions which were suicidal in the salary cap era.

Thus, candidates such as Steve Yzerman, Joe Nieuwendyk, or even veteran league executive Colin Campbell - all knowledgeable hockey men who have been rumoured to take over the reins in Toronto - should not be considered as the highest priorities.

Instead, the job should be offered first and foremost to someone with a Stanley Cup on his resume as a general manager. That man is Neil Smith.

Smith's credentials address certain key issues in which the Leafs must excel for their rebuilding strategy to have any success. His drafts have been excellent, as evidenced by names such as Marc Savard, Alexei Kovalev and Sergei Zubov all listed as impact players with their current NHL teams, years after Smith drafted them in the early-to-mid 90's.

Also, Smith is a man of vision, with his boldest and most successful trade coming in 1991 when he successfully pointed the Rangers on the path to glory by bringing in Mark Messier. The "Messiah" became the cornerstone of the Rangers during a tenure that has become legendary, culminating in the former Oiler's hosting of the Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden just under three years later.

The 1994 Stanley Cup final was made possible by not only the laying the foundation with Messier, but by Smith's recognition and acquisition of veteran NHL players that were necessary to solidify the team. Less-heralded yet vital members of the Rangers' Stanley Cup lineup, namely Stephane Matteau, Brian Noonan and Esa Tikkanen, all played key roles in the road to the championship. It was Smith who took the calculated risk by trading away the youth in Tony Amonte and Doug Weight to acquire the needed veterans, and New Yorkers were quite pleased with the result by mid-June.

Smith's critics will point to exorbitant signings of players such as Sylvain Lefebvre, and Theoren Fleury that preceded his exit from New York. Without defending the errors of those transactions, it should be noted that a man of Smith's aptitude is all but certain not to repeat those mistakes, particularly with the constraints of a salary cap, which did not exist in the late 90's.

Successful drafting, a vision for a foundation, and a knack for acquiring key veterans at the right time. Each of those qualities are essential for the Leafs to successfully rebuild, and each of those qualities have been exhibited by Neil Smith.

He's the man for Toronto. It's now up to the directors at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to make it happen.