May 2, 1967.

That was the night that the Toronto Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup. Had Moses taken the Israelites out of Egypt that day, they still would have reached the Promised Land before the Maple Leafs.

Now, I know what you’re going to say. But Michael, the Leafs have been to the Stanley Cup semi-finals five times in the past 40 years, what did the Israelites do in wandering the desert for 40 years?

Well, five semi-final appearances in the past 40 years is a terrible record. The Maple Leafs are the only original six team to not go to the Stanley Cup finals since expansion and only the Leafs, Atlanta, Columbus, Minnesota, Nashville, Phoenix and San Jose have not made the Cup finals since 1967. That's one original six team, a team that entered the NHL in 1979 (Phoenix via Winnipeg) and five expansion teams from the 1990's and 2000's. A pretty pathetic record.

I’ve been hearing a lot of talk that Toronto should try to dump salary. That is the worst thing they could do.

The Maple Leafs have to try to get as many good young players and high draft choices as possible. They shouldn’t try to pawn off an extra expensive player and take less in a trade. For example, if they can get a Bobby Ryan and a first round pick for Mats Sundin, take it. Don’t throw in Pavel Kubina and take Ryan and a second rounder in exchange for losing the extra salary.

Toronto can afford to let the contracts expire on their own. They are in such dire need of first and second line players that it will be hard for them to contend for a couple of years at best. The best thing they could do is not venture into the free agent market for a year or two and reconstruct their tea, With the draft choices that they will be able to garner in deadline deal trades, they will be in line to get three or four front line players who will be complemented in future years with free agent buys that the team will be able to get once certain players (e.g. Darcy Tucker and Pavel Kubina) contracts expire.

This is the only way to rebuild the team. A slow and proper way that will enable the Maple Leafs to draft near the bottom for the next couple of years, as the Penguins did, drafting in the top five for five years.

Leaf Nation will now allow you to do this. Take advantage while you can.