When Mario Lemieux retired, I asked the readers of this blog, who were the greatest players ever. Here's your final answers.

Greatest forward

1. Gretzky
2. Lehtinen, Lemieux, Kharlamov, Richard, Gainey, Howe

Greatest d-men

1. Orr
2. Bourque
3. Lidstrom, Harvey

Greatest goalie

1. Roy
2. Tretiak
3. Hasek, Dryden, Durnan

Pierre Lebrun:  A look at what went wrong for the Leafs this season and what they must do moving forward: [highlights only]

• It became clear that the relationship between rookie GM John Ferguson and veteran head coach Pat Quinn is fractured beyond repair.
• Belfour, who was tremendous in his first two years in Toronto, was average at best this season as his age (40) and back problems finally caught up with him.
• Ferguson also has to look at what's available elsewhere. Star winger Patrik Elias will be unrestricted.

Randy: I agree with Pierre on almost all points. Drop Belfour and Quinn. Re-sign Kilger, Lindros. Sign Patrick Elias. Sign Willie Mitchell. Sign a great (and cheap) goalie. Sign a great coach (no not Paul Maurice, a great one).

CP: Raptors coach Sam Mitchell isn't about to lose any sleep about being named the NBA's worst coach in a poll of 248 players by Sports Illustrated.

http://www.tsn.ca/nba/news_story/?ID=157685

Randy: Why did they need a poll?

PR: The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded defenceman Ken Klee to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday according to John Ferguson, vice-president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. In exchange, the Maple Leafs received forward Aleksander Suglobov (pronounced suh-GLOH-bahf) from the Devils.

http://www.mapleleafs.com/news/news.asp?story_id=1935

Randy: I don't like this, it's a give-away. It tells me the Leafs simply don't think Klee will manage in the new NHL. Surely somebody would give more than a 24 yr-old B prospect. Unless Suglobov is a late bloomer, he's unlikely to stick in the NHL.

The Canadians just traded Theodore to the Avalanche for Aebischer. Remember Patrick Roy? They won the cup that year.

Canada beat the U.S.A. in the World Baseball Classic!

TSN.ca: The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired defenceman Luke Richardson from Columbus for a fifth round pick and conditional fourth round pick.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=157703

Randy: This gives the Leafs more experience on defense. They already had depth, but inexperienced depth. This also paves the way for moving a defense, if the right deal presents itself.

TSN.ca: The New York Islanders have traded forward Mark Parrish and Brent Sopel to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Denis Grebeshkov and Jeff Tambellini.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=157712

Randy: This is a good deal for the Kings, a couple rental players for a couple prospect. Grebeshkov is a long shot and Tambellini won't be a star. Both Parrish and Sopel are quality players.

TSN.ca: The New York Rangers have traded forward Ville Nieminen to the San Jose Sharks for a third-round pick in the 2006 NHL Draft.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=157706

Randy: New hockey, old hockey, Glen Sather is an idiot. Ville is a total playoff performer. Anybody in the NHL would be dumb to not give up a 3rd rounder for him.

NHL: Minnesota Wild President and General Manager Doug Risebrough announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired Edmonton's first round pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, along with future considerations, in exchange for G Dwayne Roloson.

http://www.nhl.com/news/2006/03/263042.html

Randy: The Oilers just acquired a goalie who's record is 6-17-1. With Roloson not playing the Wild were 24-11-5. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

NHL: The Boston Bruins have claimed veteran forward Mariusz Czerkawski off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

http://www.nhl.com/news/2006/03/263030.html

Randy: That's called cap room. We weren't playing him anyway. Thanks Boston! BTW, 410 in Internet language means GONE!

Now that we've won a game and still sit 6 points out-of-the playoffs, what do we do? We trade them. Let's do it, but only if we get something of value in return. Remember also that a late 1st rounder is no better than a 2nd round pick.

• Trade Sundin, if we can get two 1st rounders. Update: Make that 3 first founders.
• Trade O'Neill, McCabe, Kilger, Klee, Khavanov or Berg, if we can get a 1st rounder.
• Trade Allison, if we can get a 2nd rounder.
• Trade Belfour and Domi, even if we have to give them something extra. Like Belfour, Domi and a 2nd rounder for a 3rd rounder. Just get rid of their contracts at all cost.
• Trade Lindros, if anybody is that stupid, for anything. He's injured for the rest of his current contract.
• Trade Belak and Czerkawski for anything. We don't play them anyway.

Assuming this means McCabe, Kilger, Allison, Belfour, Domi, Belak and Czerkawski are gone. This leaves us with...

• Tellqvist, Rask and Pogge.
• Kaberle, Khavanov, Berg, Colaiacovo (concussion problems), Harrison (good enough to play now), Bell, Kronwall, Pilar (medical problems), White, Wozniewski.
• Antropov, Kilger, O'Neill, Ponikarovsky, Stajan, Steen, Sundin, Tucker, Wellwood, Wilm, Pohl.

And we'd have tons of cap room to sign a top goalie, failing that, a top scoring young forward. I'd resign Lindros, conditional on a physical, for $750k. Need to pick up 2 young goons that can play.

I'm wondering if I should be cheering for the Habs. The leafs are well out of the playoffs and winning might tighten John Ferguson's trade wallet. The Leafs are out of the playoffs. Give up. But on the other hand, wouldn't a big 15-5 run into the playoffs make the entire year a plus. Play hard.

1st Period

• Canadians score early on yet another fluky bounce. Luck has been against the Leafs this season 1-0. Or maybe Belfour is simply giving up on the play too early. I'll go with option B.
• Kaberle ties it from Tucker and McCabe.
• Belfour has been great tonight. It's been awhile.
• Jeff O'Neil has been awful since the first month of the season.
• The Canadians can't win in the playoffs. They back off of all contact. In the playoffs, that's gonna pick up and the Habs will be run out of the 1st round.

2nd Period

• Sundin just ripped one. Wow! 2-1 Leafs.
• This is the best reffing we've had all season. I mean, it's crappy reffing, but pro Leafs.
• The Habs have self destructed, but are being held in the game by Huet.
• One full 2-minute 2-man advantage, followed by two full 2-minute 1-man advantages. No goals for the Leafs.
• Finally, on the 5th straight penalty, Wellwood. 3-1 Leafs.
• Leaf penalty. Wow, this is the most penalties I've seen in awhile.
• Wellwood has played a lot on the PP. Finally!
• This has been Belfour best game in awhile. Zero action for 10+ minutes and then a big save.
• Habs score late in the period. 3-2. That's 2 Hab goals on 2 fluke bounces. Other than luck, this game is all Leafs. Even the refs on on the Leafs side.

3rd Period

• Allison is making a run for most giveaways in the NHL.
• Another 4 minutes for the Habs. Leafs have to ice it.
• Allison scores on a beautiful setup by Huet. Oops! 4-2 Leafs. Tucker should get an assist for pressuring him.
• Huet just blind robbed Poniko only seconds later.
• Sundin PP. 5-2 Leafs.
• Higgins on the PP. 5-3. Higgins took Belfour's skate in the mouth right after the goal Horrible! That could've been really bad. Looks like he's OK.

In the last week or two, I've heard a lot of people mention that the Leafs don't draft well. Let's review the last 10 years, of which, most every they placed high in standings, had low first round picks and traded many away. I only highlighted players who are recognizable and there are a lot of players drafted in 2003-05 that have plenty of time to become good players.

2005

• Tuukka Rask (21) << World Jr Best Goalie

2004

• Justin Pogge (90) << Led Team to World Jr Championship

2002

• Alexander Steen (24) << on team
• Matt Stajan (57) << on team
• Ian White (191) << prospect
• Staffan Kronwall (285) << prospect

2001

• Carlo Colaiacovo (17) << on team
• Karel Pilar (39) << was on team (injured)
• Brendon Bell (65) << prospect
• Jay Harrison (82) << prospect
• Kyle Wellwood (134) << on team
• Maxim Kondratiev (168) << 20+ games in NHL this season

2000

• Brad Boyes (24) << top rookie in NHL
• Mikael Tellqvist (70) << played in Olympics

1998

• Nikolai Antropov (10) << on team
• Alexei Ponikarovsky (87) << on team

1997

• Adam Mair (84) << with Sabres

1996

• Tomas Kaberle (204) << all-star

MLB: Hall of Famer and Twins great Kirby Puckett passed away Monday afternoon at a Phoenix hospital, one day after suffering a massive stroke. He was 45.

Randy: One of the greatest smiles in professional sports.

1st Period

• At Kelsey's for the 1st. WTF? Leafs beat Sens in 1st. 1-0 on a Steen goal.

2nd Period

• WTF? Leafs destroying Sens in 2nd period.
• Unfortunately, the Sens scored 2. 2-1 Sens. I didn't see either goal.
• Leafs responded and tied the game. 2-2. I didn't see this one either. All three were scored between the time I left Kelsey's and got home.
• BTW, the best Leaf in the last 20 games is Kilger. Tonight again.
• Last nights game, had to be our worst in a long time. Tonights is our best in a long time. We are out-playing the Sens.

3rd Period

• Heatley from 56 feet. That's 2 goals against from 56-61 feet. Let me repeat. Belfour sucks!
• We lose. Out goaltended again. We beat the Sens on the ice.

1st Period

• Sabres pressed early and had all the shots.
• Fortunately, Tellqvist was in net, so only one early goal got by him and it was kicked in by Klee.
• Sundin to Poniko to tie it up.
• Sabres right back. 2-1.
• Allison has looks bad the last two games.
• That period was completely one-sided. Here the Leafs need a win desparately and they look awful. Really awful. Shots were 13-3.
• Sundin looked good.

2nd Period

• Leafs played well the first 10 of the 2nd, but Miller is big in net. He's not making great saves, he's just there, all-the-time.
• Briere guns it by Tellqvist. 3-1.
• These refs have gotten stupid. Sundin just took the centermen off the draw and interference was called. Wait? He just took the draw. He touched the puck. If you touch the puck, then you can hammer the guy as hard as you want, you dumb refs.
• That's OK, the stupid refs called interference a minute later to even it up.
• Then Sundin again. Not sure if it was legit. They didn't provide a good replay.
• 4-1 Sabres.

3rd Period

• McCabe launches one from the point. 4-2.
• These refs are awful.
• 5-2. A deflection from hell.
• 6-2 final. This must be the worst game we've played in a long time. Not only was the score 6-2, but I thought Tellqvist made a lot of great saves. The goals, other than the 2nd, were near impossible to save. Worst? This was a must win and we sucked. Fire Quinn now!

HHOF: Show your GO ticket or pass* and receive one FREE admission to the Hockey Hall of Fame with the purchase of one regular price admission of equal or greater value.

http://www.hhof.com/html/promo.shtml

This was a shot by Mark Nichols in the Olympic finals. Note that the shot was not intentional. He missed his shot and got lucky.