Toronto Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello joined Dave Naylor on TSN Drive to discuss the start of the new season, the waiver claim of Frank Corrado, Stephane Robidas’ injury situation, and more.
We know it hasn’t been all that long, but you’ve now had a summer to adjust to the reality of being with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and a training camp to go through. How would you describe the experience, making the transition thus far from New Jersey to Toronto?
Lamoriello: Well, the people here in the organization have made it extremely comfortable with the transition. Certainly, my knowing Mike and Brendan the way I’ve known them throughout the years made it extra easy.
I know there has been a lot of turnover on the roster this year, in management and coaching as well. Any surprises that jump out to you from training camp?
Lamoriello: I don’t think there are any surprises, but if I had to point to one, it’s the abilities of some of the younger players who we have and have sent to the minors, and the prospect of what their future will be. It’s a pleasant surprise. They’re better than I thought they were.
With Rick Westhead’s report about cocaine usage being up in the NHL, I wanted to ask you, from a management perspective, what you think should be done in terms of drug testing for players going forward? I know it’s something that needs to be collectively bargained, but in terms of trying to monitor your team and know what’s going on and with the investments being made into these athletes, what do you think the NHL should be doing going forward?
Lamoriello: First of all, I have tremendous respect for the NHL and the PA. I’ve been in this League for a while. I’ve served on the executive board of the governors and I’ve been on the GM’s committee over the years. I think that everyone in hockey should feel comfortable that the NHL and the PA are extremely sensitive to all these issues and are working closely together to give every bit of support that’s necessary and put in place all of that’s needed to prevent any potential situations coming about, and for the ones that are exceptions that happen and how they’re handing it. I have confidence in the people who have control of these decisions. I think that it’s very important for people like myself to leave it in their hands and allow them to do what they know has to be done.
One more question on that topic – it was reported by Rick Westhead that there were conversations between the Toronto police and senior Leafs management about a potential problem with this on the Maple Leafs. How do you ensure that this isn’t a problem with your hockey club?
Lamoriello: First of all, I was not here and I hate the word “potential” and I hate the word “assume” and I hate the word “there was rumours of this.” I have no knowledge of any of this. I handle this team no different than I’ve handled the team that I just came from for over 20 years, handling every situation as it comes about and dealing with it. But, rumours – I don’t even know where to go with that.
Frank Corrado comes from the Vancouver Canucks as a defenceman. Tell us a little about him and why he was claimed by your club today.
Lamoriello: Frank was on the radar of our pro scouts, who have seen him over the last two years, in particular our scout Mike Penny in Vancouver. It turns out he is a local boy, which has nothing to do with the selection. He’s 22 years old, he’s a right shot. With the development of young defencemen and the way we’ve seen him play… We’ve all talked about it internally; we feel that whatever the situation was in Vancouver. I don’t know whether they wanted to or not wanted to get him out of the organization. We’ve considered him a prospect while he was in the Vancouver organization. We had the opportunity to acquire him, and we did.
There is a lot of talk around the area about, with the Blue Jays playing well and going to the post season for the first time in 22 years, it’s an unusually quiet start to the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs. I know that in New Jersey you were maybe used to quiet starts there, too, but I thought around the offices you maybe have a chance to ease into this season because the scrutiny is not what it’d usually be?
Lamoriello: I think it’s tremendous what’s happening in Toronto with the excitement and what the Blue Jays have brought into the city. Every place you go, you feel it and you see it. When it comes to hockey, I don’t see anything that’s changed. Maybe it’s because of where I came from. There’s no internal conversation in the office for any reason whatsoever. The excitement of us getting ready for the season is like what I’ve seen in the past. Internally, they tell me it’s the same. But are we coming under the radar because of the Blue Jays? I would have to say absolutely. Why not? They’ve had a tremendous run, their goal is the World Series, and it’s been a while. We’re doing what we have to do to get ready and our time will come.
I think one of the things, because of all the changes with the Leafs on the roster, in the coaching and the management, a lot of fans are having trouble grasping what the expectations should be for this team. Help us with this. What are fair expectations for this edition fo the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Lamoriello: I think I’m in there with the fans. I’m waiting to see who we are. You’re right, there have been a lot of changes. There’s been a lot changes on the ice, there’s been lots of changes off the ice. I think the commitment to long-term success, but the commitment is also to win today. With the players we have, they want to win. When Mike Babcock goes behind that bench, he’s coaching to win. But as far as who we are, what we are, what type of a team we are, how quickly the players adjust to the new system, to the new environment, the sort of different philosophy — only time will tell. I think it’s going to be a little time, but I can understand the fans feeling that way, and in some ways I feel the same.
You have a high number of players on this roster who have expiring contracts at the end of this season. What sort of dynamic do you think that creates on a team? You can take that either positive or negative in terms of the number of players who do not have a long-term commitment from the club.
Lamoriello: I think that the players, whether it’s short term or long term, if they don’t have the same focus and they don’t have the same commitment, it’s going to surface. I don’t even think of that. I don’t even look at that. The only time you think of that is if you feel that during the year you should maybe speak to a player. I don’t know what my philosophy will be here. I know that my philosophy for the past X number of years was to never talk about contracts during the year, and never extend them; never do anything. Whether that changes or not, I could not answer that. When you start thinking about that, you get off track.
Can you update us on Stephane Robidas’ status and what the plan will be for him when he’s able to be healthy?
Lamoriello: I think we all know what Stephane went through in terms of the rehab of the injury he had. He had a very serious, significant injury. The type of character that this individual has… I’ve known Steph for a while here; not only here, but what he’s done throughout the league and the reputation he has. How hard he worked to get back… when you do that, you put a lot of strain in different parts of your body, especially on the upper part of it in your leg. I think that now, coming through training camp, going through an extensive training camp, working as hard as everyone out there… we see a little breakage. Right now, we don’t know how long this will take; we don’t know what the status is. He’s on the injured reserve right now. As far as how long it will take? I wouldn’t even want to guess. The one thing I know is what I don’t know. I don’t know his body. I’m not a doctor.
