We interrupt all this cooing over Mike Babcock and Lou Lamoriello for a brief pronouncement: The intended blowing up of the Maple Leafs never happened.
Phil Kessel was traded. But as the Leafs open training camp Thursday, they return with 14 of their top 15 players from a year ago, post-trade deadline.
The same goalies. The same centres. Five of the six defencemen. All the wingers that mattered, except Kessel.
The same players who quit on themselves, their jerseys, their fans, are back. The same players who sabotaged Peter Horachek’s coaching career are back. The same players who were part of the most embarrassing Leaf season in memory -- and maybe ever -- are basically back.