By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun
The motto of this year's Maple Leafs could easily be 'it don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing.' "
Ability to play different positions is clearly a bonus for players such as Wade Belak and youngster Matt Stajan as the club confirms its 23-man roster today.
Belak can be described as a tenuous fourth liner or sixth defenceman, but because he does both, he'll rarely be out of the loop.
"It's a chance for me to play, so I'm happy," he said. "I'm so used to it now, it's no big deal. There was one game last year I warmed up as a forward and came in the room and was told I was going on defence.
"The hardest thing is playing forward for a long time and then going back, because your timing is off."
If Stajan were strictly a centre, he might have been sent to St. John's with the other kids yesterday. But as a left winger on a line with Mats Sundin and Owen Nolan on Sunday, he showed coach Pat Quinn his ability to adapt.
"The way Matt has played, it has been an inspiration," Sundin said. "This has been kind of the young guy's training camp. It has pushed some of the veterans and you need that healthy competition of really good players knocking on the door. Even the guys sent down will be part of the Leafs' future."
The Leafs also carry Robert Reichel and Darcy Tucker as centre/wingers and a number of wingers who can switch flanks, such as Mikael Renberg and Tie Domi.
Quinn was asked if his decision to keep three enforcers in Belak, Domi and newcomer Nathan Perrott would eventually lead to a trade.
"We have three guys who can handle themselves, but they don't do the same (playmaking) thing," he said."I don't know if you can dress 'em all the same night as forwards. If this was the mid-1970s, you might, heck, you might not have enough of those guys.
"Perrott showed us control, the ability to hit and get there in a straight line and he actually got a couple of points. He has to be in people's faces. There are times you recognize you might change a game by being an agitator and bothering the best player on the other team. How do you think (Detroit's) Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby made their living? They recognize the right time to do it. That (Chris) Neil kid (in Ottawa) won't scrap with anybody, but he'll bother your best player."
Quinn was tempted to keep more youth around this week, but couldn't guarantee the needed ice time that would otherwise hinder development.
"Those other kids will start for us some day, but they weren't going to sit around here," Quinn said.
The motto of this year's Maple Leafs could easily be 'it don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing.' "
Ability to play different positions is clearly a bonus for players such as Wade Belak and youngster Matt Stajan as the club confirms its 23-man roster today.
Belak can be described as a tenuous fourth liner or sixth defenceman, but because he does both, he'll rarely be out of the loop.
"It's a chance for me to play, so I'm happy," he said. "I'm so used to it now, it's no big deal. There was one game last year I warmed up as a forward and came in the room and was told I was going on defence.
"The hardest thing is playing forward for a long time and then going back, because your timing is off."
If Stajan were strictly a centre, he might have been sent to St. John's with the other kids yesterday. But as a left winger on a line with Mats Sundin and Owen Nolan on Sunday, he showed coach Pat Quinn his ability to adapt.
"The way Matt has played, it has been an inspiration," Sundin said. "This has been kind of the young guy's training camp. It has pushed some of the veterans and you need that healthy competition of really good players knocking on the door. Even the guys sent down will be part of the Leafs' future."
The Leafs also carry Robert Reichel and Darcy Tucker as centre/wingers and a number of wingers who can switch flanks, such as Mikael Renberg and Tie Domi.
Quinn was asked if his decision to keep three enforcers in Belak, Domi and newcomer Nathan Perrott would eventually lead to a trade.
"We have three guys who can handle themselves, but they don't do the same (playmaking) thing," he said."I don't know if you can dress 'em all the same night as forwards. If this was the mid-1970s, you might, heck, you might not have enough of those guys.
"Perrott showed us control, the ability to hit and get there in a straight line and he actually got a couple of points. He has to be in people's faces. There are times you recognize you might change a game by being an agitator and bothering the best player on the other team. How do you think (Detroit's) Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby made their living? They recognize the right time to do it. That (Chris) Neil kid (in Ottawa) won't scrap with anybody, but he'll bother your best player."
Quinn was tempted to keep more youth around this week, but couldn't guarantee the needed ice time that would otherwise hinder development.
"Those other kids will start for us some day, but they weren't going to sit around here," Quinn said.
