Spector on NHL: One that got away

Brian Burke would have been perfect in Texas.

He’s got the pipes of a southern preacher and the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager spreads the gospel of hockey better than most. And, let’s face it: at times over the past two seasons in Toronto, he’s been all sizzle, no steak.

Joe Nieuwendyk, Dallas’ pending general manager of the year, is so quiet, the Toronto Maple Leafs let perhaps the best young GM in the game slip silently out of their own offices almost unnoticed back in May, 2009.

Watch Dallas @ Edmonton live tonight on Sportsnet West at 7 p.m. MT.

Today, with the Dallas Stars back on top after having missed the playoffs for only two seasons during their “rebuild,” we pose the question: Did the Toronto Maple Leafs choose the wrong man to conduct their own rebuild?

“I don’t know that I was doing any long-term planning when Cliff Fletcher made the call to me in Florida (in July of 2008),” said Nieuwendyk.

He had retired while with the Panthers in December of 2006 after 20 NHL seasons, and immediately stepped into Florida’s front office. Fletcher, who was a temporary GM in Toronto at the time, wisely brought Nieuwendyk north as his special assistant.

“It was a real good opportunity for me in Toronto,” said Nieuwendyk. “I have a lot of respect for Cliff, and I jumped at the chance. I grew up around there (in Oshawa). I don’t think I anticipated a call from Dallas during that following season. When that opportunity came up, obviously that was a heck of an opportunity. Things kind of happened quickly for me.”

And that’s the story of how an Ontario boy and former Maple Leaf packed up his desk and hopped on a plane for the Big D, where the Stars have done exactly what Burke said he was going to do in Toronto: Rebuild the fast way.

“It’s funny how things can happen once a team gathers some confidence,” Nieuwendyk said of his Stars, who held a five-point lead atop the Pacific Division heading into their game at Edmonton Thursday night. “I’m really pleased, not just with where we are but the way this group pushes each other. I’m not surprised we’re doing well.”

The Stars had won seven straight on the road and were unbeaten in January (6-0-1).

“It comes down to the players — and you’ve got to have good ones, like Loui Eriksson (10-game points streak), James Neal, Jamie Benn, Nick Grossman…guys like Brenden Morrow, who has really stepped his leadership up this year, and Stephane Robidas. We have some talent in Mike Ribeiro, Brad Richards.”

In Nieuwendyk’s season-and-a-half he’s taken a chance on two goalies — oft-injured starter Kari Lehtonen (.918 saves percentage) and resurgent backup Andrew Raycroft (8-3-0) — while selling a declining stock in fan favourite Marty Turco. Then he added guys like Adam Burish, Karlis Skrastins and Jamie Langenbrunner.

“Character, warrior-type people,” according to Nieuwendyk.

What must be said is that Nieuwendyk was smart enough to return to an organization with one of the best player development men in the game, Les Jackson.

Under Jackson is head of pro scouting Doug Overton, one of the best in the business, and a team of scouts who have drafted the core of this team — a feat the Leafs have never been able to lay claim to.

US national junior goalie Jack Campbell is also on the way, selected 11th overall last spring.

If anything, Dallas proves Burke’s theory that a rebuild can be orchestrated with the gas pedal to the floor.

But it doesn’t do much for his idea of trading away draft picks during the process.

Now, the process moves on to signing Richards (18-36-54), who is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Nieuwendyk wants to sign him, but with the lenders currently holding the purse strings in Dallas it is believed Richards won’t sign unless stable ownership takes over by July 1. He previously fell prey to poor ownership in Tampa, and if by July 1 the Stars have not been sold, perhaps the Maple Leafs will have a shot at landing this big-name free agent.

“You’re definitely a little more cautious,” Richards said of his Tampa experience. “The good thing here is, we’re on the rise and contending for first place in the West.

“Joe has steadied the ship,” he continued. “Where it will all go, I don’t know. This is my team right now. It just hasn’t got to the point where I have to make a decision. Where am I going to go where it’s a better situation?”

Toronto or Dallas?

Which would you choose?