The first day of summer means what, exactly, for Leaf fans?

I have to be honest, I get confused every year as to what day in June is actually the first real day of summer.  As a kid, I assumed summer always began on June 21, but somehow I have this notion that it's not that simple.  Something about….oh, never mind. (I also have a theory that the days should not start getting shorter on the first day of summer and that we should easily be able to have the “longest” day of the year in, say, late July.  But my now grown -and much smarter than I- sons have assured me this cannot be done, while providing what I perceive as a very technical explanation about the sun or something.  Oh well…)

In any event, by some standard we have reached the first day of summer; the NHL just held its annual Awards ceremony (Las Vegas style); the draft is hours away; player signings (e.g. Karlsson) have begun in earnest and Leaf fans await anxiously for any piece of real news that we can get our teeth on.

And that’s usually where we end up, right?   News, just give us news, even if we won’t like what we hear from the inner sanctum of the ACC.  Make a move, do something. Just give us something to talk about.

So what have we “learned” in the last few days, if you listen to a) mainstream media folks b) Brian Burke c) Mike Gillis or d) various other outlets, such as Twitter…..?

The answer?  Not much.  I mean, lots of things are being said out loud, but, as we should always expect, no one is saying anything that betrays their well-rehearsed public stand.  Every GM, for example, says they are “listening” to trade proposals but, amazingly, no GM ever admits that they are actually offering anything.  Apparently, no GM ever starts trade talks; it's always the other guy.

We are supposed to believe that they are all being approached by fellow GM’s and are just listening—which is odd, because, as we all know, if no one is actually offering any players and all they all are doing is responding when approached, well, no trade would ever happen, because no one is initiating anything.  Everyone claims to be just listening.

You know what I’m getting at and it is simply this:  while there is a tendency for fans to hang on every word someone like Brian Burke says, the reality is what he actually says bears little if any resemblance to what he may ultimately do.  No GM or team wants to look desperate, even the Leafs—who have precious little of real hockey value to trade from the present roster.  (And, since they don’t seem willing to give up anything of quality, we shouldn’t expect to get much back, I shouldn't think…)

Oh, they can offer to trade away contracts (bad ones), all right, but that’s not exactly what most other teams are looking for, even in a cap-crazy hockey world.

But back to my earlier observation, modest as it is: what have we at least been told (if not “learned”) in the past few days?  Let’s review (and by all means add detail around some of the events that I’ve not included here):

• Vancouver is “listening” to clubs on Luongo.  They want at least one good player in return; fellow GM’s are offering Gillis their bad contracts. (Someone will have to blink first, or an uncomfortable Luongo will return as a back-up in Vancouver, until they can find a team desperate for goaltending next season—which should be by Christmas time or thereabouts….)

• The Leafs say that they are happy to go into next season with Scrivens and Reimer as their tandem.  I love Reimer, but those are brave, empty words, after what has happened in goal here throughout the Burke era.  It was his undoing in Vancouver. 

• The Leafs, we’re also told, will take the “best player” available in the draft.  Doesn’t every one, every year, just about every time?  (Burke had earlier said he may consider drafting for positional need, but since none of these guys will likely play right away, why draft for positional need that may be very different in two years?)

• Media speculation suggests if the Leafs really want a big fish, like Jordan Staal (who Ray Shero claims is not available), it will require something really good going the other way.  I’ve said here for months that if I was a rival GM, and Burke wanted one of my top players, the first name out of my mouth would be Jake Gardiner.  Since Burke won’t deal Gardiner, he just doesn’t have the quality assets to bring in a Bobby Ryan, Staal, Nash, Patrick Kane, etc.

• The Senators are supposedly in on Nash.  I think it’s more likely he ends up with the Rangers or Chicago, but the Senators do have a number of young players with a high ceiling (potentially) that they could wave under Howson’s nose…

• If the Leafs don’t get Luongo (and that’s not my desired move from the Leaf side), it looks they they will indeed go with Reimer and Scrivens.  Harding and Lindback are off the market.  Who’s really left?

• The Leafs are supposedly not interested in acquiring the first overall pick.  Really? Or is it that they don’t have enough to make it worthwhile for the Oilers?

And hey, in light of Karlsson’s new contract in Ottawa, we know what the Leafs will soon have to pay Jake Gardiner…

Bottom-line:  we’ll all enjoy this more when we have something of substance to talk about—an actual draft pick in hand rather than draft “projections”, as well as trades or free-agent signings that actually happen.

I'm not a Star Trek afficionado, but didn't one of the captains' on one of the versions of the TV series used to say, "Make it so…?

I second that motion.