I'd like to preface this by saying that I don't think McCabe is moving. He's been asked too many times and stated unequivocally that he's staying too many times to back down now. He seems like a dumb, proud guy and I think the media's putting his back to the wall with this decision.

I'd also like to point out that the Leafs can't actually make McCabe not show up for training camp, as he can be suspended for not, and he's under contract. The only way to get him off our roster without buying him out is to scratch him every game, taking up a player spot and generally creating a sticky PR mess between us, him and the NHLPA. The NHL also keeps watch on teams not icing the best roster they can in order to place a check on tanking (I guess we'll have to be subtle), so if we wanted to keep him as a healthy scratch all year then we'd have to prove that we aren't any worse off replacing him with Staffan Kronwall. A tall order, to be sure.

Oh, and there was this little article printed by David Shoalts (a pillar of integrity in a shitty town for sports journalism) wherein Fletcher calls not playing McCabe "the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard" and that "Fletcher said he does not plan to prevent McCabe from playing. To do so would violate the collective agreement".

Hopefully that settles what we're doing with McCabe then.