Somewhere on an island far, far away, Stephane Robidas is visited by another colleague. He is long removed from the media, front office, and the days when the number 19 sweaters were accumulating around the Air Canada Centre. The rebuild continues, but some questions remain: is Joffrey Lupul done with the Toronto Maple Leafs?
What Happened to Lupul?
The 32-year-old left winger is seemingly cursed with injuries and series of unfortunate circumstances. His career has been severely hampered by being on the sidelines for long periods of time. In the 2015-16 season, he sat out for 31 games due to a sports hernia and began to fade from the limelight since.
His career as a Maple Leaf got off to a great start and he showed that he fit well in the top six of the lineup. His chemistry with Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak began to bode well for the club. In 280 games played with the Leafs, he posts a respectable 88 goals and 182 points. He immediately became a fan favourite and one of the leaders in the locker room.
Everything was going great. Until the injuries piled on.
Lupul, as a Maple Leaf, failed to play more than 70 games in a single season. His best production came in the 2011-12 campaign where he scored 67 points in 66 games. He does contain the ability to be an effective player but unfortunately is always on the injury table. If only he could stay healthy.
The Writing is on the Wall
As the new front office has come along, Lupul has slowly been pushed out. In a sense, they have no choice to because he’s unavailable for much of the time. The regime featuring wise general manager Lou Lamoriello has slowly ridden itself of burdening contracts. Dion Phaneuf, the former captain, was sent to cross-town rivals Ottawa Senators. Jared Cowen, a player returning in the trade, saw no playing time largely due to a questionable injury and burying his contract was a way to work around the cap. Kessel’s contract, for the most part, was removed of as well. The Leafs have been able to dispose of unwanted salaries and unfavourable contracts, for the most part, freeing up cap space for the long haul.
Lupul seems to be next on the list. His contract runs out after the 2017-18 season and is still penned to make $10.5 million. That’s a lot for a player who isn’t in the lineup.
Lou Lamoriello says Stephane Robidas's career could be over. Says he doesn't know whether Robidas or Joffrey Lupul will play next season.
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) April 10, 2016
Robidas, a Maple Leafs player in a similar situation, has disappeared from the organization. His cap hit is burdening, too, so placing him on the long-term injured reserve (LTIR) is a way to maneuver the salary cap. He is aging and often injured, therefore the Leafs want to fill his spot with a younger player. Robidas hasn’t been seen anywhere near the Toronto organization in a while. The term “Robidas Island” has often been coined when talking about the Leafs ability to send away injured players for long periods of time.
In fact, GM Lamoriello used the loophole as a way to get around cap constraints last year and integrate younger players.
Just playing. But Lupul is a Robidas Island candidate. https://t.co/vuhT03Cs5G
— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) March 8, 2016
Maple Leafs Remain Hush on Lupul’s Future
It would be quite a surprise to see Lupul anywhere near the rink in the near future. As much of a good leader he is for the locker room, he just isn’t ready to play. Lamoriello and the Leafs don’t offer much to say about the situation either, stating, “Joffrey is on our roster and that’s all I have to say.”
Unfortunately, Lupul is set to turn 33 by the season opener, and in addition to the fact that his play has been on the decline, it just doesn’t seem logical that he will be in the lineup anytime soon. The Leafs are rebuilding and going for a younger look, therefore creating a logjam in the crammed forward positions. The cap issues that Lupul would create by rejoining the team only adds more obstacles.
He won’t go out easy, though. According to Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, Lupul has commented on his future, “I still want to play hockey. I still think I’m a hockey player.”
The only question is where or in what capacity? Lamoriello and company seem to have their minds set that he won’t be part of the team. Everything about the ordeal is mysterious and only notions the idea that he isn’t wanted by the organization. Both sides have failed to comment on the situation and are unenthused to speak about it.
Joffrey Lupul Done?
Lupul recently removed the bio description from his Instagram and Twitter pages indicating that he is a Maple Leafs player, fuelling more speculation that he is finished with the team.
https://twitter.com/GoddTill/status/721019959954964480
All signs point to suggest that Lupul won’t be wearing a Leafs jersey anytime soon, if ever again at all. As he fights to get healthy again and push for a comeback, the front office may be thinking otherwise.
Main Photo:
