TORONTO - If there's anyone on the Toronto Maple Leafs who knows how quickly things can turn around, it's recently acquired forward Milan Michalek.
He was 27, in his third season with the Ottawa Senators. The team had come off a disappointing 32-40-10 season and was in rebuild mode heading into 2011-12. Expectations were low and many predicted the Senators would finish last in the NHL.
But the Senators were an interesting crew, and put together a memorable season. A bunch of young prospects in their early 20s, plus a motley crew of unproven talent and established veterans cobbled together a surprising second-place finish in the Northeast Division. Michalek played a big part, scoring a career-high 35 goals.
The Senators' ability to fight back from deficits and overcome adversity quickly earned the club praise from media and fans. They were dubbed the "Pesky Sens."
"Those were some great years,” Michalek said, ahead of his first visit back to Ottawa on Saturday since being traded last month.
The trade
On Feb. 9, Toronto and Ottawa completed a blockbuster nine-player trade, headlined by now-former Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf. Toronto didn't necessarily intend to take veteran players in return - that doesn't jive with the rebuild - but Phaneuf’s $7-million annual salary-cap hit meant some money had to go the Maple Leafs' way. Enter Michalek and his $4-million cap number through 2016-17. His inclusion in the deal became a financial necessity, and he became the most notable veteran to head to Toronto in the trade.
Michalek had been out of the lineup since Jan. 22, after he broke a finger in what ended up being his last game as a Senator. When he arrived in Toronto, he was no longer trying to recover in time to help a bubble playoff team. Instead, he was on a team that had essentially relinquished any playoff aspirations back in training camp.
"The bag skates were really tough but I wasn't feeling rushed at any point in my recovery," Michalek said, when asked if the pressure was off with respect to getting into his new team's lineup. "You don’t want to go through those so I was just trying to get back in time to avoid doing those.”
The future
Although healthy, it's going to take time for Michalek to get his conditioning back to where it needs to be, in order for him to try to produce like he has in the past. He's settled in Toronto, living in an apartment that's his until the end of the season. With one year left on his contract, Michalek realizes anything is possible.
And given the injection of new blood, it's not out of the realm of possibility to expect a substantially improved Maple Leafs team in October 2016.
"There's a lot of young guys with skill, it's really fun to be here," Michalek said. "I'm not really looking ahead," he added. "I mean, I'm really looking at this season and want to play my game and help the team any way I can. Help the young guys and show them along."
A little older and more established, the Maple Leafs will need a veteran or two around as the younger players continue to perform - and when they eventually struggle.
What's left?
Now 31, Michalek's production has dropped incrementally over the years. Injuries cost him more than half of the lockout-shortened 2013 campaign after his career-best season, and he scored 17 goals in 82 games in 2013-14. Last season, he had 13 goals in 66 games, and he arrived in Toronto with six goals in 32 games. It's unlikely he'll hit the 20-mark again, but he should be good for 10-15 goals if healthy.
"He's obviously got good hockey sense, we just have to get him skating and moving and getting in shape and getting his confidence back,” head coach Mike Babcock said. "He's a big guy who looks like he can make a play and has had success in the league."
Michalek's hockey sense is ultimately what could decide his fate in Toronto. If he can prove in the final month of the season that he can make other players around him better, management may be inclined to keep him around.
The Senators haven't been referred to as "pesky" in quite a while. In acquiring Michalek, the Maple Leafs are hoping to add some "pesky" to their game in 2016-17, which wouldn't be such a bad thing.
