Final piece of puzzle?

By DAVE FULLER -- Toronto Sun Depending to whom you were speaking yesterday the Maple Leafs either:
a) acquired the missing link to a Stanley Cup.
b) bought themselves a Tylenol 3-sized headache.
c) made Boston Bruins general manager Harry Sinden look like a ninny.
The truth could well be all three.
"The (bleepin') Leafs. They have so much money. And they claim they need tax incentives," one NHL coach complained upon learning the Leafs had signed former Boston Bruins Dmitri Khristich to a four-year deal worth $10.29 million US.
Bruins defenceman Kyle McLaren, meanwhile, was almost in mourning.
"It is tough in this league to get 20 goals, even 10 goals," McLaren told the Boston Globe. "And when you lose a guy who gets 30 on a consistent basis, and 70 points ... that's a big hole right there."
Reporters who covered Khristich, a 30-year-old Ukrainian, during previous career stops in Washington, Los Angeles and Boston, were less complimentary.
But none doubted the 6-foot-2, 195-pound centre/left winger's ability to help the Leafs.
That Toronto was obliged to cough up a compensatory second-round draft pick in 2000 for Khristich, made the free-agent grab look like a steal. Especially considering the Leafs already had two in the bank -- having traded Jason Smith to Edmonton last season for the Oilers' No. 2 selection in next summer's entry draft.
The Leafs, as The Toronto Sun first reported on Oct. 11, had been pursuing Khristich for two hectic weeks, fending off challenges from the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators.
Toronto ultimately outbid its rivals to get a player who has averaged 29 goals the past two seasons despite playing for the defensively suffocating Bruins.
"I haven't played for a long time on a team that is more wide open (like the Leafs)," Khristich said after his first practice with his new team. "Hopefully, my numbers will be better here."
Khristich, who will wear jersey No. 19, replaced a limping Todd Warriner in practice on a line with rookie centre Nik Antropov and third-year pro Mike Johnson. He would like to make his Toronto debut against the visiting Montreal Canadiens tomorrow night.
Leafs general manager/coach Pat Quinn, who placed undersized centre Steve Sullivan on waivers to make room for Khristich, said the disappointing performances of several unnamed wingers during training camp convinced him to go after Khristich.
But Quinn was mindful of the nine-year veteran's tainted reputation.
"We tried to do an extensive personal check on him," Quinn said.
"We spoke to a lot of people who have been around from the playing ranks all the way to the management side, including trainers, because there was that question out there but, in my opinion, it has been a bad tag."
Quinn also needed to be sure he wasn't taking on one too many Europeans. Khristich increased the numbers to nine on the Leafs -- tops among Canadian NHL clubs.
"You always want to have the best players, regardless of nationality," Quinn said. "(But) I think I also read where even (Pittsburgh captain Jaromir) Jagr was saying, 'We got too many Europeans (on the Penguins).'
"A lot of it comes down to how comfortable you are as a coach (in handling players of various nationalities). We are all after the same thing -- which is winning the Stanley Cup."
The deal for Khristich was Quinn's fourth since training camp opened in September.
Earlier, he shipped Fredrik Modin to Tampa for Cory Cross; Sylvain Cote to Chicago for a second-round draft pick in 2001; and Derek King to St. Louis for defensive prospect Tyler Harlton.
"What I would like to do right now is stop for a little bit and pull our guys together," Quinn said. "We have had some changes involving guys who were well-liked and well-respected here and that's unsettling.
"It is hard emotionally. It creates some fear (in those who remain). It gets the wrong emotion in. We have to slow that down and see if we can do some team-building now. We are going to stop (roster moves for now)."

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