The Maple Leafs’ defenseman Tomas Kaberle and coach Ron Wilson say they like each other. Every other indication is that they don’t. Kaberle arrived back in Toronto for training camp and was immediately questioned by the media about the situation. This has been a continuous story older than the Kovalchuk contract, but it’s almost at the point where we can see if actions truly speak louder than words when these two interact with each other when the season begins.

Kaberle certainly seems to inadvertently have the advantage. The consensus in the media is that if the Maple Leafs get off to a slow start like they have in recent seasons, Wilson will be lucky to keep his job as long as Christmas. The Leafs can hardly afford to be as terrible as they’ve been in recent Octobers if they want to make their first postseason since the lockout, and Wilson’s system doesn’t appear to have worked very well in the new NHL era.

Kaberle himself is coming up on the last season of a four-year deal with a limited no-movement clause. For the last two summers, he’s been shopped around by GM Brian Burke but remains a Leaf. He’s deflected questions about whether he wants to sign with the Leafs again after this year, instead giving the typical athlete answer by saying that he’s just looking forward to getting back on the ice and playing for his team.

Both Wilson and Kaberle continue to deny that there exists any bad blood between them, but with the amount of coverage this story has received – as well as negative comments towards Wilson from Kaberle’s father, it’s hard to imagine that things are fine in Leaf Nation, or that Kaberle would have any interest in staying in Toronto if Wilson isn’t run out of town. But for now, the two will have to work together if the Leafs are going to have an impact in their conference, and all eyes will certainly be on these two when they get together.