Cochrane’s Leafs’ passion a challenge

• So, Tom Cochrane walks into a bar.

“The Leafs,” he said, settling into a table by the window. “Do we have any hope?”

The decorated Canadian musician spends part of his year in Austin, Tex., but has a cable package that enables him to watch hockey most nights of the week. He was sitting down to chat about his hockey-themed hit, Big League, but wanted to chat first about the Leafs.

“It’s like a band: You’ve got some guys who want to play jazz over here, and some guys over here like folk rock,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s magical, right? Sometimes it creates its own identity. And sometimes, it’s just not quite in sync.”

And the Leafs, again, are not quite symphonic. Toronto ended a run of 11 straight losses with a win over the woeful Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, but the damage has been done.

Cochrane was born in northern Manitoba, and he still owns a home in Toronto. He is set to release a new album on Tuesday, followed by a cross-Canada. By the time his tour ends in March, the Leafs will only have a handful of games remaining in what certainly will stand as another lost season.

He wondered about the trade speculation. Winger Phil Kessel has been mentioned, along with captain Dion Phaneuf, winger Joffrey Lupul and many others.

“I mean, I think they’ve got to blow it up,” Cochrane said. “But it’s going to be a three-year project. So Kessel’s got to go. Because the young guys they’re going to bring in, he’s going to be 30 by the time they’re hitting their stride — plus, he’s probably one of the only guys we can get anything for.”

He has faith in some of the team’s younger players, such as forward Nazem Kadri and prospect William Nylander.

“We’ve got Nylander in there,” Cochrane said. “I mean, we’ve got some good talent: Nazem’s a great hockey player, Phaneuf, Kessel’s a great hockey player, Lupul, and these guys. For some reason, they lack identity. And that’s part of it.”

The NHL trade deadline will toll at 3 p.m. ET on March 2.

“There’s so many likeable characters on the team,” Cochrane said. “I don’t know where they start to rebuild. It’s got to be a tough job being the GM.”