BT's 2009/10 NHL Season Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs

(Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images)

Like the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and Buffalo Sabres before them, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a shot at second place if they can answer the questions they came into the season with.

These teams may still be a little ways from competing with the Boston Bruins, but it'll at least be intersting top-to-bottom in the Northeast this year.

Toronto Maple Leafs

2008/09 Record: 34-35-13, 81 points, 12th in East

Additions: Phil Kessel—F (Trade w/Boston), Wayne Primeau—F (Trade w/Calgary), Garnett Exelby—D (Trade w/Atlanta), Jonas Gustavsson—G (FA), Colton Orr—F (4 years/$4 mil), Francois Beauchemin—D (3 years/$11.4 mil), Mike Komisarek—D (5 years/$22.5 mil), Rikard Wallin—F (FA), Joey MacDonald—G (FA),

Subtractions: Pavel Kubina—D (Trade w/Atlanta), Anton Stralman—D (Trade w/Calgary), Kris Newbury—F (FA), Jeremy Williams—F (FA), Tim Stapleton—F (Trade w/Atlanta), Justin Pogge—G (Trade w/Anaheim), Jamie Sifers—D (FA), Brady May—F (FA), Curtis Joseph—G (FA), Boyd Devereaux—F (FA), Martin Gerber—G (Europe)

There were two ways I can go with this article.

One way is that I can start a counter on how many times I use the words “truculence” and “belligerence” in describing this Maple Leafs' team, or the other way is that being the only time I say those words this article and keep it that way.

I’m going with option two and I’ll tell you why.

Did the Leafs get tougher over the summer? Definitely. Are they going to be one of the meanest teams in the league to play against? Undoubtedly. Are fans going to the Air Canada Center more likely to see someone get punched in the throat rather than a player end up with a four-goal game?

Well, that depends how many people (or who) get punched in the throat, and whose shooting the puck (or in net for the oppsotion), so we'll go with probably.

The point is, I’ve put up with those two words all summer. I’m sick of them, and I’m a Leafs fan. Granted these previews aren’t a source of literary wealth, but even I can sneak a peak at a thesaurus every so often.

So no more with those two words. At least from me. I promise.

We’re Poggin’ the plug on the lights so that the Monster can come out to play…

It’s really unfortunate that Justin Pogge was traded.

To be honest, despite the fact that the most consistent thing about him last year were his struggles with consistency, I think another year in the system would’ve been fine to wait for him. After all, the guy is 23-years-old and cursed by all of those early successes (Like the World Junior gold medal).

I don’t know if this is the last we hear of him or not in the NHL, but frankly I hope it isn’t.

Moving on to goalies that are still on the Toronto roster, the Leafs are in a very curious predicament.

On one hand they have Vesa Toskala. Two years ago Toskala showed the promise that he could be a top-15 starter in the NHL. On a porous (See? That’s the thesaurus at work…) Leafs team that allowed the fourth-most goals against, many saw sanctuary in Toskala.

Last year they felt that, if he was able to continue playing like that, then maybe the Leafs could sneak into eighth place.

Well, a lack of confidence from the coaching staff and management in his ability to prepare, an immobile defense that left him out to dry on a handful of goals per game, and nagging hip and groin injuries stunted Toskala’s growth as a starter, and his season eventually ended prematurely leading to the Gerber Baby Food experiment.

I hate strained peas.

So this season, after trading away the former “Goalie of the Future” in Pogge, the Leafs went to Sweden (Brian Burke literally went there) to bring back netminder Jonas Gustavsson.

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