Frat Pack: Why They Won't All Start The Year With The Maple Leafs

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Kid fever is heating up lately in Toronto, so much so that some Leaf Fans have started dreaming of a lengthy Playoff run as early as this coming spring!! Though that is likely a bit premature, there is certainly a lot to get excited about this preseason, as the Leafs' latest crop of rookies are lighting the lamp and playing their way into the hearts of Leaf fans far and wide. Still, we need to keep this in perspective. The Leafs are improved, but they are at best fighting for 7^th or 8^th in the East with 6 other teams, and those last 2 seeds may not be decided until literally the last game of the year. There are no guarantees with this club.

Ok, there is no denying that this Leafs team is better than last year's team. Even the most maligned Leaf haters have to accept that the Defense is less porous, and the goaltending at least has the potential to be much improved this season. McDonald has been very solid thus far in the preseason, but is penciled in as the 3rd option in goal, and for good reason. Gustavsson has been exceptional in albeit limited action this preseason and rookie tournament, and I feel safe in saying he IS better than Joseph was last year, as is McDonald, so the back-up position is much more reliable regardless of Gustavsson still being unproven in the regular season. Kid is good, time will tell just how good. A healthy Toskala should be a better Toskala. How much better remains to be seen, but certainly a couple of points in the standings at the very least.

The many upgrades on Defense are well documented, and the impressive preseason play of Carl Gunnarsson has actually upped the Leafs number of NHL ready defensemen in camp to 11, with 5 guys who would be #3-4 on a lot of teams in the league vying for the #6-7 spots on the Leafs. Something has to give here and undoubtedly the Leafs will attempt to trade at least 1 of their D-men who are unprotected from waivers in order to alleviate some salary and recoup a draft pick or two. Having $7 Mil worth of blue line salary in the press box on a nightly basis just isn't good for anyone.

With that, we come to the forwards, where the majority of the excitement and all the real questions are found. Yes, Tyler Bozak, Viktor Stalberg, and Christian Hanson, AKA the "Frat Pack" as they have regrettably been dubbed, are impressing on a nightly basis. So much so that they are causing many Leaf fans to assert they should ALL make the team, dethroning underperforming veterans from last season. So, let's take a look at just whose jobs they might take. With Kessel in the mix, the Leafs "penciled in" forward lineup probably looks something like this (and for this exercise, rookies are not "penciled in", they have to steal a job):

Stajan-Kessel-Blake

Grabovski-Ponikarovsky-Kulemin

Mitchell-Hagman-Stempniak

Primeau-Orr-Mayers

As I said, rookies have to steal jobs, so let's look at who's jobs they might steal.

First up, Nazem Kari. Let's slow down the excitement train right here shall we? The kid's going back to Jr. Period. Some of you will need more convincing, so here goes: yes, he is the most talented player in camp. Yes, all Leaf fans are salivating at the thought of a Kadri-Kessel duo that will certainly be lighting the lamp at the ACC for years to come. NO, it should not and will not be this season. Kadri needs more time, if for no other reason than to get bigger. He'll be the 1st line center on this team when he's ready, but he is not ready to be a legitimate 1st line center in the NHL right now. He can not physically match up against the Malkins, Staals, and Richards of the league. Not yet. Kadri will be better served playing with the Knights, gaining more confidence as a dominant player in the league, being a Major piece of yet another WJC championship, and possibly making a run at the Memorial Cup. He already knows he has the talent to play at this level; he just needs a year to put on a bit of size so he can dominate at this level. He has the skills, but he needs to grow. We can wait another year, it will be worth it. Risking injury to their most promising draft pick in years is not a worthwhile gamble for the Leafs.

Moving on. Stalberg, Bozak, Hanson, in that order, have been impressive. All are showing potential as legitimate top 6 forwards, and many Leaf fans think they should all make the team, but at whose expense? And on what Line? Let's go through it line by line:

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