Toronto Maple Leafs' Forward Dilemma: Should They Stay or Should They Go?

With the commotion of early summer player movement all but over, hockey fans are entering what is known as the no-man's-land of the sports world—the time of year when nothing is happening.

From mid-July to the beginning of training camps in September, very little tends to take place in the hockey world. Aside from a few contract extensions and coaching changes, it's pretty dull.

Sure, a few second- and third-tier free agents will find new homes, and that will satisfy our craving for hockey news for about 15 minutes. But that's not enough to tide over our ravenous hockey appetites.

Despite all this, the Toronto Maple Leafs clearly are not finished. They can't be, because they've got far too many forwards and defensemen on their roster. Unless they want to risk losing several NHL-caliber players on waivers and take roster spots away from young prospects, the Leafs need to move a few players out.

Today we'll look at the logjam up front, examining the role of each forward and deciding which ones should be shipped out. Tomorrow, we'll tackle the blueline.

Assuming Mats Sundin doesn't return, I've sorted Toronto's forwards into five categories:

Guaranteed top six

Nik Antropov, Jason Blake, Alex Steen, Jiri Tlusty

These are the players who will undoubtedly be penciled into offensive roles, due to their production, experience, or sheer talent.

Antropov finds himself in uncharted territory—if Sundin is gone, Nik will be the leader of the Leafs' offense. That scares some people, but it could be exactly the kind of environment he'll thrive in.

Antropov has been mentored by Sundin for a long time, and has picked up a lot of his habits. With Mats gone, Antro could step it up in his absence. He obviously plays much better at pivot, and his playmaking ability plays well to the role of first-line centre.

Blake is a wild card. Whether it was due to the effects of cancer, a fishbowl atmosphere, or simply age, he clearly struggled last season. His 52 points still rank second among returning forwards, but most of those were assists. With Antropov setting him up, Blake could pot 25-30 goals this season.

Steen, meanwhile, is an intriguing case. With Paul Maurice casting him in a defensive role the last two seasons, many have forgotten about his offensive ability.

The checking experiment worked, as Steen is arguably the Leafs' best two-way player and penalty killer—but it's time to let him unleash his offensive potential. Whether it's on the first or second line, Steen could flirt with the 60-point mark this season.

On the other hand, Tlusty is not a lock for top-six minutes, though he's pretty close. He didn't exactly impress last year, with 16 points in 58 games—but he did that on 11 minutes a game.

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