Toronto Maple Leafs: New Year's Resolutions for Every Leaf

The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't finish up 2011 exactly as they had hoped, but it did end as many expected.

Special teams continue to be the Leafs' worst enemy as they limp their way into 2012 with 41 points, good enough for tenth place in the conference.

It may have been a good holiday season for head coach Ron Wilson, who got a contract extension from Santa Claus, but the holidays weren't kind to the Leafs, who lost three games in a row (must-wins, I might add) to end 2011.

Everyone needs to be better and they know it.

Here are New Year's resolutions for everyone who has played at least one regular season game for the Leafs this season.

Cody Franson

Pass better.

Cody Franson has a bomb of a shot, but can't ever seem to make good passes, regardless of distance.

If you're looking for a good break-out pass, he's not the guy you should turn to. Tape to tape? Good luck with that.

Rushes can't get started if your defensemen keep whipping the puck 100 feet down the ice as soon as they get control of it.

Nazem Kadri

Remember not to be too flashy; stick to the fundamentals.

Nazem Kadri has impressed since being called up just over a week ago.

The time he has spent with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL has clearly helped him develop his game.

To stick with the big club, Kadri will have to restrain himself if he starts trying to be too flashy or cute with the puck. He'll have to remember that trying to do it all himself is usually not a feasible strategy for winning in the NHL.

If he can stick to the fundamentals like good forechecking and backchecking, board play and passing, he'll do great.

Matthew Lombardi

Learn how to do something besides skate fast.

Matthew Lombardi has a reputation of being one of the fastest skaters in the NHL, but speed alone doesn't make you a good hockey player.

Lombardi is currently a team-worst minus-seven and only has two goals and four assists in 20 games played.

Perhaps he could learn to take face-offs, kill penalties or at least clean up his act defensively. That way, if he doesn't contribute offensively for his own team, at least he won't contribute offensively for the other team.

Luke Schenn

Tidy up defensive game; learn how to not get shots blocked.

Luke Schenn is a defensive defenseman, so when one of those has trouble with the defensive aspect of the game, you know there's a problem.

Schenn is a mean player who is at his best when he is being physical, but is often a liability in his own end.

He needs to make smarter plays in front of his own net and along the boards so the puck doesn't stayed trapped in his zone for extended periods of time.

Also, he isn't known for his offensive production, but he needs to make the most of the offensive opportunities that come his way.

The vast majority of the shots he takes seem to get blocked. Instead of blasting away, Schenn needs to be aware of where the defenders are and keep the puck away from them.

All too often, an excellent scoring chance will be wasted because the puck was blindly shot into a defender's stick or sprawled body.

Jake Gardiner

Clean up defensive game.

Jake Gardiner will be a stud on the blue line for the Leafs. He has played relatively well this season in general, but one of the biggest knocks against him right now is that he often skates himself into trouble.

He is an offensive defenseman who likes to lead the rush himself, but if he makes a dumb play or a bad pass, it's likely he'll be caught up ice with the play going the other way.

He needs to use his strengths to his advantage, but remember to be defensively responsible at the same time.

Mike Brown

Stay healthy.

Mike Brown is one of the best players on the Leafs' roster. He is the most consistent and plays hard every shift.

He can fight when the need arises, but also make plays, cause havoc around the net and even score.

He'll never put up big numbers, but if everybody on the team played as hard as he does, the Leafs would win virtually all their games.

Therefore, his number one goal for 2012 is to stay healthy. Brown is a massive part of the team.

Colby Armstrong

Stay healthy.

Colby Armstrong just can't catch a break. Though, judging by his tendency towards injury, it might be the other way around.

Armstrong is a fan- and locker room favourite, beloved by all.

On the hockey and business-related side of things however, Armstrong is currently a $3 million third-liner who is injured literally almost half the time.

When healthy, he is extremely effective as a player. He has offensive upside and is a nasty, physical player who can throw opposing players off their game.

The Leafs need him back.

Phil Kessel

Be harder on the puck; make safer plays; improve puck handling.

Phil Kessel has improved a lot as a player since coming to Toronto from Boston, but he's still got many weaknesses in his game.

He's one of the top point-getters in the league right now and that's no accident, but that doesn't mean he can be forgiven for his sometimes questionable play.

He seems to give up on the puck as soon as the Leafs lose possession of it.

He tends to like making risky plays and tough passes.

His puck handling is surprisingly poor for a player of his caliber.

Kessel can score goals as well as just about anyone in the league, but he needs to be a more complete player.

Nobody's expecting him to transform from a sniper into a two-way forward, but he could at least improve some of those little things.

Keith Aulie

Stay disciplined.

Keith Aulie has 14 PIMs, which is about middle of the pack on the Leafs, but he does tend to take bad penalties.

He needs to do away with ill-advised checks and remember to keep his feet moving to avoid holds and hooks.

This isn't a huge problem with Aulie, but as a defensive defenseman, the less visible he is, the better.

If he can stay out of the box and quietly do his job, he'll be fine.

Dion Phaneuf

More leading by example.

Dion Phaneuf is the most suitable player on the roster for the captaincy, but he isn't doing enough in that position.

The captain needs to work harder than everyone else and bring out the best in all of them each and every game.

Lately, the effort hasn't been there. The Leafs don't seem to be competing too hard these days.

It's up to the captain to pick up his game and make the others follow suit.

Ben Scrivens

Stay patient.

Ben Scrivens has the potential to stick around in the NHL for a long time, but if he wants to do so with the Leafs, he'll have to be patient.

He got called up when James Reimer got injured, but got sent back down when Reimer fully recovered.

Assuming Jonas Gustavsson doesn't get traded this year, Scrivens will have to wait for his chance.

If he stays patient and continues improving his game, he'll most certainly get it.

Joffrey Lupul

Stay hot.

With 40 points in 38 games, Joffrey Lupul is on his way to easily shattering his career high in points of 53, set in the 2005-06 season. He simply needs to focus on what has made him so successful thus far and keep doing it.

Keep driving the net, keep skating well and keep working well with Kessel to back off opposing defenders and generating open ice.

That $4.25 million cap hit is starting to look like a bargain, isn't it?

Tyler Bozak

Be more selfish.

Kessel's the best scorer on the Leafs' top line, but Tyler Bozak is no slouch either.

He has quite a few highlight reel goals of his own.

However, he is still more likely to feed Kessel than to simply take a shot of his own. Other teams expect this, of course, so Bozak needs to think on his feet and only pass it if he knows one of his linemates will have a better chance at scoring than he does.

Bozak, Lupul and Kessel arguably all have more points than most expected of them at this point, but if they want more, they'll have to be a bit less predictable.

Nikolai Kulemin

Shoot more; spend more time around the net.

For whatever reason, Nikolai Kulemin isn't scoring this year. He's been doing everything else relatively well, but just can't find the back of the net.

Solution: play then numbers.

If he shoots more, more of his shots will presumably go in.

Also, he should drive to the net more often and park himself there when he gets the chance.

That way, he can provide screens, get tips, cause havoc and get some dirty goals.

Mikhail Grabovski

Teach teammates about hard work.

Mikhail Grabovski is usually one of the hardest workers for the Leafs in any given game. He's not the biggest guy (he's actually one of the smallest guys on the team), but he plays big.

He often gets punished physically, but credit him for always popping right back up and rejoining the play.

Remember that game against Boston last year where he got crunched twice by Chara and responded with two goals, including the game winner? That's dedication for you.

If only every Leaf worked as hard as he did.

Clarke MacArthur

Work his way back onto a line with Kulemin and Grabovski.

I'm not sure what it'll take to get Clarke MacArthur back onto a line with Grabovski and Kulemin because the resulting line-up would look a bit strange (Tim Connolly would be on the third line), but there was magic with that line last year and it's desperately needed now as well.

If MacArthur or his linemates from last season want to get anywhere close to their point totals from last season, their best chance is probably to get back together and do whatever they did before.

I hate to say it, but if they don't start playing like they did last year soon, it's possible that one or more of them will find themselves on a different team next year.

More was expected from all three of them this season; we all know they can do better.

John-Michael Liles

Feed Phaneuf more often.

This only applies when they play together on the power play, but John-Michael Liles should set Phaneuf up more often for the one-timer.

It's a big boost for the team when the captain buries one.

Liles has got a pretty good shot himself and it's actually great that he is willing to shoot so the power play doesn't get too predictable, but Phaneuf needs to get more scoring opportunities because of his great shot.

Tim Connolly

Show more veteran leadership.

At age 30, Tim Connolly is the second-oldest Leaf, behind only Liles who is 31.

A bunch of Leafs are currently struggling in various ways and while Connolly doesn't have the expertise to help everyone (defensemen and goalies, for instance) fix all their issues, as a veteran he's got the mental side of the game down pat.

Half the game is mental, so as the old man on the team, he's got to teach and push the younger guys to be better on a consistent basis.

Joey Crabb

Remember what makes him successful (NHL and AHL).

Joey Crabb is a pretty decent player defensively and can chip in a few points here and there.

He can forecheck and do some good work along the boards as well.

When he and the other grinders on the team are on top of their game, the Leafs spend a lot of time in their opponent's end of the rink.

Crabb, like Brown, is the ideal fourth-liner: a guy who is tough, defensively responsible and able to contribute offensively.

Carl Gunnarsson

Remain invisible.

Again, it's best for defensive defensemen to stay under the radar. If you're hearing too much about them, chances are they've messed up somehow. It's not like they score that often.

Carl Gunnarsson isn't very noticeable on the ice and that's a good thing. He'll just be in good position, he'll make a good outlet pass and disappear.

If you starting noticing him, it probably means he just turned the puck over or got caught out of position.

Matt Frattin

Keep the pedal to the metal.

Matt Frattin is also a mean player and also very skilled. He's willing and able to deliver punishing body checks and also to score highlight reel goals.

He's like a younger, Canadian version of Kulemin. Their styles of play aren't exactly the same, but the similarities are there.

Frattin should just keep doing what he's doing. His numbers (four goals, four assists) don't properly reflect how well he's been playing.

Here's a wild prediction for the 2012-13 season: Matt Frattin will score at least 20 goals.

David Steckel

Improve skating and puck handling.

Leaf fans love David Steckel for his face-off abilities, but a good fourth-liner has to be able to do more than just win face-offs or win fights.

Bottom-six guys are often called upon to play the cycling game to keep the puck in the other end and wear the opposition down.

You can't start the cycling game unless you get the puck deep and go after it.

Steckel is not great at the whole forechecking thing, partly because he's not a good puck handler (it's usually gone a second or two after it reaches him anyway) and partly because he's not the fastest guy around.

It's great that he wins so many draws, but it would be super if he could become a bit more well-rounded.

Joe Colborne

Learn to use his size; keep developing.

In his brief stint with the big club, Joe Colborne showed some good vision and play-making skills. He wasn't spectacular, but he did give Leaf fans a glimpse of what he's capable of.

Nobody's asking Colborne to turn into a different type of player, but any player that possesses size should learn to use it to their advantage.

He currently has 23 points in 23 games for the Marlies. He could be ready to fill the third line role next season that he was expected to compete for at the beginning of the current season.

All we can ask of him at this point is to keep learning the game.

Mike Komisarek

Be physical and disciplined at the same time.

When Mike Komisarek isn't in the penalty box or giving the puck away, he's actually a pretty effective player.

Unfortunately, he often takes bad penalties and isn't a very good player in his own end.

All he needs to do to get into the good graces of Leaf fans is to be smarter on the ice and to keep his feet moving so he doesn't take too many dumb penalties.

The two best ways to screw with your opponent are to score goals on them and to punish them physically.

Komisarek doesn't score much, but he does know how to throw a big hit. If he can be physical while being relatively responsible defensively, he's a good player to have on your team.

Colton Orr

Acquire basic puck handling skills.

One-dimensional players are bad enough, but one-dimensional fourth-liners are worse.

Colton Orr is a great fighter, but he's not good for much else. In today's NHL, teams are finding that guys that can fight and play are much more valuable than guys who can only fight.

Orr has only played in five games so far for the Leafs this season. If he wants to play more, he should improve on some basics like puck handling or forechecking.

Jay Rosehill

Improve basic hockey skills.

Jay Rosehill possesses a little more hockey skill than Orr, but Rosehill is still nowhere near as effective as Brown, who can do it all.

Rosehill is a pretty decent fighter, but good bottom-six players need to be good at more than one thing. Like Orr, if Rosehill wants to play more, he'll need to improve on the basics like puck handling, forechecking and skating.

Darryl Boyce

Remember what makes him effective.

Darryl Boyce, like Brown and Crabb, is another example of the ideal fourth-liner.

Boyce doesn't fight, but he does everything else pretty well. He works hard every shift, he's willing to sacrifice the body and he plays well along the boards and can chip in offensively.

As long as he knows what makes him an effective player and keeps doing those things, he should be able to stick around with the Leafs.

Philippe Dupuis

Pick one aspect of the game and learn it.

How to skate, how to take a face-off, how to shoot, how to backcheck, how to forecheck...

If he was proficient in one or more basic hockey skill, most Leaf fans wouldn't have too much beef with him. But he isn't.

He has zero points in 30 games played so far this season. How he has played so many games so far is beyond me.

Jonas Gustavsson

Stay cool.

Jonas Gustavsson is usually at his best when he keeps his cool (i.e. ignores drama, trade talk, etc.).

He has been playing better of late, but hasn't gotten too many starts. Instead of letting that get to him, he should continue working hard in practises and be a good team player.

He'll get his chance because management still seems to like him.

When he's on top of his game, he can be as good as James Reimer.

It would be nice to see them in a goalie duel one day.

James Reimer

Improve vision and rebound control.

Reimer seems to have a tough time sometimes finding the puck, whether it's through screens or during scrambles. If he could keep his eye on the puck better, he'd obviously make more saves, or at least let out better (or fewer) rebounds.

Reimer isn't the best at rebound control. The rebounds he gives up often end up directly in the slot. Again, better vision leads to either fewer rebounds or better rebounds (the screen or the corner, for example, would be preferable to the slot, or even the circle).

Bonus: Ron Wilson

Learn to use his new-fangled video gizmos to improve the PK.

For every goal they give up while a man short, the Leafs (including the coaches) should have to spend an hour watching the top penalty killing units in the league work their magic.

You let in a goal? Your sentence is one hour in the video room!

To make up for their failings thus far, everyone should spend all their off-time in the next week or so watching videos of proper penalty-killing technique.

Call it an immersion program.

In a week, they'll have good PK techniques seared into their brains.

The coaches will be so sick of watching PK videos that they'll do whatever it takes to avoid power play goals against.

Bonus: Brian Burke

Wine and dine fellow GMs in an effort to acquire their star players.

I don't know how well Brian Burke gets along with his fellow GMs, but since Evgeni Malkin and Bobby Ryan aren't Leafs yet, I'm assuming not well enough.

He should start dropping serious dough on dinners, hotels, private jets and vacations for his GM buddies so they become more generous in return.

Ray Shero: "I want a couple top-six guys, two very high picks, and a blue chipper for Malkin."

Burke: "If I toss in an all-inclusive month-long vay-kay to Cancun, can I keep one of my top-six forwards?"

Shero: "You've got a deal!"

The Leafs will be Cup contenders in no time.