Toronto Maple Leafs: Recent Events Foreshadowing Major Transaction?

A few important things happened to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the past week, some of which were good.

Philippe Dupuis was finally waived. Thirty games in with no points and management finally got wise to the fact that Dupuis simply isn't an NHL-calibre player.

Colton Orr was also recently waived, but there were definitely some Leafs fans who didn't like this move. Orr is the only heavyweight enforcer in the entire organization and with his waiving, there will be nobody to provide that intimidation factor.

Orr is one of the best fighters in the league, but he wasn't good for much else. With the waiving of both Dupuis and Orr, two guys who don't have much hockey talent, one gets the sense that management is starting to get more serious about winning.

When injured players like Mike Brown and Mike Komisarek return to the line-up, there will be tough decisions to make.

However, you don't want a guy like Darryl Boyce fighting with Dupuis for a roster spot because they're two different types of players. One takes up space and the other provides grit, offense and defensive help.

Same goes for Joey Crabb versus Orr; two different types of players. One's a grinder, the other's an enforcer.

With Dupuis and Orr gone, and Jay Rosehill unlikely to return to the lineup barring injuries, there seems to be an emphasis on speed and skill with the Leafs.

The club is gelling better, partly because the team is filled with role players that are excellent at what they do while also being defensively responsible. Everyone understands their jobs and so far, 2012 is looking very nice for the Leafs.

That brings me to something else that happened just prior to the new year.

The Leafs lost three in a row to close out 2011. This in itself was disappointing, but not overly significant. What was significant was the fact that the Leafs, who were getting used to being near the top of the Eastern Conference and their division for once, found themselves sitting in tenth place in the East.

The past couple wins have brought them back up to seventh place, but the psychological damage of being in tenth place, even for a brief moment, was done.

Nothing short of making the playoffs will do and everyone in Toronto knows that.

Are the current Leafs a playoff team? Possibly, but there's still some uncertainty, which is part of the reason why Brian Burke probably has some significant transactions planned for the near future.

Leafs Nation will not tolerate another failure of a season, but it's interesting to hear some Leaf fans' opinions regarding the ultimate goal this season.

Is it to make the playoffs for the first time post-lockout, or is it to have a meaningful playoff run, as opposed to getting schooled in the first round?

I used to lean towards the former, but when you think about it, a sweep of the Leafs in the first round would only leave you wanting more.

If the Leafs can acquire an impact player within the next few weeks, they'll not only put together a helluva second half, but they'll also be able to put up a spirited fight in the playoffs.

It's possible they'll even win a playoff round.

This brings us to one final point regarding potential trade assets.

It's clear that some roster players are contributing more to the success of the team than some others, and that's meant to be a dig at anyone. Most of the players on the roster have decent trade value, but perhaps not enough to bring back any significant return.

That means picks and/or prospects will likely be packaged along with a roster player. Leafs Nation likely won't tolerate another trade involving another first-rounder anytime soon, so the pick would have to be a lower pick.

As for prospects, the pool is deeper than it's been in years. There are numerous prospects who we'd all love to see develop into NHL players, but for the first time in a long time, the Leafs have the liberty of entertaining trade offers involving these prospects without damaging the future of the organization.

With all the recent goings-on, including that minor deal that saw Luca Caputi go to Anaheim for fellow forward Nicolas Deschamps, one gets the sense that something major is looming.