Johan Franzen and the Rest of the Playoff Bound 2009-2010 Leafs!

The Toronto Maple Leafs are once again putting forward a late-season surge—one that will pull them out of a prime draft pick, but also once again leave them out of the playoffs. 

It could be easy to forget that this team is very different than the one that the one that did the same a year ago. 

In fact, less than half the current Leafs were part of the surge of 2008, making them the NHL’s most changed team. 

The feeling this year is in fact different—a young team that really hasn’t had a chance to gel is exceeding expectations. 

Maybe, just maybe, this time it's different.

Maybe this team will start 2009-2010 with the same level of success that they end this season with.

And so out thoughts turn to next season—what that team will look like and whether the long playoff drought could end.  Let’s fast forward to September 21, the eve of the Leafs’ opener vs. the Sabres and a look at the Leaf team that is starting the 2009-2010 season:

Throughout the 2008-2009 season, Burke repeated one mantra—the Leafs need to become bigger and faster.  He made some real strides towards this in the offseason with the signing of Johan Franzen and Mike Komisarek, and bringing back Dominic Moore.  The Leafs also look forward to other new faces, and importantly to seeing further development and gelling of their young core. 

The Leafs start the year much stronger up front, with a real opportunity to have at least five players score 20 goals.  Their young front line will remain defensively challenged, however, putting continued pressure on their defense. 

With the addition of Komisarek, and relative health of Jeff Finger and Mike Van Ryn will help, but the key to reducing their GAA is No. 1 goalie Vesa Toskala staying healthy

These Leafs will be in the mix for a playoff spot all year, and will make it for the first time in five years as their rebuilding process takes its’ next step.   Burke has all but stated Rick Nash as his target for the start of next year, so things are looking up for the Leafs.  Here is the lineup to start the new season.

Forwards

Johan Franzen

Burke clearly knew what he wanted to do when July 1 came around and by early afternoon he had used some of his generous salary cap space to sign “The Mule” to a three-year contract. 

Franzen is exactly what Burke is looking for the Leafs to become—big and skilled, and he will be expected to lead the Leafs in scoring.

Mikhail Grabovski 

Grabovski ended last season on a roll, and his conditioning coming into training camp showed all that he is ready to lead a team desperate for scoring.  He starts as the Leafs No. 2 center.

Dominic Moore 

Moore came back to Leafs in early July after it became apparent that he could not get the kind of money he was looking for.  The Leafs and Moore are excited he is back home and he is ready to lead the team in effort.

Matt Stajan 

Burke tried to deal Stajan over the summer, but with no interesting offers he is back. He will fight for ice time on the third line

John Mitchell 

After steady improvement over 2008-2009, the Leafs will give Mitchell time on the power play ahead and believe he could deliver 20 goals.

Alexei Ponikoravsky

He would not be a top-line player on most teams, but he showed he doesn’t need Sundin or Antropov to score 20 goals. He starts this season as a long-time Leaf expected to lead.

Jason Blake

Leafs are confident Blake can find the groove he had for much of last season now that Dominic Moore is back and expect 20+ goals from the veteran.

Nikolai Kulemin 

Kulemin showed only spurts of his potential last year, but he earned the chance to stick for a full season and get ice time that should allow him to put up some points.

Jiri Tlusty 

Tlusty’s strong playoffs put a cap on an impressive Marlie performance.  Wilson will be giving him lots of ice time to start the year offering him a chance to bring excitement and scoring to the NHL.

Niklas Hagman 

Hagman and Blake are the only two veterans over 30 with the Leafs, and he is expected to play a steady, hard-nosed role on the Leafs’ third or fourth line.

Braydon Schenn 

Burke surprised many when he traded Thomas Kaberle and Leafs' first pick to land the fifth-overall spot, but surprised nobody when he used the pick to draft Braydon Schenn.   For the second consecutive year, a Schenn played himself straight into the Leafs’ lineup—Schenn will start on Leafs' fourth line.

Andre Deveaux 

Wilson feels that Deveaux can pair with Schenn and Hagman to form an effective "energy line" to start the year.

Defencemen

Pavel Kubina   

Kubina is one of the very few Leafs who have both the size and the speed he wants to become the team’s calling card.  With the departure of Kaberle his offensive skills will become even more important.  He will anchor the Leafs defense and lead the team in minutes. 

Luke Schenn 

Luke will start this year as he ended last year—playing 20 minutes a night.  He is already a critical player for this team, and most expect him to avoid a sophomore jinx.   

Ian White 

White ended last year playing the most minutes on the Leafs.  While he started last year in the press box, he starts this year as the No. 2 offensive D-man on the club.  He has set an aggressive 50 points as a target for this season. 

Mike Komisarek

Leafs’ other big off season signing infuriated Habs fans who were already steaming over missing the playoffs.  Mike Komisarek gives the Leafs a second heavy hitter on the blueline, and will pair with White.

Jeff Finger

He started last year as Jeff “Who”, but Leafs know what to expect from Finger this year.  His contract suggests he should be in the top four, but he wil have to play his way back to this.

Mike Van Ryn 

Leafs were hoping for more of what Van Ryn offered last year—but over more games.  Unfortunately he starts the year with a groin pull that could keep him out for three weeks.

Anton Strahlman

Strahlam showed bursts on excellence in training camp, and Leafs hope this is the year that he sticks with the Leafs.  He will get 15 minutes a game to start the season.

Phil Oreskovis

Few picked fan-favourite Oreskovis to land with the Leafs, but Forgren’s disappointing camp combined with Van Ryn’s energy and O’s enthusiasm and steadiness earned him the seventh spot with the Leafs to start the year.

Goal

Vesa Toskala

Now completely healthy and rested, Toskala and the Leafs need him to come back to his previous form—and at minimum not lose games for the team.

Scott Clemensen 

Clemensen had options as a free agent, but chose the Leafs as he believed he had a real opportunity to make the line-up and play games.  He will get this opportunity as Pogge failed to impress at training camp, and Wilson is determined to give Toskala a challenge for his starts this year.