Toronto Maple Leafs' Awards for the 1st Half of the 2014-15 Season

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in desperate need for their top players to elevate their games. The club has fallen out of a playoff position, and the teams directly ahead of it appear to be getting healthier and stronger.

Forwards Joffrey Lupul, David Booth, Peter Holland and Leo Komarov are all out of the lineup with injuries, per Rotoworld.com. Compounding that problem is the Leafs' failure to respond to new head coach Peter Horachek. The team is in danger of falling too far out of the playoff race to be a factor in the coming months.

There have been some bright spots for the Maple Leafs this season. Let's take a look at the Leafs' awards in the first half of the 2014-15 season.

Unsung Hero

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

Mike Santorelli: Forward

Mike Santorelli doesn't get top-line minutes or have his praises sung nearly enough. He's been good in his first season in Toronto. His 26 points in 45 games means he's been one of the more productive Leafs in 2014-15.

He's also been a responsible, two-way player who has fit in nicely in several roles. He has the skills to play in the top six, but he is likely best suited to a third-line role.

He's played both at wing and centre. He's been at his best on the wing where he seems most comfortable. He's plus-eight on a team that wants its forwards to play aggressively in all three zones.

Santorelli has been a steady producer on a team that could use more performers like him in the weeks ahead.

Honorable Mention: Leo Komarov

Best Defenceman

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Cody Franson: Defenceman

Cody Franson has had a great year offensively. He's fourth on the team in scoring with 27 points. He's been a force both on the power play and in five-on-five situations.

He's been paired a lot with captain Dion Phaneuf, which means he has played against opposing teams' best players on several nights in the first half of the 2014-15 season.

The Sicamous, British Columbia native regularly plays well more than 20 minutes per night and has been a calming influence on the ice for his teammates. Franson is a great skater who can close down attacking forwards quickly and efficiently.

He is currently tied for 14th in NHL scoring among defencemen. He's just four points out of the fourth spot.

Despite the tough assignments, Franson is a minus-two on a club that has been outplayed on many nights. While the Leafs have not had nearly enough good performances from their defenders this season, Franson has been great on most nights.

Honorable Mention: Dion Phaneuf

Best Forward

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Phil Kessel: Winger

There's always a lot of focus on what Phil Kessel is not. But what is he? He's a highly skilled forward who scores goals like few other NHL players.

He's tied for ninth in the NHL in goal scoring and is third among right wingers with 19 goals. He is arguably the top scoring winger off the rush in the game today.

However, he's also minus-nine and shows little regard for defensive play on many shifts. Kessel's primary focus has always been on attacking the opposition with speed and scoring goals. That is not going to change.

Checking wingers are much easier to find, so Kessel's value as a point producer cannot be questioned. Yet one can question his leadership and ability to inspire his teammates.

Regardless of the negatives, Kessel has been the Leafs' best forward in 2014-15.

Honorable Mention: James van Riemsdyk

Biggest Surprise

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Leo Komarov: Forward

Leo Komarov has been a force for the Leafs and a difference-maker on several occasions. He's led with passion and physicality while also producing offensively.

The talented Finn has a faceoff percentage of 53.7 and has 18 points in 29 games. He's also plus-one in those games. 

Komarov is excellent in his puck pursuit and displays a doggedness that other Leafs forwards would do well to emulate. A healthy Komarov could be the difference in the Leafs making a renewed push for the playoffs in the next couple of months.

Honorable Mentions: Mike Santorelli and Peter Holland

Most Valuable Player

LM Otero/Associated Press

Jonathan Bernier: Goaltender

There really is little to debate here. Bernier has won a number of games on his own this season. His .916 save percentage isn't exemplary, but he has faced a high quantity of shots in every game he's played outside of one against the lowly Buffalo Sabres when he had 10 shots.

Bernier has kept the Leafs in games in which they had no business being. He's saved them from embarrassment on an ongoing basis with his athleticism and sound fundamentals.

He's made 879 saves and has a goals-against average of 2.69. For some context, James Reimer has a goals-against average of 3.41 and a save percentage of .906.

The Leafs would be nowhere near the top 10 in the Eastern Conference without Bernier's excellent play.

Honorable Mention: Cody Franson

All stats are current entering play on January 16 and can be found on NHL.com.