Toronto Maple Leafs: Is Brian Burke Leaving Too Much To Chance?

Leafs fans everywhere are for the most part optimistic about the upcoming 2010/2011 season and so they should be, there is over all more depth in the organization than there has been in a great many years.

More to the point, there there is more potentially talented depth in the organization that there has potentially ever been.

With goaltenders like Jonas Gustavsson, Jussi Rynnas, Ben Scrivens, James Reimer and Andrew Engelage, the Leafs future between the pipes is in the very least, promising.

The defensive corps is as stacked as any NHL club's system has ever been and the potential emergence of youngsters Jesse Blacker and recent rookie tournament standout Simon Gysbers just adds to an already impressive stable of youth in Carl Gunnarsson, Luke Schenn, and Keith Aulie.

The forward position may be where the Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs still have the most work to do.

In what may or may not be the short-term future, fans of the Leafs could see the emergence of one or two pieces to the puzzle in Nazem Kadri and Jerry D'amigo.

Mike Ulmer of TML.com recently had this to say about the two most likely candidates to crack the Leafs line up this season.

"Jerry D'Amigo and Nazem Kadri.  Call them shock and awe.

Along with winger Marcel Mueller,  the two 19-year-olds  form the most precious trio of prospects  at the Leafs rookie camp which closed in London Tuesday with 3-2 win for the wannabe Ottawa Senators over the wannabe Leafs."

While the Maple Leafs do have an impressive pool of other young forwards that include players like Sam Carrick, Tim Brent, Brayden Irwin, Stafano Giliati, Gregg McKegg, and Sondre Olden, there isn't one of them that one could pick out that people would say is going to be a spectacular player.

Burke and Co seem to be confident that the Leafs are a much better team this year than they were last and that they  realistically have a shot at the postseason.

If the Toronto Maple Leafs don't make it, it will likely be because Burke left too much to chance by not moving Kaberle. The fact is that the asking price was just too high. The Leafs could have gotten a good player (forward) and a prospect for Kabby, which, certainly more than keeping him, is what they need.

No, I'm not ranting about Kaberle, always liked him, and there are more reasons now than in previous years to expect big things form the Toronto Maple Leafs..........if.