Player By Player Analysis Of The Toronto Maple Leafs From Phaneuf To Giguere.
With Ron Wilson and Brian Burke finally coming to a conclusion as to their starting roster for the 2010-2011 season, here is a player by player analysis of the team.
Listed will be the strengths, weaknesses of each player along with last year's performances to go along with expectations for this year and projected stats for this year.
All stats are taken from the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the NHL's official websites.
G. J.S. Giguere, 33, Montreal, Qc. CAN.
1 of 25
Last Year:
GP 35, W 10, L 15 , OT 7; SO 3, 96 GA, .907 SV%, 2.85 GAA
Giguere started last season as second fiddle to the younger Jonas Hiller in Anaheim after losing the starting job to him the year prior.
Giguere statistically struggled with the Ducks posting only a, .900 SV% and a very high 3.14 GAA and accumalating only four wins in 20 games before being traded to Toronto.
Upon his arrival with the Leafs Giguere posted much better numbers registering a .916 SV% and a 2.49 GAA, while recording six wins in 15 games. The change of scenery seemed to have brought back the old Giguere that everyone remembers from the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs.
This Year:
Ron Wilson has already stated Giguere will start the season as his go to guy. But it remains to be seen whether he will continue to look to lean on the veteran goaltender during the course of the season. Wilson has said the goaltenders themselves will determine how many games they will start with how well they play.
It should be expected that Giguere put up similar, if not better stats than he did for Toronto in the 15 games he played for them last year. With a healthy and better practised defence in front of him it should be conceivable he should post solid numbers.
Giguere has already successfully tutored two goaltenders to become #1's in Bryzgalov and Hiller. His job in Toronto is clear, he is to show Gustavsson how to play in the NHL, while in no way conceding the #1 job to the youngster.
Prediction:
GP 46, W 23, L 16, OT 7; SO 4, 106 GA, .920 SA%, 2.30 GAA.
G. Jonas Gustavsson, 25, Danderyd, SWE.
2 of 25
Last Year:
GP 42, W 16, L 15, OT 9; SO 1, 112 GA, .902 SV%, 2.87 GAA
Jonas Gustavsson started last season as the clear #2 of the Maple Leafs, but also had already been labeled by Burke as the 'goaltender of the future.'
He quickly had to take over as their top goalie when Toskala proved to be no longer effective as a first string goaltender. Despite the heavy workload he managed to show he could handle adequately the attacks of NHL snipers while fighting through two heart surgeries early on in the season.
Gustavsson though proving he could handle NHL shooters still has shown he is still not ready for the workload of a #1 goalie.
This Year:
Gustavsson will need to improve on his showing from last year and will have to fight hard for ice time. Wilson is going to play the goalie who is stopping the most pucks and won't play favourites.
The hope is for him to challenge Giguere continuously for icetime and to even take over as the #1 come seasons finale.
Prediction:
GP 36, W 17, L 14, OT 5; SO 2, 94 GA, .915 SV%, 2.60 GAA.
D. Luke Schenn, 20, Saskatoon, SK, CAN.
3 of 25
Last Year:
GP 79, G 5, A 12, 17 Pts., +2, 50 PIM.
Luke suffered the proverbial sophomore jinx last season. But if you take a look at the stats you see despite not making as big of a step as most fans and critics would have like to have seen he still greatly improved as a player.
In the end Schenn finished with a +/- of +2 which on a club such as Toronto who finished second last in goals allowed giving up 263 is not a bad feat whatsoever. To consider also how in his rookie campaign he registered a +/- of -12, it is a good sign.
Schenn still made many mistakes, and being in the metropolis of Toronto no mistake on the ice goes unnoticed, and he will be looked upon to lessen the amount of those this coming year.
This Year:
With the arrival of newly minted Captain Dion Phaneuf, Schenn will have someone to look to who plays a similar rough style Burke hopes he will develope into. A full season's worth of being able to watch Phaneuf up close and how he plays should do wonders for the impressionable 20-year-old.
It is expected of Schenn to produce slightly more offensively, but more importantly to become an unforgiving defender in his own zone this year.
Prediction:
GP 78, G 5, A 17, 22 Pts., +5, 75 PIM.
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D. Carl Gunnarsson, 23, Orebro, SWE.
4 of 25
Last Year:
GP 43, G 3, A 12, 15 Pts., +8, 10 PIM.
Carl Gunnarsson came as a surprise to many last season and showed he is already capable of being the quarterback of the power play.
Though playing for just over half of a season he clearly showed he deserves to play a regular shift in the NHL, filling in admirably when Komisarek went down with a shoulder injury.
He played extremely well for a skilled defenceman thrust onto the NHL game at a very young age.
This Year:
The Leafs hope he doesn't undergo the growing pains Schenn had to endure last season and will be able to improve dramatically on last years progress. It is believed if Gunnarsson shows himself capable enough of handling being the go to point man on the power play, losing Kaberle at anytime won't be a problem for the Leafs.
Prediction:
GP 70, G 5, A 21, 26 Pts., +8, 20 PIM.
D. Matt Lashoff, 24, East Greenbush, NY, USA.
5 of 25
Last Year:
GP 5, G O, A O, O Pts. -2, 21 PIM.
Lashoff played only the in the final five games of the season for the Tampa Bay Lightning last year and recorded zero points.
He played admirably for their farm team Norfolk accumulating 24 Pts. and 105 PIM in 68 GP.
This Year:
Expect him to end up eventually with the Marlies. He seems to be ready to play on the big stage, but has too many bodies ahead of him on the pecking list. It will be hard for him to get into any games this year barring multiple injuries on defence, so it will be hard for him to set concrete goals unless he is sent to the Marlies.
Projection:
GP 4, G 0, A 1, 1 Pts., -1, 5 PIM.
D. Dion Phaneuf, 25, Edmonton, AB, CAN.
6 of 25
Last Year:
GP 81, G 12, A 20, 32 Pts. +1, 83 PIM.
Dion Phaneuf posted his worst offensive season to date with 32 Pts. Only ten of which came in his 26 games with the Maple Leafs.
The blockbuster deal which brought Phaneuf along with Sjostrom and Aulie to the Leafs has already paid off in the eyes of many. But the fact remains it will really be this upcoming season that people will use to judge on the shrewdness of the move.
This Year:
With the added pressure of being named the Leafs captain, Phaneuf will be called upon to turn this team around from a basement dweller into a playoff team in one year. To go along with that, he will be looked upon to return to returning to a 50pt. campaign
Phaneuf has handled himself very well to date being the perfect spokesman for the team. We shall see if his play on the ice, which is what he is paid for, will equal what fans hope for.
Projection:
GP 82, G 15, A 38, 53 Pts. +10, 90 PIM.
D. Brett Lebda, 28, Buffalo Grove, IL, USA.
7 of 25
Last Year:
GP 63, G 1, A 7, 8 Pts. -2, 24 PIM.
Lebda was stuck as a third pairing defenceman for of his career in Detroit. Known as a puck moving defenceman, he showed poorly offensively last season with the Red Wings.
This Year:
Will see limited icetime. Coach Ron Wilson will most likely call upon him after Finger, meaning multiple injuries or terrible play by other Leaf defenceman will be the only way he will receive significant icetime.
Projection:
GP 15, G 1, A 5, 6 Pts. -2, 12 PIM.
D. Mike Komisarek, 28, West Islip, NY, USA.
8 of 25
Last Year:
GP 34, G 0, A 4, 4 Pts. -9, 40 PIM.
Komisarek found the large contract he signed wheighing heavily on his mind. Because of that, he wanted to prove to everyone just why he deserved to be paid it. Unfortunately in many cases he was trying too hard and found himself taking needless penalties.
All in all last season was one to forget for the tough defenceman. With the extra penalties and shoulder injury Komisarek didn't spend as much time on the ice stopping opposing players as he had hoped.
This Year:
Mike Komisarek will look to change from the way he played with the Leafs last year. Most likely to be suited up with slick skating Kaberle, Komisarek will be looked upon by Wilson to establish a dominating presence on the backend.
The hope is with Komisarek paired with Kaberle they will be able to effectively nullify any offensive attempt by the other team. While also turning the rush around and making scoring opportunities at the other end of the ice.
Projection:
GP 78, G 3, A 12, 15 Pts. +7, 100 PIM.
D. François Beauchemin, 30, Sorel, QC, CAN.
9 of 25
Last Year:
GP 82, G 5, A 21, 26 Pts. -13, 33 PIM.
Beauchemin struggled last year, he still managed to play very well just not up to his standards.
Much like Komisarek, Beauchemin found himself attempting to prove his worth which failed. Nevertheless he was a steadying veteran presence on a Leafs team, that was the youngest in the league come the end of the year.
This Year:
Beauchemin will be looked upon to return to his steady self and by being more effective than he was last season.
He will most likely end up being paired with Phaneuf which will mean hell for opposing forwards, but a huge relief to Leafs goaltending. Beauchemin has proven to work well with good puck moving defencemen such as Pronger and Niedermeyer in Anaheim, so he should have no problem adapting to Phaneuf hard style of play.
Projection:
GP 82, G 6, A 23, 29 Pts. +7, 45 PIM.
D. Jeff Finger, 30, Houghton, MI, USA.
10 of 25
Last Year:
GP 39, G 2, A 8, 10 Pts. -11, 20 PMI.
Finger faced many difficulties and came under much criticism over his play due to the fact of his large contract.
This Year:
Because of the Leafs many quality defenders and his $3M. cap hit it was largely assumed the Leafs would send Finger to the Marlies to free up some cap space.
Leafs brass, however has decided it is not neccessary to do so, and could still be of much use to the club.
He may not have blossomed quite into the player management had hoped, yet he is still a solid defender.
Projection:
GP 20, G 1, A 5, 6 Pts. -o, 10 PIM.
D. Tomas Kaberle, 32, Rakovnik, Czech Republic.
11 of 25
Last Year:
GP 82, G 7, A 42, 49 Pts. -16, 24 PIM.
Enough has been said about the possible parting of ways so we will leave it be.
Kaberle put up his usual around 50 or more points once again despite all the rumours and questions he was bombarded daily with over his future.
This Year:
It will be interesting to see how everything will play about after it has been revealed Kaberle will not be wearing the 'A' he has been wearing for some time now. But if you look past all the drama and think about everything else, you will see how this could be one very exciting and good year to watch Kaberle do his tricks.
Lined up with Komisarek, Kaberle won't have to worry about the big forwards anymore. And with the opportunity to once more set up a big slap shot like Phaneuf has it should come as no surprise that Kaberle should have his best offensive year in some time.
Projection:
GP 82, G 10, A 48, 58 Pts. +5, 22 PIM.
F. Michael Zigomanis, 29, Toronto, ON, CAN.
12 of 25
Lasrt Year:
Zigomanis played a few games with the Marlies last year and recorded an impressive 13 assists in only seven games.
This Year:
The Leafs have kept him on with the team to serve as the extra forward. But could very well change their mind since he has cleared waivers. It is unlikely that he will see much playing time, but he is very useful considering his multiple talents.
Projection:
GP 15, G 3, A 5, 8 Pts. -1, 10 PIM.
F. Kris Versteeg, 24, Lethbridge, AB, CAN.
13 of 25
Last Year:
GP 79, G 20, A 24, 44 Pts. +8, 35 PIM.
Versteeg enjoyed playing with a very young and talented team. But unfortunately for him was largely relegated to third line duty due to the immense talent ahead of him.
This Year:
He was able to produce a total of 44 points with limited playing time, which should leave one to believe he should produce more with increased playing time.
Versteeg is slated to begin the year on the Leafs first line with Kessel and Bozak. To date during the pre-season the line has looked extremely comfortable with each other and have shown what Leaf brass hope to be an entire season's worth of goal production.
The opportunity for Versteeg to play with a legit sniper like Kessel should make his point total sky rocket.
Projection:
GP 82, G 25, A 53, 78 Pts. +24, 50 PIM.
F. Fredrik Sjostrom, 27, Fargelanda, SWE.
14 of 25
Last Year:
GP 65, G 3, A 8, 11 Pts. -2, 12 PIM.
After being traded to Toronto in the Phaneuf deal, Sjostrom seemed to have found a scoring touch. He collected five points in only 19 games, while he had amassed only six in 46 games with the Flames.
This Year:
The Leafs will look to Sjostrom to greatly improve the worst penalty killing team in the NHL last year.
They hope as well his small scoring touch is here to stay. Though they won't be disappointed should it disappear as well.
Projection:
GP 78, G 10, A 10, 20 Pts. -7, 10 PIM.
F. Colton Orr, 28, Winnipeg, MB, CAN.
15 of 25
Last Year:
GP 82, G 4, A 2, 6 Pts. -4, 239 PIM.
Burke got exactly what he wanted from Orr last season, and expects nothing less from the big fister this upcoming season.
This Year:
Expect Orr's need for fighting to drop a little with the acquisition of Brown. It is a much needed help. Fans will not be disappointed and will see the fights they love, while his teammates will be able to feel protected and loved while he's around.
Projection:
GP 82, G 3, A 3, 6 Pts. -3, 220 PIM.
F. Clarke Macarthur, 25, Lloydminster, AB, CAN.
16 of 25
Last Year:
GP 81, G 16, A 19, 35 Pts. -16, 49 PIM.
He only registered 35 points last year with Buffalo and Atlanta. He was expected to start to sow more offense last year and disappointed somewhat.
This Year:
MacArthur has been known as a player with potential offensive upside. He will be called upon by Toronto to fulfil this on a line with Grabovski and Kulemin. He is expected to have a breakout year.
Projection:
GP 78, G 21, A 35, 56 Pts. +4, 50 PIM.
F. John Mitchell, 25, Oakville, ON, CAN.
17 of 25
Last Year:
Like Schenn, Mitchell suffered from the supposed sophomore jinx. He underperformed for the Leafs, but like his fellow soph. teammate was able to improve his plus/minus by nine points.
This Year:
Expect Mitchell to return to his play of two years ago while showing much better maturity on the ice. An ordinary pre-season is nothing which should concern anyone, he should rebound quite well.
Projection:
GP 72, G 11, A 21, 32 Pts. -7, 35 PIM.
F. Nilolai Kulemin, 24, Magnitogorsk, Russia.
18 of 25
Last Year:
GP 78, G 16, A 20, 36 Pts. +/-0, 16 PIM.
The Leafs were expecting bigger things than what he showed last year. He showed improvement especially defensively, however it's offence that the Leafs want from this player.
This Year:
The Maple Leafs expect a breakout year from teh young forward. If he doesn't have at least 20 goals this year do not be surprised should the Leafs part ways with him.
Projection:
GP 79, G 25, A 26, 51 Pts. +3, 30 PIM.
F. Phil Kessel, 23, Madison, WI, USA.
19 of 25
Last Year:
GP 70, G 30, A 25, 55 Pts. -8, 21 PIM.
Kessel was behind the eight ball all season long as far as fitness is concerned. Not being able to attend training camp due to recovering from surgery, when he did return in November he easily would run out of steam during the game.
He still produced well despite being out of shape sniping for 30 goals in a shortened campaign.
This Year:
Look for Kessel in shape and to be able to use his great speed effecftively from start to finish in each game. A full year's worth of playing alongside his friend Bozak and Versteeg should see Kessel reach close to the 40 goal mark.
Projection:
GP 82, G 42, A 32, 74 Pts. +20, 25 PIM.
F. Mikhail Grabovski, 26, Potsam, DEU.
20 of 25
Last Year:
GP 59, G 10, A 25, 35 Pts. +3, 10 PIM.
A theme with Leafs second year players, Grabovski seemed to have lost some of his fire along with his goal production.
This Year:
He should bounce back big time given his play during the pre-season. Expect him to flirt with the 30 goal plateau as well as with 60 points.
Projection:
GP 78, G 27, A 35, 62 Pts. +7, 50 PIM.
F. Mike Brown, 25, Chicago, IL, USA.
21 of 25
Last Year:
GP 75, G 6, A 1, 7 Pts. +1, 106 PIM.
Did his job with gusto for the Ducks, and is the ultimate Burke bottom six type player.
This Year:
Enough said he was brought on by the Leafs to ease the workload or Orr.
Projection:
GP 78, G 5, A 2, 7 Pts. -2, 120 PIM.
F. Tim Brent, 26, Cambridge, ON, CAN.
22 of 25
Last Year:
GP 1, G 0, A 0, 1 Pts. +/-0, 0 PIM.
Played hard for the Marlies and registered almost a point per game.
This Year:
Brent wasn't brought on the Leafs to score. He outperformed and showed grit and the willingness to learn during pre-season play. A career journeyman Brent will be a player the Leafs look to put a jump in the step of the team after a couple of bad shifts by everyone. An energy player who will see no more than third line duty. He is an invaluable asset to any team.
Projection:
GP 72, G 5, A 5, 10 Pts. -7, 60 PIM.
F. Tyler Bozak, 24, Regina, SK, CAN.
23 of 25
Last Year:
GP 37, G 8, A 19, 27 Pts. -5, 6 PIM.
He clicked very well with Kessel down the stretch and showed to be the best college pickup the Leafs could have made.
This Year:
His growing friendship with Kessel should only help the two and their chemistry on the ice. Already in pre-season play Bozak looks natural centering Kessel and Versteeg. Look to a huge breakout year in his first full season in the NHL.
Projection:
GP 82, G 25, A 50, 75 Pts. +15, 20 PIM.
Summary
24 of 25The Leafs should enjoy improved play by all of it's members. In my next article I will address my predictions for the team as a whole. Enjoy!
F. Colby Armstrong, 27, Lloydminster, SK, CAN.
25 of 25
Last Year:
GP 79, G 15, A 14, 29 Pts. +6, 29 PIM.
Armstrong found it hard last year playing in a city with few fans attending home games. His point total fell dramatically, but fortunately his defensive play didn't suffer.
This Year:
He is very successful at annoying opposing players and is very solid in his own end. Has some scoring touch, and can fill in on the top two when needed. He is most likely to be relegated to the third line checking role which he does so well.
Projection:
GP 79, G 20, A 15, 35 Pts. +7, 70 PIM.
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