Leafs Season Opener: Roster + Season Predictions

On the eve of the Leafs home opener, the Leafs made their final and probably most important decision for the up and coming season. They named their alternate captains. Now you might be asking yourself why this would be the most important decision? Well, the answer is simple for me. This is an important season for the Leafs. They need to establish that they are a hard working team, a hard team to play against, and last but not least a competitive team. So it’s only fitting that two of the most hard working and competitive players on the Leafs be named alternate’s to join Dion Phaneuf to solidify the Leafs leadership group.

Some people I have talked to say this is a slap in the face of Kaberle and that he has been here for a long time, but like Wilson said today “I’m not going to make decisions for the good of our teams based on stuff like that”. He was referring to fans reaction and Kaberle’s feelings. Wilson stated after this mornings practice that “I’ve had conversations with Tomas and he knows directly from me why these guys are 2 A’s and the C, and he’s comfortable with the situation.”

The Leafs need to develop an identity this year and I believe that they will. Not only are Beauchemin and Komisarek more qualified to be leaders, but they have long term contracts that cement their future with the Leafs. Kaberle is on his last year and so that makes him the “lame duck”.

On to prediction time.

The Toronto Maple Leafs scored 214 goals last year. That’s a fact.

Here is another fact. That number will increase this year. Now, you must be scratchin’ your head thinking this guy is out of his mind. People all over keep talking about how the Leafs will struggle to score goals and you’re saying the Leafs will score more?

Yes! And here’s how.

The Leafs opening night roster looks like this.

Versteeg-Bozak-Kessel (20+8+30)

MacArthur-Grabo-Kulemin (16+10+16)

Armstrong-Brent-Sjostrom (15+0+3)

Orr-Zigomanis-Brown (4+0+6)

Phaneuf-Komisarek (12+0)

Kaberle-Schenn (7+5)

Beauchemin-Gunnarsson (5+3)

Now, if you combine all the goals these players scored last year in the NHL you get 160 goals. That’s a difference of 54 goals. Consider that two players are coming off 3^rd line duties. Two others didn’t play in the NHL last year. Two more didn’t come into the NHL until after the trade deadline last year, and two more were injured for some of the season.

I know it sounds like a lot, but not only will Kessel’s production go up, but Versteeg will be getting PP and 20+ minutes a game, Bozak will play a whole season, Grabo will play a whole season, MacArthur will get PP and more ice time than ever before, Kulemin will build on his success from last year, and the defense being much improved from last year will produce more.

I say that the Leafs will score somewhere between 225-240 goals this season, which is more than enough if their defense and goaltending plays to potential.

Now, I’m a realistic guy so I’m not going to predict that the Leafs will make the playoffs but one thing I know for sure is that they will make it close and more importantly more fun for the fans come March and April.

The Leafs special teams needs to improve and if the preseason was any indication of what the Leafs could do, the power play will produce a lot more too.

It is instrumental for the Leafs to have a PP and PK that is not in the bottom ten. If the Leafs have a PP and PK that is in the middle of the league, then the playoff are a legitimate reality.

Also, I would like to caution that offense isn’t everything. The Leafs don’t need to score that many goals.

Consider this. The Leafs after the Phaneuf trade went 11-6-3 in the last 29 games of the season.

The Leafs in those games scored 48 goals, and that is with only one 20+ goal scorer and 3 other with double digit goals.

So how did they do it? Like the other 3 of the bottom 7 worst scoring teams in the NHL, with defense and goaltending.

Pheonix (24^th), Montreal (26^th), and Boston (30^th) all made the playoffs on goaltending and defense.

So when I hear Burke repeat that he likes to build from the net out, it’s like music to my ears.

So Leaf fans get strapped in and enjoy the upcoming season. I am will be front and center for tomorrow’s game and every other one for that fact.

CHEER WITH PRIDE!

Twitter.com/13leafs01