How the Maple Leafs Stack Up

Now with distractions like Andrew Raycroft, Kyle Wellwood, and Bryan McCabe gone, can the Maple Leafs be better?

This year I am expecting, and a lot of people that I have talked to are expecting, the Maple Leafs to challenge for a playoff spot. With the Maple Leafs bringing in Ron Wilson, Mikhail Grabovski, Jonas Frogren, and Niklas Hagman, along with others, it looks as though they should be better.

The Maple Leafs added experience, smarts, and goals, with Niklas Hagman. If Hagman can score at least the same amount of goals that he scored last season (27), than the Maple Leafs will have a good player to play along side Nik Antropov. That means that if the Leafs can also get 30 goals out of Jason Blake, just imagine the top line:

Niklas Hagman (27+ goals)    Antropov (30+ goals)    Jason Blake (30+ goals)

Now, if the Leafs can get some good secondary scoring going from Stajan, and Steen, than they should be safe for at least 10th in the east. Second line:

Alex Steen (20+ goals)    Matt Stajan (20+ goals)    Mikhail Grabovski (20+ goals)

The Maple Leafs may even see a breakout season from Domonic Moore, who has always seemed to put some energy into the team. Mark Bell now has all of the distractions behind him. Im looking for 20+ out of him. Pressure is on! Nik Kulemin is looking to live up to the expectations the Leafs, and the Leafs' fans, have set. Third line:

Nik Kulemin (15+ goals)    Domonic Moore (12+ goals)    Jamal Mayers (5+ goals)

Finally the 4th line will be an energy line, It should have a mix of goal scoring and grinding. Since the fourth line will change night in and night out for the Maple Leafs, I would like to present only extras now:

Mark Bell (20+ goals), Bates Battaglia (5+ goals), Kris Newbury (2+ goals), Jiri Tlusty (10+ goals), Jeremy Williams (10+ goals), *Alex Ponikarovsky (10+ goals)*.

**For some reason I have a strong feeling that Ponikarovsky is going to struggle, meaning that he could even end up being demoted.

Now, as for the defense, I am not expecting big things. With Pavel Kubina, I think that the Maple Leafs' 'D' should put up more points. Meanwhile, look for Anton Stralman to block shots, and score about 5 goals.

Anton Stralman (3-5 goals)    Pavel Kubina (10-20 goals)

Look for coach Ron Wilson to split up Kubina and Kaberle, getting the same amount of offense, but not at the same time. This will give the Maple Leafs twice the chances from their 'D'.

Carlo Colaiacovo (5-15 goals)    Tomas Kaberle (10-12 goals)

Finally, it looks like the Maple Leafs will have a pure shot blocker in Jeff Finger. Finger will not provide a lot of offence, while the 6th defenceman won't be perminet.

Jeff Finger (3-5 goals)    Jonas Frogren (5-7 goals)/Mike Van Ryn (4-6 goals)

Extras

Ian White (2-5 goals)

Ian White should not plan on playing even half the season. I think that Mike Van Ryn and Jonas Frogren were brought in to replace Ian White, who is still good enough to keep as an extra. Frogren and Van Ryn should split time, playing about 41 games each.

This season there are two question that the Maple Leafs need to ask themselves, and one in the 2009 off season.

This year the Maple Leafs need to ask themselves if their goal tending will last. If the Maple Leads do challenge, will Toskala be good enough down the stretch? If not, will CuJo be good enough to replace him? Right now it looks like Toskala is good enough to help them challenge, but he has not gotten a chance to shine down the stretch, because last year it was very slim they would make it, and in San Jose he was always behind Nabokov.

The other question that they need to ask is if their 'D' will hold. The defense has lots of offence, but there is only one, maybe two big shot blockers. The first one if Jeff Finger who is clearly a defensive defeceman, while  Pavel Kubina is mainly offense, but chips in on blocking shots once and a while.

Finally, in the 2009 offseason they need to decide exactly what the future looks like for this team. They need to ask themselves where Luke Schenn fits, who the new GM will be, and if they should go into the free agent market and make a big splash.

Even though I do think that the Maple Leafs are going to do better this season, they do have some holes to fix. The first is Mats Sundin. Is he going to play or not? Should he comeback? The Maple Leafs need to talk to him, and say hey Mats, this may ruin, and to some people has already ruined, your reputation as a Maple Leaf. If Sundin wants to comeback, than yes, allow him, but come on.

The second is that the Maple Leafs need to figure out what to do with Luke Schenn. The big, hard hitting defence man has yet to be signed by the Leafs, and they are quickly running out of time to figure out what to do.

The Maple Leafs also need to figure out who the GM will be. Is Brian Burke on his way out of Anahiem? Well, he did say that he would like to come back to Canada. A lot of people say that Burke is highly overrated. I agree, but he is still a really good GM.

It should be an interesting season in Leaf Land.