Team Preview - Toronto Maple Leafs

2009/2010 Stats:
30-38-14 (74 points)
Eastern Conference: 15th; Overall: 29th



  There is one clear reason why not to ever doubt the Toronto Maples Leafs again. That reason is President and General Manager Brian Burke. As of November 29, 2008, Brian Burke has taken the reigns in the hockey Mecca of Toronto and piece by piece, year by year, has gathered his troops to return this historic original-six franchise to rightful form.

  It wouldn’t appear as though the Maples Leafs are anywhere close to breaking through to the post season after last year’s 29th overall finish. Furthermore this result, unlike in years’ past, would not yield a top pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The loss of picks, however, has reaped back top skill players, and top picks from the past are coming into their own rapidly.

  Brian Burke became the General Manager in Vancouver in 1998, reviving the weakened franchise into what you see today. Among his high marks, he is responsible for the drafting and signing of Henrik and Daniel Sedin. His days in Vancouver came to an end in 2004, but it only pushed Burke to apply the same technique and smarts into the Anaheim Ducks franchise. In his second year as GM of the Ducks, his team won the Stanley Cup in 2006-2007. His managers' status in the 2010 Winter Olympics put him in a prime position yet again with another up-rise and victory for his Nation. The United States fell one goal short of attaining the Gold Medal. Pure success. Heading into his second of a contracted six years, Burke has made heads spin with the amount of moves, call ups, and signings he’s made in just a short time. The point is clear; Brian wants another winner. 

  Head Coach Ron Wilson’s pedigree is also impressive. His first big gig as a coach in the NHL was also in Vancouver. His then assistant coach status transpired into head coach of the Anaheim Ducks, Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks, and now for the past two years the Toronto Maple Leafs. He led his Capitals squad of 96-97 to the Stanley Cup Final, and achieved nearly the maximum in regular season points from his reign over the Sharks club in his four years. His Sharks club lost in the western conference finals in his first year as head coach, followed by three consecutive second round exits.  Lord Stanley’s Cup has eluded the top notch coach, as did the 2010 Winter Olympics gold medal in overtime where he held position of head coach. He is currently 8th all-time in wins as a head coach, 1,255, in just 16 years. The man ahead of him, Mike Keenan, holds 7th with 1,386 in 25 years.

  It was a trying 2009-2010 season for Toronto Maple Leafs finishing 29th in points (30-38-14). Their troubles echoed through their powerplay and penalty kill percentages with a more than lowly (like their overall finish) dead last in the league. The up-rise in prospect development and proven acquisitions has this team looking a whole lot sharper than expected.

  Brian Burke has been a busy man in the 2010. Although the Kaberle trade never came to fruition, he did manage to add some serious depth to his club. Between January of last year and now Burke has added; Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Dion Phaneuf, Kris Versteeg, Colby Armstrong, Brett Lebda, Clarke MacArthur, Luca Caputi, Keith Aulie, Fredrik Sjostrom, Mike Brown, Matt Lashoff,  Mike Zigomanis, (undrafted UFA) Brayden Irwin, and (UFA) Ben Scrivens.  Jussi Rynnas and Marcel Mueller were signed to entry level deals, and valuable contract extensions were made to Jonas Gustavsson, Nikolai Kulemin, and Christian Hanson. Have you caught your breath? Now let’s take a look at who was lost.

  Players lost in the shuffle via trade mid to late last season and on the off-season include; Alexei Pnoikarovsky , Matt Stajan, Viktor Stalberg, Nicklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers, Ian White, Lee Stempniak, Jason Blake, Vesa Toskala, Rickard Wallin, Wayne Primeau, Garnet Exelby, Kyle Rogers, Matt Jones, Phil Oreskovic, Andre Deveaux, Joey MacDonald, Chris DiDomenico, and Philippe Paradis.

  Although the Leafs seemed to fall short in more than one aspect last year, the crutch of the team is surely in goal scoring.

  Phil Kessel, acquired by Brian Burke in September 2009, unsurprisingly led his club in points with 30 goals and 25 assists in his first year (of a five year deal) as a Maple Leaf. Kessel was 9th on the team in majority faceoff takers, but would really be suited playing the wing with a bigger, stronger center. The speedy Kessel has great shooting, passing, and playmaking ability to make him a more- than capable center, but it’s really a top line forward that he needs to make him a more dynamic threat. Beyond Kessel, the offense drops off in terms of forwards as 3rd in points Alexei Ponikarovsky  and 4th place Matt Stajan have been traded from the team. Likely top liners such as (acquired via trade) Kris Versteeg and young and highly impressive Tyler Bozak will suit Kessel nicely. 24 year-old fourth year pro Kris Versteeg has come off of a Stanley Cup Championship with the Chicago Blackhawks and will look to make an impression quickly. The Alberta born center/left winger has spent all three of his NHL years in Chicago. In 170 games he has scored 44 goals and 57 assists with a plus/minus rating of +22. His scoring and passing ability will give Kessel a viable resource to pass to and from. With the adage of ice time we’ll see if Versteeg kicks it up even further.  A nice fit would seemingly be Tyler Bozak with two skill players such as these. Bozak played 37 games in his rookie campaign with the Leafs recording 8 goals and 19 assists. He could in fact be that strong center that Phil Kessel needs. His faceoff tries to faceoff wins percentage was tops within the team at an impressive % 55.2. The 24 year-old plays much bigger than his 6’0 165lbs. frame suggests, and is effective at both ends of the rink. Look for Bozak to have an incredible year after his promising start.

  The bottom nine further down the charts will surely be a mix-match of players until chemistry is found. Nazem Kadri (selected 7th overall by the Toronto Maples Leafs in 2009) is expected to make his NHL debut this coming season. The 19 year-old has posted 258 points in 242 games in the OHL over four seasons split between London and Kitchener. Burke’s intentions for keeping him down last season were simply (and quite correctly) that Kadri is best suited as a top three to top six player. The room was questionably not there for Kadri last year, but a spot is there for Nazem if he’s ready to take it now. Other centermen Mikhail Grabovski and John Mitchell will also be vying for the spot, although whether it’s at center or not, Grabovski should have a fairly easy ‘in’ on line two. This isn’t entirely deserving of the 26 year-old German, as Grabovski has come up short of expectations and will need to be much stronger this year after a 10 goal, 25 assist performance last year. He heads into his fifth year pro and third as a Maple Leaf. He has two years at $2.9 million remaining on his contract, and needs to start playing for his money. He doesn’t lack skill, but he has seemingly lacked drive since his first year as a Maple Leaf where he posted 20 goals and 28 assists. Second line left winger Nikolai Kulemin has shown signs of a very dynamic and talented goal scorer, but will need to overcome his below 20 goals per-season effort in his junior year. After some serious question of his re-signing in Toronto, he has been inked for two years at $2.35 million and could fulfill his goal scorer’s potential if chemistry can be found. As each Kadri, Grabovski, and Kulemin have a strong offensive upside of their own, the three still only average out to 6’0 195lbs. with not a whole lot of grit. The doors open up, then, for players not quite as expected to be second liners to fill that physical void. 

  Rivaling the Versteeg acquisition was the free-agent signing of Colby Armstrong. The five year seasoned Armstrong has played 360 games split between Pittsburgh and Atlanta. In those games he has 78 goals, 100 assists, and is a plus/minus +32. Armstrong was one of the top free agents available for his grit, determination, character, and defensive responsibility. Armstrong will prove to be a dependable third (and potential second, in this team’s case) line winger that forechecks and backchecks and be a force on the struggling penalty kill. The 6’2 195lbs. 1st round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins also has a connection with the Maple Leafs’ captain Dion Phaneuf, as the two played together in 2001-2002 as members of the WHL Red Deer Rebels. 21 year-old winger Luca Caputi was another excellent acquisition for Brian Burke in March. The power forward played 19 games with the Leafs recording a goal and five assists after a four game stint in Pittsburgh where he scored a goal and an assist. Caputi is a strong 6’3 200lbs winger that can score goals and muck it up in the corners. Listing out the players on this roster you would typically put Caputi down on the fourth pairing, but the tenacity he plays with and his ability to hit could see him more ice time than he ever would have seen in Pittsburgh.

  Whatever the third pairing may end up being, the probability is that John Mitchell will center it. Mitchell heads into his third (pro) and last contracted year for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 6’1 200lbs. Ontario native played a solid game last year being both offensively and defensively sound. Although his point production slumped slightly from 29 to 23 in his sophomore season, I expect Mitchell will come good his junior year as his speed and hockey sense should better those around him. Off season free-agent signing Clarke MacArthur could well be one of those players. He, too, will be a restricted free agent come the end of the year and will need to play his best to stay on board the ‘good thing’ Toronto has going. Though not the biggest player, the left winger has raised his game in each of his four years pro. Last year with the Buffalo Sabers he tallied 16 goals and 19 assists, and (at $1.1 million) he should provide some third line scoring depth the team so desperately needs (for a good price).  Re-signed center Christian Hanson (one year $650,000) heads into his third year pro after splitting time between the (AHL) Toronto Marlies and Toronto Maple Leafs. He played 31 games with the big boys last year notching 2 goals and 5 assists, but really impressed in the faceoff circle with a %55.4 win percentage. Hanson is a big kid at 6’3 228lbs. and if the 24 year-old can develop into an offensively productive player then Brian Burke, once again, has scored one for the home team. Fredrik Sjostrom, too, heads into the final year of his contract with the Maple Leafs. If you weren’t a fan on Fredrik before his signing in Toronto, you surely should be by now. Sjostrom has incredible skating ability, and is soundly effective on the penalty kill. He will likely slot into the third or fourth line, but he will make his money on special teams.

  Tough guys such as Colton Orr, and recently added Mike Brown will give this team some size and strength down the checking lines. Colton Orr is no one to be messed with. He was second in the NHL in penalty minutes last year (239) and 5th in major penalties taken. This was preceded by his 3rd place finish overall in PIMS last year with the Maple Leafs. Never to factored into the scoring sheet in terms of points, Orr is a mass of muscle and anger that is willing and able to defend his Leafs squad. Mike Brown, added on the off-season, comes in with much the same repertoire. He is less of a fighter, but really a hard hitting ball of hate that Toronto’s undersized forwards can use to their advantage.

  The aforementioned “mix-match” through the bottom nine at this point truly should be viewed as a probable mix-match of all twelve roster forwards. Outside of Phil Kessel, Kris Versteeg, and Colby Armstrong; you can’t honestly know what role anyone else is going to play. In saying that, Ron Wilson does know what to do, and if it comes to spreading out all three of those players to get their respective linemates on track, I’m positive he will do it. As the youngsters come up, the minors seemingly have less to offer. Jay Rosehill, Mike Zigomanis, Joey Crabb, and Jerry D’Amigo are likely to be the first up if needed, but the offensive support they can offer is a far cry from what they truly need.

  Although the pickings are slim to moderate from the minors, the Leaf’s Achilles’ heel is obviously within their current top twelve forwards. The need for one more top-six forward is great, and Brian Burke is well aware of this. Possibly the best fit would have been Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks, a relationship that has ties back to their time in Anaheim together.  Ryan’s UFA status in Anaheim looms, but Burke’s best and most preferred tradable asset, Tomas Kaberle, would probably have been the key.

  It was announced at the end of Kaberle’s trade window that Tomas will remain a Leaf after much anticipation and speculation around the league as to where he would go next.

“While a number of Clubs made offers to trade for Tomas, none of them reflected Tomas's value to our team. I understand a period like this is stressful to the player, and we are pleased that there is a resolution, and we can all continue to prepare for the coming season.” said Brian Burke in a statement at the end of Kaberle’s trade window.

  Kaberle has been rumored to be traded for years it seems, drawing criticisms from management, fans, and analysts alike. Even his own father has been quoted as suggesting Tomas would “definitely not play any longer for Ron Wilson.” You have to feel for a guy like Kaberle as his entire NHL career has been encompassed by Tornoto, the same city that seems to want him out so bad.

"I will always play my style of game, that's why I was brought over here in my first year," Kaberle said. "It's always fit perfect and if it doesn't, I will have to move on. I'm just looking forward to the first day of the season - opening night," He went on. "We have a shot (at the playoffs) this year, there is a lot of change over the summer. I have a good feeling about this team. I'll do anything for this organization. They've been so good to me for the last 12 years."

  But have they? There is a clear difference between wanting to go in a different direction, and putting a player like Tomas Kaberle through the head-aches that he has had to endure. Kaberle has put in his dues over his twelve years with the Leafs. Last year he was second in points on the entire team with 49, just six points shy of leading the team, and eight clear of Ponikarovsky and Stajan. In 820 NHL games the 32 year-old Czech has posted 482 points and is to the date one of the best breakout passers on the blue line. He enters the last year (of five) of his contract with the Leafs and whether it be via trade or free agency, I hope for his sake it’s his last with the Leafs.

  The team has way too many high paid defensemen. $28.325 million is spread over their nine NHL defensemen, whereas $26.05 4 million covers their current thirteen forwards. The obvious failure to trade Kaberle’s  $4.25 million cap hit puts Leaf’s GM Burke in an undesirable position.

   The blockbuster acquisition Dion Phaneuf will lead this defensive corps and team as captain next year with one of the thickest defenses in the NHL. He is a powerful offensive and defensive threat. The 25 year old first round draft pick (2003) of the Calgary Flames has scored 238 points in 404 games with 556 penalty minutes. He was acquired via Calgary’s last-ditch effort to make the playoffs which simultaneously freed the Leafs of $6.933 million of unwanted and unproductively spent cap dollars.

"It's definitely a playoff team. Our goal going into the start of this year is to make the playoffs," said Phaneuf. "Anything short of that is unacceptable. We did a lot of good things at the end of last year, played some really good hockey, and with the additions we made over the summer, our goal definitely is to make the playoffs."

   His contract of five years remaining coincides with defensive powerhouse Mike Komisarek. Komisarek comes off an injury plagued first year (of five contracted) with the Leafs. After missing 8 games with a lower body injury, he then suffered a shoulder injury in January which would cost him the last 40 games of the season, and surgery. The 6’4 243lbs. mammoth human being provides a powerfull one-two defensive punch for the Maple Leafs on defense if he can stay healthy. Luke Schenn comes off a tough but productive second season. He raised his point total to 17, and his plus/minus to +2. Not an easy thing for the 20 year old (2008 1st Round Draft Pick) mega prospect for the Leafs on such a poor team. I think Schenn is in for another leap forward into becoming that defenseman everyone projected him to be. This should be a breakout year for Schenn, and an improving Leafs team around him will bring him along that much faster. Another young star, Carl Gunnarsson, impressed greatly in his rookie debut notching 3 goals, 12 assists, and a team leading +8 rating. The 23 year-old Swede plays a big game all-around with good puck moving ability and defensive awareness. The 6’2 196lbs. prospect, drafted in 2007 (194th), should (and will) get plenty of ice time next year.

  The offensive side of the defense is gleaming as well. Retained Kaberle was second in points for his club last year with 49 points, and provides a deadly puck-moving and passing ability that not many offensive defensemen around the league posses. He, and powerplay specialist Francois Beauchemin will be accompanied by the recent signing of Brett Lebda. Beauchemin is a bit of an anomaly for me. His raw speed, hard hitting ability, and powerplay quarterbacking ability are top notch in the NHL. The oddity is his inability to be in the right place consistently. He scored 5 goals and 21 assists last year, but needs to play to his full potential. He and Kaberle are masters on the powerplay, and for as long as they are teammates they should continue to be the cornerstone of this Leafs’ powerplaty. Brett Lebda has spent 5 years in Detroit where he has looked good with and without the puck. He is extremely fast and sees the game well. It’s almost unthinkable that the two year $1.4 million free agent signing will spend his time in the minors due to the defensive logjam. Brett was a great signing for Burke and will pay off especially if/when Burke axes a high paid defenseman. Speaking of high paid defensemen, Jeff Finger (30), heads into his 3rd year of a contracted four at $3.5 million signed by interim GM Cliff Fletcher in 2008. Is this the worst signing in the NHL? Probably not, but it’s damn close. Finger can play a pretty solid game defensively, he’s not terrible, but never by any means is or was he worth $14 million over four years time. His drop-off in play and not ever having a real scoring ability will likely see him become a victim of the waiver wire. Matt Lashoff, one of the newest additions to the team, will likely be down with the Marlies and was added for depth. Furthering one’s depth would seemingly show signs of a near future departure.

  My personal move would be to bury Jeff Finger’s contract in the minors, and try to shop Beauchemin or Kaberle for scoring depth.  It’s going to have to be in the form of Kaberle at this point, but Tomas may not yield a top-six forward until we get closer to the trade deadline. That’s assuming they’re not in a playoff position, and that’s not where team captain Dion Phaneuf plans on being. The one sure thing for Kaberle is that the teams will be lined up at the door after his tenure in Toronto is finished.

  So we’re left with goaltending. Goaltending is probably the least worrisome throughout the lineup which is moderately amusing considering the chaotic failure it’s been over recent years. Jean-Sebastien Giguere, acquired from Anaheim at the trade deadline last year, will lead this team from the crease out. The 33 year-old native of Quebec has 12 years experience where he’s recorded 220-184-38 record in 492 games with a 2.52 GAA and .913 save percentage. In 2002-2003 he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Playoffs, and in 2006-2007 won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks with Brian Burke at the helm. J.S. Giguere wasted no time as he became only the second goaltender in Leafs’ history to record a shutout in his debut(Ed Belfour 2002, the other). In just 15 games he got people feeling warm and fuzzy in Ontario as he went 10-15-7 with a 2.85 GAA and .907 save percentage and three shutouts. The man behind him, Jonas Gustavsson “The Monster” was as talked about as much as any top draft pick last year. Gustavsson came into the NHL with a lot of pressure on him. He faired pretty well recording a 16-15-9 record with a 2.87 GAA and .902 save percentage despite some health and injury issues. “The Monster” covers a great deal of the net with his 6’3 frame. He’s aggressive, challenges shooters, and angles quite well. He signed a two year contract worth $2.7 million in the off-season, and will head into his sophomore year with a lot less pressure on him. I think Jonas has the necessary tools to be an NHL goaltender for years to come. As Joey MacDonald has left, the young and promising trio of James Reimer, Jussi Rynnas, and Ben Scrivens will be battling in the AHL and eagerly awaiting a call-up.

  Toronto presents itself in a peculiar way in ahead of the 2010-2011 season. Although I think this team has gotten much better over last year, the Leafs lost some big names in the mix as well. Without the addition of another top-six forward I don’t think the Leafs have tangible evidence of being a solid Playoff team just yet. Their saving grace is in the fact that they are in the East, where anything is possible. Jeff Finger will no doubt be a casualty of the waiver wire, right or wrong. The fact is they are -$274,166 over the cap budget at the moment, and Kadri isn’t even on the official roster yet. Burke will be faced with getting less for Kaberle’s service in a deal, shopping prospective depth for current production, or riding out Kaberle’s last year as contracted. Kaberle deserves that chance, but he also deserves a move if it’s going to better he and the Leafs organization in the least. Regardless of what the outcome is in that, the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the rise and on everyone’s radar now.

- Kendall Grubbs


Transactions to Date:

In
Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Dion Phaneuf
Kris Versteeg
Colby Armstrong
Brett Lebda
Clarke MacArthur
Luca Caputi
Keith Aulie
Fredrik Sjostrom
Mike Brown
Matt Lashoff
Mike Zigomanis
Brayden Irwin
Ben Scrivens
Jussi Rynnas
Marcel Mueller

Out
Alexei Pnoikarovsky
Matt Stajan
Viktor Stalberg
Nicklas Hagman
Jamal Mayers
Ian White
Lee Stempniak
Jason Blake
Vesa Toskala
Rickard Wallin
Wayne Primeau
Garnet Exelby
Kyle Rogers
Matt Jones
Phil Oreskovic
Andre Deveaux
Joey MacDonald
Chris DiDomenico
Philippe Paradis