Yesterday, Paul Maurice, head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, boldly predicted not only would the Leafs make the playoffs, but they would also compete for the Stanley Cup. Was this a brash chest beating rally cry or the makings of another Bob Hartley?
The Leafs made two big moves in the off-season, they acquired the starting goalie their fans had been crying out for in Vesa Toskala and also signed scoring left winger Jason Blake.
I believe goaltending was not their problem last season. Andrew Raycroft proved he was more than capable of starting for the Leafs. It wasn't Raycroft's fault that the Leafs seemed incapable of killing a penalty.
The Leafs also overworked Raycroft, relying on him to carry them for 71 starts. Raycroft by no means is the type of goalie that can start more than 60 games and that was where the Leafs made their biggest mistake.
All that being said, Toskala on the surface seems to be an upgrade. However, he still has much to prove, this will be the first year he will be the legitimate starter for a team. He unlike Raycroft, will have a more than capable backup to help carry the burden.
For years now the Leafs have lacked scoring wingers, while carrying an abundance of centers. Jason Blake will provide them with one scoring winger, but his ability to match or come close to his 40 goals 69 point from last season, is debatable.
The Leafs still lack two legitimate top six wingers and potential wingers in their system like Jiri Tlusty are a year or two away.
The Leafs may have added to their offense and solidified their goaltending, but they still have to improve their horrendous penalty killing that had them in the bottom four of the league last year.
If the Leafs are to even make the playoffs this year, Blake and Toskala will have to live up to expectations and they will also have to find some way to turn around their penalty killing.
So will Maurice become the next Bob Hartley? Cover your eyes now Leafs fans, because not only will the leafs not be contenders for the Stanley cup, but they will struggle to even make the playoffs and could quite conceivably miss the playoffs all together.
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4 comments:
The Leafs are too much of a disjointed team to challenge for the Cup. They'll battle for 8th in the East, and then likely finally get their comeupance from the Senators, who will be licking their chops for some revenge.
Problem with Leafs-land is that there's so much blowing smoke that you never can separate truth from wishful thinking.
The Leafs need more from the other kids like wellwood. He has to have a big year and steen also.. keep in mind they missed the playoffs by only a point last season. They have 2 good goalies now and Bell needs to play great and the d needs to inprove. Ottawa has one line, shut it down and they're done. The Leafs will make the playoffs, Bell and Blake add speed and grit, go leafs go.
it would help if the leafs quit trading youth for veterans as they have so often in the past. also looking at there roster 5 of the 9 defenseman they have listed are in there 30s. blake is 34 sundin is 36 and tuckers 32 battaglia is 32. presently there farm is ranked 25th which doesnt speak well for this team getting any younger anytime soon. i simply do not see how they are going to pull off what maurice has said.
Thornton 19 - Bell needs to play great? He's out for 15 games to start the season...
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