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TORONTO
MAPLE LEAFS
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Record: 37-29-11-5,
7th in the East; 14th overall
Incoming:
Francois Bouchard, Anders Eriksson, Travis
Green, Alexander Mogilny, Karel Pilar, Robert
Reichel, Mikael Renberg, Corey Schwab
Outgoing: Sergei Berezin, Glenn Healy,
Danny Markov, Igor Korolev, Yanic Perreault,
Steve Thomas
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Curtis
Joseph is easily the Leafs most valuable player. |
Goaltending
(A): Forget about captain Mats Sundin, Curtis
Joseph is the heart and soul of this team. In
his short stay in Toronto he's developed into
a sports icon, and there's a good reason for it.
He has a habit of inspiring his teammates with
some spectacular play, and when he's on his game
there's very few players who can get the puck
past him. There's going to be a new face on the
bench filling in for Joseph in the odd game. Leafs
management has high hopes for 21-year-old Swedish
back-up Mikael Tellqvist.
Defence (C+): One of the glaring weaknesses
on the Maple Leafs roster. While Quinn was busy
making deals for Robert Reichel, Mikael Renberg
and signing his captain to a huge extension, he
neglected to improve his blue line.
Bryan McCabe evolved into one of the team's most
dependable blueliners, but most of the work falls
into the hands of Dmitry Yushkevich. But that's
where the depth ends.
Since losing Bryan Berard two years ago, Toronto
has needed a quarterback defenceman, someone to
move the puck out of the zone and play the point
on the power play. Tomas Kaberle looked like he
was ready to fill the role, but was a little too
inconsistent and gave up the puck too much. Besides,
he's still mired in a contract dispute. A number
of aged veterans and former blue-chip prospects
make up the rest of the defence corps.
Offence (A-): Changing the complexion of
the team has turned into one of Toronto's favourite
summer past times. After vowing to get bigger
and tougher in 2000, Quinn re-vamped his team
and spent much of the off-season stockpiling offensive
talent.
If everything goes according to plan, the Leafs
will have one of the top scoring lines in the
league, and four potential 30-goal scorers in
the lineup if Reichel returns to his old form.
Like many Maple Leafs teams of the past, though,
there are too many questions and not enough answers.
There's no reason why Alexander Mogilny, who scored
43 goals with the Devils last season, can't thrive
under Quinn's firewagon coaching system, but will
he play with the same intensity after signing
a four-year, $22-million deal?
How does Renberg fit into Toronto's plans? The
29-year-old forward, who gained fame as a member
of Philadelphia's Legion of Doom line, looked
like he was at the end of his career two seasons
ago, when he managed just 10 goals in 72 games
with the Flyers and Coyotes.
What about Gary Roberts, the team's most valuable
skater? Can he repeat his 29-goal season?
Game
Breaker: Curtis Joseph
For the past three seasons, the Maple Leafs depended
on Joseph's acrobatics in goal to pull them out
of tight games. And this year shouldn't be any
different. Although he was prone to the odd slump
last season, Joseph remains as the team's top
player and game breaker. Joseph's penchant for
big saves not only bails out his defence, but
allows the Leafs to take a gamble on offence.
Prediction: 3rd in Eastern Conference
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Hockey Night in Canada 