A quick look at the roster Burke has assembled in Toronto reveals few players with above average physical prowess and no real defensive specialist. Burke made little changes on the backend which makes it tough for us to imagine a team that will improve dramatically in the goals against department.

After watching a couple of disappointing seasons, Burke shipped out Luke Schenn to the Philadelphia Flyers in return for James van Riemsdyk. Schenn led the team in hits last season with 270 while finishing third on the team with 115 blocked shots.

While Schenn’s minutes dropped dramatically from 2010-11 seasons 18:38 per game to last seasons 14:37, nobody ever questioned Luke’s heart or the effort he brought to the rink each night. Schenn may have struggled in his own end from time-to-time, but he was a warrior in terms of hitting and blocked shots, which will be hard to replace.

The plan is to have Korbinian Holzer step into Schenn’s place, with an outside hope of Mike Komisarek stepping up—neither option is awe inspiring, neither option is likely to replace Schenn’s considerable numbers.

Up front Carlyle and Burke look hell-bent on giving JVR a whirl at centre. With little experience at the centre ice position and questionable defensive skills the odds are against JVR being a success at centre, but when your hockey club has little in the way of options I suppose an effort to change should be applauded.

A line of Phil Kessel, JVR and Joffrey Lupul might be one of the more dangerous trios in terms of offensive output, but none of those players are known for their defensive play.

Sure, Lupul gets back when he can and Kessel is improving, but JVR can be a liability out there which means he will have to learn to back check responsibly next season, especially if he is going to be playing centre.

On the second line the Maple Leafs will choose three players from Mikhail Grabovski, Nazem Kadri, Nikolai Kulemin, Tim Connolly, Tyler Bozak, Clarke MacArthur and Matthew Lombardi.

Of those seven Kulemin and Grabovski are the best two-way players, while MacArthur, Connolly and the speedy Lombardi can also play a little defense. With Carlyle going with that defense-first mentality a lineup of Kulemin and Grabovski with Kadri or MacArthur on the second line seems most likely. The thing is, none of those players are capable of the big hit, none of them stand out as elite defensive players.

If you fail to ice much defense throughout your first two lines you’d better address it on the third and fourth lines. Burke added defensive-minded forward Jay McClement in the off-season. His presence on the penalty kill will be a welcome addition for a team that finished with the 28th ranked PK and 29th ranked defense last season.

A line of McClement, Bozak and Matt Frattin might be a good mix of grit and speed, while a fourth line of Mike Brown, David Steckel and one of Leo Komarov, Lombardi or Connolly filling out the roster.

Still, when you consider the Maple Leafs bottom-six there is still a void in terms of a defensive specialist. If Burke fails to augment his roster he will have to rely on his players to bring a measure of snarl to the rink and be willing to pay the price to outplay their opponents both physically and in terms of physical fitness.

When it comes to the Maple Leafs roster Burke will have to rely on Hustle more than anything else. Hustle can overcome a lack of size, hustle can overcome a lack of skill and hustle can overcome a lack of physical play—the question is will Burke’s team be willing to pay the price?

Until next time,

Peace!

With his team sinking in the standings and rumors of unrest amongst his troops, Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke made a tough decision when he fired close friend Ron Wilson in favor of hiring Randy Carlyle as the Maple Leafs head coach on March 3rd, 2012.

For the most part it was a popular decision, but there were also rumblings that the crusty bench boss was cut from the same cloth as Wilson (a tough disciplinarian) instead of the players coach some fans the Buds needed.

In Wilson, Burke employed a coach who preferred an offense-first approach. Unlike many NHL bench bosses, Wilson had no problem throwing his stars under the bus, which caused more than a few problems. Wilson was also tough on the media, which in a town that covers hockey to the point of overkill often left him wide open to criticism from the media and fans.

“This was not an easy decision for me to make,” general manager Brian Burke said in a statement. “I want to thank Ron for all of his hard work and dedication to our organization over the past four seasons.”

Burke has a history with Carlyle as the two were together for the Anaheim Ducks Stanley Cup victory in 2007. With that in mind, Burke knew what he was getting in Carlyle—a coach that demands that his players play with a physical edge, are defensively responsible and takes their fitness seriously.

Not known as a players coach in the past, Carlyle is said to have chilled out since his days with the Ducks, but don’t confuse his new found compassion for weakness, he can be as hard-nosed as the next coach and, much like Wilson, has no issue calling his players out if he deems them to be under performing.

Trouble is, when you consider the cast of characters Burke has assembled in Toronto there is a real lack of physical players. David Steckel (170 hits) and Mike Brown (120 hits) provided the Maple Leafs with the most truculence up front last season, with scrapper Jay Rosehill (53 hits in 31 games played) pitching in a reduced role.

Carlyle led the Maple Leafs to a 6-9-3 during the final 16 games of the 2011-12 season. While Carlyle has to accept his fair share of the blame for the losses Burke was quick to point out at his seasons end press conference that Carlyle had a poor mix of players with which to be successful last season, an issue he promised to fix.

“I like to dictate how the game is played, we’re not big enough to play it Randy’s way and that’s not optional. Said Burke at an April press conference. “We can’t play the way Randy wants to play with this group, that’s not possible.”

In an effort to bring in a measure of truculence, Burke signed free agent forward Jay McClement. Known as a rugged defensive forward, McClement will help the Maple Leafs penalty kill which ranked a dismal 28th overall last season and finish every check.

As much as McClement will help, Burke did little else to upgrade his teams physical prowess, unless of course you count signing defenseman Korbinian Holzer (a physical stay-at-home defenseman) to a one-way contract.

Burke also cut loose forward Colby Armstrong who, despite an injury riddled stint as a Maple Leaf, was a good soldier and heavy hitter when healthy. Hard working forward Joey Crabb also left town—his jam and intensity will be missed, at least on some level.

The loss of defenseman Luke Schenn to the Philadelphia Flyers in the James van Riemsdyk trade all but negates the addition of Holzer, as Schenn led the Blue and White with 270 hits and placed third in blocked shots with 115 last season.

While Holzer is a solid player, there is little hope that he will match Schenn’s numbers, which is cause for concern for Carlyle and Burke. While unlikely to materialize, Carlyle will have to ask tough-luck veteran defenseman Mike Komisarek to ramp up his physical game, but with Komisarek’s quickness and fitness in question there are doubts he can do it.

With Captain Dion Phaneuf being asked to stay out of the penalty box and the shift by most NHL teams to cut back on unnecessary fighting, Phaneuf has taken a more relaxed approach to his game. The Maple Leafs need Phaneuf on the ice. The best way for him to maximize his minutes is to play a physical yet cautious style which, given the reputation Phaneuf came with from his time in Calgary when he was one of the NHL’s most feared defensemen, has chagrined the Leafs Nation since his arrival in 2009.

Still, with Schenn gone, that means the bulk of the physical play will have to come from Phaneuf (who had 214 hits and 127 blocked shots last season) and Carl “Uzi” Gunnarsson (who registered 114 hits and a team-leading 152 blocked shots last season).

Up front Brown and Steckel will remain Toronto’s most intimidating forwards with McClement pitching in as well. One forward that is likely to see more ice-time is Matt Frattin who had 81 hits in 56 games last season.

Frattin was a key-cog in the Toronto Marlies success in the Calder Cup Playoffs last season before his AHL playoff run ended when he injured his knee which required surgery this summer. According to the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan, Frattin is said to be recovering slowly, but should be ready for the start of the 2012-13 season, CBA agreement pending!

Another player that could raise his physical game is Tyler Bozak. Slotted in between Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul on Toronto’s first line for most of the 2011-12 season, Bozak will likely see a reduced role this season bouncing back and fourth from the second to fourth line. Should Bozak (who stands 6’1″ and weighs in at 195 pounds) establish himself as a physical presence his ice-time should increase accordingly.

Bozak registered 117 hits last season, while establishing himself as a decent defensive forward and a reliable face off man with a 52.7 percent success rate.

While Kessel and Lupul are integral parts to any success the Maple Leafs may have next season, it will be the physical players that combine as the biggest difference makers in terms of keeping opposing teams off the scoreboard, which is where the Maple Leafs, who finished the 2011-12 season with a 3.16 goals against average (29th overall), need the most improvement.

Carlyle will play a major role in getting his troops to adapt a defense-first style of play. While not the most exciting style of play to watch night-in, night-out, a change from the run and gun approach is badly needed, especially when you consider the Maple Leafs shortcomings down the middle and between the pipes.

Carlyle’s experience, ability to teach and high expectations in terms of physical fitness and commitment to winning one-on-one battles, should be the right fix for a team that lacked confidence and played so poorly in their own zone last season.

Is Carlyle the right guy to turn around the Maple Leafs’ fortunes? I guess that all depends on what you think “turn around” means. Carlyle should be able to keep his team in more games, but with few experts predicting the Blue and White to make the playoffs he may be hard-pressed to get the results so many fans are hoping for.

The Maple Leafs went 35-37-10 last season, accumulating 80 points. In order to make the playoffs last season Eastern Conference teams needed a minimum of 92 points. With so many Eastern Conference teams making significant improvements to their rosters this summer it may take as many as 94-96 points for Eastern Conference teams to make the playoffs next season—a tough mark for many teams to hit, never mind the Maple Leafs.

Can Carlyle bring about a 14-16 point improvement from last season? Not with the troops he has, but if Burke can finagle a trade or two there is hope that the Maple Leafs will be part of the conversation when playoff season comes around.

Carlyle has the experience, he has a Stanley Cup on his resume, he has the respect of the players and he has the backing of his general manager. Its a perfect storm for success—now if he only had the right mix of players…

Until next time,

Peace!

The Hockey News is predicting the Maple Leafs will finish 12th overall in the Eastern Conference. When you reflect on how many teams in the East have made considerable improvements and the fact that the Maple Leafs will likely enter the 2012-13 season with a near carbon copy of the lineup that finished in the bottom five of the league last season, it is hard to argue with their findings.

Everyone knows the Maple Leafs struggles down the middle, and while the addition of James van Riemsdyk to the top-six should help the team, the jury is still out on his ability to make the move from wing to centre—a scenario which has been discussed by management.

Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke still has plenty of cap space with which to make an acquisition or two, but with no top-end talent left on the free agent market he will be hard pressed to make a significant move unless he can find a trading partner.

Burke did bring in defensive forward Jay McClement to help out his bottom-six and solidify the penalty kill, but will that be enough to put the Blue and White in playoff contention? Doubtful.

Between the pipes James Reimer and Ben Scrivens look to be the Maple Leafs only options, although both Roberto Luongo and Jonathan Bernier have been rumored to be coming to Toronto via trade throughout the summer.

The shortcomings of both Reimer (who suffered from neck injuries last season) and Scrivens (who is yet to demonstrate he is NHL ready) are well documented, which has many fans screaming for a veteran netminder to be brought into the fold.

The article has the Maple Leafs finishing ahead of the Montreal Canadiens (13th), Winnipeg Jets (14th) and the New York Islanders (15th), with the New Jersey Devils (11th), Florida Panthers (10th) and Carolina Hurricanes (ninth) finishing ahead of the Blue and White in the standings.

That means the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers are predicted to make the playoffs.

If the article proves to hold water the East would finish much like it did last season, with the exception of the Sabres making the jump to the playoffs and New Jersey golfing early this spring.

The East is looking like the Conference to beat next season, with the Flyers, Rangers and Bruins looking like the favorites for a Stanley Cup birth.

While the Bruins did not make any significant signings this summer they did re-up with several players including goaltender Tuukka Rask and super-pest Chris Kelly. The Bruins did lose defenseman Joe Corvo, but with prospect Dougie Hamilton seemingly ready to make the jump to the NHL the Bruins look to be alright on the backend.

Long time starter Tim Thomas has said he will sit out the 2012-13 season, but with Rask ready to step in there is little danger of a big drop in play between the pipes.

The New York Rangers gave up a lot of depth (Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon) in order to land Rick Nash. It remains to be seen what life with Nash will be like, but most of the experts expect big things. Besides, any time you have Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes you have a shot to win every game—he’s just that dominating at times.

The Penguins acquired pesky forward Brandon Sutter from the Carolina Hurricanes in return for Jordan Staal. While the loss of Staal will sting, Sutter brings a much needed skill set to Pittsburgh. That said, anytime you have the likes of Sidney Crosby (who appears to be free of concussion issues this summer) and Evgeni Malkin on the ice you’ll be tough to beat.

Carolina picked up the aforementioned Staal, while also dipping into the free agent market to sign Alexander Semin away from the Washington Capitals. Staal will be united with his brother Eric which should help him acclimate to Carolina quickly, while Semin should benefit from a new team.

Like many top clubs Carolina boasts a franchise goaltender in Cam Ward between the pipes. Even though the Hurricanes are thin on the blue line Ward keeps every game close. When you consider their off-season moves, Carolina could very well earn a playoff spot when everything is said and done.

The Ottawa Senators will add defenseman Marc Methot to their lineup, while giving up Nick Foligno to the Columbus Blue Jackets in return. Ottawa came out of nowhere last season and with the entire team a year wiser and elite defenseman Erik Karlsson expected to have another Norris Trophy season, the Sens will be tough to beat this season.

Tampa Bay will continue to get tremendous offense from the likes of Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and super-star Steven Stamkos, while also adding depth between the pipes in Anders Lindback, who was acquired from the Nashville Predators.

Tampa still has issues on defense, but with all that fire power and an upgrade between the pipes, this team looks playoff bound.

The Washington Capitals are a bit of quagmire. Former NHL player Adam Oates will take over behind the bench where he is expected to return to the run and gun offensive style that made the Caps so dangerous in the past over the defense-first/shot-blocking style that former head coach Dale Hunter insisted on last season.

The Caps lost defenseman Dennis Wideman, who was an important element on the Caps’ power play. Forward Mike Ribeiro was brought in via trade to help off-set the loss of Semin.

If there is a team that could miss the playoffs it could very well be the Caps, but with Alex Ovechkin and Nik Backstrom on the ice anything is possible.

Which brings us to the mighty Philadelphia Flyers. The Orange and Black had another interesting off-season, re-signing Scott Hartnell and Wayne Simmonds to extensions, while adding defenseman Luke Schenn to their roster via the JVR trade to Toronto.

Schenn’s play may have slipped last season, but he is always willing to block shots and should be amongst the NHL’s hit leaders. Uniting Luke with brother Brayden Schenn should also pay dividends.

Philly also brought back defenseman Danny Syvret, signing him away from the St. Louis Blues. Syvret and Schenn will not replace Chris Pronger (who is expected to retire), but the depth on the backend will go a long way in keeping the Flyers in the hunt for a Cup.

The Flyers did lose goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky when they shipped him to the Columbus Blue Jackets for draft picks, but with space cadet Ilya Bryzgalov between the pipes the Flyers should be fine.

As you can see the Eastern Conference teams were busy improving their rosters this summer, which means the Maple Leafs will be in-tough when it comes to solidifying a playoff spot.

Needless to say, it could be another long season for the Leafs Nation.

Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, Mikhail Grabovski and JVR are expected to lead the team offensively, while Dion Phaneuf, Jake Gardiner, John-Michael Liles and Carl Gunnarsson are expected to see heavy minutes on the backend.

Still, there are plenty of question marks throughout the lineup, including Nikolai Kulemin (who had just seven goals last season), Clarke MacArthur (who struggled at times last season) and Tyler Bozak (who will likely get bumped from the first line).

Barring a significant trade (or trades) or a more concerted effort from the likes of Tim Connolly, Mike Komisarek (insert laughter here) and Matthew Lombardi (who had concussion and injury issues last season), the Buds will be hard pressed to get into the top eight in the East.

Prospect Nazem Kadri has been working hard with former Maple Leaf Gary Roberts this summer working on his strength and conditioning, leading many to believe he will be NHL-ready this fall. IF Kadri can assume top-six minutes and contribute on a consistent basis the Leafs have a chance, otherwise…

That said, for me the Maple Leafs success really comes down to Reimer and Scrivens. If the two wild cards between the pipes can play consistent hockey the Maple Leafs have a chance to surprise some people, if not they will likely be hitting the links come spring.

It took 92-points to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference last season, it may take as many as 94-96 next season, which will be tough for many teams to achieve, not to mention the Maple Leafs.

Twelfth place seems about right to me, where do you see the Maple Leafs finishing next season?

Until next time,

Peace!

Burke followed those words up by bringing in tough guy Colten Orr and signing the on-time feared Mike Komisarek. Orr has since been sent down to the AHL, while Komisarek has had little success since joining the Blue and White.

Another Burke acquisition was Mike Brown.  At 5’11” and 205 pounds, Brown has done an admiral job keeping opposing players and enforcers honest.While not a Burke acquisition, Jay Rosehill (6’3”, 215 pounds) made his presence known in a limited role with the big club. That said, neither player has enough skills to garner much more than eight to ten minutes of playing time, which limits their effectiveness.

Brown can play a defensive role and skates well enough not to be a liability. Rosehill is little more than a scrapper, a role that has been diminished in NHL circles of late.

With the NHL changing from a league that endorsed pugilism to one that frowns on the tough guy antics, many enforcers have been forced to bring more to the table or have found themselves unemployed.

There are few players like Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic (6’4”, 220-pounds) in the league—a player that can throw bombs just as well as he scores goals—but there are plenty of enforcers that have reinvented themselves as defensive players or by adding an element of offense to their game.

One-time enforcer, now more rounded, Ottawa Senators forward Chris Neil is a prime example of a player that was able to re-invent himself, establishing himself as a solid defensive player who brings an element of offense to his game.

In 72 games with the Senators Neil registered 13 goals and 15 assists while posting 178 penalty minutes and 127 shots on net. While not staggering offensive numbers Neil proved his worth earning nearly 13 minutes of ice time per game.

At 6’1” and 215-pounds Neil is not regarded as a heavy weight, but he is tough as nails, has no problem dropping the gloves and can take the body with the best of them. He is a force on the ice, a force that few teams want to mess with.

Ottawa felt enough of Neil to give him a three-year deal and when you consider what he brings to the table (leadership, checking, toughness and the ability to drop the gloves), who could blame them?

Signed to an entry level deal by the Maple Leafs just a few days ago, Leafs prospect Tyler Biggs (19) is quickly starting to turn heads for his toughness and offensive upside.

Originally drafted in the first round (22nd overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Maple Leafs, Biggs brings a combination of size (6’3”, 210-pounds) and offense, while also having a certain amount of nastiness to his game.

Biggs, whose OHL rights are held by the Oshawa Generals, played one season at the University of Miami at Ohio, scoring nine goals and eight assists while posting 63 penalty minutes.

Biggs left Miami this summer with his sights set on making the Maple Leafs roster. While making the jump to the big club out of training camp may be a stretch, Biggs is exactly the type of player the Maple Leafs need, bringing a unique ability to play a shutdown role while contributing on special teams and lighting the lamp on occasion.

The knock on Biggs thus far is his skating, which is not NHL ready quite yet, but nobody is questioning his work ethic, which is said to be excellent. It is that drive and determination that should see Biggs earn some spot duty with the big club as early as next season.

Biggs could also benefit from parking his butt in front of opposing netminders and adopting more of a shoot-first mentality.

Biggs was solid at the recent USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp, scoring both goals in Team USA’s overtime loss to Finland. Head coach and former NHL defenseman Phil Housley felt Biggs “improved every game” and felt Biggs effort was very solid throughout camp.

At 19-years of age it would be a stretch to expect Biggs to come into the NHL and have a big impact, but there is every reason to believe that once he gets his feet wet in the NHL he will be an opposing force that will bring many skills to the table, not just a physical edge.

It is yet to be determined where Biggs will play next season. Biggs could spend time with the Oshawa Generals, head to the AHL to play with the Toronto Marlies, or make the big club out of training camp.

Burke could also turn to prospect Bradley Ross down the road, but like Biggs his development may take a little time. Ross, is your prototypical “pest” who is considered one of the best two-way forwards at the WHL level.

Originally drafted in the second round (42rd overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Ross (20) has emerged as a bit of a steal for Burke as he looks to have a player that projects to fill the role once filled by former Maple Leaf super-pest Darcy Tucker.

At 6’1″ and 171 pounds the Maple Leafs are hoping Ross can add a little more beef to his frame and increase his strength so he can compete at the NHL level. Ross also has an offensive side to his game, scoring 42 goals and adding 40 assists with the Portland Winterhawks last season while registering 163 penalty minutes through 68 games. Ross followed up his excellent regular season with an equally good playoff, scoring 12 goals and adding 10 assists while registering 57 penalty minutes through 15 games.

Nobody likes playing against Ross, and it has been a long time since the Maple Leafs have had a player like that in their lineup. A one-two punch of Biggs and Ross would be a nightmare for opposing forwards—a sight that would likely make Burke drool.

In time Ross may prove to the the bigger talent over Biggs. Unlike Biggs, Ross could potentially find himself on the top-six, while Biggs probably projects as more of a third liner and special teams player. Either way, both players have big upsides and both could fill a niche on the Maple Leafs roster.

One thing is for certain—the Maple Leafs need players like Biggs and Ross, here’s hoping they are up with the big club before long.

Until next time,

Peace!

Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in the Francois Beauchemin deal, Jake Gardiner put together an impressive rookie season, registering seven goals, 23 assists and a very respectable plus/minus rating of minus-2.

At just 22-years old, Gardiner looks to have a very bright future ahead of him. His smooth-skating style and ability to rush the puck should help the kid they call the “silver stick” earn more power play minutes, which should see his minutes per game climb from the 21:35 he averaged in 2011-12 (third most on the Leafs roster).

While an increase in minutes played and/or an increase in power play time does not guarantee more points, penciling Gardiner in for 40 points next season would hardly seem like a stretch.

Meanwhile, captain Dion Phaneuf (27) redeemed himself for what many felt to be a sub-par season in 2010-11 where he registered eight goals and 22 assists through 66 games, registering 12 goals and 32 assists in 2011-12.

Phaneuf’s first half efforts earned him a trip to the All-Star game, and while his second half was more of a struggle for the one-time feared defender, he looks to be on an uptick.

With Gardiner and Phaneuf poised to have solid seasons for the Maple Leafs the future looks bright for the Maple Leafs backend—and there is plenty of other talent in the system.

Fellow youngster Carl Gunnarsson (25) also had a solid season establishing himself as a workhorse on the Blue and White’s blueline. While the man I affectionately call “Uzi” for his cannon of a shot has yet to fill the net on a consistent basis, there is hope that he will find his way offensively, while his overall defense is a work in progress.

Used sparingly last season, Cody Franson (25) filled in nicely for the oft-benched Mike Komisarek, posting five goals and 16 assists (21 points) in just 57 games played. While still listed as a restricted free agent the smart money suggests Toronto Maple Leafs will re-sign Franson once the CBA agreement is settled.

A core of Gardiner, Phaneuf, Gunnarsson and Franson is a nice start for any NHL team. Add in prospect Korbinian Holzer (24), who is expected to take the place of the departed Luke Schenn as a stay-at-home defenseman next season and the Maple Leafs defense looks even stronger.

Prospects Morgan Rielly (18), Stuart Percy (19), Jesse Blacker (21) and Matthew Finn (18) give fans hope that there is reason to believe that the Maple Leafs backend could dominate in the not so distant future.

When it comes to prospects nothing is for certain, but NHL scouts are high on Rielly and Finn, while Blacker and Percy also look like legitimate future NHL players.

Rielly has the makings of a top-pairing defenseman with considerable offensive upside and a solid defensive side to his game. Finn projects to be more of a defensive defenseman, but his offense is developing at a quick pace. Percy looks to be a solid two-way defender, while Blacker is more of a positionally sound player,

All four prospects are said to have an above average hockey IQ, which should serve them well making the transition to the NHL.

The biggest upside looks to be with Rielly and Finn, both of whom were selected in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft with the number five and number 35 selections, respectively.

Where the Maple Leafs backend seems to be lacking is in the grit department. Both Phaneuf and Gunnarsson could step up the physical side of their games, an area where Phaneuf once excelled. At 6’2” and 196 pounds Gunnarsson has good size, but his mean streak is just not there yet.

The sleeper in the grit department is Holzer who, if he develops his craft, already has good size at 6’3” and 206 pounds. Known for his solid transition game, Holzer is not afraid to initiate contact and was a key member of the Toronto Marlies run to the Calder Cup Finals last season in a shutdown role.

Another wild card is 6’4”, 210 pound Mark Fraser. Fraser, who has spent some time in the New Jersey Devils organization, has the skating ability to be an NHL defenseman and is not afraid to lay the body on opposing forwards. This kid is a tough as they come and if given a chance could emerge as the Maple Leafs muscle on the backend. Fraser will compete for that role with Holzer and tough luck veteran Mike Komisarek as a stay-at-home defender.

At 6’4” and 243 pounds Mike Komisarek has the size the Maple Leafs so badly need on the backend, but injuries and an inability to keep up with opposing forwards has limited his play since his arrival to the Maple Leafs via free agency in 2009.

Once thought to be one of the better hitters in hockey, Komisarek (30) has looked like a shadow of the player he was when he played for the Montreal Canadiens. Should Komisarek continue to struggle on the ice it is widely believed he will be bought out or let go when he becomes a unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2013-14.

Should Komisarek find his way in the physical department the Maple Leafs defense gets noticeably better, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.

Still, with three very good pairings (Phaneuf—Gardiner, Gunnarsson—Rielly, Holzer—Finn) in the not so distant future and the likes of Franson, Stuart and Blacker pushing them, the Maple Leafs defense looks to be as good as any going forward, which is great news if you are a member of the Leafs Nation.

Given Burke’s organizational needs up front and between the pipes it may be tough for Burke to hold onto all of his defensive prospects as he may have to use one or more of them in trades, but he’ll weigh those options when the trades present themselves.

The future may still be a couple of seasons away, but Burke should be commended for assembling a terrific group of young talent on the backend from which he should see big dividends soon.

The future looks bright Toronto—at least on the blueline.

Until next time,

Peace!

Without question, both organizational needs are imperative to the teams success which, to the surprise of few, is yet to materialize as the Maple Leafs are yet to make the playoffs since Burke’s arrival in November of 2008.

Head coach Randy Carlyle will give off-season acquisition James van Riemsdyk a shot at centre this fall, but with JVR lacking experience at the position there are still plenty of questions to be answered.

Tyler Bozak did a solid job as the Maple Leafs de facto number one centre last season, but he too has his shortcomings. Meanwhile prospects like Nazem Kadri and Joe Colborne have yet to demonstrate that they are up for the task. There is hope that Kadri may emerge as a centre of consequence as early as next season, although Kadri looks better suited as a winger.

Anaheim Ducks star centre Ryan Getlaf has been rumored to be on the trading block, but thus far all the chatter about Getzlaf has been nothing more than fodder. With Getzlaf seemingly staying in Anaheim that means in order to fill the number one centre role Burke will have to rely on JVR, Kadri or Colborne to make the huge step, find a trading partner or get lucky in the free agent market next summer.

The smart money suggests Getzlaf will not be traded as the Ducks, while rumored to be in a money crunch, would probably be better served trading Bobby Ryan, who is not a centre.

Few NHL teams are lining up to trade their top centres, which means Burke’s best bet will likely be acquiring a centre via free agency. According to capgeek.com several centres will be UFA’s next summer with the likes of Getzlaf, Patrick Elias, Mike Ribeiro, Andy MacDonald, Derek Roy and Travis Zajac leading the way as the best centres available.

The problem is, most of those players will not make it to free agency. More likely they will re-sign with their current teams so landing any of them would be a crap-shoot at best.

At 27-years old, both Getzlaf and Zajac would appear to be the best options. Both players have plenty of upside left and have already demonstrated they can handle the pressure of being a number one centre with their respective teams. Roy (29) is a decent centre, but I am not so sure he is the right player for the Maple Leafs as he is better suited to a second line role where Toronto currently employs Mikhail Grabovski—whom I would like to see get a shot at the first line assignment.

That means Burke will have to rely on one of Getzlaf or Zajac making it to free agency, which might be wishful thinking.

Today’s NHL demands that you develop your own talent. Salary considerations and the uncertainty of the free agent market make it difficult for teams to upgrade, and with Toronto being a place many players want to avoid these days it is that much tougher for Burke to bring in quality players.

Toronto currently employs three centres that could potentially become UFA’s next summer in Tim Connolly, Tyler Bozak and Matthew Lombardi.

In the case of Connolly he has much to prove after a brutal season in 2011-12 with the Blue and White. Unless Connolly can raise the level of his game considerably Burke will likely turn his back on him, which would be fine with many Maple Leaf fans.

In the case of Lombardi, injuries took their toll on him last season and, much like Connolly, he will have to demonstrate the ability to raise his game before Burke would consider re-signing him.

Both Connolly and Lombardi have probably already played their best hockey and neither one seems capable of assuming the number one centre’s role, so its kinda of a moot point anyways.

Which brings us back to Getzlaf and Zajac—does anyone believe either player would want to come to Toronto?

Edmonton Oilers centre Sam Gagner might be a player that peaks Burke’s interest, but the Oilers are yet to make a serious effort to trade him. Should the San Jose Sharks fail to make the playoffs next season they may choose to go in the direction of a re-build which could see “Jumbo” Joe Thornton hit the trade market, but again, that may be more wishful thinking than anything.

Of course there is always the chance that Tampa Bay Lightning centre Vincent Lecavalier becomes available, but with his lofty salary I doubt Burke would be interested.

The David Backes rumors out of St. Louis went nowhere last season (and rightfully so), as did the Paul Stastny rumors out of Colorado.

While there may have been some truth to the Stastny rumors the return would have to be significant for the Avalanche to give him up. Try as I might, I cannot see the St. Louis Blues being interested in moving Backes.

Simply put, Burke looks to be behind the eight ball where acquiring a number one centre is concerned.

One thing Burke does have at his disposal is a deep pool of young prospects. That said, his best prospects would appear to be on defense with Morgan Rielly, Korbinian Holzer, Matthew Finn, Jesse Blacker and Stuart Percy leading the way.

Prospect Greg McKegg (a centre) is an interesting option, but he looks to be at least a full season away from being part of the conversation, maybe more.

Burke will have a laundry list of free agents to deal with over the next two summers with Joffrey Lupul becoming a UFA in 2013-14 followed by Phil Kessel and captain Dion Phaneuf in 2014-15.

Should Burke fail to improve the Maple Leafs dramatically there is a real risk that all three players will go to free agency and should Burke lose any of them his team will be impacted dramatically.

Imagine Lupul leaving, what would Kessel think? And if Kessel and Phaneuf hit the free agent market the following season, well, let’s not go there.

The point is there is a real urgency surrounding Burke’s ability to land a number one centre. If JVR or Kadri emerges Burke would feel very fortunate. Should both players fail, Burke has a bigger problem on his hands.

The past few summers have proven that the top free agents, while looking to line their pockets with buckets of cash, are also putting a priority on signing with top clubs/Stanley Cup contenders. No number one centre likely means the Maple Leafs miss the playoffs and few of the NHL’s top players are looking to sign with teams that will not contend for a Cup.

With many good prospects in the system the long term success of the Maple Leafs looks to be bright. That said, anytime you are talking about prospects there is no certainty whatsoever, so don’t bank on all of them working out.

Any way you slice it, the success of the Maple Leafs franchise is currently hinging on JVR and/or Kadri—how confident are you that either one of those players will emerge as a star?

Burke said this summer would be the most important one for him since signing with the Blue and White. Finding a number on centre would go a long way in securing his employment with the club, failure to do so might just spell the end of Burke.

Until next time,

Peace!