The Toronto Maple Leafs are not a good hockey team.

We knew this, ignored it, and paid the price of missing expectations. Playoffs, while a nice goal, was not a realistic jump-off point for a team in Year One Point Five of a complete rebuilding.

The team’s best player, who they sold the future-farm to get, raising many an eyebrow in the process, is still young, inconsistent, and searching for chemistry with his teammates. How much of this can be blamed on Phil Kessel himself is up for debate, as his carousel of linemates have yet to play well enough to warrant a permanent spot beside him. There is no bigger Matt Stay-HAN fan than myself, but the results weren’t there. Maybe the infusion of youth alongside Kessel, via Nikolai Kulemin and Tyler Bozak, will reignite the flame we saw for a few weeks when he first debuted for the Leafs. Or maybe it won’t, and it will take until the offseason to find Kessel some linemates.

The goaltending situation also hasn’t cleared itself up at any point. Yes, Vesa Toskala is pretty bad (with a disgusting .870 SV%), but Jonas Gustavsson, the heir apparent to The Felix Potvin Memorial Throne of Toronto Goaltenders, has done nothing to differentiate himself (with a pedestrian .900 SV%). He hasn’t been bad by any stretch, but for a team searching for the long-term answer in net, The Monster has done little to prove he should be given a long-term extension at season’s end. I hope that changes between now and the summer.

The biggest disappointment of the season thus far has probably been Luke Schenn, who has regressed to the point that people have begun to criticize how he was used last year, when Toronto fans were handing him future Norris trophies. Schenn’s game lacks physicality (hit, goddamit, don’t lightly nudge) and he has looked largely confused and unaware, to the point that I’m expecting NHL 2010’s next roster update to drop his Awareness rating somewhere in the range of a manatee on skates. Schenn still has a lot of upside, but he was Franchise Building Block Number One, and hasn’t looked the part yet.

I’d like to say it hasn’t been all bad, because I was as guilty as anyone for getting over-optimistic in November. However…a defenseman (Tomas Kaberle) leads the team in points and is followed by a center everyone but me hates (Stay-HAN), a winger who has played with every combination of linemates and struck chemistry with nobody (Alexei Ponikarovsky, who obviously misses BFF Nik Antropov), a guy who seemingly scored all of his points in one week (Niklas Hagman), and The Human Spirograph (Jason Blake, King of the Failed Wraparound).

Oh sorry, Lee Stempniak, didn’t notice you there. Mikael Grabovski? Thought you were doing better, but whatever. And then we get to Phil Kessel. And Ian F’ing White.

And there’s your list of players on pace for even 40 points. Nobody is even on pace for 70. I’m not saying it’s bad to have a chunk of players in the 40-70 point range, because it isn’t, but those type of players are generally called your second and third line, not your shining stars.

Things could get better. Bozak has been called up, Kulemin has played better, Mike Komisarek and Carl Gunnarsson are close to returning, and maybe Gustavsson will be able to get into a groove playing on a regular basis without two-week breaks every six weeks. At the same time, maybe Viktor Stalberg and Christian Hanson will stick at the NHL level on their next call-up, and maybe someone on the Marlies will do enough to warrant a call up.

More importantly, maybe Brian Burke can shake things up between now and the Olympics. The team is obviously going to be shopping some players, and while I’m hesitant to deal Kaberle, they have to explore any option that brings back building blocks.

For fans, it’s important to remember where in the rebuilding process we are. Yes, the team is bad, and no, they don’t have a first round pick for a couple of years. The farm system isn’t the greatest, and Kessel hasn’t been awesome. But Kessel is still just 22, there are a few good apples in the bunch, and the team has a shit-tonne of salary cap space to play with in the offseason. It might not be Oklahoma City Thunder style, out-of-the-park rebuilding, but it’s a process, and unfortunately we’re expected to be patient.

It would be easier, of course, if we were treated to a few wins here and there.

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Follow me on Twitter, not that I’m ever on there.

That said, November was a much better month than October, both in terms of on-ice performance and reasons to be optimistic for the next four or five months of frozen agony. October brought a 1-7-4 record, November brought a 5-5-3 record, and the team sits at an uninspiring 6-12-7 overall (36.5% of possible points). Still, because of the NHL’s moronic insistence on rewarding teams for losing in overtime, the Leafs sit just seven points out of a playoff spot in the East. Don’t get it twisted, this is probably not a playoff team, but the realities of Bettman’s Hockey Funhouse are that teams can be pinned-to-the-bottom-in-cement-shoes for a long time and still float to the playoffs make a playoff run (see: St. Louis Blues, 2008-09).

As always, there are high points and low points with the current installment of the Leafs. Primarily, injuries on the defensive side have been an issue. Mike Komisarek, Jeff Finger, Carl Gunnarsson, Jonas Gustavsson, and Vesa Toskala have all spent time on the Injured List, which has prevented the team from settling into anything resembling a consistent lineup or rotation. Obviously, The Monster is the leading candidate to be the full-time goalie, but as recently as two weeks ago he was splitting time evenly with a streaking Toskala. On defense, injuries have provided opportunities for some (Ian F’ing White becoming a legitimate top-four D-man, Luke Schenn getting to play through his struggles, Gunnarsson’s debut), while also hindering cohesion between defense pairings. Luckily, Tomas Kaberle has played like a true number one defenseman and Francois Beauchemin has overcome some early-season struggles to prove his worth in the spotlight of his large contract.

On the offensive end, things are as difficult to piece together as ever, with the only constant being Phil Kessell’s point-per-game (almost) play and obvious penchant for sniping (and shooting, and shooting, and shooting…). Niklas Hagman has been hot of late, lending credence to why I’ve always thought him to have 25-goal potential, but the success may be short-lived in Toronto as I’m reading that there has been some serious interest in the almost-30 forward. While Hagman has been fun to watch, using him to acquire some younger pieces or picks makes sense, since it seems unlikely Hagman will be a top-player for the Leafs when they’re finally ready to compete (I’d like to say the same for Jason Blake, but that would mean he had played well at some point this year).

Elsewhere, Alexei Ponikarovsky’s skate blade falling off the other night is as close to poetic as you can find in the NHL. While he does have 15 points and a 28-goal pace, he has made very little impact and has made some question where he fits on the top lines (elsewhere, Nik Antropov has turned into an alleged playmaker, tallying 21 assists in 24 games for Atlanta…unrelated, but interesting). Mikhael Grabovski has put up 16 points despite struggles with teammates in practice and apparent poor chemistry with linemates. And, well, that’s about it for guys on pace for even 40 points, save for Kessell (76-point 82-game pace, on pace for 65 as it stands), Kaberle (a ridiculous 26-in-26), and the aforementioned Hagman (13-4-17), White (4-10-14), and, ughhh, Blake (2-12-14). And one more…

And here are a few little known facts about my second favorite Leaf (Ian F’ing White is number one, and should be for all of Leaf Nation):
*He’s been skewered in the media for years for not being a top-line center despite only having a 3rd-line-center’s skill set.
*He’s badling at age 25.
*My dad has been on my case for liking him since he joined the Leafs full-time in 2003.
*He’d be the captain of the team if not for constant trade speculation.
*He’s only making $1.75M, a pretty good deal compared to some on this squad.
*He’s one of more than a dozen FAs, but the only one I’m seriously concerned about re-signing.
*He is second on the team in points with 8-10-18 in 25 games, a 58-point pace that would see him net career highs in goals (26) as well as points.

And the most important bullet point…
*It’s pronounced Stayyyyy-HAN (c/o Jim Houston, NHL ‘08).

Is it a bad sign for Leaf Nation that my 31.7%-of-the-way Leafs update is focusing on a 3rd-line center who is probably headed elsewhere in the offseason or sooner? Maybe, but with a lot of positives and negatives and unknowns still floating around the team, focusing on an underappreciated bright spot was something I felt the need to do.

So 26 games into the season, I say well done, Matt Stajan, and here’s hoping December is kinder than November which was kinder than October…constant marginal improvements have the Leafs assymptotic to the playoffs! Wait, my math might be rusty but that term means getting close to but never reaching….nope, that sounds right!

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Follow me on Twitter, because you’re lame like me!

To sort out all of the eye candy the league has to offer, I came up with a rating system and a list of criteria in an effort to separate one hottie from the next. Each player can earn a total of five +/- points per category in each Performance, Physique, and Swagger, for a combined maximum total of +15 points.

I present to you, the Top 10 Sexiest Hockey Players in the NHL for the 2009-2010 season.

10. Mike Richards
Performance: [+3] The captain of the Flyers is worth $69 million over 12 years, the largest deal offered to a player in franchise history, which speaks volumes about his performance.
Physique: [+1] He’s got style and he’s decent to look at, I mean he’s not top of the radar when it comes to looks, but he’s still got that something.
Swagger: [-2] The guy seems like a bit of an ass, which is definitely an ‘offside.’ But I can’t say I know him on a personal level, so I’ll be conservative in my rating.
Combined Total: +2

9. The Staal Brothers
Performance: [+3] It’s a four-for-one deal with these guys; their dedication and work ethic are top of the class. For anything they may lack in skill (not a heck of a whole lot), they make up for with their unmatched strong will.
Physique: [+2] Mr. and Mrs. Staal must have a pretty hefty gene pool to produce four NHL calibre babies. They’re cute, sturdy farm boys, and the fact that there are four of them ups the ante.
Swagger: [+2] For being so personable and down to earth, I’ll give them a few.
Combined Total: +7

8. Vincent Lecavalier
Performance: [-2] Vinny came off of a season high 108 points in the 2006-07 season, and has been dropping ever since. He’s definitely hit a slump this year – he’s even been dropped from the first to the third line. Until Vinny can live up to the C on his jersey, his performance points stand in the negative zone.
Physique: [+5] Can we say goo-goo, ga-ga, baby? (drools)
Swagger: [+4] He’s certainly got the swag. However, there are times when he gets a bit hot headed.
Combined Total: +7

7. Jason Spezza
Performance: [+3] He’s on the number one scoring line for the Ottawa Senators; puts points up on the board, can’t ask for much more than that.
Physique: [+3] He had a modelling career as a five year old with Minute Maid and Kmart amongst others…that’s hot.
Swagger: [+3] He’s got a heart of gold, and he might have one of the nerdiest laughs in the league.
Combined Total: +9

6. Sidney Crosby
Performance: [+5] Sid’s performance is his chief proprietor. He’s the youngest captain in history to win a Stanley Cup, he’s won the Art Ross, Hart, and Lester B Pearson awards, and played for the All Star team as well as Team Canada. He is already well on his way this season; he’s been destined to be the next Great One since the age of…like, 10.
Physique: [+5] What’s there not to like?
Swagger: [-1] He doesn’t have any. He’s been groomed to play it safe since the age of…like, six. He’s predictable, and his interviews are as cliché as they come.
Combined Total: +9

5. Dion Phaneuf
Performance: [+4] Wearing an A for the Flames, he’s by far the hardest hitting physical presence in the league. At 6’3, 215 lbs he’s rock solid. His only downfall may be the one sidedness of his game.
Physique: [+4] Rough and tough…gotta love it.
Swagger: [+3] It pains me not to give him a perfect five, because Dion is the definition of swagger. He unquestionably walks the walk – he’s a quiet force to be reckoned with, and he’s got the cover of NHL ’09, which ups his swagger points for sure. His only baggage: Elisha ‘sloppy seconds’ Cuthbert.
Combined Total: +11

4. Ryan Getzlaf
Performance: [+4] Alternate captain of the Ducks, he’s got a Stanley Cup ring, and two World Juniors Championships to his name.
Physique: [+3] He’s got the perfect frame, but it’s the Dracula-like receding hairline/slightly bald spot on the back of his head that significantly brings him down. Spiked gel tips were out of style in the ‘90s too, Ryan.
Swagger: [+5] He’s more of a vocal figure than most guys, which earns him some serious go ahead points. He’s honest and straight forward, funny, and humble. His brother plays in the CFL, his girlfriend is cute, he loves country music, and cooking…what more can a girl ask for?
Combined Total: +12

3. Mike Fisher
Performance: [+4] A rugged two way forward wearing an A for the Senators. Not the best stats in the league, but enough to get him recognized.
Physique: [+4] Just take a look at those baby blues…and the flow, and the body, and the…everything.
Swagger: [+4] Well, he’s dating Carrie Underwood which automatically puts his swagger factor up. He’s well spoken with a head on his shoulders, and as a devout Christian he writes the book of different passages on his stick. Amen.
Combined Total: +12

2. Luke Schenn
Performance: [+3] Schenn hasn’t done anything wrong per say, but he hasn’t exactly done anything noteworthy either – granted the D-man is only in his second season with the Leafs. He plays a sound defensive game and dubbed as the ‘human eraser,’ he gets down to the grime when he needs to…for that he’s awarded points.
Physique: [+5] Absolutely gorgeous. Period.
Swagger: [+5] He’s well spoken, well dressed, and well behaved; an overall sweetheart. He’s got grit, just at all the right times. Have to give him some extra credit for being on a Toronto team, too. Time will tell if he can maintain his innocence in the league…lets hope.
Combined Total: +13

1. Jarome Iginla
Performance: [+5] His performance is hands down some of the best in the league. He throws huge numbers up for his team, and although he doesn’t go picking fights he’ll drop the mitts when he’s needed. He’s a five-time NHL All Star, the Calgary Flames all-time leader for games played, points, and goals, and he has represented Canada on an international level several times. He’s also the recipient of the Lester B. Pearson, Art Ross, and Rocket Richard trophies.
Physique: [+4] He’s not perfect to me, but he is sure as hell close.
Swagger: [+5] Iginla is the definition of an All-Canadian hockey player, which is the main reason he sits in the top spot on the list. He’s genuine, humble and polite, yet demands an unspoken sense of respect – just an overall class act. He’s shown his loyalty to the Calgary Flames entering into his 14th season with the team; he has won various leadership and humanitarian awards.
Combined Total: +14

Honourable Mention
Tuomo Ruuto – Carolina Hurricanes
Shane O’Brien – Vancouver Canucks
Brent Burns – Minnesota Wild

Upon closer reflection, it was the month as a whole that I was optimistic about, beginning with a “momentum” game against the Wild. The Leafs faltered badly, and followed up with a “measuring stick” type of loss to the Blackhawks and a “shoot me now” type of loss to the Flames. That is, the Leafs hung in there with a better Chicago team, but followed it up with a loss to Calgary despite severely outplaying them. This type of stomach-punch loss has been commonplace for Toronto this season, though this particular 40-22 shot advantage in a 5-2 loss was excruciating.

With last week’s intense face-slap now behind us, the Leafs sit at 3-10-5 and four points out of 28th in the league. While November could still be a promising month (Carolina is a must-win on Thursday, though), it might be time to shift our collective focus just a little bit, and appreciate a few smaller points to get over last week’s disaster.

The first place to look is at defenseman Carl Gunnarsson. Called up before Saturday’s game to fill in for the injured Mike Komisarek, Gunnarsson logged 21:18 of ice time, more than any other D-man not named Kaberle. While he only had two points in 12 AHL games with the Marlies so far, the Leafs are apparently very high on the former 7th round draft pick. Gunnarsson had just 29 points in 150 professional games in Sweden, too, but the scouting reports insist he could be a power play quarterback. I haven’t seen enough to judge for myself yet, but everything I’ve read says that the strong performance Saturday night was probably not an aberration; Gunnarsson indeed has top-pair potential on the blueline. It sure sounds as if he’s up to stay, as well, probably at the expense of Exelby and Finger, and his pairing with Luke Schenn could be an interesting wrinkle to follow over the next few weeks.

One has to wonder if the success of this move will beget another. Jay Rosehill, Jamal Mayers, Colton Orr, and Wayne Primeau have combined for just three points in 43 games, while Christian Hanson (5-8-13 in 14 games), Mike Zigomanis (0-13-13 in seven games), Viktor Stalberg (3-4-7 in six games), and others (like Tyler Bozak, Ryan Hamilton, even Andre Deveaux) have performed admirably with the Marlies.

In addition to Gunnarsson and the potential at the AHL level, Leafs Nation has the continued progression of Jonas Gustavsson to follow. He was yanked for the first time in his NHL career on Saturday after allowing three quick goals to Calgary, but it was his first real setback since returning from injury on October 26. His .903 SV% is a better indicator than his 3.06 GAA right now, and it sure seems he has performed even better than that SV% would suggest (though this could be blind homerism rearing its head).

And finally, the Leafs still have numerb one pick Nazem Kadri to watch. In fact, I braved a terrible case of the sniffles and a raspy cough to see Kadri in action against the Kitchener Rangers Friday night. I came away pretty impressed with his performance, though a one-game sample is admittedly very small. The Rangers are a good team, and Kadri can hardly be blamed for the 6-4 loss (Kadri even managed a plus-1 rating). The Knights spent most of the game shorthanded (nine times) or on the power play (five times), which actually gave me an even longer look at Kadri, as the Knights used him in a variety of ways.

At even strength, Kadri is deployed as your typical centerman, and does a good job getting involved in the play at both ends. On the penalty kill, he sees a fair amount of time at center and did not look out of place, though the Knight penalty kill did surrender three goals. The power play is where I was most impressed, as Kadri took on a dual role and never left the ice. Seriously, he played every second of every power play. At times, he would take the faceoff and then drop into the pivot point position at the boards-side top of the faceoff circle, being used as an intermediary only between the lone defenseman and a winger in the corner. Kadri’s passing was crisp, and he tallied an assist out of this position, but I had two concerns: first, Kadri has a tendency to turn his back to the penalty killers; and second, he seems too skilled a playmaker to be used strictly as a go-between setting up point shots. This was evident when he played a more typical center role on the powerplay, at which point he would buzz around most of the offensive zone trying to create plays. For the Leafs, Kadri will probably be asked to play a more typical role, setting up the point-men and Phil Kessel, probably near the corner. Still, it was encouraging to see Kadri used effectively in so many different ways.

In terms of NHL-potential, I think the scouting report on him now would read the same as in the preseason – his skills are NHL-ready (11-8-19 in 19 games), and he needs just a bit more size and seasoning before he’s Leaf-ready. Oh, and he also took a penalty for leaving his feet on a hit late in the game…probably a frustration penalty down 5-2 at the time.

So while the Leafs may not be much on the ice as of late, or at all so far this season…or anytime in the neat future…there are bright spots. Youngsters like Gunnarsson and Gustavsson continue to be interesting, Phil Kessel continues to impress, Nazem Kadri is worth following, and I just found out the Leafs have upwards of $20M in cap space this summer! So…y’kno…try to stay positive…?

October 25 (0-7-1) 8/82 of What We’ll Know: I Shouldn’t Have Come Back to Hockey Fanhood
October 27 (1-7-1) 9/82 of What We’ll Know: Holy F’N S! OMG They Won! ROFL BAHAHA I’ve Lost IT! GO LEAFS WHOOOO!
November 4th (1-7-5) 13/82 of What We’ll Know: As Much as I Hate a Point for an OT Loss, It Is Saving Toronto

As it is, today (3-7-5) the title is as above. Things are looking just a little bit brighter and more promising than a week or two weeks or three weeks ago. The Leafs have a few wins, haven’t lost in regulation in seven games (Is this worth boasting about? Yes.), and now sit tied for 28th in the NHL, with a chance to claim sole possession of 27th with a win tonight against the almost-as-lowly Minnesota Wild.

So what have we learned through 15/82 (18.3%) of the season?

Well for one thing, the oft-misguided uber-optimism of Leafs Nation during the preseason might not have been so misguided after all. Over the past seven games, the team has played a more inspired and up-tempo brand of hockey, rallying around the debut of high-profile acquisitions Phil Kessel and Jonas Gustavsson. While a 3-0-4 run over seven games is hardly impressive, it is a reminder of what fans thought this team could be before the season started – a scrappy team that others don’t really want to play, and a team that might just have the “truculence” to sneak into the playoffs.

From where we’re sitting now, it seems an uphill battle. Luckily, there are 67 games remaining and a lot more to look forward to. With Gustavsson locked in as the starter and looking much better than in his short pre-injury audition, the team has been better able to hold leads and build momentum from their own end out. Additionally, Kessel has looked good and promises that he will improve…after all, this is essentially still his pre-season. Finding him appropriate linemates remains a challenge, but at the very least he’s found a home on the league’s best(!?!) powerplay unit.

Speaking of which, Tomas Kaberle has been an absolute marvel on the powerplay, tallying a league-best 12 powerplay points. In fact, Kaberle leads all defensemen in points with 18, which, because of the somewhat poor accounting method that is plus-minus, hides the fact that he has been stellar despite his -4 rating.

Other bright spots include the improving play of Mikhail Grabovski and the revelation that is Ian White, a long-shot to finish 2008-09 with the team but a clear top-4 defenseman since.

An additional bright spot is the play of the youngsters on the Toronto Marlies, who sit at 6-4-1 buoyed by the point-a-game paces of Christian Hanson, Michael Zigomanis, Jiri Tlusty, and Viktor Stalberg. Unfortunately, Stalberg and Tlusty have combined for just one point in 10 games with the Leafs, but one has to question if this AHL “positive” is simply another reason to question why some of these youngsters aren’t with the big league club.

Oh, and Nazem Kadri has 10 goals and six assists in 16 games with the OHL’s London Knights. I hope to have a better progress report after I see him in action Friday in Kitchener. But the Leafs are right, trust, he shouldn’t be with the Leafs yet.

Obviously, the Leafs have a way to go still….they’re in 28th place, and Leaf Nation is celebrating to a degree. However, the next little while provides more room for optimism, as the Leafs could close out November on quite a positive note. Their schedule for the rest of the month is pictured below.

There is a very winnable game against the Wild tonight, followed by a tough set against Chicago, Calgary, and Ottawa. After that stretch, though, the Leafs play just one team above .500 in their next five, and that is the possibly-Ovechkin-less Capitals. Not to get carried away…wait, carried away, am I not a Leaf fan? Let me get carried away…a 6-4 record is absolutely possible over the rest of the month, and while that would only sit the Leafs at 9-11-5, it would be a far cry from what the team was looking at a few weeks ago.

Obviously, the team has to take the momentum they’ve gained and push forward with it. Tonight’s game against a beatable team will be huge for both morale and momentum. A loss sends them into a tough three-game stretch on a sour note, while a win gives them a winning ‘streak’ and possibly a sense of a fresh start with October behind them. You can never really say 1/82 is more important than another 1/82 of your season, but tonight is a curiously important contest.

We are just about three weeks into the season and our most beloved, and also most hated, NHL hockey franchise are winless in their first seven games of the season. Every hockey analyst has Toronto as the 30th ranked team in the league, and at 0-6-1 it is difficult to argue.

By going 6-3 in the preseason Toronto led the Eastern Conference with 12 points…mind you, that was the preseason. Leafs fans had reason to be optimistic heading into the regular season, as this team was exciting, fast, tough, and, despite Vesa Toskala’s best efforts, kept the puck out of the net. Now the big question: What changed between then and now?

Lets quickly review whom the Maple Leafs have played up to this point:

Montreal Canadiens (3-5-0)
Pittsburgh Penguins (8-1-0)
New York Rangers x 2 (7-2-0)
Washington Capitals (4-2-2)
Colorado Avalanche (6-1-2)
Ottawa Senators (5-2-0)

Combined Record: 33-13-4 (40-15-4 if you double-count the Rangers)

Now looking at those stats, can you blame the Maple Leafs for starting 0-6-1? I’m not making excuses for them but that seems like a difficult beginning to any team’s season, let alone a team which is optimistically supposed to battle for the 8th playoff spot in the East.

After those seven games it’s evident that this team needs to stay out of the penalty box and players need to start taking accountability for their actions. The coach can be blamed to a certain degree but someone needs to step up in that dressing room and point the finger at certain individuals. For this team to succeed from this point forward, veteran players, in particular Tomas Kaberle, Matt Stajan, Jason Blake, Jamal Mayers and Vesa Toskala, need to show why they are NHL players, because so far I have not seen it. By the same token, free agent signings of Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin need to elevate their game and help keep the puck out of their net.

Going into Saturday’s game in Vancouver, the Leafs have scored a league worst 14 goals while at the same time allowing 32, another leagues worst. This team desperately needs to get its act together if they hope to live up to the expectations of the coach, general manager, and most importantly the fans.

As one of many die hard Leafs fans across the nation, I feel it’s time we start becoming contenders for hockey’s most coveted trophy, and I am optimistic that in the next five years we will see a run at the Stanley Cup. Those calling this a disappointing start to the season need to realize that the Leafs will not win the cup this year, nor are we a team that will finish in the bottom five to have a shot at the #1 overall draft pick.

Phil Kessel, is he worth what we gave up? I agree with Mr. Burke with this move. This team has shown in the pre season it has depth in the organization and Phil Kessel has proven he can score at the NHL level. Two 1st rounders and this years 2nd rounder is a hefty price but I look at it like this:

Nazem Kadri, watching this kid play as a Kitchener Ranger, London Knight, and in the preseason, this guy is a superstar in the making. His speed, hockey awareness, and aggression make me believe this guy will be a 100 point scorer in the league.

Tyler Bozak, why this guy did not make the team in the first place puzzles me. He was arguably the best Leaf player in the preseason with Viktor Stalberg and can definitely help the Leafs Penalty Killing.

Christian Hanson, showed at the end of last season he can make an impact at the NHL level and paired with Stalberg and Bozak provided the Leafs with a scoring threat every time they stepped on the ice. (Editor’s note: And a Party Threat in Downtown TO!)

Carl Gunnarsson, the future quarterback of the Leafs power play? It can be argued so after watching Kaberle this season, so why not call him up and see what he can do? He needs some experience playing the North American game but there is no reason to think that he will not be an impactful defensemen who will be NHL-ready by the end of the year.

Jonas Gustavsson, “The Monster”, FINALLY!! The Leafs have a 6’+ goalie that can fill up the net in the butterfly. For the record, last year the Leafs had two of the shortest goalies in the league. This kid has done nothing but impress me in his four appearances in a Leafs jersey. In my opinion, he is the Leafs number one goalie right now.

With this, Leafs fans, moving forward I am not at all concerned with the 09-10 installment of the Buds. A great coaching staff and a proven general manager will help the Leafs overcome this lackluster start, and I for one hold the combination of their difficult schedule and underperforming veterans responsible. Those are two issues that don’t necessarily dampen the future outlook and I truly believe the Maple Leafs are better than their record shows.

I put quotations around injury because a large part of the problem with Vesa is clearly mental, so this may be an early-season vacation more than anything. He spent his summer hearing the sport’s largest media market rip him to shreds, and he’s been booed on several occasions already. His playing style isn’t conducive to a lack of confidence, as his size is not such that he can afford to cower in his crease or look around defenders. Instead, he is bested suited to be aggressive, something he has not shown the willingness, confidence, or ability to do thus far.

I was a Toskala supporter in the offseason, but at the same time, Brian Burke spent a big chunk of energy and money chasing The Monster, and it doesn’t make sense to have him sitting on the bench while the starter struggles. If not for his own groin problems, the situation would be pretty clear – let Gustafsson sink or swim while Toskala heals up.

Instead, Joey Mac got the call (with James Reimer backing up in an emergency) against Colorado. It was ugly, and mostly unlucky, but he didn’t exactly solidify his roster spot when all parties are healthy, either.

So what is the team to do? A very light schedule over the next 10 days sees the Leafs play only on consecutive Saturdays…so it’s conceivable that the entire goaltending carousel could be ready to go a game from now on the 14th against the Canucks. If that’s the case, I don’t think Ron Wilson can roll with Toskala. The team clearly needs a shake-up, and while I’m not a proponent of radical changes this early in the season, and though I know poor defensive play is afoot for this team as well, the team and the fan-base is clearly uninspired with Toskala at the helm.

You put the work in to sign Gustafsson, and you need to find out if he’s the real deal for the future. If Toskala has been quit on by the city or even some of the players, there’s nothing wrong with a winless team expediting the development of one of it’s potential stars in The Monster.

Toronto Maple Leafs and The Kids Are Alright
Like the goaltending situation, there is really no reason for the Leafs to not be going with a youth movement right now. The excitement and performance in the preseason was buoyed by a roster of young players, yet the opening day roster saw few of them on the ice. Fans have been asking for names like Bozak and Hanson to get regular playing time, yet Wilson continues to roll with Jamal Mayers et al. I don’t have anything against any of these players, and every team needs one or two, but there is no need for what amounts to a lineup full of checking lines.

Mayers (47:09), Rosehill (29:24), Orr (43:33), and Primeau (15:09) have all logged minutes with some regularity, while players I consider to be 3rd or 4th line material have logged very serious minutes, in Mitchell (100:22) and Stempniak (111:49). Yes, Stempniak has played well so far and is a decent player. Yes, Mitchell seems pretty popular and isn’t an awful player. Yes, the aforementioned four are part of the Truculence Movement.

However, Bozak had a phenomenal preseason, and Hanson has shown he can play at the NHL level. There’s no reason for the team to not have these two on the roster while the paragraph above remains true. Bozak is allegedly being sent down after his one-game stint, and I have heard no talk of Hanson being called up any time soon.

Wilson’s hands may be tied with some of the veterans (e.g. Jason Blake) in terms of roster spots or even playing time (after all, you have to play your way out of a slump, they say), and you certainly don’t want your youngsters playing just a few minutes a game. But at some point, if the team is looking for an energy and morale boost, giving these two (and others?) a permanent roster spot has to be seriously considered.

Just quickly while we’re here – I do not support a Nazem Kadri call up. While he did show he can play in the NHL already, a year in London with a great coach and no obligations outside of hockey and the weight room should have him in a much better position for 2010-11 than a stint with the Leafs would. Again, he is good enough to play now, but the team isn’t playing for this year, and this is a better move for his development.

George Laraques and High Octane Drama
This is what all the controversy is about. Seriously. And it’s not that he’s advertising alcohol, or the fact that this drink is probably TOO AWESOME (7% alcohol and an energy drink!). No, apparently this is sexist and inappropriate for a role model to take part in. Yawn.

I have almost no comment. There’s nothing wrong with this…it’s a minor campaign, it’s fun, not unusual, and for all intents and purposes Laraques is generally a pretty damn good role model and ambassador for the sport (and for animal rights!).

This just pisses me off and I needed to bring it up. Get off of it already.

Pat LaFontaine and NHL Rule Change Priorities
In a recent interview with Yahoo, former NHLer (and personal favorite) Pat LaFontaine suggested the NHL adopt a new power play system for late in games. The aim of the change would be to increase the strategic element late in games, while also increasing late-game excitement, especially in close games. (LaFontaine also liked the shootout idea well before it went into effect, but I’ll forgive him for that.) His idea is such:

“Maybe if there’s five minutes to go in the third period, if there’s a penalty taken, maybe there’s an optional penalty shot?

Here are your options: You either get one penalty shot or a two minute penalty where the player doesn’t come out of the box. You have a chance to go for two goals instead of maybe one goal. But what if the penalty occurs with, say, 30 seconds left in the game? What it does is allow some excitement into the game. You need to put the breakaway back in the game.”

While I appreciate the ingenuity and the reasoning behind it, such a radical change has two major issues facing it: first, that the idea is somewhat complicated, to the point it could be confusing to introduce to casual fans; second, that there is a bigger regulation problem facing the NHL than power plays.

Seriously, I like the idea, and would love to see real economic strategy involved in hockey in a more explicit way, but if the NHL is going to make a major rule change, I think it should take place in the standings.

The current system rewards two points for any win, zero points for a regulation loss, and one point for an Overtime or Shootout loss. What this creates is a situation where both teams can benefit from longer and closer games. That is, in a standard game there are only two points up for grabs, and it’s all or nothing. Now, there are two OR three points up for grabs. Game Theory suggests that the equilibrium would see both teams play for a regulation tie, based on the payoff matrix below. This is especially true for games against non-Conference opponents, since you are not giving the extra point to anyone relevant, as the second matrix displays, where the plus/minus in parentheses represents hypothetical points gained in the conference standings compared to the opposition.

This is a pretty big problem. From a competition standpoint, teams are playing for a tie more often and are thereby less competitive. For entertainment value, it means more OT and Shootouts, but the league’s goal needs to be the highest level of competition.

LaFontaine’s change is a nice suggestion, but first the league needs to structure the standings so that all outcomes distribute the same amount of points (such as three for a regulation win, two for an OT/SO win, one for an OT/SO loss, and zero for a regulation loss).

Yours Truly and A Return to the Ice
I have a full set of gear. I will play hockey for the first time in five years in the next week or so. I couldn’t be more excited…don’t call it a comeback!

1/82, or 1.2195%, is an awfully small glimpse of the overall picture. Still, if we are to take opening night lessons to be of any greater importance than a 47th-game’s lessons (and we all sure treated Game 1 that way), then we have some positive and negative things to look forward to when it comes to this year’s incarnation of the White and Blue.

The Leafs fell 4-3 in overtime to the Montreal Canadiens last night, an outcome that is surely disappointing and not necessarily deserved. The Leafs outplayed the Canadiens throughout the night; they won battles for loose pucks, controlled the time of attack, out-shot Montreal by a wild margin, and looked physically superior to the small-but-quick Habs. Still, records are all that matter and good efforts are essentially for naught, so the Leafs must take the OT loss for what it is – a single point, a disappointment, and an early building block for a team that is still carving out an identity together.

In the preseason, the identity was fairly clear – not quite a goon squad, but not the softy Leafs we have become accustomed to this decade. The Four Burkisms reigned supreme when discussing the Leafs, and they appeared last night to be every bit pugnacious, truculent, belligerent, and bursting with testosterone (and intestinal fortitude, a fifth Burkism I’m throwing in the ring). The Leafs played hard, dropped the mitts on three occasions, and were the physically dominant team. And this came with their 4th line playing but two minutes of the game.

If we are to pick out any one positive from last night, you would skip past the inspiring play of the top line of Matt Stajan/Jason Blake/Viktor Stalberge (please pronounce it Stay-Han…and while we’re on the subject, Rickard Wallin is to be referred to only in a Jim Jones-esque Wall-IN! [not Wall-een]). Instead, you’d look to when Travis Moen ran Vesa Toskala late in a play. Toskala was immediately to his feet, readying his blocker to deliver a shot to protect himself. After all, last year he was expected to protect himself and his goal area. This time, though, potential captain Mike Komisarek was already laying the meathooks to Moen before Toskala could make his move.

A single play picked out of 60 minutes of action, yes, but it was this kind of tone-setting behavior, lead all night by Komisarek, that has Leaf Nation excited for things to come.

There were some negatives, of course. Luke Schenn and Francois Beauchemin didn’t appear to mesh well together, though they’ll have to quickly, and Schenn in particular was beaten on two plays that lead to Canadiens’ goals. Komisarek, the de facto leader of the crew last night, was at times overaggressive, amassing 15 penalty minutes and being in the box for two Montreal goals. And while he looked good at times, fans eager for the Jonas Gustafsson Era to begin will point to the fact that Toskala allowed four goals on 27 shots, creating a .852 save percentage that is too familiar compared to his poor 2008 numbers.

Again, we have but a glimpse of what the 2009 Leafs season will hold at this point. Question marks and potential additions like Gustafsson and the AHL-bound Hanson, Kulemin, Bozak, and the impending debut of key acquisition Phil Kessel loom over the roster.

We don’t know yet if the physicality will translate into intimidation and victories, or if there is enough offensive talent to match last year’s 10th ranked scoring output. We don’t know if the excitement surrounding the team leading up to last night will be a consistent buzz, or if the expectations placed on the team locally are too great.

We do know, though, that the games will be fun to watch, that the playoffs seem a possibility, and that the team has a few baby steps to take before we all start looking at the big 82-game picture. After all, we only know 1/82 of what we will by season’s end.

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What? Hell yeah I self promote and cyber-stalk athletes, wrestlers, and rappers via Twitter! I sign on like twice a week, so it’s really easy to follow me.

Allow me to take you back to give you a better grasp of just how grandiose a statement this is. And it is, trust.

As a kid, I was 100% hockey all the time. And I don’t mean just for sports – for everything. I did nothing but play hockey, road hockey, and hockey on Sega, I re-enacted games, watched every Saturday night, and talked about nothing but hockey. Hell, I honestly learned how to do math as a kid from crunching hockey stats.

From birth right up until about 17, I was nothing but hockey, all the time. High-school kind of opened my eyes to more sports, but I still primarily played hockey and watched hockey. At 17 or 18, basketball and baseball became pretty obvious interests, but hockey was still held above all else.

I was, basically, a normal Canadian when it came to sports.

Well…the lockout happened. And I know it’s cliché and kind of bull-shitty to blame the lockout, but I can’t help but feel it was the root cause of the dissolution of my relationship with hockey. Foremost, I went away to school that year. I had no hockey equipment with me and therefore didn’t have playing the game to maintain my interest. Additionally, Saturday nights were devoid of hockey, replaced instead with partying. I got a glimpse of what first year could have been like during international play, where groups of freshmen gathered in residence to cheer together…I imagine this would have made for a lot of great Saturday night pre-drink sessions had there been an NHL season. I felt robbed.

But more importantly, I didn’t really miss it. Basketball became my go-to game, baseball (summer) and football (Sundays) took a pretty strong seasonal hold, too, and I didn’t miss hockey much at all.

When the NHL returned from the lockout, I hardly noticed. I didn’t watch any. None. I felt at once guilty and free. Guilty because it seemed like I was turning my back on my childhood, my friends, and Canada by not watching (this is no exaggeration, I actually felt traitorous), and free because I had found other sports that I enjoyed as much or more, without feeling the intense grasp hockey has on Canada. Basketball was my own now, baseball and football were strong passions, and hockey fell by the wayside.

In the two years that followed, I watched hockey only socially (enough to compete in fantasy leagues, basically), and enough to talk shop with my Dad during World Juniors. Last year I followed a little closer, thanks in part to my Dad, some deadline coverage I did, NHL 2009, and my yeah-everyone-has-it-but-I’m-still-calling-it-mine man-love for Alexander Ovechkin.

My relationship with hockey had, it seems, transitioned from “serious high-school sweethearts,” to “she hooked up with my best friend and we didn’t speak for two years,” to “long-distance limits us to occasional hook ups,” to “hook up on drunk nights after the bar or when nobody else is around.” And now, it has come full circle, and hockey and I are kind of seeing each other again. Casually, of course.

Because this offseason, something has clicked. I’m not sure what happened, when, or why, but I followed along much closer to the going-ons of the league this summer. I have renewed my love for the Toronto Maple Leafs, having fallen for Brian Burke’s vision of a hard-nosed team of youngsters to grind out victories. I find myself anticipating the fantasy season, the first drop of the puck next week, and every Saturday night from there on. I’m excited about hockey for the first time since high school.

Maybe this is a Jordan-Wizards kind of return, and hockey simply won’t be able to compete with the NBA and NFL on the level it did before. Maybe this is a Gretzky-coaching kind of return, and the fit just isn’t right anymore. But maybe, this is a Jay-Z-Blueprint 3, “yeah he’s still got it, but not quite at the level he was at before” kind of return.

And hey, y’all can hope, because the NHL needs me back. A league with an entire country as a fan base but little attention outside its borders can use every hardcore fan it can get…and hey, I have a keyboard and a website, too! Not that this matters…I’m but one fan, and I’m not even sure how this happened.

I can’t explain this. It is likely because I was raised on the game, and the fact that hockey is a great game, but I’m back. I’m not sure if this will translate to more hockey writing, or even more hockey discussion on my part, but I’ll certainly be watching more. Most importantly, I’ll be caring more.

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What? Hell yeah I self promote and cyber-stalk celebrities via Twitter! I sign on like twice a week, ya! You can follow me here.

In direct competition with the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball League (NBA), and even NASCAR and different soccer leagues, the NHL could use all of the publicity it can get. Other top dog leagues consistently sell out games not simply for the majority of their teams, as in the NHL, but for each and every one of their franchise clubs.

Take Jim Ballsille for example, who’s been no stranger to headlines this offseason. He’s spent the last however many months trying to convince Gary Bettman that he can turn the Phoenix Coyotes into a profitable franchise. The saga continues, and I’m sure will remain until Ballsille is granted access into the elite gentleman’s club of NHL owners.

Aside from the legal drama, the Great One made headlines as he retired from his head coaching position with the Coyotes. The National Hockey League Player’s Association (NHLPA) also got a bit of a face lift, firing Paul Kelly as executive director, and his assistant stepping down thereafter.

Then there’s Dany Heatley. Who demand to be traded from the Ottawa Senators, only to be placed on the roster of the previous President’s Trophy winners, the San Jose Sharks.

In other trading news, two of the Montreal Canadien’s best – Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev, got traded to Anaheim and Ottawa respectively. The Habs in turn picked up a big name seen in Mike Cammalleri, and other top players such as Rob Neidermeyer went to New Jersey, and Jay Bouwmeester to Calgary.

When it comes to headlines, the Toronto Maple Leafs always seem to have something interest-worthy. After making it quite clear last year that they had no intentions of making the play-offs, the Leaf‘s front office seems to be more than confident in their team’s performance this season. Brian Burke has made competitive moves to bring together a team of gritty players.

From signing ex-Bruin Phil Kessell, to bringing in the Swedish Monster, Jonas Gustavsson – regarded as the best goalie not playing in the NHL – Toronto, dare I say it, looks to be a play-off contender this year.

Additionally, Tomas Kopecky and Marian Hossa went to the Chicago Black Hawks who seemed to have been plagued with one too many negative headlines this summer.

It was rather embarrassing when eight of the team’s restricted free agents failed to receive their qualifying offers as a result of improper document filing.

Shortly after, the team’s experienced general manger Dale Tallon was fired only to be replaced by Scotty Bowman’s son Stan. It’s hard to say whether or not he was let go simply because of his inadequacies, or if it had anything to do with Mr. Bowman’s status.

Then there’s the whole Patrick Kane beating up a cab driver incident, where apparently he and his cousin beat up the driver over an alleged 20 cent fare dispute. The 2007 number one overall draft pick plead guilty to the charges and went on to apologize to the world, and give the team unprecedented media attention.

With all of the news the league has developed off the ice, the season is shaping up to be an exciting one. And the attention of the public is nothing to shy away from.