Are the Leafs really that much better?
I will start by saying i am not a Leafs fan or even close to ever being one and i know i will likely get bashed for this article but so be it.
So far alot of Leafs fans have been saying how much better their team is compared to last season…how much they have improved this summer. Well i seem to remember the same talk last summer when Raycroft, Kubina, Gill and Peca were going to make them that much better and harder to play against but we all know how that turned out with Leafs fans now fighting to buy Raycroft and Kubina a ticket on the first plane out of town. Peca was injured so it’s hard to say how much of an impact he would have had if he had played a full season.
Now this summer we are again hearing how much the Leafs have improved with the additions of Toskala, Bell and Blake. Lets take a look at what each of those 3 players should bring.
Vesa Toskala: I think he is an upgrade over Raycroft but i don’t expect his numbers to be as good as they were in his starts with a much better overall team and contender in San Jose. The Sharks also played in a much more defensive style of play in the Western Conference against teams like Detroit, Calgary, Minnesota, Anaheim, Dallas and Vancouver among others that focused more on defense then offense. In other words don’t expect him to be a saviour in goal like Kipper became for the Flames when they aquired him from the Sharks with the roster the Leafs have right now. Toskala’s biggest flaw is said to be his lack of consistency and his repeat groin injuries could become a factor for him as a starter.
Mark Bell: I see this guy as another Jeff O’Neill for the Leafs. He has had some off ice problems and wasn’t able to contribute much to the Sharks playing with one of the best playmakers in the NHL Joe Thornton. Bell was mostly invisible all season and in the playoffs when he wasn’t a healthy scratch for the Sharks. He was added to the Toskala deal as a salary dump for the Sharks to make room for a better young player. Bell look more like a 3rd or 4th line grinder than a top 6 forward since leaving Chicago so Leafs fans should not have high expectations for this guy.
Jason Blake: Best move the Leafs made this summer to give Sundin a winger to play with, improve their PK and team speed all in one player. He had a career year last season but to expect this guy to score 40 goals again might be setting your hopes a bit too high as he is more of a 20 something goal scorer and 50 point guy a season. Blake is like a waterbug the way he plays using his speed to create chances and works hard but Leafs fans better hope he doesn’t lose a step as he gets older over the course of his contract because speed is a huge part of his game.
As for the rest of the team so far it looks pretty much the same with a physical stay at home shutdown defenseman missing while having too many offensive minded defenseman on the blueline. Kubina was a bad move to sign him last summer when they needed a Jay McKee type of defenseman so i don’t think the Leafs improved their biggest need which is a defenseman that can play in their in his own zone with decent speed. Another scoring winger for Sundin would also be a good idea.
Overall i think the Leafs improved but i still think they are not a lock for a playoff spot and will have to fight to get in. I don’t see them as cup contenders as they are unless they brought in like i said another scoring winger and one or two Jay McKee or Volchenkov type of defenseman to replace a McCabe or Kubina.
Go ahead bash away Leafs fans!!
Note to editor: I wasn’t able to put Jason Blake in bold so if you could do it, it would look alot better and you can delete this note too if you choose to post this article. Thanks.