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Every year as the summer winds down i throw my golf clubs in the garage and get my seat ready for the regular sesaon, always full of hope and optimism. As a leafs fan it seems like the same thing every year shiny new players shadow what the roster really looks like. Yes on paper our goaltending is solid and our d core is top notch, then you hit the forward core, it's really just a bunch of question marks everyones dream is Kadri is a top teir guy right away but there for the most part is always growing pains (unless your Crosby,Malkin,Ovechkin) so one more year for him. Now Bozak our surprise of last season can he replicate what he did last year or flash in the pan. I think aquireing both Versteeg and Armstrong will help but they will only plug this need for a number one pivot for so long. So as a die hard leaf fan i think if we can aquire a number center such as Brad Richards who is such a pure passer he would go with Kessel like milk and cookies would really send Kessel into superstardom which would help some fans see why Burkie trade two picks to aquire him. Special teams such a woe and embarresment last year for leaf fans everywhere the powerplay should see an improvment with having Dion for a full year Nazem seems like a seemless man on the powerplay and Versteeg should pot a good few on the man advantage but i feel the powerplay can struggle if you have a solid PK because there wont be added pressure to score four or five goals a night so there is pressure off your powerplay I feel Burkie could help supplement the PK a bit more, sure a full year with Komisarek will create a very phisical player who blocks shots with the best of-em with Armstrong, Versteeg, Brown he has put together a better core of players who can kill penalties, but not all issues are solved none of these men play center, well Versteeg can but he wont kill every single penalty, so there are very good qulity players on the market who can kill penalties at the center position, mainly Ryan Johnson who i beleive is being overlooked by many teams Toronto should take a good look at him to be a main stay on their very slim PK. This Toronto team is however good enough i feel to slip into a playoff spot if Kessel pumps out 35-40 goals Bozak and Kadri play up to expectations and our goaltending doesnt crumble i feel these leafs should be a playoff bound team in the upcoming season.
Filed Under:   Toronto Maple Leafs  
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