The Answer is Staring at MSLE's face!
Posted 4:22 PM ET | Comments 0
If the Leafs would like to make it to the playoffs or have a good shot at it they will have to improve on the PK and overall goals against. You may think Toronto is awful 5 on 5 but thats not the case at all they were a +11 and that was good 13 overall in the NHL. The reason they were down in the GA department is because of the PK being ranked 25 in the NHL. It not only hurt the team in the GA column but is the reason why they missed the playoffs. How John Ferguson Junior will address this will be interesting. He has already signed Vesa Toskala to a new extension and is looking to move Andrew Raycroft. Now that helps the Goaltending problem but what about the defense? Well with Kubina, Kaberle and McCabe making more then 14 million altogether it is unlikely JFJ will add another defensemen.
Now looking up front if the buds have Stajan, Steen, Devereaux, Ponikarovsky, Kilger, Pohl, Battaglia and Sundin to kill penalties. Here is where the problem is Stajan only wins 46% of his faceoffs and Sundin isn’t a regular in the PK unit. Now you would want a third line centre who can kill penalties, good on faceoffs and play against the teams best line. Well he’s staring the Leafs right in the face. He’s upset about not getting a phone call and being pushed aside from the plans of JFJ. He is Mike Peca and he can lead this team into the playoffs if he can stay healthy.
Now looking up front if the buds have Stajan, Steen, Devereaux, Ponikarovsky, Kilger, Pohl, Battaglia and Sundin to kill penalties. Here is where the problem is Stajan only wins 46% of his faceoffs and Sundin isn’t a regular in the PK unit. Now you would want a third line centre who can kill penalties, good on faceoffs and play against the teams best line. Well he’s staring the Leafs right in the face. He’s upset about not getting a phone call and being pushed aside from the plans of JFJ. He is Mike Peca and he can lead this team into the playoffs if he can stay healthy.