The New Kids On The Block
Posted 3:05 AM ET | Comments 5
The success of the Leafs in 2007-08 could be influenced by their new players. There are three notable new faces in particular- forwards Jason Blake and Mark Bell, and goaltender Vesa Toskala. But how good or bad will they be? What influence will they hold over the team? Time to look at the pros and cons of Toronto's offseason pickups.
VESA TOSKALA
ADVANTAGES: The main advantage is obvious. The Leafs, a team that since the post-Ballard era has been spoiled with good goaltending, had a major deficiency in net. Andrew Raycroft put up sub-par numbers, and proved himself unworthy of a major starting job; what's more, Paul Maurice overplayed Raycroft, fatiguing him to the point where his play was even worse.
Enter Vesa Toskala. The Sharks 1A netminder is an upgrade in net, as Toskala has proven he has quite a strong glove hand, one of Raycroft's weakest points. Moreover, not only will the addition of Toskala provide stronger netminding, it will take a lot of pressure off the shoulders of Raycroft, which may very well lead to an improvement in his play. In other words, Toskala's acquisition could lead to some great improvements in goal.
DISADVANTAGES: Toskala is still a bit of a wildcard, an unkown commodity. While he has put up solid numbers with the Sharks, he is playing with a far less talented team, a team with a weaker blueline that plays in a conference that is nowhere near as defensively-oriented as the West. This means Toskala may have trouble adjusting to the nature of the Eastern Conference and the Leafs in general.
Another factor is the media pressure. While the Sharks have one of the most loyal followings of any non-traditional hockey markets, they still dwindle in comparison to the 49ers, Raiders, Giants and A's. Coming to the hockey hotbed that is in Toronto, Toskala will upgrade to a status of celebrity, and, of course, scrutiny, previously unkown to him. That in itself will be a question mark on his play this year, and how he handles it will show just what kind of goalie he is.
A final thing to look at is that Toskala has not played more than 40 games a season. While his workload won't markedly increase- my prediction is 45-50 starts this year- it is possible the Leafs could rely on Toskala to take on more and more of a starting role. As such, he will need to be able to handle a more rigorous workload.
JASON BLAKE
ADVANTAGES: Jason Blake adds punch to an offense that is already fairly solid. While unlikely to repeat last season's feat of 40 goals, Blake has gotten progressively better over the last few seasons, and hopefully will be able to thrive under the playmaking of either Mats Sundin or Kyle Wellwood. Blake also brings some offensive quality to the first line, something that was somewhat deficient with the twin towers last season.
In addition, Blake is a fairly solid two-way forward. His defensive skills could be beneficial on the penalty kill.
DISADVANTAGES: Blake's biggest problem has been his selfishness with the puck. This is something that is even apparent if you are to YouTube some of his goals. While this led to 40 goals last season, such a flaw can be detrimental to chemistry. Moreover, it's also very risk-reward, and could end up costing the Leafs more goals than scoring.
MARK BELL
ADVANTAGES: A gritty player, Bell can be the best option to attempt filling the gaping void left by Mike Peca. Younger players such as Matt Stajan and Alex Steen are in need of someone who can provide them with a leadership role, particularly in defensive play and penalty kill. Bell could be that guy, and would be a good linemate for both players.
DISADVANTAGES: There's one major drawback to Bell- his impending jail sentence. The fact that he will serve time in the offseason could very well have an effect on how he plays. Combine this with a poor effort last season, and it could be a troubling situation.
So, there you have it. Toskala has potential, but will he thrive or crumble under the media fishbowl in Toronto? Blake can put pucks in the net, but at what cost will it be? Bell is a gritty, physical guy, but will his brush with the law and poor numbers in 2006-07 deter him from putting forward his best effort?
Tune in to the 2007-08 hockey season to find out. Season premiere is October 3 against Ottawa.
VESA TOSKALA
ADVANTAGES: The main advantage is obvious. The Leafs, a team that since the post-Ballard era has been spoiled with good goaltending, had a major deficiency in net. Andrew Raycroft put up sub-par numbers, and proved himself unworthy of a major starting job; what's more, Paul Maurice overplayed Raycroft, fatiguing him to the point where his play was even worse.
Enter Vesa Toskala. The Sharks 1A netminder is an upgrade in net, as Toskala has proven he has quite a strong glove hand, one of Raycroft's weakest points. Moreover, not only will the addition of Toskala provide stronger netminding, it will take a lot of pressure off the shoulders of Raycroft, which may very well lead to an improvement in his play. In other words, Toskala's acquisition could lead to some great improvements in goal.
DISADVANTAGES: Toskala is still a bit of a wildcard, an unkown commodity. While he has put up solid numbers with the Sharks, he is playing with a far less talented team, a team with a weaker blueline that plays in a conference that is nowhere near as defensively-oriented as the West. This means Toskala may have trouble adjusting to the nature of the Eastern Conference and the Leafs in general.
Another factor is the media pressure. While the Sharks have one of the most loyal followings of any non-traditional hockey markets, they still dwindle in comparison to the 49ers, Raiders, Giants and A's. Coming to the hockey hotbed that is in Toronto, Toskala will upgrade to a status of celebrity, and, of course, scrutiny, previously unkown to him. That in itself will be a question mark on his play this year, and how he handles it will show just what kind of goalie he is.
A final thing to look at is that Toskala has not played more than 40 games a season. While his workload won't markedly increase- my prediction is 45-50 starts this year- it is possible the Leafs could rely on Toskala to take on more and more of a starting role. As such, he will need to be able to handle a more rigorous workload.
JASON BLAKE
ADVANTAGES: Jason Blake adds punch to an offense that is already fairly solid. While unlikely to repeat last season's feat of 40 goals, Blake has gotten progressively better over the last few seasons, and hopefully will be able to thrive under the playmaking of either Mats Sundin or Kyle Wellwood. Blake also brings some offensive quality to the first line, something that was somewhat deficient with the twin towers last season.
In addition, Blake is a fairly solid two-way forward. His defensive skills could be beneficial on the penalty kill.
DISADVANTAGES: Blake's biggest problem has been his selfishness with the puck. This is something that is even apparent if you are to YouTube some of his goals. While this led to 40 goals last season, such a flaw can be detrimental to chemistry. Moreover, it's also very risk-reward, and could end up costing the Leafs more goals than scoring.
MARK BELL
ADVANTAGES: A gritty player, Bell can be the best option to attempt filling the gaping void left by Mike Peca. Younger players such as Matt Stajan and Alex Steen are in need of someone who can provide them with a leadership role, particularly in defensive play and penalty kill. Bell could be that guy, and would be a good linemate for both players.
DISADVANTAGES: There's one major drawback to Bell- his impending jail sentence. The fact that he will serve time in the offseason could very well have an effect on how he plays. Combine this with a poor effort last season, and it could be a troubling situation.
So, there you have it. Toskala has potential, but will he thrive or crumble under the media fishbowl in Toronto? Blake can put pucks in the net, but at what cost will it be? Bell is a gritty, physical guy, but will his brush with the law and poor numbers in 2006-07 deter him from putting forward his best effort?
Tune in to the 2007-08 hockey season to find out. Season premiere is October 3 against Ottawa.
Nice post. Very balanced approach. All of these new faces are a pretty big gamble on JFJs part. Mostly it seems like they will be good additions on the ice, but it is the off-ice stuff that may hurt the team in the long run.Lots of people have accused Blake of being a puck hog (not that it is a good way of defining it, but he also had around 30 assists to his 40 goals...which doesn't seem to lopsided to me) which may bother his linemates. Bell adds speed, grit and some goal scoring ability (hopefully around 20), but there are lots of issues with him off ice, even if he has matured. And, as you said, Toskala with the media pressure could be an issue...but as well as splitting time in the net, Toskala and Raycroft will also be splitting time in the media spotlight...so that may be less of an issue.
Good observations. For my view, I think Toskala will be every bit as good as he was in San Jose, they just have to resist the temptation to put him in 70 plus games. Not yet, not in Toronto, he has to get used to the scrutiny from the fans and media. They have the luxury of keeping Raycroft as a backup for this year only as Vesas' new contract will not kick in for another year, but can Raycroft be consistent playing 30 games or so? He certainly was'nt when he played 72, but less workload may porduce better results. If he doesnt stay in town, then the Cujo for a year or two, then onto the off ice staff rumour makes sense.Blake will adapt to the climate in which he plays, he is a professional. With either Sundin or Wellwood to set him up, he doesnt need to be selfish with the puck. I think 30 - 35 goals is not out of the question for him. He is a lot like Tucker without the "episodes"....two players cut from that mould will make for some great entertainment this year.Mark Bell is indeed a good substitute for the Peca type of player from a skills standpoint, not from a leadership standpoint. This year is the make or break year for his career....if he steps up, he will silence everyone that is critical. If he doesnt, then he will be hard pressed to hold onto a job in the league.I think there is a suprise or two left in Toronto before the season starts.....another scorer coming in.Either way I think we'll see some playoffs this year and something in the mid 90's on the season. That should see us land in the 6 - 8 spot fairly comfortably.
Good post. I think Bell's impending jail time could help his performance. If he goes to jail when the season is finished, then he can put the team on his back and carry them as far into the playoffs as possible before he has to put on the orange jumpsuit
The only postive for Bell is that with his impending jail time, he needs a solid year this year, or he may not find another job in the NHL when his contract is up. Could be some good motivation for him, sorta like a contract year for a player. Let's hope, bc he has potential.
It has to be mentioned that JFJ did a good job in the offseason this summer..We did not sell the farm paying for the overpriced talent that was available in the free agent market.Blake was a good value as well as Toskala and Bell very well could have a good year as well.I was kind of relieved that we didnt sign Drury,Gomez,Briere and even Smyth as they are not franchise players and they did sign franchise contracts..I can hardly wait till the puck drops!