Where do Leafs go from here?

By Paul Bruno

Well, following a dramatic overtime loss against the Hurricanes, the writing is clearly on the wall for the Leafs’ 2009-10 season.

This team is not going to make the playoffs.

Once that point is understood by Leaf Management, the powers-that-be need to take a look at the players who should survive this season’s debacle and start building a foundation around them.

That means, in goal, they focus on getting Jonas Gustavsson a heavier workload and help to hone his skills and get further acclimatized to the NHL. He has already shown enough in his starts to date, that he can be a very good goalie. His size and mobility offer a rare combination among aspiring goalies. Vesa Toskala is in the final year of a contract that will likely not see him get invited back nest year. However, if he can build on the modest improvement we have seen from his last three games, he ought to be a desirable commodity at the trade deadline. He should be dealt to the highest bidder at that time, regardless of the return.

On defense, the Leafs have to be disappointed with the efforts of their biggest offseason expenditures. Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin and Garnet Exelby were all expected to bring some stability, a veteran savvy and a stronger defensive posture to the Leafs. Instead they have each struggled to fit in so far. Komisarek was just starting to play a calmer, more controlled game, in keeping with his reputation as a top defensive blueliner. Beauchemin’s play remains erratic as he has been prone to making high-risk passes in his own end. Still, that may be an extension of him just trying to do too much at this time. He is known for a more stable force than what he has shown so far. Exelby has been a depth defenseman who has not made his expected physical contribution. He’s just kind of there, as a sixth or seventh man on the depth charts.

The matter of Tomas Kaberle will be a tough decision. He is in the second-last season of a multi-year $4.25 deal that makes him an affordable option to contending teams at the trade deadline of this season. He is not going to be around when this club projects to become a perennial playoff contender, yet he has rebounded to be among the top scoring defensemen in the league once again.

Ian White is unique on this team, over the last two seasons as he has actually flourished and prospered, playing with a great deal of poise and confidence that makes him a keeper.

Among the forwards, Phil Kessel is probably the only Leaf who is meeting expectations and likely to survive an expected overhaul among the forward complement. Alexei Ponikarovsky is making a strong bid, with eight goals and a rare plus rating (+2) in the first 20 games. Niklas Hagman, with seven goals, along with a sense of defensive responsibility probably rounds out the good news stories up front. Jason Blake is generally regarded as the biggest disappointment, with his large annual stipend and only two goals to show for almost 17 minutes of ice time per game. Despite a better effort, Lee Stempniak is another highly paid disappointment. After that, the remainder of the forwards offer a nondescript array of players who ought to be interchanged with some new blood from the minors.

After all, with this season likely not to result in a playoff berth, an extended audition of the organization’s top prospects should be the new focus.