So, the end of the NHL regular season has come and gone and today we have the start of the playoffs. Unfortunately for us die hard Leaf fans it is yet another year in which we will have to wait until the fall to watch the next Leafs game.
But what of the season? Was it a complete loss? Can we see any hope for the future? This is something every member of Leaf Nation and the media will be analyzing for the next several months.
Recent comments by general manager Brian Burke suggest that there will be no change in the head coaching department, regardless of what the "consensus" may be. But what about Burke? This is the third year now in which he has had the run of the team yet statistically the improvement is next to nil. Every year I hear the same b.s. about how we made a good push at the end of the season and this is a good sign for the beginning of next year. Well I for one am getting a little tired of hearing this song and dance. Burke is giving the appearance of a one trick pony and the appeal is quickly fading. How many more times can his 5 year plan be extended.
Let us take a look at some of the high points and low points of this year as we try to analyze what the future may bring. I don't see any point in predicting what the future lineup will be as I know Burkey will be devilishly wheeling and dealing come free agent time. So, I would like to take a look at who put up a solid effort this year and who failed to produce.
The Good
James Reimer
-to some he is the saviour of the Leafs. To others he is a hot goalie that may fade under pressure. Whatever your opinions are about Reimer, lets face it, he did do a nice job during the last half. Lets hope this guy is for real.
Mikhael Grabovski
-a good all round second line centre ice man. Grabovski works hard night in and night out. I look forward to seeing him on this Leafs lineup come next season.
Nikolei Kuleiman
-a career high in points, Kuleiman has seemed to have found his groove playing on a line with Grabovski and MacArthur.
Clarke MacArthur
-another player with a career high in numbers. Does his Restricted Free Agency play into Burke's plans? Lets see if this guy is the real deal.
Colby Armstrong
-seems to be a good fit within Burke's Leafs. Hopefully the late season injury he suffered doesn't affect his continued performance with the Leafs.
Other notables which had a strong performance:
Darryl Boyce, Tim Brent, Joey Crabb, Keith Aulie,
The Average
Phil Kessel
-hyped to be the number one go to guy on this team Kessel has faltered somewhat under the pressure. I see the potential that is there but as of yet I don't think he has truly realized it. The addition of a top line centre is essential to get this kid to the top of his game.
Luke Schenn
-stay at home defenceman. What more can I say. He did his job and that's all we can expect. Nothing particularly extraordinary here. He is a first round draft pick, he should be able to keep the leagues best from tearing up our goalies.
Other average performances:
Carl Gunnarson, Nazem Kadri, Brett Lebda
The Bad
Thomas Kaberle
-the loss of this franchise player is in my mind indescribable. Hopefully he will come back to us after July 1st.
Mike Komisarek
-extremely over priced and under performing Komisarek failed to live up to his potential. Hopefully next year he stops trying to do so much and just plays the game the best way he knows how. I see positive potential once he gets the skeletons out of the closet.
J. S. Giguere
-for 6 million plus per year, I would like to see a lot more than an aging, injury plagued back up goaltender. Maybe he would be better off in a coaching or back office role. It may be time to hang up the skates my friend. Adding the fact that he is RFA, I don't see Giggy get Giggy with the Leafs again next year unless he takes a drastic pay cut.
Tyler Bozak
-touted to be a first line center, Bozak has failed to live up to expectations. Is this just a case of the jitters or does Bozak lack the talent to be a legitimate starter in the NHL?
Dion Phaneuf
-a small bump in productivity towards the end of the season wasn't enough to raise Phaneuf to even a sub standard performance year. This player is expected to excel every night he is on the ice. Unfortunately I can count on one hand the amount of games I saw Dion make a real presence. Much more is expected next year.
Ron Wilson
-yes he is one of the most successful coaches in the NHL but, I compare this to a bad romantic relationship. You may have all the desire and love for that person and everything looks good on paper but for whatever reason it just doesn't work. I think its time we realize that this is the situation here and stop trying to save the sinking ship. Wilson and Leafs just weren't meant to be.
Other notable under performers:
Fredrik Sjostrom, Colton Orr (mostly due to injury), Jonas Gustavsson (possibly due to injury)
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