2012 Projections: Toronto

A number of keen deals by the Toronto Maple Leafs have again lifted the spirits in Leaf Nation and maybe it's for good reason.

Working from the back outwards, they have a goalie that they will lean on, a bit more offensive help on the blueline, plus a new playmaker down the middle for their sniper.  Yeah, it has been a long time coming for Toronto, they may still be a few pieces away from really making this team work again, but you can at least see the progress they have been making over the past few years.

I like the Maple Leafs to make a bit more noise in the 2012 season, but I think this team is really in need of some of their youth to step up, to which I think they will respond.  I like the system, as shallow as it might be at the moment, to really make a move in the right direction and I think if the Leafs do anything of note, it will because of the kids.

Forwards		Defense		Goalies
Phil Kessel	75	Dion Phaneuf	45	James Reimer	65
Tim Connolly	65	John-Michael Liles	40	Jonas Gustavsson	15
Clarke MacArthur	60	Cody Franson	35
Mikhail Grabovski	60	Carl Gunnarsson	20
Nikolai Kulemin	55	Keith Aulie	15
Nazem Kadri	45	Mike Komisarek	10
Tyler Bozak	35
Joffrey Lupul	30
Colby Armstrong	30
Matthew Lombardi	30
Philippe Dupuis	15
Darryl Boyce	15
Mike Brown	5
Colton Orr	5
Joe Colborne	40	Matt Lashoff	10	Jussi Rynnas	15

Pool Worthy Forwards (Inside the top 160, 40 points)
The addition of Tim Connolly (assuming he's 100%) should give the Leafs a little added credibility in the offensive end, giving Phil Kessel someone to service his shot.  Connolly is a very good offensive player, which the Leafs needed to add in this off-season, so I believe they have done a good job in that department.  The only real concern is how long each of these two star players can stay healthy for.  I think the projections reflect a season where each may miss some games.

Nazem Kadri should be ready to go for a full season, which is a definite plus for the Leafs, as he also brings some offensive options to the rink each night.  The word is that he has bulked up a bit in this off-season, which should help him win some more battles for the puck, getting him to the net.

Honestly, I think I'm being a tad generous giving Clarke MacArthur, Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin decent seasons, as I'm still not convinced that they've really got what it takes as a group to push the Leafs into the playoffs, but they stuck together this Summer, so they might just do it all over again.

Pool Worthy Defensemen (Inside the top 80, 25 points)
With Connolly now working on the Leafs power play, I think Dion Phaneuf might be able to regain some of his scoring touch, especially if the Leafs play down low can open up some space at the point.  Love him or hate him, Phaneuf can wire a shot and it has been known to go in from time to time.

Another addition to the Leafs power play this season will be John-Michael Liles, who has a reputation of being a decent puck mover, giving the Leafs even more options with the extra man.  I would imagine that Liles would be a second PP unit kind of defenseman, with Connolly and Phaneuf manning the points of the first unit, which would make the second unit pretty formidable as well.

Pool Worthy Goalies (Inside the top 40, 25 points)
Without a doubt, the Leafs will be living and dying now by goaltender James Reimer, who will have the weight of the expectations from the fan base on his shoulders this year.  Reimer blew out of the doors in rookie season with Toronto, but it would be wise to make sure that you don't put too much stock in him just yet, it is still the Leafs after all and they are still missing some key pieces to win a lot of games.

Pool Worthy Rookies
The Leafs should have Joe Colborne ready to rock and roll this season.  Acquired from the Bruins in the deal that sent Tomas Kaberle the other way, Colborne showed some real promise in the Leafs organization after the trade deadline, even picking up an assist in his NHL debut.

Unsigned Players
The Leafs are still waiting to get stay-at-home defender Luke Schenn signed and sealed for the coming year.  Schenn isn't necessarily a fantasy player, as he isn't really known for his scoring touch, but with an improved line-up in Toronto, he may find a few more assists on goals that are scored around him.

Key Injuries
Still plenty of question marks surrounding Matthew Lombardi's status going into the 2012 season, dealing with concussion issues.  Lombardi missed nearly the entire 2011 season with the ailment and his start to the season is still in doubt.  Major concussion issues like this is an immediate turn-off and I will generally strike those kinds of players from my list, not to worry about them on draft day.