Maple Leafs are Almost Ready

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in pretty decent shape going into camp this summer. A few major signings should make them a little bit more credible. 2007/08 should be a little bit more successful than this previous season, but I also think it's probably going to be the last good chance for management to do the business before heads begin to roll. The Leafs can suit up a full squad at the price of $46.75 million heading into camp, which should leave them enough room to make one or two moves come the deadline.

Alex Ponikarovsky	Mats Sundin	Jason Blake
Darcy Tucker	Kyle Wellwood	Matt Stajan
Alex Steen	Nikolai Antropov	Bates Battaglia
Jon Pohl	Chad Kilger	Mark Bell

Tomas Kaberle	Bryan McCabe
Ian White	Pavel Kubina
Hal Gill	Carlo Colaiacovo

Vesa Toskala

Andrew Raycroft

It will take a lot of convincing by the depth of the Leafs forwards that they are the business, because they have yet to really put together a good enough case to say they can provide adequate service to the top two lines. The addition of Jason Blake should help the forwards out a great deal, especially a guy like Mats Sundin. A budding goal scorer was exactly what the doctor ordered for the offense.

Building from the back seems to be working. In Toskala, they've acquired a guy that really seemed reliable in San Jose, but it wasn't like Raycroft's 37 wins were anything to sneeze at. The goaltending situation looks to be quite sewn up, as they have also acquired Scott Clemmensen as some insurance or a back-up if and when they deal Andrew Raycroft to free up some cap room. As of today, however, it's a pretty good bet that Toskala and Raycroft will platoon to start the season as most of the holes for goaltending are really beginning to be filled.

The only place that didn't change so far this offseason has been the blueline. The top six listed is pretty much the same top six that you saw last season at this time. Lots of veteran experience in Kaberle, McCabe, Gill and Kubina should hopefully provide a big blueline presence and a year's worth of chemistry should be much better for those four.

In camp this fall, keep an eye out for some new talent to make a big jump or make an eyebrow or two lift... forwards Jiri Tlusty and Simon Gamache, defensemen Jay Harrison and Staffon Kronwall, goaltender Justin Pogge. You may want to tag them on your list as someone to watch as the camps progress.

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