2009-10 NHL preview: Toronto Maple Leafs


Toronto Maple Leaf’s General Manager Brian Burke wants the Maple Leafs to be bigger and cruder. He wants to return this team to an old school style of hockey where the team not only beats their opponents, but beats them up as well. This is a style of hockey that the Detroit Red Wings used to win back to back Stanley Cup Championships in the late 1990’s and a style Burke used two years ago with the Anaheim Ducks on their way to a Stanley Cup title.

This is a team that has not made the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2004, and after watching this team sleepwalk to a 12th place finish in the Eastern Conference last year, Burke has vowed to add sandpaper to the roster. While the current roster for this team may not scare anyone the additions of Colton Orr and Mike Komlsarek are moves designed to make this team tougher and meaner.

While Burke would like to see his forwards and defensemen get tough, the biggest move that he made this off-season was adding net minder Jonas Gustavsson. This goalie tore up the Swedish Elite League last year with a 1.96 goals against average. While Vesa Toskala will enter training camp as the Leaf’s starting goalie, look for Jonas to take over early on since Vesa has been hampered by injuries.

Additions- D Francois Beauchemin, C Tim Brent, D Garnet Exelby, G Jonas Gustavsson, D Mike Komisarek, G Joey MacDonald, RW Colton Orr, C Wayne Primeau, C Rickard Wallin

Subtractions- D Drew Fata, D Jay Harrison, D Pavel Kubina, C Kris Newbury, G Justin Pogge, D Jaime Sifers, C Tim Stapleton, D Anton Stralman, RW Jeremy Williams

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