2007-2008 Team Record: 36-35-11 (83 pts)
2007-2008 Total Team Goals: 228 (11th)
2007-2008 Total Team Assists: 399 (12th)
2007-2008 Total Goals Allowed: 256 (27th)
Projected depth chart, not a projected lineup (players in bold are players projected)
(LW) Alexei Ponikarovsky (C/LW) Alex Steen (RW) Nik Antropov
(LW) Niklas Hagman (C) Matt Stajan (RW/LW) Jason Blake
(LW) Jiri Tlusty (C/LW) Mark Bell (RW) Jamal Mayers
(LW/C) Mikhail Grabovski (C) Boyd Devereaux (RW/LW) Ryan Hollweg
(D) Tomas Kaberle (D) Pavel Kubina
(D) Mike Van Ryn (D) Jeff Finger
(D) Ian White (D) Carlo Colaiacovo
(G) Vesa Toskala
(G) Curtis Joseph
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(LW) Alexei Ponikarovsky: 2007-2008 Stats: GP 66, Goals 18, Assists 17, Points 35
2008-2009 Projections: Goals 26, Assists 22, Points 48 (Overall Grade C)
(C) Alex Steen: 2007-2008 Stats: 76, Goals 15, Assists 27, Points 42
2008-2009 Projections: Goals 19, Assists 35, Points 54 (Overall Grade C+)
(RW) Nik Antropov: 2007-2008 Stats: GP 72, Goals 26, Assists 30, Points 56
2008-2009 Projections: Goals 27, Assists 24, Points 51 (Overall Grade C+)
(C) Matt Stajan: 2007-2008 Stats: GP 82, Goals 16, Assists 17, Points 33
2008-2009 Projections: Goals 15, Assists 33, Points 48 (Overall Grade C)
(D) Tomas Kaberle: 2007-2008 Stats: GP 82, Goals 8, Assists 45, Points 53, +/- -8
2008-2009 Projections: Goals 10, Assists 40, Points 50, +/- -18 (Overall Grade B)
(D) Pavel Kubina: 2007-2008 Stats: GP 72, Goals 11, Assists 29, Points 40, +/- +5
2008-2009 Projections: Goals 8, Assists 28, Points 36, +/- -9 (Overall Grade C+)
*Lineups subject to change due to free agency
*All players projected through at least 75 games played (except goalies)
Player(s) to keep an eye on: Toronto’s first line. I wouldn’t expect this Leafs team to go out and score over 225 goals again, but you have to expect that first line of players to see a nice increase, whom ever that may be. Now, considering Toronto has a surplus of LW’ers, it’s hard to project who will be a first line Center(lack of Centers)and Left Wing, so I slotted in Alex Steen from LW to C and gave the nod to Poni for first line LW. This one is really for you to judge or keep an ear to the street on, but I’d put my money on Ponikarovsky and Steen to have respectable numbers this year, even more than I projected.
No Toskala?
I only rank the top 25 and he didn’t make the cut so I did not project him.
So does this mean you think Steen/Poni/etc. will outperform Blake?
^^ It’s very close in my opinion. I don’t see him getting nearly as many assists as he did last year, and he is usually only good for 20 goals. He’s on the bubble production wise of those players you mentioned.