Fall Brings Much Change To Leafs

Club: Toronto Maple Leafs
Fantasy Impact Rating: Cold

Superstars: None
Big Producers: None
Mid-Level Flyers: Bryan McCabe, Tomas Kaberle, Nik Antropov, Jason Blake
Rookies/Prospects: Justin Pogge, Nikolai Kulemin
Sleepers: Niklas Hagman
Avoid The Hype: Mark Bell, Alexander Steen, Matt Stajan, Alexei Ponikarovsky

Analysis:
It’s a very risky situation in Toronto when you look at the Maple Leafs from a fantasy perspective for 2008-2009. With Mats Sundin likely headed out of town and off-season acquisitions yielding Jeff Finger, Jamal Mayers and Curtis Joseph to name a few, the Maple Leafs’ skaters may not be a hot commodity amongst serious fantasy managers heading into draft day.

Bryan McCabe and Tomas Kaberle may be Toronto’s safest fantasy options for those looking for a little more production from the blue line. Both McCabe and Kaberle are excellent offensive minded defensemen that will certainly anchor the point on Toronto’s top power play line. The problem, however, lies with the players around them. The team is young and is still developing their game to compete at the professional level. Nik Antropov broke out last season and should be able to put up similar numbers in 2008-2009, however, relying on him, even as a 2nd line center, may be stretching his production potential. The same should go for veteran winger Jason Blake. You’ll want to make sure that you have at least 2 solid wingers in front of Blake on your roster to ensure that you’re not relying too heavily on a player who may be in and out of the lineup because of health issues.

Players outside of this shortlist are a crapshoot in terms of reliable production. Alexander Steen, Matt Stajan, and Alexei Ponikarovsky are by no means players that should be relied upon by any manager who is looking for serious fantasy production. It would be best to consider all three of these players as later round draft options in the deepest of leagues, ranging from 12-16 managers. Leagues of 10 managers or less should only consider Steen, Stajan and/or Ponikarovsky as stopgap players and should avoid having them as an active part of the lineup.

Do yourself a favor before you head into your draft this season: stay away from Mark Bell. Don’t even consider him as a fantasy option to start the season. He’s been a bust ever since he left Chicago, and if you haven’t been burned by all the hype surrounding this guy, consider yourself lucky, and move on with your fantasy career. On the flipside, if you’re looking for a sleeper in this mediocrity debacle, Niklas Hagman may be able to work his way up through the Leafs’ lineup this season. Hagman had a breakout season in Dallas last year, tallying 41 points and 51 penalty minutes and offers the Leafs a serious option at left wing. With very few positions set in stone on Toronto’s roster, there is room for movement within the depth chart for sure.

Two players that you may want to consider long term if you are a part of a keeper or dynasty league are Justin Pogge and Nikolai Kulemin. Justin Pogge just may be the goaltender the Leafs are looking for to build their franchise around. He shined with the Calgary Hitmen in ’05-’06 and had a great season in ‘07-’08 with the Toronto Marlies. Pogge is on the brink of breaking into the NHL, and it will only be just a matter of time before he gets his shot. He is easily one of the top 5 goaltending prospects on the verge of breaking in, so if you’re in a keeper or dynasty league, it may be advantageous to draft Pogge and sit on him until he makes his debut. Nikolai Kulemin is one of the most talented prospects that could break into the NHL in the next couple of seasons. Kulemin is a complete package deal. He has great speed, tremendous strength, a serious set of hands and a dynamite shot. Keep an eye on Kulemin leading up to the start of the season. If he is successful in the camps he participates in, he’ll have a legitimate shot at cracking the Leafs’ lineup. Once in, there is some serious room for advancement with solid play. For regular leagues, monitor the situation until your draft. If you think he has a shot, snag him with one of your last picks. Otherwise, wait until you see him in a Leafs uniform regularly before you pull the trigger. Managers, in a keeper or dynasty league, should pull the trigger on Kulemin in this year’s draft and sit on him until he’s ready.

Goaltending:
Situation: Solid
Grade: B-
1. Vesa Toskala
2. Curtis Joseph
3. Justin Pogge

It’s not that Vesa Toskala is going to be a terrible goaltender this season; it may be the company that he is in that will contribute to a frustrating season for fantasy owners altogether. Toskala had a somewhat impressive career in San Jose, but will struggle to find his groove on a team with growing pains. He shouldn’t be challenged for the number one spot, so it’s safe to call him the season starter, however, you will want to have an established number one in front of Toskala, especially if your league format weighs heavily on goaltending categories. If you are heavy into strategy, you may want to consider picking up two viable options in net, drafting Toskala, and packaging him to a manager who, perhaps, catches a goaltending injury at some point in the season. The return for managers who are desperate for a starting goaltender can be phenomenal. Certainly there are many options for using Toskala, but as a starter for the Leafs, consider him as a 2nd option on your team.

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