Leafs’ rebuilding process could yield a hat, a broach or a pterodactyl
The Cold Miser strikes again.
Someone over at HFBoards, your one-stop shop for insane trade ideas and stupid hockey opinions, posted a probable Maple Leafs lineup for opening day.
According to Toronto GM Cliff Fletcher, everything is going according to plan. If his plan is to build the worst offense in the history of hockey, he’s right on.
Ponikarovsky - Antropov - Kulemin
Steen - Stajan - Blake
Hagman - Mayers - Bell
Devereaux - Moore - Hollweg
(Tlusty - Grabovski)
This might be the worst top-12 I’ve ever seen in the National Hockey League. The No. 1 center has a career high of 26 goals and 30 assists, and that was playing alongside Mats Sundin. Put it this way, those 12 players combined scored 160 goals last year.
That’s 29 less than the New York Islanders scored last season, and they were the worst offensive team in the league. Add in the fact that the Leafs’ D corps is composed of the defensively irresponsible hodgepodge of Bryan McCabe (5 goals), Tomas Kaberle (8), Pavel Kubina (11), Jeff Finger (8), Carlo Colaiacovo (2), Ian White (5), Anton Stralman (3), Staffan Kronwall (0) and Jonas Frogren (rookie), they’re in unbelievable shape.
Also, the goaltending tandem of Vesa Toskala and Curtis Joseph is going to get them nowhere.
