LEAFS 1 Over the past nine seasons, the Maple Leafs have just qualified for the playoffs just once (2013), the longest stretch of futility for the franchise. Projected Roster HEAD COACH: RANDY CARLYLE LW C RW 1st Line: Joffrey Lupul Tyler Bozak Phil Kessel 2nd Line: James van Riemsdyk Nazem Kadri David Clarkson 3rd Line: Leo Komarov Petri Kontiola Matt Frattin 4th Line: David Booth Peter Holland Mike Santorelli D D #1 Dion Phaneuf Jake Gardiner #2 Stephane Robidas Cody Franson #3 Morgan Rielly Roman Polak G Starter Jonathan Bernier Backup James Reimer Scoreboard 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 PLAYOFF FINISH DNQ Conf QF DNQ DNQ DNQ REGULAR SEASON 38-36-8 26-17-5 35-37-10 37-34-11 30-38-14 POINT TOTAL 84 57 80 85 74 SHOOTOUT RECORD 9-4 0-5 4-5 5-6 4-4 GOALS SCORED 231 145 231 218 214 GOALS ALLOWED 256 133 264 251 267 POWER-PLAY % 19.8 18.7 18.4 16.0 14.0 PENALTY KILL % 78.3 87.9 77.3 77.5 74.7 another step last year in more pressure packed minutes, but he struggled mightily down the stretch like many of his teammates. Veteran Joffrey Lupul will join Kadri on the second line as the two secondary scoring options. Although he missed most of the 2012-13 season due to injury, Lupul bounced back for a solid 22-goal season. Unfortunately another injury ended his season in April. If Lupul can stay healthy, he’ll be a big part of the Maple Leaf offense. Defense The defense was trouble for Toronto last season. They allowed 56 goals, which ranked 26th in the NHL, and they allowed 49 goals in their ill-fated final 14 games. The Maple Leafs had trouble controlling the puck in the defensive zone and it led to teams taking more than 35 shots per game. A big part of the reason for the Maple Leaf’s collapse was the poor play of captain Dion Phaneuf. Although he finished the season with a +3 plus/minus, he was -12 in those final 14 games. He’s been one of the best defensemen in the league over his nine-year career, and Toronto will be counting on him to bounce back. After a solid rookie campaign, Jake Gardiner spent most of the lockout season in the AHL despite the pleas of angry Maple Leafs fans. When he was called back up to the NHL, he made sure to play well enough to earn his spot on the ice. He averaged over 21 minutes per game and contributed 10 goals as well. The Leafs brought in veteran defenseman Roman Polak, who is still recovering from breaking his right leg in two separate incidents. At 37 years of age, it’ll be interesting to see how quickly he comes back and can make a positive contribution to the team. Another veteran defenseman, Roman Polak, was traded for in the offseason in exchange for Carl Gunnarsson. Although Gunnarsson did not play poorly last season, it appears that the new administration
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