Post by LeafsGM on Apr 14, 2009 15:36:48 GMT -5
With the trade deadline looming, most of the Leaf veterans have been dealt, and the team is now looking onward to the off season to begin what will be a 2 year plan to bring the franchise back to contention.
The blueprints are drawn out, and the plan is simple- grow from inside out. The key players remaining from last year's cup run represent phase 1 of the development plan, and are the likes of Brad Richards, Paul Stastny, Patrice Bergeron, Milan Michalek, and Patrick O'Sullivan, who will be the core going forward, and who can provide some leadership and guidance for the rest. In net, the responsibility will lie mainly with Cam Ward from here on end, with Chris Mason providing insurance if needed.
Beyond the "veteran" players, the team is green. So green, that the 2nd phase of the development plan and beyond should be called greenprints, not blueprints. The short term development looks optimistic, with next season's additions of Zach Bogosian, Mikkel Boedker, Nikolai Kulemin, Alex Goligoski. Bogosian or "Bogo" should shoulder heavy responsibility on the Leafs blueline for years to come, and it is understood behind the scenes that he is Toronto's franchise player. Boedker and Kulemin should provide some scoring punch as they adjust to the pro game and develop into true offensive threats, but all of the above players have a lot of growth left before they're considered legit stars.
Then there is the 3rd phase of the plan, and the most vital one to the team's long term success. Leafs management have invested a lot of established talent, veterans, and ratings for this group of assets, and it is crucial that at least half of them emerge as legit top line talent. Prospects like Tyler Myers, Artem Anisimov, Evgeni Grachev, Drayson Bowman, Tyler Ennis, Michael Grabner, and Ryan Stoa, all have the potential to become 1st/2nd line players. For most experts, it's not a question of if, but when. The Leafs hope that they will ready by the 2011/12 season, but hope is not an exact science.
Myers, Anisimov and Grabner are anticipated to make their respective teams' NHL rosters next season, and the rest are expected to start out the season in the AHL. Then there is x-factor talent such as Jannik Hansen, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Matt Smaby, Vladimir Mihalik, Ed Purcell, and Anton Stralman, who have all tasted NHL action, but have yet to touch on their potentials.
Phase 4 of the plan lies within the upcoming entry draft, in which Leafs possess 7 selections in the 1st 2 rounds, 4 of them being 1st round picks. These picks will be crucial, in what promises to be one of the deepest drafts in years. Whether they pan out, whether they will bust, or whether they will all be kept, are all questions that will be left for the off season, but much attention will be given towards them.
The development of all of these players will be closely monitored, and evaluated. The 2-year plan starts in the off season, and should run its course until the 2011/12 season. If the development curve provides for a few pleasant surprises, then expect the Leafs to be competing once again in the 2010/11 season. Of course, there is always the possibility of trading a number of these players for established pieces, and making a run, but the preferred method among management at this point is internal growth, and that as we know, takes some patience.
The blueprints are drawn out, and the plan is simple- grow from inside out. The key players remaining from last year's cup run represent phase 1 of the development plan, and are the likes of Brad Richards, Paul Stastny, Patrice Bergeron, Milan Michalek, and Patrick O'Sullivan, who will be the core going forward, and who can provide some leadership and guidance for the rest. In net, the responsibility will lie mainly with Cam Ward from here on end, with Chris Mason providing insurance if needed.
Beyond the "veteran" players, the team is green. So green, that the 2nd phase of the development plan and beyond should be called greenprints, not blueprints. The short term development looks optimistic, with next season's additions of Zach Bogosian, Mikkel Boedker, Nikolai Kulemin, Alex Goligoski. Bogosian or "Bogo" should shoulder heavy responsibility on the Leafs blueline for years to come, and it is understood behind the scenes that he is Toronto's franchise player. Boedker and Kulemin should provide some scoring punch as they adjust to the pro game and develop into true offensive threats, but all of the above players have a lot of growth left before they're considered legit stars.
Then there is the 3rd phase of the plan, and the most vital one to the team's long term success. Leafs management have invested a lot of established talent, veterans, and ratings for this group of assets, and it is crucial that at least half of them emerge as legit top line talent. Prospects like Tyler Myers, Artem Anisimov, Evgeni Grachev, Drayson Bowman, Tyler Ennis, Michael Grabner, and Ryan Stoa, all have the potential to become 1st/2nd line players. For most experts, it's not a question of if, but when. The Leafs hope that they will ready by the 2011/12 season, but hope is not an exact science.
Myers, Anisimov and Grabner are anticipated to make their respective teams' NHL rosters next season, and the rest are expected to start out the season in the AHL. Then there is x-factor talent such as Jannik Hansen, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Matt Smaby, Vladimir Mihalik, Ed Purcell, and Anton Stralman, who have all tasted NHL action, but have yet to touch on their potentials.
Phase 4 of the plan lies within the upcoming entry draft, in which Leafs possess 7 selections in the 1st 2 rounds, 4 of them being 1st round picks. These picks will be crucial, in what promises to be one of the deepest drafts in years. Whether they pan out, whether they will bust, or whether they will all be kept, are all questions that will be left for the off season, but much attention will be given towards them.
The development of all of these players will be closely monitored, and evaluated. The 2-year plan starts in the off season, and should run its course until the 2011/12 season. If the development curve provides for a few pleasant surprises, then expect the Leafs to be competing once again in the 2010/11 season. Of course, there is always the possibility of trading a number of these players for established pieces, and making a run, but the preferred method among management at this point is internal growth, and that as we know, takes some patience.