that's right. i made a foliage pun.
since we're out of the playoffs now, it's time for another installment of arm-chair coach. hockey team building is the same as pokemon team building, or yugioh deck building. you're looking primarily for skill and synergy (complementary skill sets).
here is who i think we should keep:
13 Mats Sundin - the captain loves it here and we should love him more. most of us finally got a chance to see him with actual wingers at the Olympics, rather than the usual platoon of bumpkins Sundin has had to play with over the years (namely Renberg and Hoglund). he has been on fire lately with the support of big wingers Antropov and Ponikarovsky, and on the one shift he got to play with Lindros this year, they manufactured a scoring play. clearly, big and fast is the name of the game Sundin thrives in. i know, i accidentally juxtaposed Antropov with fast. talk about embarassing.
15 Tomas Kaberle - underrated, and generally under appreciated, Kaberle has the puck moving skills that every team in true contention needs anchoring the defense corps (see Brian Leetch). while he used to get a lot of flak for coughing up the biscuit in the past, Kaberle has proven himself this season to be a premier defender. if only he'd learn how to shoot with assertiveness (see Olympics, 2006).
10 Alex Steen - heralded as the top prospect in the Leafs organization these past years, Steen did not disappoint. already he has proven to be competant, speedy and defensively responsible, drawing many comparisons to his father, Thomas. he can do it all: five-on-five, powerplay, penalty kill. watch for him to really shine now that he's had a taste of a full NHL season, rather than the 50~ game european season.
14 Matt Stajan - anyone who's ever mentioned hockey around me knows that i have a huge man-crush on Matt Stajan. someone even got me an autographed picture of him, so now i love her forever. he has a similar skill set to Steen, but he is a natural centerman, rather than winger. he is very proficient on the penalty kill, leading the league in shorthanded points and ranking in the top 3 with shorthanded goals. while he'll probably never be a 40 goal scorer, his solid all-around play will earn him proper recognition in a few years once he becomes consistent. he is the resident Leaf trivia nerd and also very creative with the puck one-on-one. once the team recognizes that, we'll win some shootouts. his synergy with Steen was clearly evident even before the season began.
42 Kyle Wellwood - i call him Frodo, but if you give him even the slightest opening, he's a Gandalf with the puck. AHL highlight reels are littered with Wellwood's goals. he is a fluid puck mover and passer, much like Kaberle, but with natural scoring instincts. characteristically, Wellwood has slow freshmen seasons in every league he's played in, but breaks out in high fashion for his sophomore years. expect him to score a plethora of dazzling goals in the next year when they give him more ice time and freedom to move under the new NHL rules.
45 Carlo Colaiacovo - freak accidental injuries have hampered his hockey growth, but once he gets a full season under his belt, look to Colaiacovo to become an outside scoring threat. he is very smart on his skates and strong on puck movement, so look for him to become a cross between Kaberle and McCabe, skill-wise, once he fully develops.
37 Ian White - another puck moving defenseman, albeit on the smaller side. white has proved himself to be NHL ready in the brief stint he's had with the parent club this season. he has likely earned himself an upgrade in the depth chart with his smart defensive decisions, quick skating and offensive contribution. definitely a top-4 defenseman in an era when speed trumps size.
23 Alexei Ponikarovsky - Quinn's faith in this guy has finally started to pay off after years of ho-hum performance. Poni finally broke the 20-goal barrier and has proven himself to be quite deft with finishing plays. his speed and size give him power forward status, and he's finally started to throw his weight around (thank you, Joe Nieuwendyk). while he'll probably never become a Peter Forsberg or Eric Lindros from 10 years ago, he will probably be an Owen Nolan or Gary Roberts if he keeps progressing as he did this season.
16 Darcy Tucker - with the new premium on speed and skill, rather than stick-sledding, Tucker did enjoy a more productive season this year, particularly on the powerplay in the very-low slot that Alex Mogilny used to inhabit. since we didn't trade him for high picks, we might as well use him to the fullest. put him with a saavy passer who can draw defenders off and Tucker can unleash his very accurate slapshot. he has learned to control his temper better, so that will help keep him out of the penalty box.
46 Ben Ondrus - energy!!!!!!!!!!!! this guy is a bag of sugar with a cup of caffeine. once he hits the ice, he hits whoever has the puck (but not stupidly, like Belak). forechecks hard and causes opporunities for his linemates. he's like what Tie Domi should be, but without the oldness and the big mouth.
what we need for next season:
- a short-term number one goaltender, capable of playing 50 games (cujo!), to hold the fort while Rask and Pogge develop. a goalie that is not as marquee will make the rest of the team play more responsibly in front of him, rather than saying, "oh, it's okay, he's got it covered."
- a BIG, veteran stay-at-home defenseman
- BIG, low garbage goal scoring threat (Antropov could do this, if he weren't so scared of standing in front of the net)
- elite-level winger (left shot) to play on Sundin's line (like Simon Gagne to Peter Forsberg, or Jordannathan Cheechoo to Joe Thornton)
- a coach who values better players, rather than over-the-hill veterans
