Loaded Leafs - Toronto Maple Leafs, and other Northeast Division teams

Hockey Digest, Nov, 2001 by Jeff Goodman

With Mats Sudin back, plus a bunch of new additions, Toronto is the class of the division

FOR FOUR OF THE TEAMS IN THE Northeast Division, there was a clear theme this offseason: Out with the old and in with the new. The Toronto Maple Leafs were the exception. They just added more weapons to their already-potent offensive arsenal.

The Leafs not only locked up their best player, Mats Sundin, for perhaps the rest of his career, but also brought on a trio of proven goal-scorers in Alexander Mogilny, Mikael Renberg, and Robert Reichel. Toronto's offense should be frightening and goalie Curtis Joseph is coming off a career year.

For the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators, the frustration of holdouts and an inability to win the Stanley Cup finally boiled over.

The Sabres not only rid themselves of captain Michael Peca, who sat out all of last season, but Buffalo also dealt Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Dominik Hasek. Now Marty Biron gets to shoulder the load--and the high expectations that come with following in Hasek's footsteps.

The Senators also did some house-cleaning after losing for the third straight year in the first round of the playoffs. Ottawa shipped the talented but contentious Alexei Yashin to the New York Islanders for size and youth. Jason Spezza, the No. 2 overall pick in this summer's draft, was the key to the deal. He has a chance to produce immediately.

The Boston Bruins are on their third coach in less than a year. Pat Burns was run out of town early last season and then Mike Keenan couldn't lead the team into the playoffs, so he became expendable. Now it's a local legend's turn, as former Boston-area high school star Robbie Ftorek takes the helm. As long as Bruins goalie Byron Dafoe stays healthy, Boston should finally make it back to the postseason.

The Montreal Canadiens will attempt to return to respectability under new owner George Gillett. Don't expect miracles from the Habs right away, but they should be much more competitive than last season, when they managed just 70 points and were on the losing end of 46 games.

Overall, the balance of power in the division shifts this year to Toronto. Ottawa and Boston will likely fight their way into the playoffs, while Buffalo retools and Montreal inches closer to the postseason.

1. Toronto Maple Leafs

2000-2001 Record:   W     L     T     OTL    GF     GA     Pts.
                    37    29    11     5     232    207     90

THE MAPLE LEAFS ARE COMING off an inspired, but ultimately disappointing playoff performance in which they swept Ottawa and then lost a grueling, seven-game series to the New Jersey Devils. Toronto was then one of the most active teams in the offseason, bringing a couple of big-name offensive players back from their home countries and also locking up its top player, Mats Sundin.

On the attack: Sundin had a disappointing regular season, but rebounded with a stellar postseason effort and was rewarded with a six-year, $52.5 million deal. The 30-year-old Swedish center will likely be on a line with veteran Gary Roberts and Mikael Renberg, who played last season in Sweden because of personal problems stemming from a divorce. Renberg, 29, had just 10 goals in 1999-2000, but put up quality numbers (22 goals, 23 assists) last year in the Swedish Elite League.

Toronto signed speedy forward Alexander Mogilny, who had 43 goals last season with New Jersey, to a four-year, $22 million contact. The Leafs also acquired much-maligned center Robert Reichel from Phoenix. The Czech native had been playing in his homeland for the past two years because of a contract squabble with the Coyotes.

Under fire: If the Leafs had a weakness last season, it was here. Toronto made a few moves to help bolster the D, including re-signing veteran Bryan McCabe and adding Florida castoff Anders Eriksson, but it'll still be the team's major question mark heading into the season.

Between the pipes: Curtis Joseph, 34, had another outstanding season, registering the lowest GAA of his career at 2.39. Unlike deli meat, he seems to be getting better with age. Veteran backup Glenn Healy was let go, primarily so the team could give 21-year-old Swede Mikael Tellquist a chance to learn from "Cujo."

Behind the bench: Pat Quinn, who doubles as the team's general manager, made certain that he has all the offensive pieces in place as the coach, but he has to find a way to give Joseph more support in front of the net.

Bottom line: The Leafs may have improved more than any team in the league and that's a scary thought for division foes. Expect Toronto to be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders now that Quinn has a formidable second line to take the pressure off Sundin's trio.

2. Ottawa Senators

2000-2001 Record:   W     L     T     OTL    GF     GA     Pts.
                    48    21    9      4     274    205    109

THE SENATORS WERE ONE OF THE top teams in the NHL in the regular season with 109 points, but for the third straight time they were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Changes were in order and Ottawa finally terminated its relationship with star player Alexei Yashin, sending him to the New York Islanders for the No. 2 overall pick, which turned out to be center Jason Spezza, and hard-hitting defenseman Zdeno Chara.