As it stands right now, the Toronto Maple Leafs have seven draft picks to select the newest instant Torontonian celebrities. The draft order has almost been set with the last two picks, Chicago and Boston, to be decided the moment either Jonathan Toews or Zdeno Chara lifts the cup over his head.

While the Maple Leafs made the playoffs and exited in the first round, their first pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft is the 21st. Their next picks are a 2nd, 3rd, 5th, two 6th round picks (one from the Joffrey Lupul-Jake Gardiner-Francois Beachemin trade) and a 7th.

Now that all the draftees and draft hopefuls have finished their seasons with their respective clubs, their final ranking has been set. Seth Jones topped the list projected to go 1st overall with Nathan MacKinnon sitting close behind in second-overall. If the draft order did not change and every team picked according to the player ranked in correlation with their pick, the Leafs would add four centres, two defenseman, and a winger. That sounds like a pretty solid plan for the Leafs who are in desperate need of some help down the middle, although it would be at least a few years until that help could be pressed into service.

2013 NHL Entry Draft Logo

If the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted according to their draft order and the prospects final rankings, they would be proud to select:

1st round, 21st overall from The Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League, centre Jimmy Lodge.

Birthdate: March 5, 1995
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6′ / 165 lbs

From Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Lodge was drafted in the third round, 62nd overall by the Saginaw Spirit in 2011 OHL Priority Selection. In two seasons for the Spirit, Lodge has played 109 games, scored 36 goals and 43 assists for 79 points. In the 2013 playoffs Lodge scored 1 goal with 2 assist for 3 points in 4 games.

2nd round, 51st overall from The Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League, defenseman Gustav Olofsson.

Birthdate: December 1, 1994
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’2″ / 190 lbs

From Boras, Sweden, Olofsson was drafted 29th overall in the second round of the USHL entry draft in 2011 by the Gamblers. In two season with the Gamblers, Olofsson has played 66 games for a total of 2 goals and 22 assists for 24 points. In his 2011-12 season with the U18 Colorado Thunderbirds he played 38 games totalling 30 points to become a USHL Clark Cup Champion.

3rd round, 82nd overall from the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League, centre Curtis Valk.

Birthdate: February 8, 1993
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 5’7″ / 130 lbs

From Medicine Hat, Alberta, Valk is small as you might have already noticed but has become a huge contributor to his team in his four seasons with the Tigers. From 2009-2013 Valk has played 198 games, scored 78 goals and 85 assist for 163 points which is a 0.82 point per game pace. He has been just as effective in 3 playoff runs with the Tigers scoring 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in 31 playoff games.

5th round, 142 overall from the University of Michigan in the CCHA, centre Andrew Copp.

Birthdate: July 8, 1994
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’0″ / 188 lbs

From Ann Arbour, Michigan, Copp played 40 games for the U.S. National Development Team from 2010-12. In those games he scored 4 goals and 11 assists for a total of 15 points. He joined the University of Michigan in 2012-13 playing 38 games for 21 total points.

6th round, 172 overall from the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League, defenseman Jerret Smith.

Birthdate: April 21, 1995
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’2″ / 198 lbw

From Surrey, British Columbia, Smith has played a total of 71 games in his first season with the Thunderbirds for a total of 20 points on 1 goal and 19 assists. At the tender age of 18, Smith has quite a large physique. At his age he has at least 3 more years to fill out to a monstrous sized defenseman to be feared by all. It could be a good 6th round chance pick, only if for his size.

6th round, 177th overall from the University of Maine in the H-East left winger Ryan Lomberg.

Birthdate: December 9, 1994
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 5’9″ / 180 lbs

From Richmond Hill, Ontario, Lomberg previously played in the 2011-12 season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL. In 52 games for the Lumberjacks he scored 22 goals and 18 assists for 40 points. He also had 154 penalty minutes and a plus-23 rating. Attending the University of Maine through the 2012-13 season, Lomberg scored 7 goals and 7 assists in 32 games for 14 points along with 42 penalty minutes.

7th round, 202 overall from the Ohio Blue Jackets in the MWEHL right wing/centre Kiefer Sherwood.

Birthdate: March 31, 1995
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 5’9″ / 154 lbs

From New Albany, Ohio Sherwood was drafted in the 7th round 99th overall of the USHL entry draft by the Youngstown Phantoms in 2012. From 2010-12, he played for the Ohio Blue Jackets U16 team plying 77 games for 74 points. Sherwood has committed to play the 2013-14 season at Bowling Green State University in the NCAA. Last season for the Phantoms he tallied 2 points in 9 games.

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Katie Flynn

Katie Flynn is in her final year at U of T, pursuing a career in sports journalism while completing a Bachelor of Arts, English Specialist. Although the NHL is the apple of her eye, she enjoys MLB, NFL, and NBA, in that order.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

What ifs are the biggest bother to a sports fan. Longing for success and the bitter taste of defeat couple to create a laundry list of alternative outcomes laced with “what ifs”. If there wasn’t a goaltending controversy in Vancouver, would the Canucks have been better or worse off? If the delay of game penalty didn’t exist, would the landscape of the 2013 NHL playoffs be completely altered? If Jarome Iginla picked Boston, what would that mean? If the Leafs managed to steal game 7 from the Bruins, would they be skating away to the Stanley Cup Final? These are the questions and gear grinders that drive sports fans to insanity. There’s no point in dissecting every avenue if it didn’t happen. What ifs are the go to argument for fans who can’t get past their own defeat.

The Toronto Maple Leafs cruised through the shortened 48 game season dealing with injuries to Joffrey Lupul, Carl Gunnarsson, Tyler Bozak, and so on. These injuries did not hamper their chances of getting into the playoffs, or sacrifice their ability to match up with their best chance to succeed.

It’s a strong point to make, but getting into the playoffs is the first battle. Getting through the playoffs is a mental task, more for fans than for the players. The Leafs finished in 5th place in the Eastern Conference. They would be matched up with the 4th place team, which happened to be the Boston Bruins. The 4th and 5th place match ups are always expected to be the most evenly matched based solely on their win/loss and point totals. The first place team is matched with the just-squeaked-in eighth place hockey team which is assumed to be best case scenario for the first place team. This isn’t always the case.

1962 Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup Celebration.

To win the Stanley Cup your team needs to put together 16 wins – no matter how you get them – to have the right to lift that cup over your head and scream uncontrollably, give it a peck or two. This is a universal number that is mandatory for the championship team to achieve. First place means nothing, eight place means nothing. Where you finish in the regular season has little to no weight on your chances to win in the playoffs. All you have to do is get in, the rest is up to your team. Nobody gets a free ride in the playoffs.

What if the Leafs were to face the New York Rangers in the first round instead of the Boston Bruins?

Irrelevant. Aforementioned, where you finish has little to do with what you are able to do in the playoffs. The regular season and those stats get thrown out the window, and it is ultimately a clean slate. Regular season match ups mean nothing now, because in the playoffs it’s do or die. You can bet your bottom dollar on the sun coming out tomorrow in the regular season. That’s something you can’t do in the playoffs. Lose 4, go home.

(Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)

Wondering about the Leafs playing the Rangers is the equivalent of believing breaking a mirror is 7 years of bad luck. If the Leafs were to play the Rangers in the first round, there’s no saying the same Rangers team that squeaked past the Washington Capitals in game 7 of round 1 would have showed up to play. They could have been an entirely different team. You prepare for the team you play by watching video, studying their habits, and literally stalking their every on-ice move. The Rangers formed their game plan around the way the Capitals played. They played to their strengths, or tried their best to, while trying to expose the Capitals weaknesses.

The system the Rangers played with wouldn’t have been the same against the Leafs. The Leafs could have won, they could have been swept, it could have been a 5, 6, 7 game series. The Rangers that played the Capitals would not have been the Rangers that showed up to play the Leafs.

What if the Leafs didn’t collapse in game 7?

If the Leafs didn’t collapse in game 7, they would have won game 7. Simple.

Why they collapsed was the experience and the talent of the Bruins trumping the inexperience and young talent of the Leafs. Speculating about penalties taken, or uncalled penalties wouldn’t have done a thing for that series. I’m not calling on destiny here. I’m giving the Bruins credit well deserved for doing the one thing that is done time and time again in the playoffs; exposing weaknesses.

(Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)

The Bruins owned the series. They were the more talented, more experienced, bigger team that was being out-skated (in very few opportunities seized) by the Leafs in their losses. The Bruins managed to win four, which is what they traveled to Toronto and back for. They got the job done, and the Leafs didn’t.

The Leafs had their chance fair and square just like the other eight teams in the Eastern Conference and they didn’t get the job done. Don’t blame anyone else or any other variable for their failure to win game 7.

If The Leafs beat the Bruins and the Rangers, would they be walking through the series with the Penguins?

No. The Bruins won because they exposed weaknesses that were very apparent and used their experience to their advantage. Not to mention their stellar goaltending, their large captain who runs that blueline, and their four line contribution on a consistent basis.

The Rangers played a game that held off the offense of the Capitals. They didn’t play a straight attack and expose game they would have against the Leafs. The way the Rangers played in the first round catered to a plan that would see them prevail against the Capitals, not the Leafs.

(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

Goaltending controversy aside, the Pittsburgh Penguins would have done the same thing to the Leafs as they did to the Senators. The talent level of the Penguins is far above the Senators or the Leafs as they stand right now in 2013. Talent is not always an indicator of success – I’m looking at you, New York Rangers. But the talent of the Penguins that has been clicking experienced trouble with the Islanders, but the better team won. They experienced minor trouble with the Sens, but prevailed easily. If they were to face the Leafs in this conference final, the experience of the Penguins and the inexperience of the Leafs would come to hurt the Leafs once again.

The Penguins are struggling against the Bruins because the Bruins faced adversity through the season as a team, and through the first round. They have found themselves comfortable playing aggressively in front of a very capable and dependable Tuukka Rask. Every part of the Bruins team is clicking, and the same can’t be said for the Penguins who are struggling against a team that is on it’s game.

The Leafs wouldn’t have made it this far anyway. The Bruins have been handling their business and gradually gaining speed which is what championship teams tend to do. It wasn’t the Leafs year. They had their chance to get into the second round and they didn’t make it happen. End of story.

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Katie Flynn

Katie Flynn is in her final year at U of T, pursuing a career in sports journalism while completing a Bachelor of Arts, English Specialist. Although the NHL is the apple of her eye, she enjoys MLB, NFL, and NBA, in that order.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Trading Jake Gardiner now may be the way to acquire a true number one centre. (Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)

For all the improvement the Toronto Maple Leafs showed this season, it became clear that the club is at least two big pieces away from legitimately contending for a Stanley Cup.

James Reimer did all that he could to erase doubts that he is capable of carrying the load in goal, so now the most notable omission from the championship blueprint is a top line centreman.

It has been proven time and again that in the salary cap era it is becoming more and more difficult to acquire a player of that calibre. Realistically, you need to draft them yourself, which is made difficult when you don’t pick until the 21^st position of the entry draft.

This is where Jake Gardiner comes into play for Dave Nonis and the Maple Leafs. He is perhaps the club’s most coveted prospect, along with the new and improved Nazem Kadri, and may be able to score the kind of return the Leafs should be seeking.

As good as he is or may become, Jake Gardiner is quickly becoming redundant within the organization amid the continued development of Morgan Rielly and the emergence of Cody Franson as a legitimate point producer.

Within a system run by Leafs coach Randy Carlyle, it wouldn’t appear that there is room enough for all three of them in addition to Captain Dion Phaneuf, whose game involves a certain amount of risk and reward as well.

For as little as he played with the big club during the regular season, injuries thrust Gardiner into the spotlight during the first round of the playoffs, where he carried a good portion of the load for Toronto.

These factors working together suggest that now is the time to “Free Jake Gardiner” in the hopes of landing a future franchise centre.

The problem with this, as stated previously, is most team’s reluctance to trade such valuable pieces of their core. If a trade were to be discussed with the Colorado Avalanche for example, Nonis should not be willing to accept anything less than Matt Duchene in return for a package including Gardiner. Problem is, they would likely be more interested in trading Paul Stastny and his $6.6 million contract.

This leaves Nonis with one other option. He could trade up in the draft and select his own franchise centre.

Taking a quick glance at the draft positioning, the Calgary Flames and the sixth overall selection stick out. They are at the very beginning of a rebuild in Cow Town, whether they want to admit it or not. That being the case, Jake Gardiner and perhaps a player like Joe Colborne in addition to Toronto’s own first round pick is enough to get Jay Feaster interested in relinquishing the pick to the Leafs.

At that point in the draft, it is a very safe assumption that the likes of Seth Jones, Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin and Sasha Barkov will all be off the board. Late riser Valeri Nichushkin may sneak into that group as well after his recent vow to head West in the Fall.

Ottawa 67′s captain Sean Monahan is a centreman with good size and a well-rounded game. (Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

That leaves one prospect that Nonis and the Leafs should be seriously interested in, Brampton native Sean Monahan. He is the 6’2” 193 pound Captain of the Ottawa 67’s that is renowned for his burgeoning offensive abilities, commitment to a 200 foot game and his leadership qualities. He’ll likely be the sixth player chosen in June, but in an ordinary draft year, he may have been a top three selection.

Monahan would likely be able to challenge for a roster spot with the Blue and White in the fall and would eventually form a legitimate one two punch up the middle for the Leafs with Nazem Kadri. He would also provide some much needed size to a relatively small group of centres in Toronto.

The biggest draw of going this route for the Buds is the fact that they truly aren’t ready to win yet, so drafting a future top line centre may make more sense, as it gives him time to develop his game to the point that he is ready to go when the club is a bona fide threat to contend.

Morgan Rielly may be ready to play sooner than later, perhaps as early as October of 2014, so if the Leafs are ever going to trade Jake Gardiner, now may be the best time to do it.

His play in the playoffs has presumably improved his value around the league, which was already relatively high. The only question is whether, in a draft such as this, a rebuilding team like Calgary would be open to trading their highest of three first round picks.

If the Leafs are prepared to serve up a player of Jake Gardiner’s ilk, it may just become a possibility.

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Kevin Pentz

A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, Kevin has been a Toronto Maple Leafs contributor for The Hockey Writers since April 2013, having previously worked as a Contributing Editor at Maple Leafs Central. Kevin can be contacted at k.am.pentz (at) gmail (dot) com.

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(Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)

Phil Kessel: 48 games played, 20 goals, 32 assists, 52 points, 6 power play goals, 4 game winning goals.

Kessel was the most productive Leaf this season in terms of points. He faced demons by scoring in the Bruins playoff series which is one thing he was not able to do for the last few seasons. He makes $5,400,000 a season.

Comparables: Chris Kunitz 48 GP, 22G, 30A, 9 PP, 5GW, $3,725,000
Eric Staal 48 GP, 18G, 35A, 3PP, 4GW, $8,250,000
Taylor Hall 45 GP, 16G, 34A, 4PP, 4GW, $6,000,000

Nazem Kadri: 48 GP, 18G, 26A, 44P, 5PP, 1 GWG. ($1,720,000)

As one of the most highly touted prospects in the Leafs organization – although not necessarily treated that way – Kadri performed well in the playoffs and regularly contributed during the season to be the second highest scorer on the team.

Comparables: Derek Stepan 48GP, 18G, 26A, 4PP, 6GW, $875,000
Matt Moulson 47GP, 15G, 29A, 8PP, 0 GWG, $3,133,333
Alexander Semin 44GP, 13G, 31A, 4PP, 1GWG, $7,000,000

James Van Riemsdyk: 48GP, 18G, 32P, 14A, 5PP, 3GW. ($4,250,000)

As one of the only Leafs players to have playoff experience with his previous team the Philadelphia Flyers, Van Riemsdyk did well in the Boston series. He also managed to contribute being the third leading scorer on the regular season roster with 32 points.

Comparables: Wayne Simmonds 45GP, 15G, 17A, 6PP, 4GW, $3,975,000
Lee Stempniak 47GP, 9G, 23A, 4PP, 2GW, $2,500,000

Cody Franson: 45GP, 4G, 25A, 29P, 3PP, 0 GWG.($1,200,000)

Coming to Toronto via trade in July of 2011, Franson managed to become the most productive defenseman in terms of points while scoring timely goals in the playoffs.

Comparables: Niklas Kronwall 48GP, 5G, 24A, 2PP, 2GW, $4,750,000
Kimmo Timonen 45GP, 5G, 24A, 3PP, 1GWG, $6,000,000

Dion Phaneuf: 48GP, 9G, 19A, 28P, 3PP, 1GW, ($6,500,000)

Criticized all season for his play, Dion has a captain’s salary. He may not be the Norris-nominated Phaneuf that he was when he began his career in Calgary, but he did elevate his game in the last two games of their playoff series.

Comparables: Shea Weber 48GP, 9G, 19A, 3PP, 1GW, $7,857,143
Dustin Byfuglien 43GP, 8G, 20A, 4PP, 2GW, $5,200,000

Tyler Bozak: 46GP, 12G, 16A, 28P, 4PP, 3GW, ($1,500,000)

Bozak is the Leafs number one centre and struggled all season to be able to live up to that role’s expectations. The Leafs needed him to perform at a level he is not able to give them, but he did produce in the playoffs and during the regular season on a not-so-consistent basis.

Comparables: Brendan Gallagher 44GP, 15G, 13A, 3PP, 3GW, $870,000
Radim Vrbata 34GP, 12G, 16A, 2PP, 1GW, $3,000,000
David Desharnais 48GP, 10G, 18A, 2PP, 3GW, $850,000

Nikolai Kulemin: 48GP, 7G, 16A, 23P, 0PP, 0GW, ($2,800,000)

Kulemin had a bit of an off year this season with a shuffling of lines. Kulemin wasn’t producing the way he had for a couple seasons prior and his numbers show that. His play in the playoffs was degraded to third and fourth line duties.

Comparables: Viktor Stalberg 47GP, 9G, 14A, 0PP, 1GWG, $875,000
Bryan Bickell 48GP, 9G, 14A, 0PP, 2GW, $541,667

James Reimer: 33GP, 19W, 8L, 2.46 GAA, .924 Sv%, 4 SO, ($1,800,000)

The key to all the Leafs victories was the man in the crease, James Reimer. He faced all critics when they said the Leafs weren’t good enough to make the playoffs because Reimer couldn’t steal games. He stole games in the playoffs and he stood on his head.

Comparables: Tuukka Rask 34GP, 19W, 2.00 GAA, 929Sv%, 5 SO, $3,500,000
Ilya Bryzgalov 40GP, 19W, 2.79 GAA, .900Sv%, 1 SO, $5,666,667

(Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports)

Help Me Help You

Based on the data collected and presented, it seems most of the Leafs are due for a raise, or a similar contract whether with the Leafs or somewhere else.

The Leafs need more top 6 forwards and that is not going to come by way of the draft or the minors seeing as they already have Lupul, Van Riemsdyk, and Kadri up and ready to go. The production of three guys spread along three lines will not translate into wins or consistent production. You need a line featuring maybe all three. You need centres that have a FO% of over 60%. There is a laundry list of things the Leafs need and the only thing that should remain is their goaltending. Unless you wanted to add a veteran goaltender behind Reimer.

Finding top 6 forwards is a chore, and it won’t be easy. You have to give up something valuable in order to get something valuable and hope it works. High risk, high reward is what the Phil Kessel trade was all about. Even though the Boston Bruins may be set with two great young players, the trade has worked out well for both, which doesn’t always happen.

There are many Leafs players who deserve raises based on the fact that when the floor was introduced along with the salary cap, players were overpaid in order to meet the specifics of this CBA change. The over compensation for some players raises the market value for other high profile players. If this trend continues, each team will only be able to afford one star player because of rising market value. The Leafs cannot afford to give all their top point producers raises while the salary cap goes down next season.

(Special thanks to capgeek for all the cap-hit info)

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Katie Flynn

Katie Flynn is in her final year at U of T, pursuing a career in sports journalism while completing a Bachelor of Arts, English Specialist. Although the NHL is the apple of her eye, she enjoys MLB, NFL, and NBA, in that order.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Sadly, this was not to be.

Instead, the Kings prevailed, leaving Leafs fans to berate Kerry Fraser every May 27.

Since almost every angle of this story has been covered, I’m focusing on a less discussed topic. If you want a thorough analysis of what happened that fateful night in May, check out posts on the subject by Sean McIndoe (a.k.a. Down Goes Brown).

If, however, you’d like to find out about the aftermath, then this post is for you.

Fraser has stated that he has had to carry that game with him as figurative baggage over the last twenty years. He doesn’t hold on to the memory himself; rather, bitter fans force him to bear their disappoint for life.

In light of these comments, I thought I’d offer a list of ways in which the memory of that incident might be haunting Fraser and how he might deal with the burden of that memory.

1. Attempting to get absolution

Immediately following the blown call, Fraser acted like any of us would and sought to absolve himself of his heinous trespass by seeking absolution from the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi. Unfortunately, the oracle informed him that while the classical hero Orestes could be forgiven for matricide, Fraser’s offence was beyond the power of gods or men to forgive. Immediately afterward, a plague of Furies rose from the underworld to torment the forsaken ref from that day onward.

If you’d like to know what exactly “Furies” are, check out my previous post on the awesomest team in the CWHL: The Toronto Furies!

2. Scarring himself for life as an act of penance

An anonymous Bazooka Joe comic informed me that, immediately following the blown call, Fraser went into a black mood and was irreconcilable for weeks. During that time, he apparently decided to give himself jailhouse-style tattoos as a reminder of his crime against the Leafs and, by extension, humanity itself. He usually covers these tats with makeup, but I’ve put together an artistic rendition of what they might look like.

He has a high stick inked under each eye that missed the obvious call on Gretzky for the stick infraction.

4. Making amends

As part of his 12-step program with BB, Fraser has to make amends for having hurt people by his actions. On the top of his list is being forgiven by Wendel Clark, who led the Leafs to a glorious comeback in that fateful Game 6 by tying the game with a hat trick. That accomplishment, however, was ultimately rendered moot by Fraser’s poor officiating.

To honour Clark’s achievement and express remorse for diminishing its significance, Fraser throws vagrant hats that he’s collected during the year on Wendel Clark’s lawn every 27th of May. Of course, Fraser, acting on survival instincts, doesn’t dare alert Clark that he’s anywhere near his property, so the anonymous hat-bombings have been fruitless thus far in terms of making amends.

Incidentally, If there’s one thing Wendel Clark hates, it’s when the annual anonymous hat-drop hinders his morning croquet match.

5. Avoiding Dion Phaneuf

While Fraser tries to make amends with Clark, he tries to avoid Dion Phaneuf at all costs. Apparently, an apparition of Doug Gilmour appears before Phaneuf at night to remind him that the “time is out of joint,” meaning that the Leafs should have won the cup in 1993. The apparition tells Phaneuf that he must avenge this loss and right history by winning a cup for the Leafs that year.

Unfortunately, the apparition’s plan has so far backfired horribly. Instead of rallying the team to undertake a long cup run, Phaneuf stages plays that implicate Fraser (who is usually seated in the audience) with having killed the hopes and dreams of Leafs Nation. Thankfully for viewers at home, the NHL schedules this annual pageant during commercial breaks at the seldom-watched NHL Awards.

Another unexpected side effect is that Phaneuf doesn’t offer any motivation in the dressing room anymore. Instead, he just stares at a skull and philosophizes on how  death takes those who do and do not win cups alike: to him, the true face of humanity is a naked, anonymous skull.

These dressing-room digressions have likely led to reporters saying that Phaneuf shouldn’t wear the “C” anymore.

You can tell when Phaneuf is having a “Hamlet moment” on the ice as he acts like a pylon in the d-zone while contemplating whether ’tis nobler of the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous cup droughts.

6. Taking some “Kerry time”

In response to Phaneuf’s annual dramatic lambasting of him, Fraser often holes himself up in his dressing room at TSN’s studios. His contract allows for his frequent absences from the network’s panels through a “Kerry time” clause, which stipulates that he can retreat into his dressing room at any time for as long as he wants. This type of timeout usually involves Fraser putting on his best Uggs or Crocs (depending on the season), making origami cranes out of the official NHL rule book, and listening to an endless loop of Johnny Cash’s cover of “Hurt.”

 Network pages sent to collect Fraser from his make-shift dressing room are often turned away by this sign.

7. Creating a memorial

This year, Fraser has finally accepted that the memory of his missed call will never die. So, instead of fighting against a collective’s grudge against him, he’s decided to mourn with Leafs nation by staging an annual memorial outside of the LA Forum (the site of the Leafs greatest misfortune aside from that OT loss in the 2013 playoffs).

Fans are welcomed to join Fraser in his observance of that dark day by contributing decorations that mark the 27th of May as an National Day of Mourning for Leafs Nation.

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James McClure

James McClure is a fourth-line academic who leaves it all in the Word document after every shift. James typically plays an energy role by picking up the odd shift in the lecture hall to rest his tenured linemates. As the Bard's bodyguard, James is often seen as a goon by other scholars. Being a Leafs fan has helped James develop a sense of humour, which he employs in his blog posts that rove around various arenas. Check out my website: www.rinkrover.ca Follow me on Twitter: @RinkRover

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Nazem Kadri made great strides under Dallas Eakins. (Tony Ding/Icon SMI)

The Toronto Marlies’ season has come to an end, and so have the restrictions that keep coach Dallas Eakins firmly within the organization.

Written into his last contract extension was a clause that prevented Eakins from seeking a National Hockey League position until the end of the 2012/2013 season. While he does technically have two years left on his current deal, he now has an out, and the freedom to explore any opportunity he is presented with.

In his four seasons behind the bench of the Toronto Marlies, Eakins has developed into a very good developmental coach. This fact is evidenced by the number of players he has guided into the Maple Leafs’ lineup, especially during this lockout shortened season.

The likes of Matt Frattin, Jake Gardiner, Korbinian Holzer, Ryan Hamilton and Mark Fraser all owe a large part of their development and promotion to Eakins, as he has established a culture of respect, hard work and accountability within the lower levels of the Maple Leaf organization.

No player, however, has improved more under the tutelage of Eakins than Nazem Kadri, who finally enjoyed a long-awaited breakout season for the Blue and White this year. The 22-year-old London native’s attention to detail and overall and confidence level were greatly improved over previous seasons and it showed in every aspect of his game.

Starting with calling him out on the first day of Marlies training camp in September for not being in good enough shape, Eakins kept Kadri on a tight leash, while still giving him room to create and develop his offensive game.

Eakins even resorted to making Kadri a healthy scratch in an AHL game in November in an attempt to motive the young centre, and it worked.

Since that game, Kadri played with more fire and determination, eventually making the jump to the NHL and recording 44 points in 48 games, good for second on the Leafs behind superstar Phil Kessel.

Kadri’s plus-15 rating was also second on the team behind Mark Fraser, another Marlies product, who recorded a plus-18 in 45 games played. Nazem had improved his decision-making and defensive play, something directly attributed to working closely with Eakins and his staff.

It was obvious from the start of the season that Kadri had made the jump from prospect to legitimate NHL’er, and he was a major contributing factor towards the Maple Leafs ending their 9 year playoff drought.

Jake Gardiner proved his time in the AHL under Eakins wasn’t wasted (Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)

His improvement, as well as the contributions of Frattin and Gardiner throughout the season and playoffs point to the importance of having a solid minor league system and having a good instructional coach leading it.

One could even make the argument that Eakins was the Leafs MVP (most valuable person) this season, as the club would have looked much different without the young players that he helped take the next step in their careers.

Eakins is arguably one of the better coaches in the AHL and will be high on a few team’s lists of potential candidates to fill head coaching positions, given his newfound freedom.

There are coaching vacancies in Vancouver and Dallas currently, with Eakins surely in contention for both jobs. There are also other potential openings that don’t yet exist, but may come available following the playoffs.

Disappointing seasons for the New York Rangers and Winnipeg could lead to coaching changes sooner than later. As well, with the Phoenix Coyotes ownership situation yet unresolved, Dave Tippett has not renewed his contract and may not be back as coach.

The one thing working against Eakins is his competition’s experience level. Coaches like Lindy Ruff, Guy Boucher, Alain Vigneault and Paul Maurice may be more attractive for teams looking to fill their coaching vacancies.

This could work to Toronto’s advantage, as having a coach like Dallas Eakins leading their AHL affiliate has proved to be beneficial to the organization as a whole.

It may not be this summer, and it may not be next, but eventually Eakins will get a head coaching job in the NHL and the Toronto Maple Leafs organization will have to find somebody to fill the large footprint he will undoubtedly leave.

Author information

Kevin Pentz

A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, Kevin has been a Toronto Maple Leafs contributor for The Hockey Writers since April 2013, having previously worked as a Contributing Editor at Maple Leafs Central. Kevin can be contacted at k.am.pentz (at) gmail (dot) com.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.