Who is the Most Valuable Leaf player so far this season?

The Leaf victory against Edmonton boosts their season point totals, which gives them, if not a cushion, at least some “play” in the standings as they embark on a number of road games through the rest of the month.  It is becoming clear that the flailing Sens and the surging Devils (at least for the moment) remain the serious “competition” for a playoff berth in the East.

As Ron Wilson noted some weeks ago, the Leafs may be well-advised to look in front of them, rather than focus on simply clinging to a playoff spot and worrying on who's behind them.  The higher in the playoff seedings the better, generally speaking.  (And that 'attitude' is partly why they have had some success this season.  They don't play to just "protect" a lead...)

For its part, Edmonton has some nice young forward pieces, and not that long ago, I posted on the notion of “would you rather be a Leaf or Oiler fan”, when it comes to how the line-ups of the two teams- that were among the worst in the league a couple of seasons ago- stand right now.  (Click here to read more…)

Besides a win, the good news for me, personally, is that enough time has passed since the bad old days (when the Oilers were so good in the '80s) that I no longer shudder at the mere thought of Edmonton coming to town.  In those days, you could pretty much count on Gretzky and the boys to put up at least six against the Leafs most nights- and that's if they just they made it off the bus.  The question often was:  could we keep it close, or occasionally outscore them (because we had some guys ourselves back then who knew how to find the back of the net, like Vaive, etc....).

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I’m not a fan (at all) of talking about MVP’s and who, for example, will win the Norris or Vezina trophy etc. based on perceptions that we have, say, half-way through the season.  Why?  Well, guys get hurt, the level of their play changes dramatically, all kinds of things can and do happen to make someone being “on pace” for whatever (goals, GAA) largely, for me at least, meaningless.

That said, without trying to proclaim how things might look at the end of the regular season in April, I think it’s fair to suggest we can at least talk about who the guys are who have been “most valuable” in the context of how the Leafs got where they are now—fairly nicely entrenched in a playoff “spot” (there’s a projection again) in the Eastern Conference standings with less than 30 games to go.

Let’s be honest.  If a team is playing fairly well most of the time (and the Leafs are), it’s indeed because they are a “team” and playing like one.  That usually suggests that guys know and fulfill their roles.  The scorers score, the checkers check, the defensemen clear the front of the net and move the puck smartly and the goalies make the stops.  Everyone contributes in their own way.

But for the sake of a fun discussion, who, for you,  has been the single most important/valuable guy for the blue and white through the now 53 games of the regular-season?

• There are plenty of candidates, I would argue.  For starters, how about Lupul?  While his defensive deficiencies are sometimes apparent, Lupul has certainly helped make Kessel a better all-around and more productive player since Phil was placed  alongside the veteran winger.  Kessel aside, Lupul brings a lot of jump himself most nights, not to mention putting up some significant offensive numbers for a team that was screaming for just that kind of “out of nowhere” production.

• The obvious name that springs to mind is indeed Kessel.  His flash comes with substance most nights this season.  Speed can overwhelm and his speed on the wing (including on his off-wing on his particularly inspired nights) has driven many a defenseman to high anxiety this season.  We all know about the quick release, but like many fine scorers before him (whether we’re talking about a Brett Hull, a Mike Bossy, etc.) there is something a bit hard to describe about the way he deftly handles the puck and lets it go with barely perceptible movement (and often just enough to ever so slightly change the angle of dangerous shots).

• Gustavsson?  Our season could have gone into a pretty deep tank of nothingness if Monster had not pulled his confidence—and therefore his game—together in time to put some big “W’s” on the board for the Leafs.  OK, few would try to declare him a legitimate team MVP, but would the Leafs be where they are in the standings right now without him?

• I know this would be a heavy minority view, but what about Gunnarsson?  I know he’s not perfect, but night after night, he makes the quiet, simple play (and prevents disaster looming in his own end) that helps keep the Leafs in games when they are behind—and stay ahead when they are leading.  He’s not the biggest, toughest or fastest Leaf.  But he sees the ice and knows what’s going on out there.  He’s only a plus 4 with modest production on the ‘points’ side, but he generally makes whoever his partner is better.  Not every defenseman can do that.

• Did I hear someone calling Grabovski?  I admit, he had me a bit puzzled in the first 30 or so games of the season.  As I posted here, it wasn’t that I sensed he was disinterested or not putting out, he just seemed a smidge off the benchmark standard he established last season.  Given that he, like Kulemin, had seen a very nice career arc developing over the past four seasons, we perhaps assumed that that would naturally continue for both players.  Whereas Nik is still struggling, in my eyes, Grabbo has produced some sterling play and strong, if not quite eye-popping numbers over the past few weeks.  Taken as a “whole”, I could see why some would support Grabovski.

I know there are all kinds of contributors here—Crabb has done his job, Steckel (though he might want to throw an assist in there once in a while for good measure), too.  And of course Bozak, who I’ve liked (as I’ve mentioned here many times) from the get-go in his rookie season—and through some challenging periods in his young career.

To be honest, I’m not sure that Jake Gardiner isn’t our overall best player some nights, but for the purposes of our debate and discussion today, he’ll have to settle for being the interim or temporary “rookie of the year” for the Leafs.  (And, given the importance of the position he plays—and the minutes he is asked to be on the ice—there could be worse choices for league rookie-of-the-year, if he keeps this up…)

But not everyone can be “MVP” of the first 53 games, right? So……my vote goes to: Dion Phaneuf.

I’m probably not among Dion’s biggest boosters.  I’ve been a bit of a “Doubting Thomas”/guy from Missouri on this one.  But even I can see the guy is important to this team.  He is playing both ends of the ice, because that’s what he is being asked to do.  He kills penalties, plays huge minutes (surely the most on the team; it certainly feels that way).  He is a guy that I would not want to see out of the lineup for a prolonged period of time.  Not that the Leafs don’t have depth on the blueline now—they do.  But he would be missed.

So it’s Phaneuf for me.

But I mostly wanted to get your thoughts.  Do your best to nominate one guy, and make the case as best you can.

I look forward to reading your views.