Jake Gardiner, predicting an NHL season will emerge, so 15 key Maple Leaf-related questions heading into camp

The healthiest thing for an older Leaf fans like mysef, in light of the CBA mess, is not to try and analyze  it any more—not that I ever really understood the financial nuances of the debate to begin with.  Who are the "good guys" and the "bad guys"?  It all depends on your point of view going into this, I suppose.  If you assume the wealthy NHL owners are stupid, greedy, can't save themselves from their own silliness and are forever lying to and trying to take advantage of the players, you likely sympathize with the NHLPA.

If, on the other hand, you are tired of players who have made tens of millions of dollars (or more) over very few years and still aren't satisfied (what, I might have to work after I retire like real people?), well, you may not support the owners, but you likely don't feel much sympathy for the players who want to be paid like they are "important", yet act out on social media forums like they are angry five year- olds when their toy is taken away.

Who do you dislike least- Gary Bettman or Donald Fehr?  Does it even matter any more?

That the wealthy and the rich have not yet found an amicable way to divvy up billions of dollars worth of cash—generated for them in part by us, the fans—will always sting a bit.  But it’s better to move on and try to be hopeful that, despite the impasse, there may be hockey in the new year.

My sometimes skeptical nature aside, I want to believe there will be a season.  So I will finally come out and say it:  yes, I think there will be a season, albeit a short one, in 2012-'13.  And if there is indeed a season—and that means the Maple Leafs will  play again at some point soon—where, exactly, are the blue and white heading into that season?  I mean, I know the Marlies are playing well most nights and are filled with talent, but when it comes to the big club, are the Maple Leafs anywhere near being a contending team in the East?  Just a mediocre team?  Below average, perhaps?

I look around the Eastern Conference, and while it has not been an overwhelmingly strong Conference for the last few years, there are some good goalies out there, notably in Montreal, Carolina and New York (Rangers).  But there are also a lot of teams with questions in goal beyond the Maple Leafs.  For example, what will the Bruins have without Tim Thomas?  Can Rask really handle the load in Beantown?

Florida is still thinking about Luongo, it seems.  (Somehow they made the playoffs last season. Go figure.)  Ottawa had a nice season from Anderson a year ago, but do we know for sure he’ll be consistent this season?  What about Tampa in goal, after they gave away a guy who turned into one of last season's better netminders?

Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, the Flyers and the Islanders all have issues in net, as do the Capitals, at least in my mind.  (Holtby was really good for the Caps in the playoffs, but we've all seen that young goalie movie before.  It doesn't always pan out.)  Heck, even the Devils have no guarantees, given Brodeur’s advancing age and now a half season away from the game.  And I’m not personally as big a fan of Ryan Miller as many people are at this point.  For me, he’s a ‘good year, followed by a mediocre year’ kind of guy at this stage of his career.

So I still think that, even though the Habs and Carolina have made some roster moves and, on paper, should be improved, the 7 and 8 playoff slots will, I believe, be wide open.  I concede that the Bruins and Flyers should make the East playoffs even if their goaltending is not stellar in a short season, but beyond the Rangers, who else is really a sure thing?

So it’s there for the Leafs-  if they put together any kind of season at all.

But still, there are questions, especially now that we are looking at actually playing hockey (hey, you gotta believe...).

1. Which Randy Carlyle will we see—the tough task-masker who made Lupul (and others) crazy in Anaheim, or a kinder, gentler mentor who will be demanding but also a patient teacher with a young Leaf roster?
2. Will James Reimer come back fully healthy and ready to be a bonafide number-one NHL goalie through the sprint of a shortened season?
3. On that note, have Burke’s summer proclamations of support for Reimer been a veil to hide his serious interest in Luongo?  Will the Leafs finally strike a long-awaited deal with the hated Canucks for the veteran ‘keeper?
4. How old will newcomer James van Riemsdyk be when NHL hockey returns?  He was young when we traded for him, but it feels like there hasn’t been NHL hockey in about five years.  Is he 30 yet?
5. Based on his performance with the Marlies this fall, does Nazem Kadri automatically start the season with the Leafs—and will he stay here for good?
6. We know who the six likely Leaf defenseman are—Komisarek, Phaneuf, Gunnarsson, Liles, Franson and Gardiner.  But are there roster surprises lurking before the season even gets underway? (Holzer may get a look, but he'll have to be a lot smarter than he was on Saturday, when he iced the puck for no reason in the last minute as the Marlies clung to a precarious one-goal lead....)
7. If no deal is struck for Luongo, is there a free-agent goalie out there that the Leafs will bring in to back-up Reimer, or is Scrivens the guy?  Are you happy with that?
8. Will (can?) Lupul repeat his superb 2011-’12 season with the Leafs?
9. Will Kessel be Kessel, or a better version of his earlier self?  And, will he look to sign an extension in Toronto, or will he have one eye on a huge free-agent contract  around the corner?
10. Grabovski, Bozak, Connolly (remember him?), McLement, Steckel and Kadri (and van Riemsdyk apparently) can all play center.  So who are our “top four” centers?
11. Which Nik Kulemin will we see—the 2010-’11 version or the guy we had in 2011-’12?
12. Besides Frattin, Kadri and of course Gardiner, which current Marlies are sure-fire Leafs come opening night for the Leafs?
13. Dion Phaneuf is the team’s captain.  But who do you see as the team’s real leader?
14. Will Burke finally stop making unnecessary public boasts and just focus on building the team?
15. Do the Maple Leafs have an identity heading into a new season?  If not, will one emerge under Carlyle- and what will it be?

Maybe the biggest question right now is not even on the above list:  Is Jake Gardiner OK, after the weekend injury that he suffered on Saturday against Rochester?

I know you will have even more points to raise, but this gets the conversation going, at least.  By all means, share your thoughts.  And let’s hope we will be talking NHL and Leaf hockey for real for the next few months….