=== 2003-04 Toronto Maple Leafs Preview ===

By Warren Blatt, Contributing NHL Writer

(My Sportsbook) - A veteran Toronto squad had its 2002-03 season come to an abrupt end in the first round of the playoffs, as the Maple Leafs fell in seven games to a determined Philadelphia club.

The Maple Leafs managed to accumulate 98 points (44-28-7-3) last season, which slotted them as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. That meant a grueling and agonizing seven-game series with the Flyers that left both teams physically and emotionally spent.

Toronto made some major acquisitions prior to last season's playoffs. The Leafs obtained veterans Doug Gilmour, who has since retired, forward Owen Nolan, who is still with the team, and defensemen Phil Housley, a free agent, and Glen Wesley, who re-signed with Carolina, in hopes that they had a long playoff run ahead of them.

Back to the drawing board.

Welcome 34-year-old defenseman Bryan Marchment, who signed a one-year contract with Toronto, and 37-year-old centerman Joe Nieuwendyk, who spent last season with the New Jersey Devils and is expected to add leadership, strong penalty-killing skills and a tenacity for winning faceoffs.

The unrestricted free agent Marchment collected 14 points (2g, 12a) in 81 games last season for San Jose and Colorado, while Nieuwendyk recorded 17 goals and 28 assists in 80 games for New Jersey.

Surprise, that's it. The Maple Leafs will rely on basically the same core of veterans that they had at the start of last season, except for the addition of Nolan, who registered seven goals and five assists in 14 games for the Leafs after being acquired from San Jose.

Team captain Mats Sundin brings his skill and leadership to the ice each night for Toronto. The 32-year-old Swede finished last season with 37 goals and 35 assists in 75 games.

Joining Sundin in the spotlight of the Toronto lineup will be forwards Alexander Mogilny, Nolan, Darcy Tucker, Mikael Renberg, Nik Antropov, and Robert Reichel.

Tomas Kaberle, 25, is the key to the defense. Kaberle scored a career-high 11 goals to go along with 36 assists in 82 games last season. Along with Bryan McCabe, who had six goals, 18 assists and 135 penalty minutes in 75 contests last season, Kaberle should lead a respectable blueline corps to play in front of 38-year-old netminder Ed Belfour.

Belfour had an awesome season with Toronto after signing as a free agent prior to 2002-03. In 62 contests, Belfour was 37-20-5 with a 2.26 goals-against average and seven shutouts.

This is a veteran team with a lot of grit and toughness. The Leafs will obviously need to stay healthy in order to advance deep into the playoffs. However, the question that will need to be answered is, are these fiery vets still hungry? Time will tell.

AT THE HELM - Back for another season as head coach is Pat Quinn. However, he will not be the general manager as he relinquished that role.

The Maple Leafs made John Ferguson, Jr. the 12th general manager of the club in late August. The 36-year-old Ferguson became the youngest GM in the NHL. He had been the assistant general manager and director of hockey operations in St. Louis.

Quinn should be more effective behind the bench since he will be able to concentrate on the task at hand with Ferguson handling personnel.

ON THE ATTACK - Sundin, Mogilny and Nolan are the snipers that opponents will key on when Toronto is the opposition.

The 34-year-old Mogilny finished 2002-03 with 33 goals and 46 assists in 73 contests. He is Sundin's partner in crime, and along with the Swedish captain strikes fear into opponents' eyes.

Nolan, who has been bothered by an on-going back problem, should be able to mesh with his teammates to form a potent offensive unit. If he can stay healthy.

Tucker, who registered 10 goals, 26 assists and 119 penalty minutes for the Leafs last season, 32-year-old Reichel, who finished 2002-03 with 12 goals and 30 assists and Renberg, 14 goals and 21 assists last year, are a capable supporting cast that add speed and grit.

Antropov, 23, represents the youth up front. He had his best year in the NHL last season, scoring 16 goals and assisting on 29 others in 72 contests. Toronto hopes the bulky Russian continues to excel and improves on his 2002-03 campaign.

Don't forget tough guy Tie Domi. The 33-year-old forward tallied a career-best 15 goals to go along with 171 penalty minutes in 79 contests last season.

Gary Roberts, 37, appeared in just 14 games last year and will be back for another season.

Make no mistake about it, health is the key for Toronto's offensive unit. These are veterans with playoff savvy and experience. The Maple Leafs are not young by years, but if these veterans are still young in the legs and at heart they can light up the scoreboard often and quickly.

ON DEFENSE - Kaberle and McCabe highlight a defense that includes Marchment, and steady Aki Berg. Seasoned veterans Robert Svehla and Jyrki Lumme are gone. Svehla has retired and the team bought out the remainder of Lumme's contract.

The 26-year-old Berg is not an offensive force, as he scored four goals and assisted on seven others in 78 contests last season. However, his steady play along with his experience make him an important asset for the Leafs' blueline.

Karel Pilar and Ric Jackman will be asked to step into the lineup and provide strong play. Pilar played just 17 games for Toronto last season, while Jackman appeared in 42.

The defense is a big question mark for Toronto. Kaberle and McCabe need to lead by example and hope that the others will follow.

IN THE CREASE - Belfour, who was a Vezina finalist, did not play his age last season, and Toronto will need a repeat performance if it hopes to have a successful campaign.

If Belfour has aged over the summer and plays like it, the Leafs are in for a long and frustrating season. His magnificent play is needed once again for Toronto to be considered an elite team in the Eastern Conference.

Trevor Kidd, 31, will back up Belfour. In 19 games last season Kidd registered a record of 6-10-2 to go along with a 3.10 goals-against average.

Kidd is a reliable second option, but that is all what Quinn wants him to be.

Belfour is not only the key to the defensive side of things for Toronto, but he is the cog that will make or break the club as a whole.

X-FACTOR - Will experience, coupled with some youth prevail in Toronto? The NHL season is long (82 games + playoffs) and physical. The veterans on the Leafs' club can handle the mental abuse that is needed, but can they stay healthy?

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - The Maple Leafs will go as far as Belfour and Sundin take them. The logical guess is that Belfour has another good year in him and the veteran leadership will once again prove to be a positive. The defense will have to raise its play and the offense will have to produce.

The Eastern Conference is wide open and Toronto will be in the playoff mix when the postseason starts. How far they go depends on the health of the veterans and Belfour's performance.