preseason assessment

Well, I must say that I am not horrified with how the Leafs have done so far this preseason (2-2-1)--they have exceeded my expectations and there are some things to be thankful for and questions I find myself pondering.

Luke Schenn has looked good thus far and I have high hopes for his future with the team. I don't know if he will actually make the big club right away, but if the Leafs are smart, they will develop him slowly and he should be a defensive cornerstone of the club for years to come.

Justin Pogge has been very hit-and-miss, showing moments of goaltending genius and then letting in a soft one a minute later. However, like Schenn, I have high hopes for Pogge as well and I believe him to be the Leafs' goaltender of the future.

I am very interested in finding out who Ron Wilson is going to name as his captain for this season. Right now, on the Leafs roster Tomas Kaberle has an "A" beside his name, but that is the only leadership designation that I see thus far. In my humble opinion, he is he most eligible candidate and perhaps the best suited to the job.

Do I think the Leafs are going to be great this year? No. Do I think they will be exciting to watch? Potentially, especially if they play hungry. Do I think that they may have been written off a bit prematurely as being the worst team in the Eastern Conference? Yes, I do. However, only time will give us answers to these questions and more (that sounded deep, eh?).