Pugnacity, testosterone, truculence, and belligerence – words often echoed by GM Brian Burke regarding the type of team he promised to build.
Other than Mike Brown, and Jay Rosehill (who rarely dresses), there are very few players on the roster that play the brand of hockey that Burke pledged.
The Maple Leafs cannot play that way because they haven’t been built like that. With the exception of Colby Armstrong (when healthy) and perhaps Clarke MacArthur, none of the forwards in Toronto’s top nine play an aggressive game.
On defense, Cody Franson, Jake Gardner, Carl Gunnarsson and John-Michael Liles provide the club with a variety of attributes. However, none of those include pugnacity, testosterone, truculence, and belligerence.
Mike Komisarek, Dion Phaneuf, and Luke Schenn are supposed to provide the Leafs with some sandpaper at the back end, but only one of them does it consistently.
When was the last time Mike Komisarek fought or delivered a devastating hit?
Dion Phaneuf throws the occasional highlight reel body check but how many times have we seen him pushed around without a response from him or anyone else? Earlier this season in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning Steve Downie was in Phaneuf’s face the entire game and nothing was done. We’re talking about the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Doing nothing is embarrassing to the organization and a response to that sort of behavior would be approved by most Leaf fans.
Luke Schenn has led the Maple Leafs in hits the past two seasons and is currently leading the team this year. He is exactly what the Maple Leafs need. It is no surprise that his name is always mentioned in trade rumors – which team wouldn’t want a young physical defenseman? At 23, Leaf fans haven’t seen 
the best of Luke Schenn, and trading him would be a mistake.
One trade Burke should consider.
Offer Dion Phaneuf to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jeff Carter. Although it hasn’t looked like it lately, Toronto’s team strength remains their defense. Moving Phaneuf would create a spot for Keith Aulie. Jeff Carter would give the club a legitimate number one center and provide the Leafs with more firepower upfront.
Although Jeff Carter (5.27 million) is signed for the next ten seasons, his cap hit is less than Phaneuf’s (6.5 million) and would create additional cap space for the Maple Leafs. Columbus might be willing to make this trade because it would free them of their long-term commitment to Carter.
Your Thoughts: Are the Leafs flawed the way they are currently built?
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