“There’s going to be pain here.”
Those words have been swimming within the minds of Leafs fans for the last three years and it’s safe to say a lot has changed since then. Mike Babcock went into his first season as Leafs coach with this:
| Forwards | LW | C | RW | Defence | LD | RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forwards | LW | C | RW | Defence | LD | RD |
| Line 1 | JVR | Kadri | Boyes | Pair 1 | Hunwick | Phaneuf |
| Line 2 | Matthias | Bozak | Lupul | Pair 2 | Marincin | Rielly |
| Line 3 | Winnik | Spaling | Parenteau | Pair 3 | Gardiner | Harrington |
| Line 4 | Arcobello | Holland | Komarov |
Fast forward through two years of drafting, developing and success on the open market, and Babcock saw a serious upgrade.