Tyler Bozak

Before people start getting the wrong idea about the purpose of this article, it is solely a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs system and who amongst them would be the most likely to win one of the yearly NHL awards. This is a completely hypothetical article and we have no way of determining whether any of these will win or even be nominated for an award in the future.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been steadily improving since Brian Burke took over the helm as General Manager. There are few doubters left in Leaf Land regarding his hockey acumen and prowess at the negotiation table.

Whether by draft, trade or free agency, Burke has put quality players on the roster and given them the chance to succeed.

There are again exciting prospects in the ranks—a novel concept for Leaf GMs of the past.

With another season behind them, it appears as if the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke has some tough decisions to make with respect to a number of restricted and unrestricted free agents this summer.

Heading into the 2011-12 season the Maple Leafs have a total of 13 players under contract, eating up a total of $36,890,000.

When Brian Burke was hired to be the Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager in November of 2008, there were a lot of Maple Leaf fans who were ecstatic that the franchise had finally delivered on bringing in one of the top men in hockey.

Playing for the University of Denver out of the WCHA, Tyler Bozak did enough to catch the attention of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke and his staff of amateur scouts, resulting in Burke signing the undrafted Bozak to a healthy contract.

 A fair number of Leafs players, 17 who have counted against the cap this year, will be looking for new contracts at the end of the season.

Some will receive huge pay raises and some will be packing their bags and looking for some new digs.

Do these players deserve contracts or do they get shipped before the deadline or possiby let loose in the off season to find themselves a new home?

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed journey man winger Mike Brown to a three year 2.2 million dollar contract extension on Tuesday, and it may be the best signing Brian Burke has made so far.

“We are extremely pleased to have Mike under contract for the next three years,” Burke said. “His blend of character, energy and toughness has proven to be a good fit in the overall structure and makeup of our team.”

It was said that these last five games of the month of January would put to rest one way or the other the question of whether the Toronto Maple Leafs would have a chance at the post-season. Since their second four-game winning streak of the season, the Leafs have won just one game and lost three. If you are still unsure about the Leafs playoff chances, the answer is definitely not.

If there is one thing that the Leafs do consistently, it is that they play inconsistently.

Fresh off a 7-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs pulled a 180 degree turn, thumping the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 in Toronto Thursday night.

The Maple Leafs will salvage some respect in bouncing back so well, but the team's penchant for Jeckyll and Hyde results has Leafs Nation and team management wondering just what they have at the end of the day.

Before the season started I had a long list of players that were considered the "stars of tomorrow".   My criteria for these players is two years in the NHL or less than 160 games combined (with minor exceptions).

Many players take that next big step in year three and really come into their own.   Some sooner, some later, but the development of a star is fascinating to watch.