Some teams have gone searching far and wide to add grit and toughness to their rosters, but the Maple Leafs have it in spades. Who could forget the inspired playoff performance by forward Gary Roberts? But, as is true with all the Original Six, nothing short of the Stanley Cup is acceptable. The Maple Leafs made it to the conference finals, but were knocked out by last year's Cinderella team -- Carolina.

Then came the hand-wringing, the finger pointing and the criticism. Then, the key defection. Goaltender Curtis Joseph actually took less money to go to Detroit because he felt they have a better chance to win. The Leafs signed up Ed Belfour as his replacement, a risky yet interesting move. The front office said it hasn't ruled out adding a big-name player to the mix, but so far, that chance hasn't presented itself. If the team stumbles out of the gate, look for changes.