With his team marred in a 3-5-2 funk, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke cannot be happy with (according to capgeek.com) his current collection of $65,429,140 worth of players. As much as December looked to be the make it or break month for the Maple Leafs, January will be equally important as the Buds will play at home in nine of their next ten games. The Maple Leafs currently own a less than stellar 8-5-4 record at Home, where they have been tentative and at times uptight. A 7-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on November 5th and a 7-1 drubbing at the hands of the Washington Capitals on November 19th account for the Maple Leafs biggest disappointments on Home ice this season, while the Buds 2-0 shutout victory over the Montreal Canadiens way back on October 6th may

With his club struggling to earn points and question marks about the overall toughness on his team, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager placed forward Philippe Dupuis on waivers on Monday and got the good news that both Mike Brown and Mike Komisarek are on the mend. With Dupuis on waivers (he’ll be sent down to the Marlies should he clear), recent call up Darryl Boyce will likely assume Dupuis’ meager minutes. Signed as a free agent, Dupuis did little while in the Blue and White, posting zero points in 30 games and failing to bring a measure of improvement to the Maple Leafs penalty kill, which is ranked 30th in a 30 team league. Toronto went a paltry 4-6-3 in December, resulting in the teams slide in the Eastern Conference standings from playoff team to tenth in the East. The

Just shy of 40 games into the 2011-12 season and the Toronto Maple Leafs are exactly where many pundits thought they would be. For some, it was in a playoff position—which the Maple Leafs are. For others, it was fighting for a playoff spot—which after tonight’s tilt against the Winnipeg Jets, might just be where the Maple Leafs are. Either way, as good as the Maple Leafs have been, what it amounts to are results that are just a little north of mediocre. Case and point, the average NHL team has earned about 41 points. Through 37 games, the Maple Leafs have earned 41 points! So, what will it take for the Maple Leafs to have a successful 2012? For some, a successful season will only be so should the Maple Leafs make the playoffs. For others, a successful season

With his club marred in a 3-4-3 slide, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke must be ready to pull the trigger on a deal or two. Burke is known for making impact deals well before the trade deadline, so as to allow his acquisitions to adjust to his new surroundings in time for the playoffs. A quick look at the Maple Leafs roster reveals a talented trio of Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak (on most nights) and Joffrey Lupul on the first line, followed by a struggling second unit which often includes Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski and Tim Connolly or Clarke MacArthur. As much as the second unit has struggled, there are greater concerns on the third and fourth lines where the Maple Leafs are getting little scoring and questionable efforts in the defensive and physical departments. Injuries, inconsistent lineups

The Toronto Maple Leafs let another two points slip away Thursday night as the Carolina Hurricanes erased a 3-1 Toronto lead en route to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Blue and White. The loss to the Hurricanes brought Toronto’s record to 3-4-3 in their past ten games and put them dangerously close to slipping out of a playoff spot. It also marked the second time the Hurricanes have beaten Toronto this season—a team that is well below the Maple Leafs in the standings. The Maple Leafs currently sit eighth overall in the Eastern Conference, but with the Winnipeg Jets, and New Jersey Devils tied with the Leafs at 41 points apiece and the Ottawa Senators (39 points) and Washington Capitals (38 points) nipping at the Buds heals, the point lost Thursday night may come back to haunt the Maple

The Toronto Maple Leafs will take on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight in what can only be called the battle of two struggling clubs. Toronto and Carolina enter tonight’s tilt with identical 4-4-2 records in their past ten games, with Toronto dropping four of their past six games, while Carolina has lost three of their past five games. For Toronto, a win against the Hurricanes would go a long way in solidifying their playoff hopes. The Buds started their current three game road trip by dropping a 5-3 decision to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night, putting the Leafs dangerously close to dipping below the playoff threshold in the standings. As it stands right now, the Maple Leafs sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference  just one point ahead of the Winnipeg Jets (who they will play on Saturday night