Ponikarovsky Still A Good Fit For The Toronto Maple Leafs?

Recently, it seems that quite a few Toronto Maple Leafs Leafs fans have been calling for the Leafs to trade Alex Ponikarovsky. He has been the subject of many trade rumors on Maple Leafs internet message boards, and has simply been left out of many online lineup predictions for this year's Leafs team. So why do many Leafs fans assume that Ponikarovsky will simply disappear this season? In my opinion, he is still a good fit.

For one thing, he is a proven goal scorer, which is something the Toronto Maple Leafs will need this season. He has had 2 seasons in which he scored over 20 goals, and netted 18 for the Leafs just last year. While these numbers aren't incredible, they are still pretty good. Another thing worth mentioning is that Ponikarovsky is a +45 player throughout his career with the Maple Leafs. While some people may not put much stock into a plus-minus rating, it does indicate that he is a defensively aware player in his own end of the ice. He is also known as a good skater with a hard shot. To say that there is no room for him on the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup this year, is completely unfounded in my opinion. The Maple Leafs will have many unproven forwards in their roster this year, so there is more than enough space to accommodate Ponikarovsky. Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher has also stated he is happy with his roster moves so far, and has not announced his desire to get rid of him. When Fletcher wants to move somebody, he usually makes it known (think Bryan McCabe). Given this, there is every reason to believe Alex Ponikarovsky will definitely be playing with the Maple Leafs this season. The only question is, which line?

Maple Leafs To Give Ponikarovsky A Checking Role?

As previously mentioned, the Toronto Maple leafs will feature many young and unproven players up front this year. While some people say Ponikarovsky must be moved in order to give those players proper ice time to develop, I don't believe this must be the case. True, Leafs newcomers like Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski, and Niklas Hagman certainly show great offensive potential, and should get the chance to prove what they can do in the top 6. Veterans like Jason Blake and Nik Antropov are considered locks for a spot on the top two lines. So is there no space for Ponikarovsky on the Maple Leafs? Personally, I think he may fill a 3rd line role very well. At least long enough to give the above mentioned players their shot at valuable ice time with the Maple Leafs. For one thing, Ponikarovsky is pretty good defensively, as I pointed out with his career +45 rating. This may prove useful on a checking line, and if Leafs coach Ron Wilson can get him to use his size to push opponents around more often, he will be even better for this role. His hard shot will give the line more of an offensive punch as well. While he likely won't reach the 20 goal mark with 3rd line ice time, his presence will still give the Maple Leafs checking unit some definite scoring potential when the oppurtunity arises.

So there you have it. It is indeed possible for the Toronto Maple Leafs to keep Ponikarovsky in their lineup, and still give their young guns the ice time they need to develop. He could bring some much needed depth to the roster, and if somebody goes cold on one of the Leafs top lines, he could easily be moved back up into the top 6. After all, he has played there before, and shown that he can score goals for the Maple Leafs. Add to that there probably isn't a whole lot of trade interest in him from other teams, so it would probably do the Leafs more good to keep him on their roster and bolster their scoring depth. However, this season will be pivotal for determining his future with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He will have to step up his game if he wants to avoid the trading block, but for now he is staying put on the Maple Leafs roster. So if you haven't penciled him in on your Maple Leafs lineup predictions for this season, now would be a good time to go back and correct yourself.