Leafs are the odd man out.... of the playoffs.

The 2008-09 hockey season could could have been a very special year for hockey fans. I can't even remember the last year that all six of the original teams made the playoffs. At this stage in the game, teams will either become "buyers" and try to recruit seasoned players to assist them on their playoff run, or become "sellers" and trade away the players on their roster with big salaries to try and get higher draft picks and young prospect players for the next season. The Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Montreal Canadians are all "buyers" this year. They are in decent spots to make a strong run for the conference finals and quite possibly, the Stanley Cup.

The Toronto Maple Leafs however, are 12 points out of the last playoff spot in the eastern conference (currently held by the Buffalo Sabres) and will certainly become "sellers". Players like Antropov , Blake , Kaberle , Kubina and Ponikarovsky are all trade worthy assets that could be leaving the team. The players on the Toronto Maple Leafs are no doubt concerned where they (and their families) will be moved to come March 4`th.

"It's not easy -- I'm sure that's in the back of my mind, all the [trade] stuff, and it's affecting me," Antropov said in Denver on Jan. 29. "It obviously is doing something to my game, even though I realize I have no control over it. Whatever Brian [Burke] decides, I'll have to live with, and I've just got to find a way to somehow play through it."

This mindset is causing the Leafs to perform worse and worse as the season moves on. They have lost 12 of their last 16 games and are falling in the Standings. They currently sit in 26`th place overall with 50 points. Only 1 point ahead of Tampa Bay, and 2 points ahead of Ottawa. If the Leafs do end up finishing in 28`th place, they will have a chance at picking up the first overall pick who is most likely going to be Canadian forward John Tavares or the Sweedish defenceman Vicor Hedman. Either one of these players will greatly improve the Leafs in 2010 and give them a chance to make it past 82 games. They desperately need their GM Brian Burke and head coach Ron WIlson to lead this team because the all the leaf fans out there deserve a post season!