Hornby’s first half grades:
Goal
Jean-Sebastien Giguere
C plus
Groin injury and the quiet rise of Reimer has clouded his future and not helped his push for a new contract in 2011.
Jonas Gustavsson
C
Not progressed as fast as hoped, but often the victim of poor offensive and defensive support.
Defence
Luke Schenn
B
Team’s best blueliner this year, erased last year’s doubts, plays tough, but has poise exiting the zone.
Dion Phaneuf
D
Much more was expected from the new captain, both in offence and overall impact. Gets into trouble with undisciplined play and a wild shot.
Francois Beauchemin
C minus
A steady defenceman and veteran presence, just not worth all that the club paid for him.
Tomas Kaberle
C minus
Highest scoring defenceman, if you can live with his soft physical play. What you see is what you get.
Mike Komisarek
D
See Beauchemin, a player most useful when he simplifies. Nice comeback from injury, but makes too much to be 5-6 defenceman.
Carl Gunnarsson
C minus
Wilson stuck with him a long time, but he needs a betters second half to stay in the mix.
Brett Lebda
D
Hoped to be doing a lot more by now than a double-digit minus player. Has played wing in a pinch
Forwards
RW Phil Kessel
C minus
Which Kessel will show up on any given night, the scorer or the sulker?
C Mikhail Grabovski
B
Lost marks for not scoring much up to mid-November, but is on a great roll now.
RW Nikolai Kulemin
B plus
Not only going to the net and standing his ground, but scoring, too, a great example to others.
LW Clarke MacArthur
B plus
So far, the best off-season pick-up Burke made. Career highs in points are coming up, at a bargain salary.
C Tyler Bozak
D
Showing signs of emerging from slow start that raised many doubts of his first-line status.
LW Kris Versteeg
C
Culture shock is dissapating for the ex-Cup winning Hawk and he’s kept up his points.
RW Colby Armstrong
C
He and the team lost momentum with his finger injury. Leafs were 5-2-1 when he was hurt and better with him in.
C
LW Nazem Kadri
C minus
Now back at primary school. Troubles with the headmaster didn’t help.
LW Mike Brown
C plus
Some of Burke’s old Anaheim truculence was welcomed, but a long-term finger injury wasn’t
C Tim Brent
C
Surprise training camp addition beat out Kadri and held on to his checking role.
LW Fredrik Sjostrom
C
His speed and penalty killing work is valued despite the PK’s poor numbers.
RW Colton Orr
C
Every team needs a policeman and Orr rarely crosses the line to put the team in trouble.
C John Mitchell
D
Up and down battle to stay in the lineup won’t be helped by his latest knee injury.
Incomplete grades: G James Reimer, D Keithe Aulie, RW Joey Crabb, LW Luca Caputi, C Darryl Boyce.
Coach Ron Wilson and staff
C minus
They have a young roster and need Burke to deliver another experienced body, but poor starts to games, special teams’ woes, plus late-game breakdowns are not all the players’ fault. The players certainly haven’t quit on Wilson.
General manager Brian Burke
D
Big moves in the off-season, but no movement in standings
Five first-half flops
* Leafs wilt in three fan-friendly road buildings in Montreal, Buffalo and Ottawa, out-scored 8-1.
* Burke and Wilson criticize rookie Nazem Kadri’s flaws, but let to many veterans off the hook.
* Eight games without a win (0-6-2) and 10 losses in 11 ruins a promising start.
* Waffle throwing, booing of Dion Phaneuf and ‘Fire Wilson’ chants as impatient ACC gets ugly.
* Kessel goes nine games without a goal against Boston as another lottery pick looms.
Five finer points
* 4-0 start one of the best in club history.
* Newcomer Clarke MacArthur leads team in points; he Giguere and Schenn call out unwhelming teammates.
* Down 4-1 after two periods, Leafs stun Ovechkin and Caps with first win in team history when down by two and less than three minutes to go.
* Wilson - Kaberle family feud story goes away.
* Leafs’ finally showing some prowess on the power play and ability to win shootouts.
Second half predictions
* Improved play next month. Leafs are 74-54-18 after Feb. 1 since the NHL lockout.
* Trades closer to the Feb. 28 NHL deadline, but the goal should be draft picks, not bodies.
* More Marlie call-ups if Leafs tumble from the race, Kadri, Aulie and more of the young defencemen.
* Contracts a big story with Kaberle, Giguere and RFAs such as MacArthur.
* Wilson’s future if he becomes the first Leaf coach to miss the playoffs three times.
