Where will the Leafs finish in the standings this season?

It's that time of year - hockey prognosticators from across North America are evaluating off-season moves and trying to predict who will finish where in the standings. The Hockey News has recently predicted that the Leafs will finish 12th in the East. The reasoning seems to be that the Leafs "only" added Versteeg and Armstrong in the offseason and, therefore, didn't do enough to warrant a jump of more than three spots.

I would note, however, that this line of reasoing is fundamentally flawed. I know the days of blockbuster trades are generally behind us and it's easy to evaluate team improvements based on the trade deadline and July 1st free agency, but the mid-season moves made by Burke must not be overlooked. From the date of Phaneuf and Giguere's arrival to the end of the season, the Leafs had the 7th best record in the East. This really needs to be the starting point for evaluating this team; not 15th in the East (which position is largely attributable to Toskala, Stajan, Blake, etc.).

So it's true - the Leafs may have "only" added Versteeg and Armstrong, along with some other depth players this offseason. But if you're comparing this years team to last years team, you can't overlook Phaneuf and Giguere.

Now I'm not saying the Leafs are going to make the playoffs. However, with Washington, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Philly and Boston filling out the top 5 spots, I do believe the Leafs are in a position to fight for one of the last three spots.

That being said, the season hasn't even started, so we may see another blockbuster before the first puck drops.