OK... here is the answer. NO they will not. The reason is simple, it is hockeys richest market and the front office game plan for over forty years is has remained the same.
1) put four guys on the ice that can play hockey - hopefully one of them is a goalie
2) put a couple of grinder/fighters on the team for pur entertainment
3) promote the hell out of it
look back over the last forty years
1970's - Salming, Sitler, Mcdonald, (rotate your favorite 70's goalie here)
1980's - Clark, Vaive, Thomas, Wreggett, Bestor
1990's - Gilmour, Andreychuk, Gartner, Sundin, Potvin
and so on...
you cannot and will not win a cup with 4-5 hockey players and a bunch of April golfers...
this front office game plan will not change, it does not have to. The scouting does not have to be top notch, the trades dont have to be great, it all just has to be good enough to give the faithful hope each year.
They are the single richest team in hockey and forget the salary cap - that doesnt stop Detroit from putting a fantastic team on the ice, or any number of other teams that dont have the luxury of the greatest hockey market in the world...
the short answer is that OWNERSHIP MUST want to win... and in Toronto, they only need to win 45 games a year and maybe once in a while, you get lucky and make the playoffs...
until the leaf fans of the world STOP buying tickets, shirts, clocks, desk sets, watches, pucks, sticks, souvenirs, etc... there is no impetus for the team to change... COUNT ON IT ! @ 06 July 2010 08:56
I bet 250$ on a cup victory by the end of the 2011/12 season, so they better effing win. @ 31 May 2010 21:49
I beLEAF @ 25 May 2010 07:17
i heart leafs =) @ 26 April 2010 20:53
Toronto will go into Rage Mode and pwn alll the nubs @ 08 April 2010 07:49
Detroit may be getting old, but who is STILL making the playoffs? yea thats right, Detroit. Eat it leaf fans @ 08 April 2010 07:48
Toronto is a team where they need a better coach and need to learn to play denfense. Screw this 2012 stuff they need Chuck Norris on their team who can make them win 1 stanley cup. and make them happy. Or they will keep getting raped.
Im not wasting my money on a ticket to see a team lose every game @ 08 April 2010 07:47
The Leafs are the worst team in the league.
I'm confident they'll never have another shot to win until the team changes ownership and all current ideas of coaching and play style are purged.
I doubt they'll see another cup before 2020. @ 28 March 2010 15:11
Leafs are gunna be a dominant NHL team in the years to come... Detroits Reign of terror is over as they get older @ 08 March 2010 12:11
The leafs will win the next 4 years or so and when they do it will be the biggest party EVER!!! even our friend from Ottawa and Montreal will come and show us some love. @ 02 December 2009 15:02
2012 IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, ITS THE END OF OUR CUP DROUGHT @ 23 November 2009 23:31
Leafs will be victorious in a couple years to come!!! @ 07 September 2009 20:59
who knows. i feel bad for leafs fans, but they are good fans for sticking with them after so long. that's what the majority of us penguins fans did, and this year we were rewarded. LETS GO PENS! @ 31 August 2009 00:53
Detriot is very homoerotic @ 11 August 2009 10:10
they will to come in last for the next 10 years to get a s*** load of first picks to win the cup and trade away pretty all there players except for nazem kadri lol @ 29 July 2009 18:16
PENGUINS ALL THE WAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! @ 22 July 2009 12:35
Leafs r gunna win period.Just watch. we have a trick up our sleeve @ 06 July 2009 22:51
LETS GO PENS @ 19 June 2009 18:09
NEVER @ 19 June 2009 18:07
never. the leafs suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! @ 13 April 2009 19:47
The Leafs are NEVER gonna win the Stanley Cup because they are very suckish and DETROIT is WAY to awesome for them @ 26 January 2009 11:52
probably not @ 06 January 2009 09:53
they have. but probably not again for a while.
@ 04 January 2009 17:22
Prolly not.... @ 01 January 2009 20:56
Todd Bertuzzi will shoot himself in the face @ 27 December 2008 01:42
they will win... um... NEVER! @ 26 December 2008 14:06
leafs suck @ 26 December 2008 11:38
AVS! @ 25 December 2008 23:47
LETS GO DEVILS @ 25 December 2008 00:54
no! @ 23 December 2008 16:39
Leafs? You mean Toronto? Jesus, WTF! Are you kidding me? @ 21 December 2008 21:46
Devils ROCK! @ 20 December 2008 22:25
they were good wayy back in the day, right when the original six started. it was between them and the canadiens..... theyve won enuff cups, not to mention they suck now, so their chances r slim, especially since sundin is going to the canucks @ 19 December 2008 20:32
Maybe I won't @ 19 December 2008 15:29
Maybe...I Will! @ 19 December 2008 13:13
when hell frezes over. @ 18 December 2008 22:47
Go AVs? @ 18 December 2008 13:54
Leafs are the worst team ever @ 17 December 2008 00:51
when the red wings are removed from the league @ 16 December 2008 23:03
Maybe @ 16 December 2008 20:04
ya in five years @ 16 December 2008 08:21
every team eventually has their year, look at the bruins, shitty for a long time, now thier first in the division, they havent won anything yet but point proven. when will the leafs win the cup? not a fucking clue @ 15 December 2008 20:34
NEVER!!!!!! @ 15 December 2008 19:54
it's awesome @ 15 December 2008 19:28
when i get my Stanley Cup final tickets @ 15 December 2008 19:23
2067 @ 15 December 2008 19:11
Leafs <3 Wang @ 15 December 2008 19:08
Sabres > Leafs @ 15 December 2008 19:08
only if they are the last team in the nhl @ 15 December 2008 12:53
probably not
@ 15 December 2008 12:52
if sundin goes to the rangers the stars might align and the leafs will win the cup @ 15 December 2008 11:55
Lets Go Red Wings! @ 15 December 2008 07:46
i have a better chance of ascending to a godlike status, then the leafs winning the cup @ 14 December 2008 23:54
theyll win @ 14 December 2008 22:55
GO DEVILS!!!!! @ 14 December 2008 22:35
jesus f*****g christ why was i born in toronto @ 14 December 2008 15:50
unfortunatly its tru. fuck..... @ 14 December 2008 15:49
not unless you spell "Maple Leafs" as "D-E-V-I-L-S". @ 14 December 2008 02:19
What are the Rangers doing in first place in the East? @ 14 December 2008 01:35
they will before ottawa
@ 14 December 2008 00:56
Stars rally. @ 14 December 2008 00:02
GO SHARKS @ 13 December 2008 23:02
Thanks for McCabe! @ 13 December 2008 22:42
useless, simply useless.... @ 13 December 2008 22:19
Watch the movie "jaws" and you might have a pretty good idea of who will win the cup @ 13 December 2008 21:39
SomeDay atthe EndoftheUniverse! @ 13 December 2008 19:44
yes @ 13 December 2008 18:30
leafs dynasty 2010-2014 @ 13 December 2008 18:23
I want out! @ 13 December 2008 18:17
HELL YEAH! @ 13 December 2008 17:48
pens beat the wings? same teams but we got hossa. no chance. @ 13 December 2008 17:21
Hahahahahaha!!! Never! @ 13 December 2008 16:24
habs. @ 13 December 2008 16:19
never @ 13 December 2008 16:08
Cane's have been disappointing me. I didn't know people lived in Canada anymore. huh. @ 13 December 2008 15:12
Red Wings again. Although I would love to see Ovechkin and the Caps go all the way. @ 13 December 2008 13:29
Helpful ... HELPFUL!!! @ 01 December 2008 21:44
maybe @ 14 November 2008 15:23
SABRES @ 13 November 2008 09:13
4 Words : Pens Beat Red Wings @ 13 November 2008 09:07
Go Bruins! @ 13 November 2008 09:06
GO WINGS! @ 13 November 2008 09:06
Canucks!! @ 13 November 2008 09:05
2 words: Red Wings @ 13 November 2008 09:03
This is most definitely the Hawks' year. @ 13 November 2008 08:57
Enjoy that loser Burke TO, fits in with the team motto. A long tradition in sucking. @ 13 November 2008 08:55
Oilers in 09 @ 13 November 2008 08:54
go leafs go
@ 13 November 2008 08:43
today is the day!
@ 13 November 2008 08:42
sure thang
@ 13 November 2008 08:40
2067 @ 13 November 2008 08:35
no, not perhaps. Definitely. @ 13 November 2008 08:31