Jason Blake is Losing His Edge

Not pictured: puck in net

Ever since the trade of linemate Dominic Moore at the deadline last week, Jason Blake has lost that spark he had previously in the start of 2009. With only one point in the past 4 games, it appears as if he's missing that catalyst that made him a great player as of late. Head Coach Ron Wilson has been making a list and weighing the pros and cons of potential new linemates for the once-hot Jason Blake.

Mikhail Grabovski
Pros: Speedy, creative centerman.
Cons: When asked by Wilson if he was capable of passing into the slot, Grabovski tilted his head quizzically and asked "What is passing?"

John Mitchell
Pros: Hard-Working Grinder
Cons: Can't keep up with the Blaker, also has a tendency to flub on shots and passes

Tim Stapleton
Pros: Has been impressive in his debut so far in a leafs uniform
Cons: Is number 42, which is a pretty big jersey to fill considering Kyle Wellwood had it last. Seriously, that thing must be like 4XL.

Niklas Hagman
Pros: Has been solid offensively and is already been proven to be a good match for Blake
Cons: Has spent most of the season trying to remember his name due to a string of concussions.

Lee Stempniak
Pros: Has been hot lately with 3 points in the last 4 games, an antithesis to Blake's slump as of late
Cons: Seems to have the same strategy of "skate up the wing as fast as possible, and either pass the puck into the slot or crash into the end boards" that Blake does.

Ben Ondrus
Pros: Captain of the Toronto Marlies, Ondrus was called up following the exlie of Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore at the trade deadline. He's a known scrapper and throws the body effectively.
Cons: Just a plug to fill the gap in the roster.

Matt Stajan
Pros: Very good at faceoffs and an unselfish player
Cons: Plays on the first line, and there's too much risk in putting an inconsistent Player up on the first line...then again... isn't Ponikarovsky there? hmm...

So there you have it. Jason Blake is on track to score 26 goals this season, hopefully one of these players can step in and help him on his way. That way, with any luck this summer he can be on his way out of Toronto.