Maple Leafs: Contenders or Pretenders (Again)?

Ah, yes, the new year always sprouts eternal hopes that this will be the year that the Toronto Maple Leafs will hoist the Stanley Cup come this late spring.  After all, it's only been a year or two or 57 years since the Leafs laid claim to Lord Stanley's big hockey trophy, and why not have some optimism this year, right?