Today is September 1st. There are thirty days left until the Leafs play their season opener at the ACC. Between now and then we'll see preseason hockey and find out what numbers our new acquisitions will wear. We'll watch video of training camp to see how fresh faces are doing.

This year is different. We knew last year was going to be awful and we survived it. Our young kids survived and some of them flourished. Mikhail Grabovski proved the Habs wrong and Luke Schenn took the weight of the expectations of Leafs fans on his shoulders and played exceptional hockey. Who will follow their lead this year? Tyler Bozak? Christian Hanson? Will this be a long rebuild or will our revitalized back end combine with the Leafs' decent offense to let the team do some damage this season?

Thirty days from now we'll be done speculating about 2009-2010. Thirty days from now we'll know joyous victory or crushing defeat and thirty days from now we'll get ready to do it again 81 more times. This may not be our year but in thirty days there's a clean slate. I can't wait.