The Toronto Maple Leafs have had its fair share of controversy as this season has progressed, but there is one considerable topic that has cast a shadow over those minor discrepancies and placed two specific players under the unforgiving spotlight that the organization, and its fans, place upon their athletes.

In the 1994-1995 season, the Maple Leafs acquired a very young, talented and strong Swedish born player who almost immediately became the new face of the organization as soon as he stepped onto Canadian soil.

Mats Sundin has been making an impact on Leafs fans for over a decade with his consistent play, hero-like capabilities in crucial games, and the undeniable fact of his admiration for the organization and city of Toronto.

However, Sundin has become a topic of scrutiny this year because it seems that people who are affiliated with the team crave a change in dynamic in order to move the team forward.

During the 1999-2000 season, the Maple Leafs acquired Darcy Tucker, one of the most rugged and sturdy players to lace up a pair of skates. He arrived in Toronto ready to reek havoc upon anybody who crossed his path, and immediately became a fan-favorite with his grit, determination, and the fact that he seems to bleed blue and white.

Tucker is under the spotlight this year because of the fact that he is without a contract for next season, and money is not exactly flowing with regards to the Maple Leafs salary cap in order to accommodate a player of Tucker's caliber.

Now the question remains: who should stay and who should go?

If there is one thing that the Leafs have to their advantage that some teams in the league may not have, is that they have legitimate NHL-ready players within their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies organization to build upon… or even possibly use for bait.

With that in place, it seems as though it is either going to be Sundin moving to a legitimate contender in order to finally get an opportunity to play for the Stanley Cup, or there is going to be a heated confrontation when it comes to negotiating a contract for Tucker.

This uncomfortable situation could probably have been avoided were it not for one man who has, for some reason, been given the responsibility of developing the team.

John Ferguson Jr. made some legitimate moves during the off-season in order to repair a defensive squad, which had a lackluster performance the season before. However, he did it in such a way that left no viable options for a legitimate winger to play alongside his superstar.

The trade for Andrew Raycroft was a good quality acquisition because he has proven that he can be a legitimate number one goaltender in the NHL, and his play of late seems to be showing signs of improvement.

Hal Gill has been one of the most influential players for the Maple Leafs this year, and at $2.05 million, he is proving to be worth the money.

Pavel Kubina arrived in Toronto with fans and media up in arms about his $5 million salary. Of late, Kubina has started to show his worth. However, with the money that he is making, the Leafs could have acquired a solid third defenseman and still had money to spare to pick up a player like Anson Carter.

Although there may be many things about Ferguson Jr. that make Leafs fans cringe, the worst came when Bryan McCabe put pen to paper on a ridiculous contract that is paying him $7.15 million this season and includes a no-trade clause.

Putting financial issues aside, the smartest thing for the Toronto Maple Leafs to do in order to gain something from this situation is to trade Sundin. The fact that it has to come to this point could have been avoided, and now the consequences have to be dealt with accordingly.

Sundin is, without a doubt, the best player on the team, and definitely a future hall of fame inductee, but it is these credentials that will allow the Leafs to receive something significant in return for him.

So, as for the proposed question stated --  who should stay and who should go?

Unfortunately, Sundin needs to be dealt in order to have any hope for the future for both parties involved, because the Leafs are probably not going to be kissing any silver for a while.

Tucker should be re-signed, and along with his new contract should come the "C" on the left shoulder of his jersey.