We're at that point in the season, ladies and gentlemen: The inevitable Toronto Maple Leafs Death Spiral. This event is so common that there are telltale signs that every Leafs fan knows. If you're wondering whether your team is in a Death Spiral, consult the handy chart below.

Elliotte Friedman publishes 30 Thoughts every Monday and it's something I look forward to reading every week. Friedman sprinkles in great quotes from GMs and executives, covers trade talk in a credible way, and gives a must-read rundown on the pressing issues in hockey.

It's a great format. And I'm going to rip it off completely. In the past I tried my own style of 30 Thoughts, which I called 41 shots. But 41 is a lot of ideas to get in, and I abandoned the format. Well, I've been re-inspired, not only because Friedman's 30 Thoughts are back after a summer hiatus, but also because Maple Leafs Hot Stove's Anthony Petrielli writes what he calls "Too Long for Twitter" on his personal blog, and it's pretty great as well.

But I'm going to be realistic and stick with 10 thoughts. I think I can manage that many. I hope to post what I'm dubbing "10 Minute Misconduct" every Friday and I will (hopefully) stick to that schedule. Although today's post is exclusively about the Leafs, in the future I'll give my thoughts on topics around the league, lest all my posts become "Dave Bolland: pretty great!"

The 2013-14 NHL season gets underway on Oct. 1 with the Leafs and Canadiens renewing rivalries, and what better way to get set than a season preview giving you the five reasons to be optimistic, pessimistic, and realistic about the Leafs' chances?

Training camps are open and that means hockey is back. Huzzah, we are safe to watch Sportscentre highlights again!

It also means there is plenty to write about, unless you're super lazy, in which case you can dust off your notebook and pick from one of the tried and true cliché storylines that comes up every training camp. Just add in different names from this year's roster like a Mad Libs story and you're set.

Stick tap to this Bill Simmons article for the inspiration.