MVN: Most Valuable Network

As the Toronto Maple Leafs go into tonight's matchup with their Provincial rivals the Ottawa Senators, a new entrant will surface tonight in the 'Battle of Ontario'.

After a career spent in the ECHL and the AHL, Andre Deveaux will finally make his NHL-debut--a long awaited benchmark for the native of the Bahamas.

But unlike some players entering their first NHL game, Deveaux is coming to a Leafs' team that's constantly having to look over their shoulder as the promise of Brian Burke entering the fray as GM of the Leafs looms large.

Because of this, many players will be looking over their shoulders, hoping that they aren't the ones that will be shipped out as a new leader takes over the reigns following the dealing of Carlo Colaiacovo and Alex Steen--two players once thought to be the future in Toronto.

One of the popular ideas following Burke's arrival in Toronto is that he's going to go out and acquire a hard-nosed enforcer willing to stick up for his 'mates--something that Toronto really doesn't have.

But while trading for one of those enforcers may cost the Leafs a draft pick, a low to mid-level prospect, or a roster player Burke may want to look towards Deveaux before going outside of the organization.

While Deveaux has taken a while to get to this level, he's taken the time to perfect his craft through each level he's played.

While his defensive numbers weren't his forte during a majority of his early career, he really started to turn it around in the AHL the last two years with the Chicago Wolves, netting a +7 rating in 94 games.

In that same light, Deveaux has also proven that he can put the puck in the net every so often, netting a career-high seven goals last season (as well as a career-high 18 points) and scoring a total of 11 goals between the AHL and the ECHL in 2006/07.

The biggest thing that play's in Deveaux's favor though, is his ability to improve team toughness.

At 6'3 and 240lbs, no one is going to mistake Deveaux for Jason Blake (the man he was called up in place of). The big body and long reach of Deveaux also provide the Leafs with an imposing force that may have opponents thinking twice before they pick on some of the under-sized Leafs.

And if they aren't thinking twice about it beforehand, they certainly will be after.

Deveaux has a lengthy fight history: He's had one fight in the NHL preseason, two of record in the ECHL, and a hefty 45 bouts in the AHL's regular season.

This season alone, Deveaux has six fights, as well as six goals and eight points for the Toronto Marlies, ranking 1st, 2nd, and 5th in each of those categories respectively.

Leafs' fans have had to settle for Ryan Hollweg or bust (finding the difference between the two is sometimes difficult) this season when it comes protecting their teammates, but with the debut of Deveaux, the Leafs' could've found their man: big, strong, and tough.

And if that's the case, that's just one fewer move that Brian Burke has to make once he's "officially" introduced.