As the Maple Leafs prove they’re going to be in the thick of the playoff race all season long, beating teams they should (as they did when rolling over the slumping Sabres Tuesday night) as well as teams they probably shouldn’t (as they did when they beat the more accomplished Red Wings last Saturday), Toronto fans finally get to assign credit for the turnaround, rather than the usual exercises in blame to which they’ve grown accustomed.

And although people have rightfully pointed out the crucial contributions made by Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul and Dion Phaneuf, as far as I’m concerned, the heartbeat of the Leafs comes in the person of Mikhail Grabovski. I wrote a few months ago about my admiration for the Belarusian centre – and after a slow-ish start to the season, he’s done enough to warrant more mention.

Grabovski scored just five goals and 10 points in his first 18 games, then was knocked out of the lineup for five games with a lower body injury. All the while, Tim Connolly was eating away at his offensive opportunities (Grabovski’s currently averaging 17:01 of ice time, down from his average of 19:21 last season).

Yet since his return, Grabovski has eight goals and 14 points in 18 games – including five goals and nine points in his past nine – and is compensating for the offensive struggles of his linemate Nikolai Kulemin.

The streak puts Grabovski on pace for a 27-goal, 50-point, 75 game season. His pace may be down marginally from the 29 goals and 58 points of last year, but he also played 81 games in 2010-11. Considering the reduction in ice time, his current totals are in many ways more impressive.

But it’s more than offensive skill that makes Grabovski the heart and soul of the Leafs. It’s his willingness to play physical in spite of his 5-11, 183-pound frame. It’s his speed and creativity that allows him to be effective not just on offence, but defence too.

It’s about his attitude – no fuss, no muss, no Ilya Bryzgalov-like ruminations on the inherent mysteries of the universe. The 27-year-old lives to be on the ice and plays with an urgency that strongly suggests he doesn’t want to sit on the bench. Ever.

Grabovksi will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but don’t expect the Leafs to allow him to move on. He’s become too important for that.