Plenty of talent to be had in expansion draft

The coy smile on Mo Johnston's face said it all.

Taking part in this past weekend's MLS Cup festivities, Johnston laughed with glee as he talked about the chance he had to build a team from scratch with expansion club Toronto FC. Less than a year removed from his unsuccessful stint as Red Bulls coach, Johnston sounded confident that his second chance at building a winner would fare much better than his first.

Greg Bartram/WireImage

Danny O'Rourke could find himself with his third MLS team if Toronto takes him in the expansion draft.

We're going to surprise people," Johnston said with his trademark grin. "We're going to be good and we're going to go right at people."

The confidence shouldn't come as a surprise, really. Johnston has never met a challenge he didn't relish, and if the Scottish legend was confident over the weekend, he had to be downright giddy when he saw the talent made available to him through the expansion draft.

How loaded is this year's expansion pool? You could argue that it is deeper than the last such pool, in 2004, when Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake both had to draw from the same class of players. There are established veterans, appealing youngsters and even some Canadians for Johnson to consider building his team around.

To understand Toronto's approach to the expansion draft, you must first consider the four different qualities that will make players worthwhile targets for Johnston's squad:

1. Players with Canadian citizenship who are capable of stepping in and being above-average starters in MLS.

2. Players capable of stepping in and being above-average starters, regardless of nationality.

3. Young players regarded as quality prospects capable of becoming starters within two years.

4. Players who can draw a quality return via trade.

After considering this list, we must then look at the players who have either signed with Toronto FC already or who are expected to sign. Jim Brennan, the team's first signing, is slated to be the team's left winger, while Greg Sutton is expected to be Toronto's starting goalkeeper. Marco Reda (central defender) and Adam Braz (right back) are expected to start, while Chris Pozniak (right midfielder, right back) gives the team some depth.

This leaves forward, central midfield and central defense as key needs for the team to address, either through the international transfer market or through Friday's expansion draft. With all these things in mind, here is a look at how Toronto will approach each of the 12 MLS teams' unprotected lists, including who Toronto is likely to take:

Chicago Fire

Likely to take: Calen Carr, forward. Dark-horse pick: Nate Jaqua, forward. Carr was one of the most surprising players to be left unprotected, but there might have been a method to the madness. Carr will be 25 next season, so he would count as a senior international on Toronto's roster. That won't stop Johnston from taking him and dealing him elsewhere. Dealing Carr to the Galaxy to acquire Canadian defender Ante Jazic wouldn't be a bad move.

Chivas USA

Likely to take: Nobody. Dark-horse pick: John O'Brien, midfielder. There are some nice players on this list, including midfield prospect Rodrigo Lopez, but O'Brien could make for some interesting trade bait. I could see O'Brien winding up with the Galaxy, assuming he is healthy in 2007.

Colorado Rapids

Likely to take: Jovan Kirovski, forward. Dark-horse pick: Clint Mathis, midfielder. Given the team's need for established forwards, Kirovski is one of the best options on the entire list. He is the safe pick. You might consider the idea of taking Mathis crazy, but Johnston gets along well with the beleaguered playmaker and actually tried to trade for him while with the Red Bulls last year. Mathis won't be making as much in 2007 as he did in 2006, and he showed during the playoffs that he still has some magic left in the tank.

Columbus Crew

Likely to take: Nobody. Dark-horse pick: Brandon Moss, midfielder. There just isn't much on this list. Jon Busch is an interesting player, but you wonder whether he still has the explosiveness that put him on the U.S. national team radar less than two years ago. Moss is a prospect worth a look at, but there are some better options out there.

FC Dallas

Likely to take: Roberto Mina, forward. Dark-horse pick: Greg Vanney, defender. For all the attention Calen Carr received for being available, Mina is even more appealing. He is a fast and skillful forward who will be just 23 next season. Here's an early prediction: If he goes to Toronto, he will start and score 10 goals. If Toronto looks for forward help elsewhere, Vanney might be worth considering. He costs a pretty penny but is a proven left back.

D.C. United

Likely to take: Nick Rimando, goalkeeper. Dark-horse pick: Rod Dyachenko, midfielder. With Sutton expected to come on board, Rimando would be taken on as competition, but he could also be quality trade bait. One potential destination for him is Columbus, where his former college coach, Sigi Schmid, is in charge. The Crew left Jon Busch and Jonny Walker unprotected, so they might be in line for a new starting goalie. Dyachenko is a versatile attacking player who showed good promise and would be a youth international next season.

Houston Dynamo

Likely to take: Adrian Serioux, defender/midfielder. Dark-horse pick: Zach Wells, goalkeeper. This is regarded as one of the no-brainers for Johnston, but the real question is just how much Johnston really likes the former Millwall player. Serioux's versatility, Canadian citizenship and reasonable salary make him too good to pass up. Wells is one of the best young goalkeeping prospects in the league and Johnston knows him, though Johnston did trade Wells last offseason, a deal made in part because of Wells' desire for a bigger contract.

Kansas City Wizards

Likely to take: Matt Groenwald, midfielder. Dark-horse pick: Dave Van Den Bergh, midfielder. Toronto needs young players capable of playing major minutes and Groenwald fits the bill. Soon-to-be Toronto FC assistant coach Bob Gansler drafted Groenwald and started him before being fired. Groenwald counts as a youth international for Toronto, so he is the easiest decision. Van Den Bergh was also brought to Kansas City by Gansler and looked good in his first season in MLS. Does Toronto want to spend a senior international slot on him?

Los Angeles Galaxy

Likely to take: Kyle Veris, defender. Dark-horse pick: Paulo Nagamura, midfielder. Johnston can go either way here. He can take Veris, a 6-foot-3 prospect with potential, or Nagamura, a skillful defensive midfielder who also counts as a youth international. There are some big names on the Galaxy's list, but none are worth the trouble or the cap space, though Cobi Jones would bring some name recognition.

New England Revolution

Likely to take: James Riley, midfielder. Dark-horse pick: Joe Franchino, midfielder/defender. New England's list is loaded with talent, but not all of the talents fit well with Toronto's plans and roster limitations. Riley does. He will count as a youth international next season and gives Johnston the speed on the right flank he is craving. Franchino has some appeal because he could slot in as a left back playing behind Brennan. He would count as a senior international, though, so he might be acquired in order to trade.

New York Red Bulls

Likely to take: Danny O'Rourke, midfielder. Dark-horse pick: Edson Buddle, forward. O'Rourke is a solid, hardworking defensive midfielder who could fit well playing alongside potential trade target Dwayne De Rosario (just as soon as the two make up from their midseason fight). Even if Johnston determines that O'Rourke isn't a good fit, he will take him as trade bait. This projected list is light on forwards, which makes Buddle an intriguing pick. He is out of contract and might be had for a good price.

Real Salt Lake

Likely to take: Andy Williams, midfielder. Dark-horse pick: nobody. An expansion draft isn't an expansion draft without Andy Williams, who has been on seemingly countless teams. He was born in Canada, can still pass the ball as well as anybody, and he doesn't cost that much. There's really no way he isn't picked.

Whatever Johnston decides, you can rest assured he will be able to land at least half of his starting lineup for opening day. If Toronto makes some good trades, they could field a quality starting 11.

A forward line of Kirovski and Mina, a midfield of De Rosario, O'Rourke, Brennan and Riley and a back line of Jazic, Serioux, Reda and Braz would be pretty solid. Throw in Ronnie O'Brien in place of Riley (Johnston is desperate to add the FC Dallas right winger) and include a couple of quality signings (Heerenveen forward and one-time Chicago Fire prospect Will Johnson is a top priority) and suddenly you have a team capable of entertaining crowds at Toronto's new stadium.

Ives Galarcep covers MLS for ESPNsoccernet. He is a writer and columnist for the Herald News (N.J.) and also writes a blog, Soccer By Ives. He can be reached at Ivespn79@aol.com.