Hits don't make Maple Leafs tough to play against

"And while Brad Treliving is attempting the Brian Burke redux approach of making the Toronto Maple Leafs tougher to play against, he's achieving the same results right down to not even having first round picks to show for it. Shockingly, hits don't equal wins. Hitting has been part of a winning formula for the Florida Panthers and they have replaced the Bruins as the gold standard for "tough to play against,&quot but one could argue that a Selke centre, 100-point winner, a former Vezina winning goaltender, a deep blue line, a Rocket Richard/Selke candidate player, along with a GM willing to constantly upgrade, and move on from bad fits probably makes more of a difference than the hit count on the NHL.com stat page."

"By the hit counts, the Leafs have been one of the toughest teams in the league for the past three seasons. I'm not sure anyone would also make a case for the Maple Leafs to be tough to play against or have the reputation as imposing physical presences during that time. The past couple of seasons of Ryan Reaves finishing his checks against other fourth liners hasn't changed a lot, and if anything the shot differentials under Craig Berube support the notion that you throw more hits because your team doesn't have the puck, and the Leafs have had the puck a lot less this year. The Leafs lineup is filled with empty calorie toughness. Simon Benoit might finish a lot of hits but teams will take that trade to play against him. When Benoit is lined up against bottom six competition, it is safe to say his hits matter less as he's not impeding skilled players."

Brad Treliving is pursuing a tougher Maple Leafs identity modeled on Brian Burke but is producing similar outcomes, including lacking first-round picks. High hit totals have not translated into wins for the Leafs. The Florida Panthers combine physicality with elite players, goaltending, depth, and proactive management to become truly hard to play against. Shot differentials and possession metrics suggest teams register more hits when they lack the puck. Much of the Leafs' physicality is described as empty-calorie toughness; players who record many hits against lower-level competition have limited impact on stopping skilled opponents.

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