"More than anything else, the Leafs are too slow. They skate slow, move the puck slow, and don't win races to the puck. Every opponent has a built-in head start. Finding a way to get players like Quillan into the lineup is a good first step in fixing that problem and the Leafs need to look at faster defencemen too."
"Max Domi is in a square peg/round hole situation for the Maple Leafs and there doesn't seem to be a path to success for him with this team. It might be a bad contract for bad contract trade, but Domi isn't a fit in the Leafs lineup. The Leafs need to plan for the future and that means Robertson and Maccelli being put in places they can thrive. The Leafs are doing that with Robertson but need to find Matias' fit."
"Put Tavares, Nylander, and Matthews on separate lines 5v5. You can always blend lines later in the game if needed but start them separate to become more difficult to play against. Put Chris Tanev with Morgan Rielly when he returns. That combination plus Jake McCabe taking on second lines instead of top lines seems like a defensive improvement. Based on age and who you need to be the future of the team, Woll should be the 1A, in theory."
The Maple Leafs finished the season's first quarter after roughly 21 games, prompting evaluations of personnel and tactics. The team struggles with pace: skating, puck movement, and winning puck races. Coaches should consider inserting faster forwards like Quillan and acquiring quicker defencemen. Max Domi appears mismatched to the roster and could be moved in a contract-for-contract trade. Young forwards Robertson and Maccelli need defined roles to develop, while Cowan may benefit from a temporary assignment until the club has a clearer plan. Separate the top three stars into different 5v5 lines, adjust defense pairings, and prioritize Woll as the primary goaltender.
Read at TheLeafsNation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]