#toronto-maple-leafs

#toronto-maple-leafs

The last three wins have been really tough games to assess from an analytical point of view, given that the Leafs have built multi-goal leads early in all of them. The five-on-five high-danger chances are 55% in Toronto's favour despite the shot attempts being just 37% in their favour, and they've out-scored the opposition 8-1 from the high-danger areas. With an anaemic power play contributing nothing, they've scored on a ridiculous 22% of their five-on-five shots (13 goals on 59 shots).

Roy not only has been hitting the scoresheet, but he's also been a major part of the penalty kill for Toronto, which has been absolutely dominant the past couple of weeks. The big centre has found himself alongside Dakota Joshua and Bobby McMann, and the chemistry is starting to ooze through the seams. Roy brings a strong faceoff presence, smart defensive instincts, speed, and underrated hands around the net.

The second goal was a pretty play in front of the net from Dakota Joshua, with McMann and Stecher grabbing the assists. While Nic Roy didn't contribute to any of these goals, he provided a pivotal screen in front of Sergei Bobrovsky which helped Stecher beat him through traffic, and he had some big chances later in the game as well.

If Brad Treliving is right, he's doing everything he can to transform part or most of the roster this season. That situation involves trading for someone like a Conor Garland or a Kiefer Sherwood, for that matter. Garland has six goals and 15 points in 21 games this season. While he's dealing with an injury at the moment, he's still a viable top-six option at the moment. At worst, Garland could be a solid third-line option, and certainly an upgrade over someone like Max Domi.

One of the main storylines early this season is the Toronto Maple Leafs and their struggles getting out of the gate. The Maple Leafs, even though they moved on from Mitch Marner, were still expected to be contenders for the Stanley Cup out of the Atlantic Division. Through 25 games, they are 11-11-3 for 25 points, ranking in last place in the division. Due to their start, Leafs fans and media are beginning to wonder if they can be ruled out of making the playoffs.

We're into December, which means the World Juniors are just around the corner. Team Canada is expected to name its roster in the coming days, while holding a 10-day training camp in Niagara Falls from December 12-22. Daily Faceoff prospect expert Steven Ellis listed Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect Ben Danford in his final roster projection last week, which would be a massive accomplishment for the 2024 first-round pick.

It's very reminiscent of the hermeticism that Lou Lamoriello maintained throughout his career, including his time in Toronto. But now we get some more insight into why secrecy is so strong in Toronto. Insider Elliotte Friedman, in his November 26 32 Thoughts blog, dropped an interesting tidbit into why the Maple Leafs guard injury information more closely than the government takes care of national security files. Friedman wrote:

Nicolas Roy, Bobby McMann, Dakota Joshua, and Nick Robertson all broke out of lengthy goal slumps, helping lead the Leafs to a 7-2 blowout. The effort was there, they executed on grade-A chances, and they chased Penguins starter Arturs Silovs. However, there's still plenty to clean up on the defensive end as the structure in the D-zone continues to be a work in progress, but let's focus on some positives as the convincing victory was one of the Leafs best games of the season.

The idea that the question of whether a coaching upgrade might be beneficial has already been "asked and answered" with this Leafs team also doesn't adequately account for the amount of roster turnover in the past couple of years, including the departure of a certain 21+ minute lineup centerpiece this past summer.

Over the years, many teams have gradually adopted the notion of having balanced lines in order to be successful, with the Florida Panthers being the prime example. However, it doesn't mean having a stacked top line along with supporting lines doesn't work either. Take for instance, the Colorado Avalanche has the dynamic trio of Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen

He is a big guy. He has to be a physical and hard player to play against. He is going to make and score his goals around the net, right? A little more puck touches in the offensive zone from the forecheck, and then getting to the net front and winning those battles there and tipping pucks. He has good hand-eye. He has the capability of putting the puck in the net.