Toronto Maple Leafs: Who Can Take Polak’s Spot?
By Luke Ryan
The Toronto Maple Leafs have shown improved defensive play so far this year, but Roman Polak is finding himself singled out often as a weak spot on the blue line.
Roman may not be enduring criticism from media and fans alike on the level of that levelled at Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer; but he is still facing the fact that if the fans had their way, he’d likely be off down the road to hitch up with the Marlies.
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Interestingly enough, with Arcobello being waived and Peter Holland finding himself a healthy scratch, Roman Polak has remained unscathed. It’s surely only a matter of time when there are definite blue-line options in the system for the Maple Leafs:
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Martin has already seen a nice amount of ice-time this year, appearing in 6 games. The lanky Slovak is sitting at minus 2 with average ice-time of 14:21, and having appeared in a couple of defensive combinations. His performances thus far have been a little patchy, explaining why he found himself scratched in favour of Polak in the first place.
In his favour, he has two 40 game NHL seasons behind him already, with the Edmonton Oilers the past two years. This experience in the top league could be the difference-maker when it comes to pushing someone back into the line-up.
The Hockey News suggest that he has definite upside potential:
"Boasts great puck-moving qualities and offensive acumen. Also displays plenty of shutdown upside."
This has been on display in his few games this year; but he really needs to ensure that his shutdowns prevent any further puck movement. Already we’ve seen a bit of a trend with him; he’ll make the play but not finish it off – he needs to maintain full concentration and finish off these defensive plays.
Frank appears most likely to benefit from Polak’s poor form. A lot has been read into him being sent to the Marlies; the belief being that it will be a short two-week conditioning stint. That points to one thing in my mind, a shift up onto the third defensive line for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Many Vancouver Canucks fans point to Corrado being placed on waivers as an unnecessary risk. Thankfully for the Maple Leafs, this could be their gain. Corrado has shown a definite readiness for NHL-level hockey in what little I’ve seen of him.
His 35 regular season games for the Utica Comets last season, notching 7 goals and 9 assists point to an offensive upside that could fit well with the Leafs’ new high intensity, fore-checking hockey.
Sep 29, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Stuart Percy (50) skates with the puck against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Stuart saw ice-time last season, but it could be a case of it being a little too soon to bring him back into the Toronto Maple Leafs’ fold.
With Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly finally firing though, maybe he should be elevated to the big league – Babcock seems to be able to pull the best out of the younger blue-liners.
He remained with the team throughout training camp, so they’ve been able to have a good hard look at him at the very least.
However, it moving with the patient approach so often talked about in this new Maple Leafs era, I’d err on the side of caution. A full season with the Marlies, barring any massive injury issues with the Toronto Maple Leafs defensive line-up is going to be a good thing for this young man.
He’ll see far more ice time with the Marlies, compared to the expected 14 to 15 minutes a game if he were to take Roman Polak’s spot.
Probably a bit of a wild card, but in being open to the options available, T.J. deserves a mention. He actually made his NHL debut back in the 2011-12 season with the Buffalo Sabres.
Since then, he’s bounced around a bit, up and down a few AHL sides and in fact, a few NHL sides! What he offers is an offensive option; his AHL numbers point to a really strong offensive game, but the question is whether this is what the Leafs need.
Should the third defensive line be looked to for goals, or should they be there to provide proper defensive support against the third and fourth lines. T.J. could likely slot right into the second powerplay unit if Babcock continues to hold back on letting Rielly loose too.
He’s certainly an option. Whether or not, he’s given the opportunity, we shall see.
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The only other name worth floating is Stephane Robidas, but with his current status on the long-term injury reserve, it seems unlikely.
The hope is that Roman Polak can up his game and not give Mike Babcock and his coaching staff the chance to drop him, but right now, I think I speak for a lot of fans in hoping one of these guys can step up.
Should Roman spend some time with the Marlies? Who is the best option on the third line of defense? Let us know what you think.