Toronto Maple Leafs: Time To Shake Up The Offense
It’s time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to shake things up.
I’m a firm believer that Toronto Maple Leafs Mike Babcock is among the greatest active NHL coaches. (Although, one could make a strong argument for Joel Quenneville). But, even great coaches need to know when enough is enough.
Babcock needs to shake his offensive lines up a bit and not just for one game or to try something out. He’s got to do the inevitable, that’s all I’m saying. All this juggling from game to game is getting old when it seems so obvious what some possible solutions could be. At least to myself.
So, let’s explore the issues and some potential fixes for the remainder of the season. Trying to guess who will be on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster for the start of the 2017-18 season is quite difficult, meaning I’m not even going to touch that subject.
First, Second, Third, Who Cares?
Look, I don’t care who starts the game, what line is called the first, second or third. It doesn’t matter. The fourth line is pretty much always the grinders but, every team needs a good fourth-line.
Babcock likes to play the matchup game so, the starting lines will vary each night depending on whether the Toronto Maple Leafs have last change or not, among other factors.
If the Matthews line is the third line in a game, there must be a reason for it. If his line’s the first or second, there’s a reason for that too. Same goes for the Nazem Kadri line and the Tyler Bozak line. It all depends on the circumstances of the game.
Options for the Matthews Line
I’m tired of seeing William Nylander juggled around from Matthews line to somewhere else. He plays well with Matthews, they have chemistry. Keep them together because they play good hockey when they’re together.
There’s so much offensive talent on the Leafs that Babcock can keep these two together and still manage to spread out the talent elsewhere. There, that covers part of the line. Well, what about the left winger? I’m glad you asked.
I think it’s time that Matthews get’s some additional help on his left side. Zach Hyman is a gritty player, I like him a lot. This isn’t me saying that Hyman’s not good, I’ve even written about why I like him so much. However, I think Babcock needs to try him somewhere else.
Why not put Josh Leivo up there on the left side? I know he’s played as a righty but, it’s not a crazy change. He’s talented enough that he can keep up with Matthews and Nylander, we know that. His offensive prowess is there and I think he would be a nice compliment to the chemistry the other two share.
My Ideal Lines
Again, I don’t care who’s labeled the first, second or third line. It will change depending on each night and the given circumstances that come along with the game. However, there is a distinct fourth line.
I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to tell the difference.
That’s not a knock on the fourth liners either, rather acknowledging that not all of them are able to keep up with players like Matthews, Kadri, etc. Cool, everyone good?
Leivo – Matthews – Nylander
van Riemsdyk – Bozak – Marner
Komarov – Kadri – Brown
Hyman – Boyle – Martin
*Notable absence, Nikita Shoshnikov
There, I haven’t made outrageous adjustments, just four things. One and two, I scratched Shoshnikov. Not because I don’t like him, but because I think Leivo substituting in is a better option. Three and four, I moved Hyman down to the fourth line, sending Matt Martin to Brian Boyle’s right side.
Leivo is better than Soshnikov, he’ll just need to adjust to the left side as mentioned earlier. Hyman will stay on the left side but, will drop down to Boyle’s left..
However, it’ll just be more of a checking line. And moving Martin to the right shouldn’t be too big of a deal.
The Other Lines
I like the Bozak line the way it is, they contribute a lot of the Leafs offensive production. Kadri’s role is a shutdown center who’s also able to contribute a lot point wise. His supporting cast is good and they compliment each other well. Don’t fix what ain’t broke, right?