Once upon a time, there was genuine, logical need for the Toronto Maple Leafs to have Matt Martin in their lineup.
However, with the acquisition of hulking centre Brian Boyle, that need is no longer there. Boyle can provide the veteran leadership Martin was initially brought in to bring. Boyle has more playoff games under his belt than most of the NHL. As the Toronto Maple Leafs begin to solidify their playoff spot, he’ll be more valuable to the team as the rookies can turn to him for advice.
Now, there’s really nothing wrong with having more than one big, tough guy on the team. The problem is that with both of them in the lineup, one of Nikita Soshnikov or Josh Leivo (usually the latter) ends up sitting out.
Following Toronto’s win over New Jersey on Thursday, Mike Babcock was quick to point out that Leivo has earned his opportunity to play regularly:
Babcock says Leivo is getting "hosed" and has played well. Says he's only not in the lineup sometimes because they need Soshnikov on the PK.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) March 24, 2017
The Leafs do need more penalty killers, that much is true. With Nikita Soshnikov injured and Roman Polak suspended for one more game, Toronto doesn’t have as many players to ice when short-handed.
Martin vs. Boyle
Martin doesn’t normally hurt the team when he kills penalties, and he creates the occasional, prolonged forecheck. When scuffles do break out, if he’s on the ice, he’s usually the first to come to his teammates’ defense. That’s all great.
The thing is, he can’t be on the ice all the time when scrums ensue. As often as penalties do occur during games, the Leafs don’t take an exorbitant amount of them. Between Boyle and Martin, Boyle is the player with better possession numbers.
When Soshnikov returns from injury, Babcock will be itching to put him back in the lineup. It’s not fair that Leivo just gets yanked out of the lineup, especially since he’s done nothing but put up points and impress whenever he gets to play. In the thirteen games Leivo has played in this season, he has ten points. He’s proven that he can succeed on this team and in this league.
Martin was signed to the team to do exactly what he’s done this season, but unfortunately for him, the Leafs don’t need him anymore. They have a perfectly capable and improved player available in Boyle, who’s an upgrade to Martin in pretty much every area of the ice (including off of it).
The Reality for the Toronto Maple Leafs
It’s looking more and more likely that the Leafs will still be playing past mid-April. They’re going to need their best lineup for the playoffs. If Leivo is still on a roll, they need to take advantage of that. If he falters, then they have the opportunity put Martin back into the lineup.
As of right now, though, there is no need for Martin on the ice. Boyle us playing a virtually identical role (if not a better one) and Leivo is still scoring despite inconsistent playing time. All is fine for now since Soshnikov will need more time to heal, but once he’s ready to come back, the Leafs need to take a serious look at their fourth line.
Martin has had a good run with this Leafs team, but his time is up. If the Leafs want to dress their best for the playoffs, they should play their hotter hand.
And right now, that isn’t Martin.