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Toronto Maple Leafs Roster Battles: Brad Boyes Or Michael Grabner As First-Line Right Winger?

By Tim Bayer

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 The Toronto Maple Leafs first-line right-winger on opening night is going to have the unenviable task of taking over from one of the best scorers in the National Hockey League, Phil Kessel, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the offseason.

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If fans are looking for a replacement for Kessel, they’re not going to find one on this roster. James van Riemsdyk is by far the best winger, and he’s a lock to play on the left side. The right-wingers on the roster are a mixture of capable veterans (Brad Boyes, Michael Grabner, P.A. Parenteau, Mark Arcobello) and an unproven youngster (Richard Panik), and any number of them could see time on the top line.

To make the issue even more confusing, some or all of Shawn Matthias, Daniel Winnik and Nick Spaling could see time on the wing, thanks to the glut of forwards on the roster. With that being said, which ones are most likely to line up opening night on the right side opposite van Riemsdyk?

Candidate #1: Brad Boyes

HERO charts via OwnThePuck

The Toronto Maple Leafs confirmed Boyes will be the lone professional tryout player to stick around with the club past training camp after he was signed to a one-year, $700,000 deal and Devin Setoguchi, Curtis Glencross and Mark Fraser were cut yesterday. That makes the forward group pretty much set in stone with only the questions of “Who are going to be the extra forwards?” and “Who’s going to play where?” still to be answered.

Boyes played on the top line with Tyler Bozak and van Riemsdyk at practice today, which is a pretty telling sign he seems to be the frontrunner for that spot. However, Boyes has played the entire preseason (to my knowledge) on a line with Peter Holland, and said himself he thinks they’ve developed some pretty good chemistry:

At 33 years old, Boyes is still a capable scorer who makes his teammates better. He’s also a great candidate, should he have a good offensive year, to be traded at the deadline for a draft pick. You could make the argument his signing potentially leaves a younger player off the roster (see: Panik) but it’s hard to argue with having a solid veteran guy like Boyes on your team.

Does he fit with Bozak and JvR? You want a good possession player on that other wing because neither Bozak nor JvR are skilled in that department, so Boyes seems to be a fit. He also has the offensive chops to replace some of those Kessel goals, and showcasing him on the top line gives potential trade partners a good look at him.

Threat Level: High

Candidate #2: Michael Grabner

Grabner was used sparingly with the New York Islanders, despite a near-first line level of production. He holds his own possession-wise, and although he pales in comparison to Boyes in that category, he hasn’t been given the same quality of linemates.

Grabner is known for being defensively responsible and is incredibly fast. Those two skill sets make him a very effective penalty killer. If he can help the top line be adequate defensively and create some high-speed magic with JvR off the rush, sign me up.

The problem here is Grabner hasn’t played on the top line (again, to my knowledge) at all in the preseason. That’s not to say he won’t be there on opening night, but it isn’t a good sign.

Threat Level: Moderate

Decision

If I’m Mike Babcock, I give Grabner the first shot at the first-line right-winger spot. He can skate, score and defend, and I’d love to see him and van Riemsdyk play together.

However, I wouldn’t complain to having Boyes in that spot, either. He’s a scorer who also tilts play in his teams favor, and maybe some of that possession ability can rub off on his linemates.

What do you think: Boyes, Grabner, or someone else?

Next: Leafs Top Center: Bozak or Kadri?

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