Toronto Maple Leafs: Boyle-ing Point

Leafs Get In On Early Trade Action:

The Toronto Maple Leafs have doubled down on a playoff push and grabbed Babcock the fourth line center he’s been begging for all season. Giving away future assets, although lesser ones, is a sign that Lamoriello and company truly want these young Leafs to experience at the very least a truly competitive playoff drive, if not the playoffs themselves. Leafs Nation, please join me in giving a warm Toronto welcome to your newest Leaf; Brian Boyle.

The Trade:

Getting To Know: Brian Boyle

Age / Position: 32Yrs / Center or Left Wing

Height / Weight / Shoots: 6ft7 / 244lbs / Left

Stat Line: 54 GP – 13 G – 22 Pts – 48 PIM – +5 – 13:41 Time On Ice Per Game

PP Stats: 3 PPG – 6 PPP – 17 Shots – 59.3 FO% – 1:36 PP Time On Ice Per Game

PK Stats: 10 Blocked Shots – 50 FO% – 4 Take aways-1:03 Time On Ice Per Game

The Player

Right off the hop its easy to see how much of a utility player the lumbering Boyle can be. Useful in all facets of the game, in every zone and in every situation, Boyle is exactly the kind of veteran the young Leafs need for the final push.

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His average shorthanded ice time per game would put him third on the Leafs right off the hop, and you can expect his PK workload to increase considerably under Babcock. The NHL’s No.1 ranked PP most likely won’t need Boyle’s net front presence, but if it stumbles or injuries arise, it is good to be able to pull from deeper down the lineup.

One of the most pressing benefits of Brian Boyle, since 2011, no other player in the NHL has appeared in more playoff games than Brian Boyle with 100GP. This kind of veteran savvy is absolutely critical to such a young and untested team like the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brian Boyle has been there, seen it all and got the t-shirt to prove it. He actually has 2 eastern conference finalist shirts from back-to-back appearances with the Rangers in 2014 and Lightning in 2015. When Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander or any of the half dozen Leafs rookies needs guidance, they can now look to battle hardened Brian Boyle to lead the way.

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Brian Boyle brings playoff veteran savvy, good face-off skills, a large and physical presence on top of the ability to be counted on for 12+ minutes of heavy defensive work a night while driving positive possession numbers. He, quite literally, fills every need the Leafs have at this moment. Yes, they could absolutely use another young stud Dman, preferably to partner with Rielly, but that – barring a completely unforeseen miracle – won’t happen by the deadline. Babcock has tried to make-due with fringe-NHLer Ben Smith and the not-quite-ready-yet Frederik Gauthier, but the 4th line has consistently struggled, highlighted by the Leafs OT loss to Montreal last week. Brian Boyle fixes almost everything ailing the Leafs going into the stretch drive, and he barely cost a thing.

The Cost

Playoffs or not, the Leafs are still in the rebuilding stage, if further along than anyone predicted they’d be. As a rebuilding team, a 2nd round pick, even one projected to be in the 42-50 range, is still a high cost to pay. The Leafs farm system has come leaps and bounds from the “Draft-Schmaft” and 18-Wheeler days, but it still isn’t deep enough to afford them the ability to throw around quality pieces willy-nilly. In saying that, Byron Froese is a prospect the Leafs didn’t have plans for, so realistically this was a proven, veteran, playoff, defensive specialist at a key position Toronto had a weakness in… for a late second round pick. When all is said and done, this was a relatively cheap cost, especially if the Leafs and Boyle come to an extension post-expansion draft and he becomes a staple of the playoff bound Leafs going forward. The Brian Boyle era in Toronto is likely to start when he (hopefully) joins the team in San Jose in time for tomorrow nights game.