John Krpan: Joe Thornton
Some may say a guy like Brian Boyle is who the Maple Leafs need to sign.
They might argue that Matthews is your #1 and Kadri is who you play against the opponents top line. Bozak would be a formidable third line center, and Boyle would bring grit and PK and face-off ability to the fourth line. And they would be right to think like this because it makes sense.
But I think that there is a much larger picture to consider. We all know Matthews is a superstar and is a #1 center already, but what we should consider is having three top line centers to take the pressure off Matthews and take the pressure off Babcock if/when there are injuries. Last season the Leafs lucked out not having many major injuries. We cannot expect the same this season.
What if one of Matthews, Kadri, or even Bozak went down to injuries and missed significant time? Could a Matthews, Bozak, Boyle, Smith grouping get them into the playoffs? I would say that it’s 50/50 at best. And 50/50 is not nearly good enough anymore.
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That is why I say sign Jumbo Joe. Signing Joe Thornton to 2 years (at almost any dollar figure) would create the most dynamic 1-2-3 punch in the entire NHL. If I were Chicago, or Boston, or LA, who would I have Toews, or Bergeron, or Kopitar play against? Matthews? Thornton? Kadri? Really, how could any team match up against those three centers night in and night out?
The number of opportunities created having this dynamic trio would be undeniable and scary. I would dread playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs if I was any other team. It would force teams to either leave one of those great players open all night by pairing them against third liners, or have them double shift players and by the third period they would be exhausted.
The Leafs have two more years where they can pay a guy (or two) like Joe Thornton almost anything they would want, before having Nylander, Marner, and Matthews all on their second contracts. Matthews, Kadri, Bozak, Boyle is a good idea. But Matthews, Thornton, Kadri, plus a fourth centerman, is elite and Stanley Cup worthy.
Thanks for reading!