Ron Hainsey’s Role on the Toronto Maple Leafs
Now that Ron Hainsey has been signed it is time to think about the impact he will have on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs made three important UFA signings this week. Patrick Marleau garnered the most attention due to his impressive pedigree and hefty contract. Ron Hainsey’s signing has been slightly overshadowed by this, but should not be overlooked. Hainsey adds some much needed defensive help to a team that is still looking to improve its blue line.
Hainsey is a puck moving defenseman, with decent defensive stats. He has good size, listed at 6’3” and 210 lbs. At 36 years old he is likely getting close to the end of his career, but is only signed for two seasons. Hainsey is a left shot and has experience playing on both the left and right side. The majority of his brief stint with the Penguins was on the right side, paired with Brian Dumoulin, en route to winning the Stanley Cup.
The Leafs Current Depth at Defense
As of right now, the Leafs defensive depth chart looks like this:
Morgan Reilly Nikita Zaitsev
Jake Gardiner Connor Carrick
Ron Hainsey Alexey Marchenko
Martin Marincin
*This depth chart shows players playing on the side that reflects the way they shoot. It does not account for prospects that have been playing outside of the big club to this point. (Dermott, Neilson, Rosen, Borgman, etc.)
The Leafs are obviously much stronger on the left side, at both the NHL and AHL level. This is why many of the rumours surrounding the team have reflected their need to improve on the right. Despite being a left hand shot, Hainsey’s versatility to play both sides may help to balance this out.
Where Should Ron Hainsey Play?
I think there are a few different ways that the Toronto Maple Leafs could use Hainsey in their lineup. He has played a significant amount of time in a top four role and has done so fairly successfully.
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Like James Tanner mentioned, I also initially thought Hainsey would be a depth option to be used on the third pairing. This would buy the Leafs time to let some of their younger prospects develop further. The teams’ willingness to commit $6 million to Hainsey, combined with Babcock’s love for responsible veterans, has me thinking that they might actually give him a larger role than I anticipated.
Lou Lamoriello also hinted at this during his media address following the free agent signings,
"“First of all, he’s a veteran. He’s won. He’s had success no matter where he’s been as far as playing with offensive partners, so we feel he’ll come up in the top four and serve a purpose.”"
Hainsey is not going to pass Reilly or Gardiner on the left side. When you compare him to the options on the right there is reason to believe he could still fit into the top four. Looking at his HERO chart compared to Zaitsev and Carrick, he could be a legitimate option to bump one of them down to the third pairing.
Hainsey’s ability to suppress shots is superior to that of Zaitsev and Carrick. He has been able to suppress shots relatively well while playing more (and presumably tougher) minutes than Carrick. This leads me to believe that Hainsey might be a legitimate option to pair with Morgan Reilly. The defensive support would take some pressure off of Reilly. This would allow Reilly to play the style of game that is better suited for his skill set. This idea fits in with Lamoriello’s statement that Hainsey could have a role in the top four, playing beside an offensive partner.
Possible Pairings
Zaitsev’s defensive numbers improve when he is paired with Jake Gardiner, forming a strong second pairing. Carrick could then play on the third pairing where he is more likely to have success. If nothing changes between now and training camp then the Toronto Maple Leafs only need to fill the left side of their third pair. Marincin, Dermott or one of their two Swedish prospects will likely be adequate for that role.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a logjam of wingers and there is still a chance that one or more will be moved. This could bring in additional help on the blue line. Either way, Hainsey is a versatile defender who gives the Leafs options to ensure that their defense is strong enough come October.