There is one easy thing the Toronto Maple Leafs can do to improve.
It has nothing to do with trading anyone, or adjusting the lines. All the Toronto Maple Leafs have to do to get better is play Auston Matthews more.
It’s that simple.
Connor McDavid 21:07 TOI /Game
Patrick Kane 21:03 TOI / Game
Ryan O’Reilly 21:27 TOI / Game
In total, 89 forwards skated more per game than Auston Matthews, who skated only 17:37 per game.
That is not a typo – 89……one less than 90.
Auston Matthews scored 40 goals, and was tied for second in the NHL. He scored 29 5v5 goals, which is more impressive, and led the NHL.
Matthews scored four goals in a single game, won the Calder Trophy and led his team to the playoffs as a rookie. He is also a top ten forward in the NHL by projected game-score headed into next season. Keep in mind that that game score is based off his ice time from the year before, where he was 90th (!) and so he’s probably more like a top three or five forward in the NHL.
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It’s nice the Toronto Maple Leafs have balance and everything, but playing Matthews more is an obvious way in which they can get better. The best part is, they just have to commit to it (and likely will). They don’t have to do anything else!
Matthews on the Power-Play
29 5v5 goals and 40 goals as a rookie is pretty amazing. But you’d think a guy who scored 29 at even-strength would do better on the power-play.
Does it make any sense than the guy who led the NHL 5v5 only scored eight goals with the man advantage? Or that 41 players scored more goals than he did?
Obviously not. And as much as I like Mike Babcock, only he knows what he was thinking when he drew this plan up. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it’s pretty dumb to play your best player so little when he has his best opportunity to score. If it were any other coach we’d be blasting him on a daily basis.
Matthews got 201 PP minutes last year. Claude Giroux got over 300. That’s a 33% increase. Matthews could be playing 33% more PP ice time.
For a guy who didn’t miss a single game and happened to lead the NHL in 5v5 goals it doesn’t make much sense that 75 other NHL players had more power-play time on ice last year.
It makes no sense at all.
Sure, Matthews had the most ice time on the PP among the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it (the ice time) didn’t need to be spread so thin. There was no need for Bozak 185 minutes, or Komarov 168. No need at all.
Next: Is Lamoriello Really Satisfied?
All Babcock has to do is play his best player about three minutes more per game, and the Leafs will become an instantly better team. Just the power-play time alone probably cost the Leafs a couple of wins last year.
Play your best players the most.
Stats from NHL.com