Toronto Maple Leafs: 1st Big Mistake of Shanahan Era

2. Roster Make-Up

The Toronto Maple Leafs greatest strength is their depth at wing. They currently have too many wingers for too few positions.  In fact, the Leafs currently have at least three or four extra wingers, all of whom are NHL players.

What was the sense of signing a player who plays a position they don’t need? Even if the Leafs plan is to trade a winger, or two, the odds are they will now have to put a solid, NHL ready player in the AHL and/or pressbox. Already this summer, the Leafs lost Brandon Leipsic and Seth Griffith.  There seems, at the moment, no place for Josh Leivo or Kasperi Kapanen to play.  And forget about making the team if you are a rookie this year.

The Leafs could have used a centre, or a defensemen, or even a goalie.  All positions are more pressing for the team, as currently constructed, than a winger.

The Toronto Maple Leafs also need defensive players. Other than Komarov, and arguably Kadri and Kapanen, the Leafs have no effective defensive forwards. Their team defense is a joke.  Last year they blew how many multi-goal, third period leads?  Fifty-five?

Not to mention that they were also the second worst team for allowing shots at even-strength in the entire league, and that their team strengths were a) generating shots and b) the power-play.

So why bring in a bad defensive player who is only good at generating shots and scoring on the power-play?  Marleau is  a player whose skills are the exact same as what the Leafs already have, and the exact opposite of what they need.