Editor In Leaf
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2 Problems Facing Toronto Maple Leafs as Season Begins

By James Tanner

OTTAWA, ON - SEPTEMBER 18: Ottawa Senators defenseman Johnny Oduya (29) backhands a pass from behind the net with Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Kasperi Kapanen (24) giving chase during third period National Hockey League preseason action between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators on September 18, 2017, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - SEPTEMBER 18: Ottawa Senators defenseman Johnny Oduya (29) backhands a pass from behind the net with Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Kasperi Kapanen (24) giving chase during third period National Hockey League preseason action between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators on September 18, 2017, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have a great roster and should be (at worst) a top-five favorite to win the Stanley Cup this year.

Leafs fans have this hilarious thing they do where they downplay the team’s talent out of fear of seeming like “typical” Leafs fans (whatever that is) and try to undersell how good the team is.  Or maybe their just really gun-shy about having nice things.  I don’t pretend to understand them.  But anyone who can look at this roster, and knows enough about the rest of the NHL to compare teams, knows the Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the best rosters in the NHL.

While that is true, there are still a couple problems with the current set-up. How much will these problems effect the team?  Will they be able to score their way out of them?  Will they make trades to fix them before the season starts?  Who knows?

Problem Number One

Full disclaimer:  Jake Gardiner is the Leafs best defenseman, and so whatever pair he is on is  the top pairing.  Babcock might, however, continue to use Gardiner like he did last yea,r which was to make Rielly choke on tough competition and deploy Gardiner in ways that would accentuate his abilities.

If this continues to be the case, then technically, the Rielly-Hainsey pairing will be the ‘top pairing.’  Which means that the Leafs – despite superior overall roster depth – will have the worst first pairing in the NHL.  (Maybe not Detroit, but they’re  a non-factor this year).

Ron Hainsey hasn’t played a game for the Leafs yet, and I hope I’m wrong about him.  But last year, every player he played with did better when he was off the ice.  There is about a zero percent chance that he makes Rielly a better player.

Ideally, Travis Dermott will force the issue and the Leafs won’t have to worry about this.  But for now, they are icing a borderline NHL  player as their top-pairing right-side defenseman, which means they are not only over-extending Hainsey, but they’re making him play his off-side.

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Terrible idea. I don’t care how optimistic you are about this team (and weirdly, even though the comments section complains I am too  negative, I am the only one calling the team a contender) you can’ t think Ron Hainsey, top pairing defenseman is a good idea.  Hainsey’s own wife and mother probably think its a bad idea.

Problem Number Two

Defensive Forwards.  The Toronto Maple Leafs were the 29th ranked team last year in terms of shots-allowed per game.  Only the Sabres were worse.  To combat this problem, they signed the defensively ineffective Patrick Marleau, demoted the defensively competent Connor Brown to the fourth line, asked their best defensive forward, Leo Komarov to play his off-wing, and appear to be putting their second best defensive forward, Kasperi Kapanen, in the minors.

That is not how you improve a weakness.

Now, given that it’s ridiculous to demote Brown and equally ridiculous not to have Kapanen on the team, I expect the the Toronto Maple Leafs will make a trade before Wednesday.  That said, if they don’t, they could be in for a rough ride.

Next: 5 Bubble Players Looking to Avoid Being Cut

I still expect them to be one of the NHL’s best teams, because I don’t think these problems will persists.  But for now, they are clearly the two main problems facing the team as the season starts to get underway.

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