Editor In Leaf
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Toronto Maple Leafs: Babcock’s Bad Habit

By James Tanner

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 28: Head coach Mike Babcock of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on from the bench during a game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on December 28, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 28: Head coach Mike Babcock of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on from the bench during a game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on December 28, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs recently called up top prospect Travis Dermott.

The young defenenseman will make his NHL debut tonight when the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Vancouver Canucks.  You would think that the debut of a new defenseman would be at the expense of the Leafs worst defenseman, but Babock has got a bad habit.

I’ve been struggling for the last year to try and quit smoking.  It’s hard.  I keep falling off the wagon, and so I know how Babcock feels.  He’s addicted to Roman Polak.  He knows better, but I don’t think he can help it.

Dressing Polak must give Babcock a relaxed feeling, a sense of confidence, possible an endorphin rush.  Maybe even feelings of elation.  Who knows? He can’t just be doing it because it makes the team better – I mean, Babcock is a genius, right?  So there’s got to be some reason he dresses Polak.

Roman Polak

Roman Polak is a controversial player.  The coach loves him, some of the fans love him, and yet, his stats show that he is not very good.  Here is a quick breakdown of why he should never play for the Leafs again:

  • 47.73% possession rating, second worst on Leafs blue-line.
  • 46% of total shots, 44% of total goals while he’s on the ice.
  • 62% of the high-danger scoring chances that happen while he’s on the ice are against the Leafs.  This is the worst on the team.
  • Polak allows 38.48 shots against per/60 minutes.  The worst on the Leafs by over 3 shots per hour.
  • He is only 6th among Leafs D on def-zone face-offs per / 60, meaning his poor numbers can’t be excused away by saying he is getting tough minutes.

As bad as those stats are, there is one that is the most damning: Of all the defenseman in the entire NHL who have played a minimum of 20 games, only one other player allows a higher shots per 60 against than Roman Polak.  Just one.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs  allow the fourth-most shots-against per game in the NHL. Every observer of the team would agree that that is their main weakness.  So, it follows that the best way to fix your biggest problem would be to replace the player who contributes the most to it.

That player would be Roman Polak.  And by calling up Travis Dermott, that that was exactly what the Leafs were doing.  But nope. They are scratching the effective Andreas Borgman and keeping Polak in the lineup.

Next: What's the Plan for Dermott?

There is no logical or empirical reason to make this decision.  Just as I know it’s unhealthy and gross to smoke, Babcock obviously knows he shouldn’t be playing Polak – but he can’t help himself.  He’s addicted!

It’s the only explanation.

Stats from naturalstattrick.com

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