Toronto Maple Leafs: Debut of the Weekly Mailbag

“The people rule” serves as the mantra of which all democracies are founded upon. Personally, I believe that the Toronto Maple Leafs fan base functions as a democracy, and therefore must abide by that same mantra.

In order for this democracy to function properly, listening to the voice of each Toronto Maple Leafs fan is incredibly important. So, as the new Managing Co-Editor of Editor in Leaf, I thought I’d try out something new.

Welcome, my friends, to the first edition of our new Weekly Mailbag! Here’s how it’s going to work.

Every Sunday, I will tweet out from the EIL twitter account (@EditorinLeaf), my personal account (@mikeystephens81), and the Facebook page a request for any and all Leafs-related questions occupying your mind.

All you have to do is send them to me, and they could be answered in this very space.

As the Leafs enjoy their bye week, there’s really no better time than now to answer some of your burning questions.

So, without further adieu, let’s hit it.

“Can we sign Bozak, JVR and Uncle Leo? Which ones are more realistic? – Stivins J Lantz

Stivins, there are two ways to approach this question.

Before figuring out how to re-sign those pending UFA’s, we first must consider if the Leafs should re-sign them at all.

Among the three you mentioned, I think JVR is the only one worth bringing back. Both Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov have seemingly run their course with the Leafs.

With the market for centres at an all-time high, Bozak will undoubtedly command some serious cash once he hits free agency. Currently, his cap hit sits at a decent $4.2 million, which is fine for right now.

But, you better believe a “weak down the middle” team who loves their band-aids, Detroit comes to mind, will swoop in and back a Brinks truck up to his front lawn.

Listen, if Dave Bolland was able to get a 5-year deal worth $5.5 million per, Bozak will too. NHL GM’s are dumb, and the best course of action here is to not stand in the way of their stupidity.

As for Komarov, he’s a great lockerroom presence, but his play has taken a couple HUGE leaps backwards this season, despite his increased usage. I mean, he’s playing so much that it’s even leaving Mike Babcock in disbelief.

While Leo continues to be effective in his own end, he’s become nothing short of an offensive liability. Sitting dead last in even strength points for forwards who’ve played over 500 minutes this season is, uh, not good. And, at 32, will only get worse with age.

So, to answer your question, I don’t think it’s realistic to bring back all three. As for re-signing JVR, you can read some other perspectives on that possibility here and here.

“Do you think the Leafs will pull the proverbial trigger on a trade for a Dman? Gudbranson, or someone at a higher cost in OEL?” – Charley Pride

This has been a hot topic of discussion of late, especially with the trade deadline steadily approaching.

Personally, I don’t think the Leafs should or even will make a splash at the deadline. Even if they do, I doubt it’ll be anything other than a deal to acquire a minor, complimentary piece or two.

Travis Dermott‘s wonderful debut has seemingly quelled the need for the team to spend its plethora of valuable assets on blueline reinforcements. If given the chance to play regularly, I fully believe Dermott would be just as effective, if not more so, than any potential deadline acquisition.

And they have him for free!

As for Erik Gudbranson, I would stay as far away from his as possible.

Gudbranson’s not particularly good at any one thing. With just 3 in 31 games this season, he doesn’t put up points. His possession stats are downright putrid, evidenced by his 43.2% CF/60 at 5v5. Plus, his $3.5 million cap hit is waaaaaaaay too expensive, even as a rental, to justify his lack of production.

Also, most important of all, Dale Tallon loves him. Here are some words of wisdom. If Tallon is obsessed with the player you’re thinking of, you DO NOT want that player.

Finally, regarding Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the chances of the Leafs trading for him at the deadline sit at roughly 0%.

OEL is one of the league’s few elite players. When was the last time someone of his calibre was dealt midseason? And even if he was, I shudder to think of the package required to get him.

Instead, keep your prospects, keep your picks, and utilize the talented assets you already have. Most NHL teams lose their minds on deadline day. I’d prefer for the Leafs to not be one of them.

“Think it’s safe to say we need to trade away all of our D-men except Rielly and Zaitsev…and toss in some picks and prospects and get some goddam defense?? How do we lose a 2-0 game in 4 minutes?!?! Like cmon” – Stephen A Liviniuk

Is…is this a question? I guess I’ll try to answer it anyway.

No, I don’t think it’s safe to say the Leafs should trade away all their D-men, save for Morgan Rielly and Nikita Zaitsev. That doesn’t seem like it would be a very wise move.

Andreas Borgman has been a pleasant surprise in his rookie season. Jake Gardiner, despite the occasional blemish, injects this team with mobility from the back-end that’ll undoubtedly become even more valuable come playoff time. Ron Hainsey has been an absolute revelation at age 36, single-handedly dragging the Leafs to an elite penalty kill.

So no, trading all those players is far from a pressing need. Now, to answer “how do we lose a 2-0 game in 4 minutes?” I must ask you something.

How long have you been watching this team?

Blowing leads are what the Leafs do best.  They’ve consistently done so ever since I grew old enough to comprehend sports.

As for how they can solve it, I have four words for you. Stop playing Roman Polak.

I don’t care if you guys light me up again for it because I’m saying it anyway. Polak is objectively terrible. He takes penalties at a higher rate than anyone else on the Leafs. He brings their PK percentage down whenever he’s on the ice. At the end of the day, he simply cannot keep up with the pace of an NHL game.

The sooner the Leafs realize all that, the sooner they resume winning. Until then, they’ll continue to drop these games for self-inflicted reasons, by forcing themselves into playing short-handed.

#FreeTravisDermott

Next: Bye Week Should be Trade Week

Thanks for reading! Make sure to send in your questions to be featured in next week’s mailbag.