Toronto Maple Leafs: Four Positive Takeaways So Far
Pledging your fandom to the Toronto Maple Leafs can be an excruciating experience. In order to quell the pain, focusing on the negative side of things becomes second nature.
And yet, in the midst of a terrible slump, we must not forget how blessed Toronto Maple Leafs truly are.
As of January 15th, the Leafs sit comfortably in a playoff spot, with a franchise centre leading the way, backed up by elite goaltending. Life is good.
Yes, their play so far has been wildly inconsistent. Although, I think it’s been thoroughly obvious as to what’s been behind that. Nonetheless, this is still a good team, blessed with a plethora of good pieces.
With that said, I’m going to do something that every Leafs fan rarely does; look on the bright side.
Here are four positive things fans can take from the season so far.
Patrick Marleau is Immortal
Upon signing 38-year-old Patrick Marleau to a 3-year, $18.75 million contract in early July, the Earth began shaking from excessive hand-wringing.
To be fair, the reservations were warranted.
A $6.25 million cap hit is mighty hefty for a player on the doorstep of 40. Not to mention, Old Man Marleau would likely be eligible for seniors discounts around the time his contract ended.
And yet, as we creep beyond the season’s halfway point, the wily vet has proved his doubters wrong.
38 year old Patrick Marleau beating Spurgeon & Suter in the icing race pic.twitter.com/jfvejPnmdQ
— Flintor (@TheFlintor) November 9, 2017
So far, Marleau has been relied on to alternate between both centre and the wings, while still keeping himself on pace for roughly 30 goals and 50 points. Incredibly, despite his prominent PP usage, all but 2 of those goals have come at even strength.
The man can still ball, even though he’s old enough to be my dad.
Marleau’s fancy stats paint a pretty picture as well. He can still drive possession at an above-average rate, evidenced by his 50.4% CF/60 at 5V5. This has occurred while lining up alongside Leo Komarov for nearly all of his even strength minutes. Komarov, whose CF/60 sits at 45.4%, has morphed into a possession black hole.
Yes, $6.25 million for a 50-point player may not be considered a “steal”. But, Marleau’s complete game, versatility, and fatherly love has made it a worthy investment so far.
The Atlantic Division is Terrible
Barring a sequel to the “18-wheeler” collapse, the Leafs are expected to comfortably cruise into the playoffs, while drawing the Boston Bruins as their the first round opponent.
At the time of publication, Toronto sits third in the Atlantic Division, with a sizeable cushion, and holding a host of tiebreakers. Life is good! Too good.
The team’s play has dipped drastically of late and are beginning to look less and less like the mighty playoff beast they undoubtedly are. Something smells fishy.
Well, what if I told you that the Leafs likelihood of participating in playoff hockey is far from a byproduct of their success. Instead, it’s entirely a testament to how thoroughly terrible the Atlantic Division truly is.
This brings me to the “fun fact” portion of the piece. Keep in mind, these facts are only “fun” because, for once, they don’t apply to the Leafs.
- The team closest to threatening the Leafs playoff chances is the Detroit Red Wings, who sit a whopping 10 points back.
- Every single Atlantic team outside of Toronto, Boston and Tampa Bay currently has a negative goal differential.
- If any of the aforementioned teams were realigned to the Metropolitan Division, they would all immediately occupy last place, by a minimum margin of 5 points.
- The Atlantic Division has become the birthplace of failure this season. The NHL’s 30th, 29th, 28th, and 26th place teams all hail from the Atlantic.
And last, but perhaps worst of all:
- Buffalo is in the Atlantic Division.
That's an awful long line of Sabres watching Connor go in all alone and roof it. pic.twitter.com/QAvbqUwDEL
— Murat Ates (@WPGMurat) January 10, 2018
Need I say more?
Morgan Rielly: Number One Defenceman
Following Toronto’s selection of Morgan Rielly with the 5th overall pick in the 2012 draft, then-Leafs GM Brian Burke proceeded to do what he does best; open his mouth.
Burke revealed that, had the Leafs actually held the 1st overall pick, they still would have used it on Rielly. That’s how confident they were in him. Burke’s declaration served as a watershed moment for humanity, as I believe this was the first recorded “hot take” in history.
It seemed preposterous at the time, right?
Nail Yakupov and Ryan Murray had been bandied about as the consensus top two picks for months leading up to draft night.
Murray would finally give Columbus a first pairing defenseman to build a franchise around. While the Oilers, on the other hand, would add Yakupov to an offensive arsenal bursting with weapons the likes of Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall.
There was no way the Edmonton could possibly screw that up, right?
Well, fast forward to the present, and Burke’s take cools with each passing day.
Yakupov’s on his third NHL team in three years, Columbus isn’t building anything around Murray, and Montreal can’t seem to get rid of 3rd overall pick Alex Galchenyuk fast enough.
And then there’s Rielly, who finds himself on pace to finish the season with roughly 60 points. Remember, he’s a defenceman.
Speaking of defenceman, Rielly also drives possession at a better rate than anyone on the Leafs blueline. Leading the way with a 52.7% CF/60 at 5v5, he paces their entire D corps. Such a number becomes even more bonkers upon the realization that Rielly begins nearly half of his shifts in his own end.
So, when we reflect upon Burke’s bold claim from six years ago, it may not have been so bold after all.
The Farm is Loaded
It’s fair to say that the Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks are all considered perennial NHL contenders, right? With that said, what further distinction do those teams share with each other?
If you guessed ” a barren farm system”, you’re correct!
Now, this certainly isn’t an inditement of their developing prowess. In fact, it’s the opposite. Today’s salary cap is so tight, it forces contenders into relying on prospects signed to ELC’s for low-cost production, in order to offset the cost of their stars.
Rarely do we see an NHL team that can both contend for a Stanley Cup and boast a loaded farm system at the same. The NHL is specifically designed to make it one or the other.
Well, I guess no one told the Toronto Maple Leafs that.
As of January 11th, despite holding the third-highest odds of holding Stanley Cup parade, the Leafs also possess one the NHL’s deepest prospect pipelines. That is borderline unprecedented.
Walk a mere 20 minutes down the street from the ACC, and you’ll stumble upon a minimum of four bonafide NHL-ready prospects, each honing their craft on the Marlies.
Kasperi Kapanen is arguably the AHL’s most talented player, embarrassing his opponents on a nightly basis.
Travis Dermott, at the ripe age of 20-years-old, has further demonstrated the ability to immediately occupy a top-4 NHL role. Andreas Johnsson, a former 7th round pick, could be immediately slotted into the Leafs powerplay and thrive.
Which brings us to 18-year-old superstar Timothy Liljegren, the piece de resistance. Barring a catastrophe, fans should start preparing to watch Liljegren quarterback Toronto’s power play for the next couple decades.
With even more talented youngsters climbing up the ranks, the Leafs find themselves with a present and a future of blindingly bright proportions.