Toronto Maple Leafs: Checking In With the Exes

With Lou Lamoriello at the helm, the Toronto Maple Leafs have perfected the art of the breakup.

You know the signs.

First, you’re dropped into the limbo known as a “positional rotation”. It’s confusing, and it leads you to wonder what you could’ve possibly done wrong. But, as a team player, it’s all about soldiering through and embracing this new role

Then, a few days later as you stroll into the building for a morning skate, you get the news. You’re a healthy scratch.

Days, weeks, even months go by, as you watch longingly from the press box each night while your teammates get on just fine without you. It’s excruciating, like realizing your spouse can find happiness without you.

And next thing you know, you’re in the AHL. Where once you rode chartered jets to games, now you’re riding buses. The uncertainty is excruciating, as you try to piece together what you could have done differently to avoid this.

What happens next varies, depending on the situation.

A loan to another AHL team could be in the cards. Perhaps a trade. Maybe, in rare cases, the next stop is to the injured reserve, where your team will no longer be burdened with your roster spot.

I didn’t need to list any names for you to get an idea of whom I’m referring to. It may seem heartless, but hey, at the end of the day this is a business.

So, with the Leafs in the midst of a thoroughly needed break, let’s check in with some of their exes from this season to see how they’re holding up.

Rinat Valiev

The story of Rinat Valiev tells the tale of an unfortunate victim of Toronto’s clogged prospect pipeline. As the news broke, few fans were surprised to learn he requested a trade from the Leafs prior to the deadline.

Certainly not flashy by any stretch of the term, Valiev can be relied upon to play some defensively sound hockey while going relatively unnoticed. He’s likely an NHL-calibre defenceman, finally being given the opportunity to prove that for Montreal on Tuesday night.

Comprising the Habs third pairing alongside Jordie Benn, Valiev played roughly 15 minutes of effective hockey. While being primarily matched up against Boston’s bottom-six, he still managed to register a stellar 67.9% CF/60 at 5v5.

Perhaps the most promising takeaway from Valiev’s debut was that Claude Julien didn’t explicitly shelter him. Valiev began 54.5% of his shifts in the defensive zone, only being on the ice for one of Montreal’s six goals against.

In Valiev, the Habs likely acquired a bottom pairing staple for the future. And if his first game is anything to go off of, he’ll likely be an effective one too.

Kerby Rychel

Despite holding the distinction of a former first-round pick, Kerby Rychel is dangerously close to earning another one. That being the dreaded “AAAA player”.

There’s no doubt Rychel can score at the AHL level, evidenced by his 0.67 points-per-game across 216 AHL games and counting. What holds him back from NHL success, however, is his skating. Rychel simply does not currently possess the foot speed necessary for hockey’s highest level.

The good news is that can be changed. We’ve seen bigger, slower NHLers, Brian Boyle comes to mind, work tirelessly with skating coaches to completely revitalize their mechanics.

Although, Rychel is due to turn 24 prior to the start of next season, an age generally regarded as when a prospect’s potential tops out.

Regardless, Rychel has injected the moribund Laval Rocket with a jolt of offence. In his three games the team, he’s put up three points, using his trademark size and determination in the goal below.

If Rychel is able to gain an extra step, he could become an impactful third liner for a Habs team desperate for offensive contribution. Like Valiev, he’s now in a position to give Montreal far more than he’d ever give Toronto.

Nikita Soshnikov

Poor, poor Nikita Soshnikov.

After spending three injury-marred seasons with the Leafs, Soshnikov was given a fresh start in St. Louis, going pointless in his three games with his new team.

In the third game, Soshnikov collided with Minnesota goaltender Devan Dubnyk, sending him back to the injured listed with a neck injury.

Now, stop me if you’ve heard this one, but Soshnikov is an effective young player who simply couldn’t break through Toronto’s loaded lineup.

In a perfect world, he’d be the ideal Leo Komarov replacement, allowing the Leafs to move on from their declining winger in the summer. And hits like these can make you wonder “what if”.

Thankfully, it appears Soshnikov is set to return to the Blues lineup tomorrow night against San Jose. An RFA this summer, he desperately needs to seize any and all opportunities to showcase his unique skill set for the team that took a chance on him.

Alas, playing on a line with Chris Thorburn and Oscar Sundqvist won’t help Soshnikov’s cause. Where his career takes him beyond this season will be something to keep an eye on.

Eric Fehr

Believe it or not, Eric Fehr was in the Leafs lineup on opening night in Winnipeg. Crazy, right?

From the moment Fehr set foot in Toronto, the writing was on the wall. Fehr was shipped to the Leafs as a salary dump, a throw in to facilitate the Frank Corrado trade with Pittsburgh.

Declining a demotion to the Marlies in early November, Fehr was then loaned to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, where he’d be given an opportunity get his career back on track.

And that’s exactly what he did.

Fehr took his demotion in stride, putting up 28 points in 34 games, firmly putting his name back in the NHL conversation. With San Jose in desperate need of a fourth line centre heading into the playoffs, the Leafs dealt him to the Sharks for basically nothing.

In five games with the Sharks, Fehr’s chipped in an assist, while performing admirably as a perfectly serviceable depth player.

With his CF/60 at 5v5 dead even at 50%, he certainly hasn’t hurt his team possession-wise. On the flip side, he hasn’t helped them either.

All in all, Fehr has done exactly what’s been asked of him. He’s assumed a defensive role, starting 56.3% of his shifts in the D-zone, while winning 61% of his draws.

Again, Fehr would never have cracked this current Leafs lineup. But, that doesn’t mean he can’t help a team like the Sharks as well.

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