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Toronto Maple Leafs: Bring Back Borgman

By James Tanner

TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 22: Toronto Maple Leafs Defenceman Andreas Borgman (55) skates with the puck during the NHL regular season game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 22, 2018, at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photograph by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 22: Toronto Maple Leafs Defenceman Andreas Borgman (55) skates with the puck during the NHL regular season game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 22, 2018, at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photograph by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs should bring back Andreas Borgman.

Last year the Toronto Maple Leafs signed two Swedish defenseman – Andreas Borgman and Calle Rosen.  Both were given an opportunity to play for the big club, but now they are both on the Marlies.

While I am a fan of both players, I would especially like to see Andreas Borgman back with the Leafs.

Only problem: Borgman is a lefty, and the Leafs blueline currently has four of those as regulars, and five if you count Martin Marincin.

Andreas Borgman

Andreas Borgman sort of gets lost in the shuffle.  The Toronto Maple Leafs have what is probably the best left-side defense in the NHL with Morgan Rielly ascending to the level of absolute super-star, Jake Gardiner being one of just 16 50 point defenseman, and Travis Dermott on his way to a top-pairing near you.

With such strength, Borgman may not fit in the Leafs plans, unless they move one of Gardiner, Rielly or Dermott to the right side.  And they really should do that since, if Ron Hainsey can do it, anyone can.

The reason they should do this is because Andreas Borgman is definitely an NHL defenseman.

If you click the above link, you’ll be taken to a very nice player comparison chart from Corey Snadjer aka @shutdownline.  This chart shows that Borgman was superior to Travis Dermott in shot contributions, as well as zone entries and exits.  While still very good at entry defense, Dermott was superior to Borgman in this category.

Keep in mind that Travis Dermott is fast on his way to being a top pairing NHL defenseman, that Babcock has used him as his most used defenseman at times this season and that he has all-star potential.

Borgman had a higher possession rating, and a lower shots-allowed/60 than most of the Leafs regular defenseman last year.  He can move the puck, and, perhaps most of all, he brings a physical element that the Leafs current blueline is missing.

Borgman is an NHL defenseman with no business in the AHL.  The Toronto Maple Leafs do not have a very good blueline, owing to the fact that Hainsey and Zatisev are generally pretty bad and the fact that they are very un-physical.

You could get rid of a problem and fix a problem at the same time if you promoted Borgman.  And, guess what?  Rielly and Gardiner have almost a full season together over the course of their careers and their numbers are spectacular.

Next. Trade Rumours. dark

Pair Gardiner and Rielly, promote Dermott into the top four and bring Andreas Borgman to the NHL.   Easy.

The bottom line is this: a team as bad as the Toronto Maple Leafs are defensively has no business keeping a player like Andreas Borgman in the AHL.  It’s madness.

stats from naturalstattrick.com 

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