Editor In Leaf
Fansided

Toronto Maple Leafs: The Most Disappointing Player This Season

By Wilbert Timmermans

TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 07: Morgan Rielly #44, Ilya Mikheyev #65, and Frederik Andersen #31 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skate during player introductions before playing the Vegas Golden Knights at the Scotiabank Arena on November 7, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 07: Morgan Rielly #44, Ilya Mikheyev #65, and Frederik Andersen #31 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skate during player introductions before playing the Vegas Golden Knights at the Scotiabank Arena on November 7, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 8
Next
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 9: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie #94 returns to the locker room after the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Scotiabank Arena on November 9, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 9: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie #94 returns to the locker room after the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Scotiabank Arena on November 9, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Zoë Mason

When the Kadri trade went through, the reaction among Leafs Nation was positive. Despite losing a fan favorite, the club was also bidding goodbye to the problems he had caused in recent years — namely, his two playoff suspensions — and was welcoming a solid player in Alex Kerfoot and a star in Tyson Barrie.

Kerfoot quickly rose into coach Mike Babcock’s good graces, and rightfully. While his five goals and three assists so far this season aren’t superstar material, he’s a reliable third-line player on a team that’s been relying increasingly on its lower half to get it through a recent slump.

But where is Tyson Barrie? His season so far has been a blink and you miss it. By November 13th, 2018, Barrie had racked up one goal and thirteen assists for a whopping 14 points. That made him the seventh highest-scoring defenseman in the NHL by the quarter mark in the 2018-19 season.

Starting off this season with six assists, no goals, and a poor defensive record, the Leafs have not inherited the same player.

A lot of criticism has been directed at Mitch Marner this year, and while something intangible certainly seems different about his play, he’s actually only five points behind his career-best pace from last season. His 18 points are a solid start to the year, just not up to the standard he established in his breakout campaign.

Barrie, on the other hand, has a well-established pattern of performance, and this season’s start features his poorest numbers since 2013 when he was still breaking out of the minors.

It’s important to note that he’s a great player and it’s possible his slump can be attributed to starting with a new team. For the Toronto Maple Leafs sake, I hope that’s the case.

Home/Editorials