Toronto Maple Leafs: What Has to Change After All-Star Break

The Toronto Maple Leafs have ten days off.

After a loss to the Blackhawks Saturday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs get a chance to recharge during the NHL’s all-star break / union mandated bi-week.

It is now at the point of the season where we relax and watch the best NHL players compete in the All-Star competitions as well as the All-Star game.

Although, some teams may want to take this time off to evaluate themselves and try for a better second half, teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It has been quite the rollercoaster ride for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, from injuries to the firing of Babcock to more injuries, this team cannot catch a break.

They have seen themselves go on a 10 game point streak to now losing five of their last six games.

Something needs to change when the resume play after the NHL All-Star weekend, and that begins Monday January 27th against the Nashville Predators.

Here are the things the Leafs will need to do post-break in order to ensure a successful season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Trade

Who doesn’t like trades?

I think everyone does, but only if you trade away the right someone to get someone back you would like obviously. I believe Kyle Dubas and staff should make a trade for one of the three things I’m about to list. If all happen that’d be wonderful, but let’s just hope at least one gets done for now.

It is safe to say we all know the Toronto Maple Leafs blue line isn’t the best in the league. Even when fully healthy, the team could probably use an upgrade.

Here are the pairings when everyone is healthy…

Rielly – Barrie

Muzzin – Holl

Dermott – Ceci

now here are the pairings as of their last game against Chicago on the 18th on January

Dermott – Holl

Marincin – Barrie

Sandin – Ceci

Liljegren as the 7th D

Without Morgan Rielly and Jake Muzzin in the lineup it has been quite the journey to where the team is right now, and I think trading for a  defensemen (while trading away Cody Ceci) will help the team not only without Morgan Rielly out of the lineup but as well when he returns at the end of the season and even in the playoffs.

Some defensemen who I think the Toronto Maple Leafs should look at as well as they should target are listed below.

• Brenden Dillon (SJS)
• Brett Pesce (CAR)
• Josh Manson (ANA)
• Sami Vatanen (NJD)
• Dylan DeMelo (OTT)
• Trevor van Riemsdyk (CAR)

Trade for a top 6 or top 9 forward with an edge to his game 

Despite people saying the Toronto Maple Leafs have no grit in their lineup I would have to disagree to that statement. They might not have someone who’s job is to always be physical presence, but the team does have some forwards who throw their body and as of late haven stuck up for themselves and their teammates.

Trevor Moore, Dmytro Timashov, Pierre Engvall, Zach Hyman, Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson are all guys that come to my mind when I think about throwing their body around and getting under peoples skin (not all the time but they have done it and are more than capable of doing it more often)

Some forwards who I think the Toronto Maple Leafs should have had their eyes on right now  are listed below (some salary retain would have to be in play here).

• Chris Kreider (NYR)
• Wayne Simmonds (NJD)
• Blake Coleman (NJD)

Trade for a backup goalie –

The biggest story with the Toronto Maple Leafs for most of the season was their backup goalie situation, which was Michael Hutchinson couldn’t buy a win in net. Fast forward to present time he has gone 3-0-0 in his last three starts in net, obviously not including when he has come in to replace Frederik Andersen after being pulled.

Now the current story is the teams starting goalie which is Frederik Andersen, now in my opinion Andersen is a good goalie but as of right now that is not the case. He has gone through a very tough stretch of poor play in net with a very low save percentage and a very high goals against.

Is Andersen playing through an injury but just keeping it low-key? Is he really just playing poorly as of late and hopeful that he will shake out of this soon? So many questions to be answered.

But if the Toronto Maple Leafs make a trade to acquire a backup goalie to replace Hutchinson and can play a decent amount of games to help out the work load of Frederik Andersen I’d be fine with that.

We must of all heard the asking price of Alex Georgiev by now, according to James Mirtle and Daren Dreger, Jeremy Bracco wouldn’t be enough for Georgiev and (according to Dreger) even Kasperi Kapanen too wouldn’t be enough. (Which is ridiculous, by the way).

Here are some goalies I believe the Toronto Maple Leafs have looked at in the past and even right now, as well as should target in the near future.

• Alexandar Georgiev (NYR)
• Jack Campbell (LAK)
• Keith Kinkaid (MTL)

Leafs Special Teams

The Toronto Maple Leafs under Sheldon Keefe have improved their special teams and that is very important. Under Mike Babcock the Leafs power play and penalty kill both ranked towards the bottom of the league at the time.

Bring in Sheldon Keefe and the assistant coaches do their job, their power play sky rockets and their penalty kill gets better especially with Hyman, and Marner returning from injury at the time.

As of right now through 49 games between Babcock and Keefe the Toronto Maple Leafs special teams look like this.

Power play ranked 5th in the league 33/136 (24.3%)

Penalty kill ranked 25th in the league 106/139 (76.3%)

Despite the Toronto Maple Leafs penalty kill still towards the bottom of the league, they are missing Jake Muzzin still and their penalty kill to begin the season with Mike Babcock was horrendous. All in all it has improved but it has improved much slower than their power play.

(special teams stats from foxsports.com)

Obviously its common sense, if they continue their success on the special teams they will win more games they lose. So if you throw in a mix of special team success and staying healthy along with injured players returning to the lineup, this Toronto Maple Leafs team can go on a great run again just like they did during that 10 game point streak.

So as of right now the Toronto Maple Leafs have played 49 games this season and they have 33 games remaining to string some lengthy win and point streaks together.

It all starts up again on January 27th against the Nashville Predators and we could potentially see Jake Muzzin make a return to the lineup. Will there also be a trade by the 27th? We will have to wait and see about that.