Toronto Maple Leafs Mid-Season Review: Best and Worst Storylines at the All-Star Break
Auston Matthews’ Dominance
Auston Matthews has had an unbelievable first half of the season. Not only is he on pace for a ridiculous 57 goals at just 22 years old, statistically this season has put him in contention with some of the best goal scorers of all time.
The best part about this is that he can, and likely will, get significantly better within the next few seasons.
As arguably the best even strength scorer in today’s game, Matthews has been the Toronto Maple Leafs MVP thus far with 57 points in 49 games, and this tremendous first half has put him in the position where he will likely become the first 50 goal scorer for the Maple Leafs since Dave Andreychuk in 1994.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to need Matthews as well as the rest of the offensive crew to continue their goalscoring tear as the third-best team in the league in that category, especially with the defensive struggles they have experienced.
Defensive Surprises
While there have been more things to yell about than praise on the defensive end, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had some solid defenders emerge this season that should excite fans for the coming seasons while we sob about it now.
Justin Holl has developed into a solid top four defenseman this season, which prompted a well-deserved contract extension through the 2022-23 season with a $2 million AAV, and will likely be looked back as one of the best bargain deals the Leafs have made in a long time.
Travis Dermott has been given a larger role in the absence of Jake Muzzin and Morgan Rielly, which will only boost his confidence more as he is groomed to become a potential top offensive defenseman for Toronto.
While I personally would have expected more production from Dermott at this point in his career, his raw offensive talent is worth being patient with.
Rasmus Sandin has turned many heads this season after his dominant performance at the World Juniors earlier this month, where he was awarded Best Defenseman of the tournament, and will definitely earn a roster spot next season.
After firing Mike Babcock, Tyson Barrie has finally been given the opportunity to show off the offensive gift he has, especially on the powerplay. Since the change was made Barrie has put up 20 points in 26 games, but is still on pace for his worst season yet, and is still a defensive liability on a nightly basis.
With many of these defensemen, just like Barrie, their offensive skills unfortunately do not outweigh their lack of defensive accountability, which has been one of the biggest hindrances that is preventing this team from excelling.
Moving forward, Kyle Dubas may feel inclined to make a move as the trade deadline approaches in order to improve their blue line, but if not, it is on the responsibility of Sheldon Keefe and the rest of the coaching staff to prioritize their defensive zone positioning if they want to contend at all for a playoff spot.