Toronto Maple Leafs: 5 Important Depth Pieces for Next Season
This season may be in doubt, but one thing that has really helped the Toronto Maple Leafs so far is the depth of their roster.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are known for their offensive depth, which allowed them to stay competitive when injuries slowed them down this season.
With a fully healthy Toronto Maple Leafs team they have one of the best rosters in the league.
Here are five important depth pieces for the Toronto Maple Leafs heading into the 2020-21 season (assuming some/all return to the team)
5. Frederik Gauthier – 24 years old – C
At my number five spot I have someone who is consistently a fourth liner on the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as someone who is set to become an RFA in the 2020 offseason. I have Frederik Gauthier.
Now if Gauthier and the Toronto Maple Leafs agree on a contract extension he will still be number five on my list. Yes he isn’t the greatest player on the team but there was some upside to his game this season compared to last year and other years.
He improved his skating that’s the biggest thing in my opinion, as well had a career year in goals and was on pace to tie his career high in points.
Gauthier’s 2019-20 stats – 61 GP – 7 G – 5 A – 12 PTS
Now if Gauthier can continue what he built on from this past season into next season and add a bit more he will be a great fourth liner on this team. Although part of me believes he will most likely be a healthy scratch if the Leafs go ahead and re-sign Mikheyev and Spezza too. (All stats from NHL.com)
4. Alexander Barabanov – 25 years old – RW
At my number four spot I have newly signed Toronto Maple Leaf Alexander Barabanov from the KHL. Barabanov and the Toronto Maple Leafs recently agreed on a contract for the 2020-21 season for one year at $925K.
He isn’t going to be brought into Toronto to play top six minutes and power play minutes but he will be a very good fit on the bottom six.
He is 5’10, 192 lbs and will be 26 years old by the start of the new season. People may look at his height and say “he is too small” or “they need someone tough” but that’s not how the NHL works anymore.
As a solid player in the KHL Barabanov should have no problem stepping into an NHL lineup and providing solid value for near the league minimum.
Barabanov’s 2019-20 KHL stats – 43 GP – 11 G – 9 A – 20 PTS
His numbers went down this past season compared to the 2018-19 season and that’s basically the only down side, but looking at his other teammates too their numbers went down as well. (Stats from EliteProspects.com).
3. Jason Spezza – 36 years old – C
At my number three spot I have the veteran Jason Spezza, and boy did this guy have a great season for the role he was put into throughout the season. Now just like Gauthier he is set to become a free agent in the 2020 off-season.
Jason Spezza had himself a solid season with the Toronto Maple Leafs especially for someone who is entering his late 30s.
If Spezza and the Toronto Maple Leafs can come to terms and get an extension in place for next season or at least two more years at a reasonable price i’m all for it.
Then again he is 36 years old and will be 37 by the start of next season, but looking at his game and how he kept up with the pace I truly believe he can play in the league for another two to three years.
Spezza’s 2019-20 stats – 58 GP – 9 G – 16 A – 25 PTS
Like I said if the Toronto Maple Leafs can get Spezza under contract for either just next year or the next two years at a reasonable price…. do it.
He is currently making $700K just for the 2019-20 season and by the looks of his production and age I can see him getting a little raise but nothing more than $900K in my opinion, unless he is willing to take another pay cut to stay with the team which I totally see him doing. (Stats from NHL.com).
2. Pierre Engvall – 23 years old – LW
At my number two spot I have someone who got the call up towards the end of Mike Babcock’s tenure and had a pretty good start to his NHL career once Sheldon Keefe took over.
However he didn’t have himself quite the second half of a season as he was on a long point drought.
Pierre Engvall came onto the scene playing as a good depth piece for this injured Toronto Maple Leafs team and he didn’t disappoint.
However like I said, he did go on a lengthy point drought as he picked up only one point (goal) in his last 21 games of the season before it came to a stop. Can you guess who he got that goal against? David Ayres… enough said.
Pierre signed a two year contract extension with an AAV of $1.25M during the season and if he can produce at the rate he was scoring at in the first half of his season, this contract will be great, as well as an important piece in the bottom six.
He can also play on the second line as he played with John Tavares for a bit but in my opinion had a better fit on the third line with Kerfoot.
Engvall’s 2019-20 stats – 48 GP – 8 G – 7 A – 15 PTS
Yes 15 points in 48 games seems alright for a player who consistently played in the bottom six and struggled down the stretch but Pierre was on pace for a 40 point season at an 82 game pace before his struggles hit him.
All in all if Pierre Engvall kept his consistency throughout the full season that defiantly would’ve been a boost for the Toronto Maple Leafs depth, which was struggling at some points down the stretch of games.
Pierre will be an important depth piece for the Leafs next season and he can play on the second line if needed like I said, but the third line suits him better. (Stats from NHL.com).
TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 7: Ilya Mikheyev (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
1. Ilya Mikheyev – 25 years old – RW
Now to finish off the list, at my number one spot I have the man, the myth, the soup lover Ilya Mikheyev.
What a season this guy was having with the Toronto Maple Leafs before it was cut short in December due to a laceration on his wrist.
Ilya Mikheyev signed a one year contract worth $925K out of the KHL for the 2019-20 season and he defiantly lived up to that contract.
He is set to become a RFA in the 2020 off-season just like Frederik Gauthier, and man I really hope Mikheyev and Dubas can agree to an extension and I really think they will.
Possibly a contract similar to Engvall maybe a bit higher like $1.75M AVV, I just don’t know what the term will be.
His contribution to the team right from the get go was very important and it was great to see, he can play up and down the lineup as he played with a bunch of different people.
Mikheyev’s 2019-20 stats – 39 GP – 8 G – 15 A – 23 PTS
With 23 points in 39 games this past season, Ilya put himself on pace to finish the season with 17 G – 31 A – 48 PTS.
What a season that would’ve been for Ilya as that’s his first season in the league and played ups and down the lineup.
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Although like I said his season came to an end due to an injury, and I really think he likes being in Toronto and playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He also signed a contract with Campbells soup Canada so that’s a good sign.