The Toronto Maple Leafs have shown they are one of the best teams in the NHL.
Despite turning over half their roster, switching coaches a month into the season, never dressing their best lineup for a single game, playing nine games with their two best defenseman simultaneously out of the lineup with injuries, and getting some of the NHL’s worst goaltending, the Toronto Maple Leafs still finished 13th overall by points percentage.
Since hiring Sheldon Keefe, they were 8th overall. (naturalstattrick.com).
None of the things listed above are likely to happen again, so it is with upwards of 99% probability that the Toronto Maple Leafs are better than the 8th best team in the NHL.
And they are going to get even better because next year they will have Rasmus Sandin and Nick Robertson in the lineup on entry-level contracts.
But one question remains unanswered.
The Big Question Facing the Toronto Maple Leafs
Can Travis Dermott or Rasmus Sandin play the right side in the NHL?
If the answer is yes, then the Toronto Maple Leafs defense is more or less set.
Morgain Rielly, Jake Muzzin, Travis Dermott and Rasmus Sandin are all lefties.
The Leafs won’t move Rielly, as he appears likely to eventually surpass Salming and Kaberle to become the best defenseman in franchise history.
Muzzin just signed.
The Leafs are not trading Rasmus Sandin, who has the potential to be a #1 NHL defenseman.
That means either one of Sandin or Dermott will have to move to the right side, or Dermott will have to be traded.
Given that the Leafs have had ample opportunity to try Dermott on the right side, but haven’t consistently done so, suggest they are going to trade him.
But who knows? They don’t exactly tell people what their plans are.
If one of the two aforementioned players can play the right side, suddenly the Leafs are looking like they have a very strong blueline.
Rielly-Sandin
Muzzin-Holl
Dermott – Liljegren/Ceci/whoever
In this scenario, they have no need to add to their blueline.
But if none of their lefties is comfortable making a career out of playing the wrong side, they need to make a move.
It is the most pressing question the Toronto Maple Leafs have right now, because the answer will dictate what their off-season priorities are.
If they can’t move a player to the right side, they’ll have to trade Dermott and look to get a right handed defenseman either in return, or through free-agency.
It will be interesting to see what they do.