Toronto Maple Leafs: How Good of a Defenseman Can Sandin Become?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a couple of young stud defensemen with lot’s of potential, Rasmus Sandin included. How much potential are we talking about though?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have some young defensemen on their team and even in their system down in the Toronto Marlies and on the Growlers too.

Question is, how much potential do these defensemen have, and how good can their careers really be?

Well let’s talk about one of, if not the best young defensemen on the team, Rasmus Sandin and what his potential could truly be.

Rasmus Sandin Stats

Rasmus Sandin has caught the eye of a lot of people.

Sandin is only 20 years old, and has only played about a quarter of a season in the NHL, but you can tell that he’s going to be a great player.  (Stats from Hockeydb.com)

2019-20 NHL Stats  – 28 GP – 1 G – 7 A – 8 PTS 

2019-20 AHL Stats – 21 GP – 2 G – 13 A – 15 PTS 

2020 World Junior Stats – 7 GP – 3 G – 7 A – 10 PTS 

Rasmus Sandin’s NHL stats were quite good. He didn’t score all that much, but he led the Leafs with a 54% CF, and the team got over 50% of the shots and scoring chances when he was on the ice.

Sandin’s effectiveness was sabotaged by terrible goaltending, as Leafs goalies posted just an 88% save percentage when Sandin was on the ice.

For his AHL stats that’s where it gets better, putting up 15 points in 21 games. That’s almost half of his point total from last year with the Toronto Marlies in almost half as many games (28 PTS in 44 GP)

Now for his World Junior stats, boy what an amazing tournament for a lot of prospects including Rasmus Sandin. He was named best defensemen of the tournament putting up 10 points in 7 games and picking up a bronze medal for Sweden as well.

Sandin’s Role on the Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs defense isn’t strong to begin with but they do have some pretty good guys back there, although injuries slowed down the team including the d core at one point this season when they lost Rielly, Muzzin, and Ceci to injuries.

Here comes Rasmus Sandin, playing alongside Tyson Barrie when those three guys went out due to injury and he was logging up decent minutes for being put in a role he is not used too.

Nonetheless on a healthy Toronto Maple Leafs team  Sandin’s role on this team is a third pairing defensemen. With Barrie and Ceci more than likely set to walk in the 2020 offseason where does that put Sandin?

Could he move into a top 4 D? Could he remain on the third pairing and the Toronto Maple Leafs play Dermott on the first two pairings instead? Could they go out and grab another defensemen?

What Could Sandin’s Potential Truly be?

Anyone who can play as well as Sandin did in the AHL at his age, has the potential to be a stuperstar in the NHL.  Sandin’s NHL debut did little to dispel this notion.

Rasmus Sandin seems almost certain to become a solid top 4D in the NHL by his mid 20s.

Sandin may not be in the same conversation with some of the young defensemen around the league like Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, but those are top-of-the-draft talents, and falling short of their games isn’t anything to be ashamed about.

As of right now, Sandin appears to be a shoe-in to become an above average top-four defenseman, with an outside shot at becoming an elite player.