3 Changes the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Make If Play Resumes

While the return of NHL action remains unclear, the Toronto Maple Leafs should prepare accordingly with some new strategies to implement.

It has now been two months since the NHL last had games played and the fate of the Toronto Maple Leafs 2019-20 season continues to remain up in the air with each passing day.

The lack of certainty of what the future holds for both the current season and the next means all teams remain in a state of limbo as they try and prepare for a return to play whenever that day could be.

In the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, it presents an opportunity to review the footage from this season and figure out some ideas of ways to improve their performance in future games.

It may be weeks or months before such strategies can be implemented, but the chance to brainstorm some potential new tactics is one that should be taken full advantage of.

I will pretend for a bit that I am walking in Sheldon Keefe’s shoes for a day. Wait, it might not be a good idea since everyone is stuck inside. You know what, let’s just pretend I am the coach for a day.

Here are three potential strategies I’ve come up with that Keefe has either contemplated or may use in the future.

#1: Move Morgan Rielly to the Top PP Unit

The past season saw Rielly take a step back in terms of offensive production, but also showed his value to the team when he wasn’t present in the lineup.

We will take this opportunity to give Rielly a chance to succeed in a position he has found success in the past: part of the first power-play (PP) squad.

Part of the reason why he was “demoted” to the second unit was to give Tyson Barrie, who was also struggling to start the campaign, a chance to get back on track and implement a different element to the nucleus of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander.

By all accounts, the switch worked as the Leafs are sixth in the league in PP% with 45 goals scored on the man advantage. And their success rate improved when compared to the previous season.

They are 2nd in the NHL in G/60 on the PP since Keeef took over, only falling out of first place during the last week of the season.

Here’s the thing: when observing the Leafs PP in 2019-20, it was frustrating to watch at times the number of missed opportunities of scoring chances.

I don’t mean to beat a dead horse here, but Barrie’s shot selection was oftentimes stress-inducing, to say the least. While it sometimes worked, his point shots were regularly either blocked in the lane or off-target.

It might be staggering to think that the Leafs stuck with him in that spot for so long, but there were little alternatives to choose given Rielly’s injury.

This was also in part due to assistant coach Paul McFarland’s strategy of using the point man to blast a shot through traffic with a chance at a redirection. It may have worked in Florida, but it wasn’t as successful in Toronto.

Given that McFarland is due to depart the team at season’s end and with Rielly back to full health, it only makes sense to experiment with putting the latter back on the top unit in an effort to him going.

With Barrie’s long-term future in Toronto uncertain, it might be worth-while to alternate between the two players depending on the situation and providing the squad more options for set-ups and sequences.

Putting Rielly back on the top PP unit might be a solution to helping the Leafs find more success on the man advantage. Even if they are given minimal chances on the PP.

Give Jack Campbell More Starts

Before I begin this second point, I want to preface by saying this suggestion is assuming that the resumption of play kicks off with the final 12 regular-season games.

With that out of the way, it was quickly apparent that Campbell was the backup goalie Leafs fans have been waiting years for. One that can ease Frederik Andersen’s workload and provide some critical wins that the team often took for granted.

But in his early showings donning in the Blue and White, Campbell demonstrated that he could do more than knock a few games off Andersen’s schedule.

While the sample size is small and should be taken with a grain of salt, Campbell’s early returns were very promising as he was a calming presence in the crease. It’s something the Leafs hadn’t boasted in a backup goalie since Curtis McElhinney, proof of just how important a quality backup goalie truly is to a team’s success.

It’s no secret that Andersen struggled the past campaign and posted uncharacteristic numbers in comparison to past seasons, leading to questions surrounding his future with the team. While it’s a tad extreme to cut ties with him too soon, he does need some rest to avoid being burned out when the Leafs will need him at his best.

Which is why it might be a good idea to give Campbell some more starts down the stretch. He is not going to outright replace Andersen, but will instead give the Leafs another quality option to man the cage and give his team a chance to win.

And if his confidence grows along with the results, then it could lead to a goalie tandem system that is similar to what the Boston Bruins implement.

Assuming the return of hockey starts with the remaining regular-season games, the Leafs should seriously consider bestowing Campbell extra starts.