Comparing the Toronto Maple Leafs to Other NHL Teams
By James Tanner
On the Wing
In the NHL, high-end skill is the biggest factor in who wins (other than luck, since it is, after all, a professional league with a salary cap where the differences between players are marginal).
The Toronto Maple Leafs wingers are nearly as well s tocked on the wing as they are at centre. Their strength comes from Mitch Marner and William Nylander, both of whom are top ten NHL wingers. In my analysis, an “elite” player is anyone who falls in the 10 to 15% of players who actually move the needle in terms of game impact. Both Marner and Nylander are among the best of the best, both in the top 2 to 5% of wingers.
The Leafs depth is also solid at this position and their depth isn’t impacted at all by their commitment to the studs and duds salary cap approach.
On left wing the Leafs have Zach Hyman, Ilya Mikheyev, Nick Robertson and Wayne Simmonds. They could also throw in Alex Barabanov or Jimmy Vessey for depth, and they have an elite option in William Nylander if in fact his move to left wing turns out to be permanent.
Last year playing top six minutes on left wing, Alex Kerfoot provided elite defense and scored at the same 5v5 rate as John Tavares. With multiple potentially elite players and option to use Kerfoot or Nylander on the left side, it’s an embarrassment of riches.
On Right wing, the Leafs have Marner, possibly Nylander, and a bunch of solid depth options, the same as listed above. Overall its an embarrassment of riches.
Two elite players, and two (Hyman and Kerfoot) who have a history of occasionally crossing the threshold into elite territory. Barabanov, if he’s as good as advertised, and Mikheyev give the Leafs a ton of depth up front.
Nick Robertson, if he makes the team likely makes it because he’s an elite goal scorer. If he’s any good in the NHL as a rookie the entire team is elevated by the addition of another weapon.
The Leafs third and fourth lines have so many options that they could dress a fifth line (say Vessey-Engvall-Simmonds) that would be as good as most of the NHL’s third line.
I think its safe to say with two high-end superstars, at least four players who could potentially move the needle (Robertson, Hyman, Mikheyev, Kerfoot) that the leafs are among the best in the NHL at forward.
Looking at their rosters, only Tampa is anywhere close in terms of depth, and their team is up in the air still due to salary cap concerns. Other than Tampa, I dont’ think anyone can match up with anything approximating the Matthews/Tavares/Nylander/Marner. The mix of depth and high-end talent makes the Toronto Maple Leafs among the best in the NHL at forward.
They are definitely the best at centre, and at worst, top five on the wing, and top three for depth. Even if you prefer Las Vegas and Tampa, it would be ridiculous to put Toronto any lower than third.