Toronto Maple Leafs: 5 Players with the Most on the Line in 2020-21
Heading into 2020-21, the Toronto Maple Leafs are facing a crucial season for the franchise.
This offseason, for the first time in the Kyle Dubas era, the Toronto Maple Leafs GM was finally free to spend and upgrade without any “dead” contracts impeding his vision. In his first summer, Dubas had to find a suitor for the anchor that was Matt Martin’s contract whereas, in the 2019 offseason, it was Patrick Marleau and Nikita Zaitsev who were the bad money contracts left from the Lamoriello regime.
In the 2020 offseason, however, Dubas was able to bring in TJ Brodie, Joe Thornton, and Wayne Simmonds – among others, finally bringing to light his team philosophy. There are very few remnants on this roster remaining from the previous management team.
With a full season of his long-time partner and head coach Sheldon Keefe running his club, it is safe to say this Toronto Maple Leafs team is unequivocally Kyle Dubas’. And because of that, this 2020-21 season will be the most important in his career so far.
But Dubas is not alone in sharing that sentiment. Like him, several key players are facing an extremely imperative season ahead. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five players who will be playing with the most on the line this season.
Frederik Andersen
For a while now, Frederik Andersen’s reputation around the league has been he is an elite starting goaltender. That notion is most defined by his first All-Star nod this past season in what was his worst statistical season as a member of the Leafs.
The perfect model of consistency since the 2016-17 season, his first with the Blue and White, no goalie has been forced to endure the type of taxing minutes Andersen has been forced to play. Ranking first in shots against, time on ice, and games played, the Dane has answered the bell for Toronto every time he has been called upon, ranking first in wins and first in total saves (stats; NHL.com).
Similarly, Andersen leads all goalies in goals above replacement and wins above replacement since his first season as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has played some of the toughest minutes a goalie can play but has always been the rock in net the Leafs have needed (stats; evolving-hockey.com).
But just like any professional athlete heading into a contract year, questions arise. The biggest concern the Toronto Maple Leafs would have with Andersen is whether they believe he can lead them in the playoffs. The other pressing issue is, for the first time in his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Andersen will be entering the season with a loose grip on the starter’s net.
Jack Campbell will be pushing him for more starts and we could potentially see a situation where Keefe rides the hot hand each night in net.
This season, Andersen must prove he can rise to the occasion. If he is able to do so, maybe the Leafs look to re-sign him. He could also be rewarded with a long-term contract from another franchise. But if he continues to fail once again, who knows where Andersen might be playing.
Joe Thornton
Joe Thornton, who will not be wearing teal for the first time in 15 years, agreed to a league minimum contract to come home, play for his hometown team, and try to win the Stanley Cup, the prize that has eluded the 22-year veteran thus far. With him being 41 years old, no one knows how long he has left to play.
Think about this – last season, there were only three players 40+ to suit up for at least one game. Those players were Zdeno Chara, Patrick Marleau, and Thornton. That is it. With Chara still unsigned, of the group, only Thornton will be playing for a contender this season.
With a lot of miles on his body, the decline will not be gradual. It is steep and it is sudden. We do not know how Thornton will look this season without having played an NHL game in over 10 months. This may very well be Thornton’s last kick at the can to try and win it all.
The hope is there Thornton will be more motivated than ever to push his teammates to help him finally accomplish his dream. After all, it is not every day you get the opportunity to represent your childhood team night in and night out.
All that remains to be seen is if Thornton can still compete at his age. There is one thing working in his favour – by the time the season starts up again, Thornton will have gone 10 months and 3 days (assuming Jan. 13th start) since his last game action. That is a lot of time for the London, Ontario native to rest his ageing body and get back to full health in time for the season.
Wayne Simmonds
Injuries have derailed the last couple of seasons for Simmonds. After inking a decently lucrative one-year, $5 million contract with the New Jersey Devils last offseason, Simmonds could not find a steady fitting at any point during the 2019-20 season.
Ever since the Scarborough, Ontario native was dealt away from the Philadelphia Flyers in the middle of the 2018-19 season, Simmonds has been a shell of his former self. In his prime, Simmonds was the perfect model of an NHL power forward. Registering at least 24 goals in every season from 2013-14 to 2017-18, Simmonds was an unstoppable force in the offensive zone. His best season came in the 2015-16 season, where Simmonds finished with 32 goals, 60 points, and 192 hits (stats; hockey-reference).
Heading into the 2020-21 season, similar to Thornton, this may be Simmonds’ last chance to finally win the Stanley Cup as no one knows where his future lies in this league. If he proves he can still handle NHL minutes and can play more like he did back in his Flyer days, it is safe to assume there will be a suitor out there for him.
However, if he cannot, and he plays along the lines of his 2019-20 form, it is hard to see a team jumping at the chance to ink the power forward. Out of 798 skaters to play at least 50 total minutes last season, Simmonds ranked 771 in WAR at -0.9 (stats; evolving-hockey.com).
It remains to be seen if having not played a single minute of NHL hockey in over 9 months will give Simmonds enough time to rehab his nagging injuries, train to get stronger, and rest his body to be ready for the 2020-21 season.
Travis Dermott and Justin Holl
Dermott and Holl, I have grouped together here because they seem to be in similar positions.
Both are outside the the Toronto Maple Leafs top three defensemen looking in. Both are signed to inexpensive contracts. And both are in danger of getting taken in the Seattle expansion draft next offseason. While Holl earned a top four role based on his play last season, Dermott will be one of several players looking to take Holl’s job
Dermott is a classic example of a tool vs. toolbox type of player. He has all the potential to become a fantastic top-four defensemen in this league. But many times during the 2019-20 season, Dermott was given the opportunity to show he was there in his development, however, squandered the chance every time. None more significant than when Jake Muzzin went down with an injury during the Columbus series and Dermott was just unable to answer the bell.
This offseason, the Newmarket, Ontario native took a one-year, “bet on yourself” contract to prove to Leafs management he has taken the next step in his growth. But being, at most, the 5th defensemen on the Toronto Maple Leafs depth chart right now, Dermott is fighting an uphill battle and his days as a member of this organization could be numbered.
In Holl, Toronto found a hidden gem after the Toronto Marlie graduate was scratched by former head coach Mike Babcock in 71 games in 2018-19. Last season, Holl and Muzzin formed the Leafs best and most consistent defensive pairing, tasked with taking on the oppositions’ best players every night. In some of the toughest minutes in the NHL last season, Holl also put up a very respectable 3.7 expected total defense, which tied Muzzin for the team lead among all D-men (stats; evolving-hockey.com).
Dubas and the Leafs rewarded him and his breakout season with a three-year, $2 million AAV almost a year ago to the day, announcing the extension in Holl’s hometown of Minnesota when the Leafs were on a road trip playing against the Wild.
With very ambiguous roles heading into 2020-21, Dermott and Holl’s future beyond this season remains up in the air. The big thing looming above their heads is the Seattle expansion draft. You have to think if the Leafs go with the 7-3-1 protection approach, Morgan Rielly, TJ Brodie, and Muzzin would be the three protected defensemen, leaving Dermott and Holl exposed.
Similarly, if the team goes with the 4-4-1 approach, protecting Rielly, Brodie, and Muzzin again, only one of the Dermott and Holl would fill the remaining spot, with both in constant competition over the course of the season.
The 2020-21 season could be make or break for both of these two players. With so much uncertainty heading into the season, no two players’ destinies are tied together more on this roster than Dermott and Holl’s.
After one hell of an offseason from Dubas and Co., all we can do is hope the moves finally pay off for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and Leafsnation after all.