Toronto Maple Leafs: What Each Forward Line in Camp can Provide
By Joseph Zita
Forward Line Four
Forward line four: Barabanov – Spezza – Simmonds
The last of the four forward lines on this Toronto Maple Leafs team in training camp is also a line that has a little bit of everything and could potentially shock some people with their production this year. It consists of veterans Jason Spezza and Wayne Simmonds, but it also has a new addition to the Maple Leafs organization that they signed out of the KHL in Alexander Barabanov.
Spezza who has been in the league for quite a long time like current teammate Joe Thornton is trying to get another shot at a Stanley Cup before he calls it a career. He provides this somewhat young Leafs team multiple abilities that will help this team succeed during the season and hopefully into the playoffs.
He’s a proven goal scorer and a great passer as well, as he has almost 350 career goals and over 900 career points during his long career so far. He provides a leadership role as a veteran that has played the game for many years and he can also play on the team’s power-play if need be.
Simmonds on the other hand is a very interesting addition and I can’t wait to see him hit the ice next week. It’s interesting to me because he said this is the healthiest and best he’s ever felt in a couple of years and he thinks he can help provide some scoring and some physicality on the ice too, so I wonder if we’re going to get to see a healthy Wayne Simmonds, will he somehow go back to his Flyer days, or close to it at least?
He can give a team some goal scoring from in front of the net, especially if he’s slotted on the power-play that would give a goalie nightmares, he can also obviously provide physicality and won’t ever shy away from dropping the gloves with someone either.
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Lastly, Barabanov coming over to North America from the KHL is looking to be a hard worker on the ice and continue his style of game from overseas as he doesn’t mind playing a physical game and likes to beat guys one-on-one. He can defiantly provide some goal-scoring on that fourth line as he had 11 goals in 43 games last season and potted home 17 goals two seasons ago.