Toronto Maple Leafs: Travis Boyd Is Quietly Excellent

An often forgotten sixth-round pick who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason is the surprise name that is filling the extremely large shoes created by the absence of Wayne Simmonds due to injury.

That player, drafted 177th overall who is quietly playing his way into un-droppable status, is Travis Boyd. The right-hand-shot 27-year-old has only played five games with the Toronto Maple Leafs so far this season, but with a goal and three assists he has made his mark when given the opportunity.

After bouncing between the NHL and AHL as a member of the Washington Capitals, Boyd was projected to be a mainstay in the taxi squad this campaign. Boyd picked up two assists in the Maple Leafs 7-3 demolition of the Vancouver Canucks on February 4th, playing with speed and an edge.

Yet with the injury to Simmonds in the following game, and a re-juggle needed, the effects were felt throughout the Leafs line-up.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Travis Boyd

Boyd hasn’t done anything spectacular since Simmonds has gone down, but in the Maple Leafs 3-1 victory Monday night, his two hits, a block and no giveaways in 11:31 of ice time are worth their weight in gold, oh and he was 100% in the face-off circle. He isn’t careless with the puck, he defends well, gets in on the forecheck, you couldn’t ask for more. (naturalstattrick.com).

No one expects Boyd to float up the depth chart and replace Simmonds – he was used very sparingly on that Tavares 2nd line against the Canucks as Sheldon Keefe opted to roll wingers with JT – but his play is indicative of something the Leafs haven’t had in quite some time: four quality lines that do their part.

So often, the criticism of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been it is a two-man show, i.e., Auston Matthews and whoever is lucky enough to dish him the puck before he scores. It was understandable to think that, at the start of the season, when the Leafs dished out four good lines it was just a great start. Now, having won six of their last seven and the last three in dominant fashion, dare Leafs fans start to think this could become the norm?

The Leafs forth line is a revolving door, at least until Jumbo Joe Thornton gets back on the ice. Although Sheldon Keefe regrets running with seven defensemen and eleven forwards, which resulted in Boyd being bounced around a tad and so occasionally improving his linemates and situations, his play is at the very least deserving of that fourth line role. In fact, the play of Boyd has exceeded what most pictured for the Minnesota native.

Compared to Alexander Barabanov and Jimmy Vesey, Boyd was positively an All-Star on Monday. The Maple Leafs game against Vancouver was a tight one until a 20-second flurry flipped the game on its head in favour of the Leafs.

Every hockey player, coach and fan knows that come playoffs the game gets shorter, tighter and more physical. This early showing from Travis Boyd is an excellent indicator of what he could provide going forward.

All of the buzz has been around the play of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, while any Toronto Maple Leafs trade rumours suck all of the oxygen, but to win a Stanley Cup you need resilient players and four quality lines. Travis Boyd is quickly becoming part of that. If he continues on this path, the plaudits with come, and perhaps the Stanley Cup too.