Toronto Maple Leafs 2021 Defenseman, Goalie, Management Grades

The Rest

The Toronto Maple Leafs had a remarkably healthy regular season with their blueline, and barely used any of their depth players.

Rasmus Sandin led the way with just nine games.  The Leafs outscored the opposition 8-2 which is an outrageous 80% goals% but his 56% Xgoals% was right in line with the rest of the Leafs blueline.  He is obviously ready for top-four action A+

Mikko Lehtonen also played 9 games, and he wasn’t very good. Pandemic. Language. New System. Smaller Ice.  Can’t blame him, he didn’t get a chance, then got traded to Columbus. I hope the re-sign him.   D for his performance, but really, too much crazy stuff going on to properly critique his play.

Ben Hutton played just four games and he didn’t look good or bad. In fact, I barely noticed him. That’s a good sign for a depth player, and he’s almost certainly capable of being swapped out with Bogosian and playing the same role equally well.  Incomplete grade on the Leafs, but statistically, overall, he stinks.

Timothy Liljegren played just 2 games. In his two games, while he was on the ice, the Leafs got 68% of the shot-attempts, 70% of the shots, 100% of the goals, 73% expected goals, 70% of the scoring chances, 88% of the dangerous scoring chances and zero offensive zone starts. Can’t grade a guy on two games, but those were two great games.

Not to sure why everyone says “he’s not ready” because those are the best stats on the team. Sure, it’s only two games, but he definitely earned  a third.