Who Will Earn the Left Wing Jobs in the Toronto Maple Leafs Top 6?

The Toronto Maple Leafs will enter the 2021-22 season with many questions about their team, many of which can’t be answered until next spring.

The month of August has always been lacking in sports news and topics, especially in the NHL. MLB is typically the only major sport going and even baseball fans, and some players, begin to lose interest over the long 162 game grind. Our only recourse is to look ahead to October when the Toronto Maple Leafs kick off their 2021-22 season, a season I believe will be a defining one on the Brendan Shanahan era.

Since Shanahan became President of the  Leafs organization the team has seen all sorts of regular season success, but that is not what Leafs Nation is hungry for. It has been too long since Toronto has seen any sort of playoff success from their beloved Maple Leafs, and it all seems to be coming to a head this season.

I personally can not wait for this season to unfold, and I have been pondering what the most interesting storylines in the 2021-22 season would be. I have a few that I am going to be exploring from now until October with the first.

But today, I think we should start with the most pressing question that faces the team as they countdown the days until training camp: Who will earn ice-time in the top six to play left wing with the Leafs four superstars?

The Candidates

Nick Ritchie – In Ritchie, I believe the Toronto Maple Leafs have a solid top 6 left winger that would gel perfectly with John Tavares and William Nylander. It seems like a no brainer to me, Ritchie is big, plays with an edge, can create a lot of space on the ice for Nylander and Tavares, and can put the puck in the net. I see Ritchie as a lock in the top 6, and my preference would be on the 2nd line, so let’s take a look at the other options on LW to play with Matthews and Marner:

Ondrej Kase – Has dealt with injuries the last couple of seasons but has the potential to score 20+ goals when deployed in a top 6 role. Durability would have to be seen as an issue though as Kase has never played heavy minutes, and may only be suited for 13-15 minutes per game. As we know, Keefe likes to have Matthews and Marner out there 20+ minutes per game so having Kase on their LW could create the need for in game shuffling. Kase is still young though, and if his conditioning can be brought up to par he could be a very effective winger for Matthews/Marner.

Michael Bunting – This could prove to be the most savvy signing of the offseason for Kyle Dubas if Michael Bunting can come in and be effective in a top 6 role. Signed for the next two seasons, just like Nick Ritchie, Bunting could carve out a role for himself alongside Matthews and Marner, and cash in on a big contract two years from now, much like Hyman did.

Bunting has shown an ability to score at every level, has a sneaky wrist shot, and also plays with a bit of an edge. I hesitate to call him a possible Hyman 2.0, but he could quickly become a fan favourite if he can continue his efficient play. Bunting does not have a lot of NHL experience, and obviously will not continue to score at the pace he did in 21 games last year, but even half of that production will make him a star in Toronto, and solidify his spot in the top 6 for the next two seasons.

The Candidates, Part 2

Ilya Mikheyev – I really do not see this happening, but if Mikheyev could learn to finish his chances, he might have 30 goals this year. Unfortunately, he may be better suited in a bottom 6 role, and if the newest additions come in and prove themselves to be more productive on the scoreboard, he could find himself as the 13th/14th forward.

Alex Kerfoot – With the signing of David Kampf, who will most likely be the third line centreman, tasked with shutting down the other teams top players, Kerfoot is free to play the wing.

I have always preferred Kerfoot to play on the wing, where he seems to be a bit more effective. It seems likely he will play third line LW but I believe he should be given an opportunity to move up in the top six permanently. He has played there numerous times during his time with the Maple Leafs, usually due to injury, and has fit in nicely there. Also, Dubas made moves before the expansion draft in what seemed like an attempt to keep Kerfoot in a Leafs uniform, so they must have some plans for the speedy forward.

Nicholas Robertson – I would love to see Robertson outperform everyone in training camp and earn a spot in the top six, but I think he may need a full season in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies before being an effective full time player at the NHL level.  Still, for the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s hard to imagine that there is any better situation than finding a capable, top-of-the-lineup player on an entry level contract.  Considering that they played him in the playoffs last year, it can’t be that much of a longshot for him to make it.

In the end, whoever does play with Matthews and Marner will reap the rewards of playing with two of the most dynamic forwards in the NHL. Matthews and Marner can not be slowed down offensively and have proven time and again that they can elevate any player who occupies their left wing.

But when the have an effective forechecker who can finish, the entire Toronto Maple Leafs squad is elevated to another level.  We will see soon enough, who the next Leafs fan favorite will be.