The Toronto Maple Leafs Could Have a Very Pesky 4th Line

Over the last couple of seasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs have deployed numerous combinations of a fourth line. Some of them would make you wince when they came out onto the ice.

Others were good at controlling the puck in the offensive zone but were left exposed if that game plan didn’t work. The cycle game plan is only good when it’s working. What the Toronto Maple Leafs have lacked in recent years is a fourth line that is just a pain in the butt to play against. A line of players that are constantly in the other team’s face.

I think that all changes this season. Toronto has a group of three players who could prove to be very hard to play against.

Here is a look at what should be a very pesky fourth line for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Fourth line

I believe that every fourth line or checking line should have a defensive centreman. That brings us to a player that Toronto signed this off-season, David Kampf.

According to PuckIQ.com last season with the Chicago Blackhawks, Kampf played against the other team’s elite players 26.9% of the time. While doing so, he controlled the puck 51.9% of the time. Keeping the puck away from the other team’s elite players more than 50% of the time is huge.

One thing about Kampf that you can’t ignore is the amount of takeaways compared to giveaways. During the 2020-21 season, Kampf had 31 takeaways compared to just eight giveaways. In all four of his NHL seasons, he has recorded 113 takeaways and only had 39 giveaways in 235 games.
(Stats from hockeyreference.com)

Next we move on to the players who play a very in your face style and are not afraid to drop the gloves when needed. Those two players are Wayne Simmonds and Kurtis Gabriel.

This off-season, Toronto re-signed Simmonds for two years. He provided the Toronto Maple Leafs with the type of grit and swagger last season that the team had been lacking. Unfortunately for Simmonds and the Leafs, he wasn’t as effective later in the season after breaking his wrist. The team will be hoping for a healthy Simmonds to return to the lineup.

Now we move on to Kurtis Gabriel who the Leafs signed for one year at $750,000. Gabriel is 6’4 and loves to hit. In just 49 NHL games, Gabriel has accumulated 154 hits. He is also not afraid to fight when needed. His style of play will take some of the pressure off of Simmonds..

I think playing Simmonds and Gabriel together on either side of Kampf will make for a pesky in-your-face fourth line. This line has the tools to wear their opponents down and frustrate them. A fourth line like this is what the Leafs need and not only in the regular season but also in the playoffs.