3 Ways to Turn the Toronto Maple Leafs into Real Cup Contenders

Toronto Maple Leafs Need the Right Kind of Grit

One problem with the Toronto Maple Leafs is that when they attempted to transform from their run-and-gun reputation into a puck-possession powerhouse is that they lost their identity.

During this transition they noticeably tried to add more grit to their roster.  They brought in, among others, Wayne Simmonds, Zach Bogosian, Nick Foligno, and Nick Ritchie.

The problem here is that these are role players who don’t really have any impact on the game.

Now, the problem with the NHL is that physical  players who can also legitimately warrant top-of-the-lineup ice-time are basically unicorns.  Aaron Ekblad, Gabriel Landeskog, Matthew Tkachuk and his brother Brady, Brad Marchand etc.   These are extremely rare players.

The L:eafs will only ever be superficially physical until they have a core player who can take on such a  role.

The salary cap makes doing this difficult, but the fact is, the Leafs can use some combo of Kerfoot, Holl, Ritchie and maybe even Muzzin or Brodie to clear the space to make this happen.  They’ve then got to use a top prospect and some draft picks and get it done.

Michael Bunting is more of a sparkplug, and Nick Ritchie isn’t a top-six player, but they’ve obviously got the right idea here.  I think a top-six player with destructive qualities is a must, and a defenseman who can play in the top four and actually knock guys out of the crease is as well.