Toronto Maple Leafs: How Much Do We Believe In This Team?

BELEAFS

1. After a seemingly long wait for the “arrival” of young defense prospects Rasmus Sandin               and Timothy Liljegren, they have both finally made it and should be mainstays in the Leafs           lineup.

Yep. Forget the fact that Travis Dermott suited up in place for Liljegren against the Ducks Sunday night (that’s just a way to ensure that all of the young defenders get some playing time and to increase the potential trade value of Dermott and/or Holl); Liljegren has proved he belongs.

With a 52.6 CF%, 51.3 FF% and 10.1 xGF vs. 6.5xGA, Liljegren has performed quite well with puck possession and quality of puck possession. Meanwhile, Sandin has a scorching 60.8 CF% and 59.3 FF% paired with an equally dominating 17.8xGF vs. 9.1xGA. These two move the puck exceedingly well; have demonstrated an ability to get pucks on the net from the point and already look solid and poised paired together despite being just 21 and 22 years of age. They have arrived.

2. Morgan Rielly has been lights-out and is playing some of the best hockey of his career right         now. 

Granted this may be a touch hyperbolic considering his monster season in 2018-2019 but that year was skewed by ridiculous scoring numbers (20 goals, 70 points with a shooting % double his norm) and was a complete outlier.

Rielly’s 56.4 CF% is higher than any previous season; he has a point share of 3.2 at the quarter-mark and his defensive point share is already over 2, which would put him at a pace that easily eclipses his best defensive point share season. He’s also logging over 24 minutes per game and has reduced his giveaway-rate significantly from last season.

At $7.5M per, Rielly is looking to be a mighty reasonable value right now. And, remember, he’s still just 27-years-old.

3. Jack Campbell is not just an integral part of this team now, but for the foreseeable future             and should be locked up long-term as soon as possible. 

Campbell has only started 45 total games for Toronto, sure, but he has compiled a 31-9-4 record in that time with 5 shutouts, a 2.02 GAA and a .930SV%. His quality start % is .689 (Frederik Andersen’s mark in Toronto, btw, was .558) and he has a whopping 26.9 GSAA in his tenure here.

Even his numbers in LA were great (49 GS, 2.51 GAA, .918 SV%, 2SO), despite mostly playing for a rebuilding team. His GAA this year is 1.64; he has a .946 SV% and the man is more huggable than a golden retriever puppy.

Joseph Woll may have shutout the Islanders, but he isn’t the answer between the pipes, and the rest of the younger goaltending depth (Erik Kallgren, Ian Scott, Artur Akhytamov, Vyacheslav Peksa) are either backup fodder or way too far way from being big league ready. Sign the man now!