We may be stuck with a brief NHL hiatus due to Covid, but at least we can look at the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they enter the current pause in the 2021-2022 season, and see them sitting nearly atop the entire NHL standings.
With 42 points, the Toronto Maple Leafs just one point behind the league-leading Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals and sit tied with the mighty Tampa Bay Lightning and the Shesterkin-led New York Rangers.
Yes, the Leafs are looking good this year. They rank in the top-ten in each of GF, GA, PP% and PK%; have watched two of their top prospects play their way into regular spots on the blue-line, and have received a nice shot in the arm (no vaccine pun intended) from most of their free-agent acquisitions. (Kase, with 8 goals, would lead the woeful Montreal Canadiens, and Bunting, with 19 points, would be their top scorer.) All stats from hockey-reference.com.
But with no Leafs games on the horizon and not much happening in Leaf-land, I took a look around the league to see how well some our favourite former Leafs are doing this season.
Ex Toronto Maple Leafs From Around the NHL
FREDERICK ANDERSEN (Carolina, 2x$4.5M) (Cap info from capfriendly.com).
RECORD:16-5 (1SO)
GAA: 1.93
SV%: .930
Andersen is a big reason why the Canes sit 1st overall in the NHL (and 1st in GA)
JOE THORNTON (Florida, 1x$750K)
18GP, 3G, 2A, 5P
Can’t expect too much from a 42-year-old playing less than 11 minutes per-game
KASPERI KAPANEN (Pittsburgh, traded in 2020 for Hallander and a 1st)
30GP, 7G, 9A, 16P
Decent numbers but not for lack of playing time (nearly 17 minutes)
NICK FOLIGNO (Boston, 2x$3.8M)
18GP, 0G, 4A, 4P
Ouch. Ritchie’s 8 points and $2.5M hit don’t seem quite so bad now
ANDREAS JOHNSSON (New Jersey, traded in 2020 for Joey Anderson)
30GP, 9G, 10A, 19P
Nice, under the radar numbers for Johnsson (although he only has 1 point in his last 10). Former Leafs Frederik Gauthier (0 points in 8 games) and Jimmy Vesey (5 goals, 8 points in 30) are also in NJ.
DAVID RITTICH (Nashville, 1x$1.25M)
RECORD: 3-1
GAA: 3.10
SV%: .880
Saros is the star in Nashville; Rittich just there to sit-itch
NAZEM KADRI (Colorado, traded in 2019 for Alex Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie)
24GP, 11G, 27A, 38P
I know, he’s been gone for a few years now but I figured I had to bring him up. What a season. UFA after this season, Kyle….
ZACH HYMAN (Edmonton, 7x$5.5M)
26GP, 11G, 8A, 19P
Yea, I’d have pretty nice stats too if I played 19 minutes per game and got to play nearly 50% of the time with Connor McDavid
ALEXANDER BARABANOV (San Jose, 1x$1M)
25GP, 3G, 12A, 15P
Colour me surprised here; Barabanov is doing pretty well in SJ (22 points in 34 games overall with the Sharks).
ALEX GALCHENYUK (Arizona, 1x$750K)
13GP, 0G, 2A, 2P
Arizona is woeful, sure, but was hoping he was on the right track. Guess there was a reason he didn’t get any major FA offers
JARED MCCANN (Seattle, expansion draft, $2.94M cap hit)
25GP, 12G, 5A, 17P
The shooting % is high (over 19%) but he’s having a nice season. Personally, I think they could have made both him and Bunting fit here, contrary to some. That is your ex-Toronto Maple Leafs roundup. We hope you enjoyed it!