What the Toronto Maple Leafs Front Office Wants For Christmas

The Toronto Maple Leafs would love a few gifts for Christmas this year.

Although the NHL season has been put on pause, it doesn’t mean the Toronto Maple Leafs season is over. With Covid numbers rising, it was actually a perfect time for the team to take a break, as more than half of their team has been affected by the virus.

For the better part of two months, the Leafs were clear of a Covid outbreak and were one of the few teams that didn’t have to worry about anything. However, the enviable happened and the team was finally struck.

Fortunately, from all reports, it sounds like everybody is feeling okay and isn’t too sick, so that’s a huge positive. However, this is never something you want to see happen.

Regardless of the situation, with everyone back at home, the front office is clearly going to want a few presents for Christmas.

3 Things Toronto Maple Leafs Front Office Want for Christmas

1. For Justin Holl To Play Better

It wasn’t that long ago that Justin Holl and Jake Muzzin were being praised as the best shutdown duo on the Leafs. However, after Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin have showed their true potential this year, Holl’s game is looking worse by the night.

The 29-year-old is averaging more than 20 minutes per night, is near last on the team is Corsi For % and only has one point. Holl starts 60 percent of the time in the defensive zone and isn’t someone you look for to contribute offensively, but you’d think by accident he’d have at least five assists or a goal by now.

With a $2M AAV contract, Holl is a great asset to have, but could also be a solid trade chip. The front office would much rather see him play better than trade him.

2. For Jake Muzzin to Never Hit Mitch Marner in Practice Again

When we all saw Mitch Marner yelling at Jake Muzzin at practice, we thought it was cute. However, it turned out that Muzzin actually hurt Marner, as he’s projected out three-to-four weeks.

As a result, the Leafs can’t afford their best superstar getting hit in practice. Muzzin is a big-boy and probably thought he was being harmless, but you can’t have him hitting one of your best players in practice. As such, this is definitely something the Leafs front office is asking Santa for, for Christmas this year.

3. For Petr Mrazek to Start 50 Percent of Remaining Games

Based on how Jack Campbell has played all year, I forgot that Petr Mrazek was on the Toronto Maple Leafs still. Also, the fact that he’s on a three-year deal at $3.8M AAV scares the crap out of me because this team needs to give some of that money to Campbell’s next deal.

If the front office doesn’t want to look like fools by giving Mrazek that contract, they’re definitely asking for Christmas, for Mrazek to start 50 percent of the remaining games this year.

When he originally was signed, the idea was for Mrazek and Campbell to split starts, but that’s never transpired. If the Leafs want to go far in the playoffs this year, they’ll need a healthy and rested Campbell, so friendly competition between Mrazek and Campbell is only good.

Maybe Mrazek will go on a heater and we’ll be discussing which goalie gets the net in Game 1 of the playoffs this year?

Regardless, the Leafs should want Mrazek to play more games and for him to be the competitive player they hoped he would be.