In acquiring Mark Giordano from the Seattle Kraken, the Toronto Maple Leafs have added not only experience but a genuinely elite talent to their defense.
Across his first thirteen games as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs roster, Mark Giordano has 2 goals and 8 points (50 points pace) with 26 blocked shots and 21 hits to go along with a 55% Corsi a 61% expected goals rating.
Far from just looking at him from a statistical standpoint, he has also galvanized the rest of the Leafs defense, with Timothy Liljegren in particular benefiting from his arrival.
An overtime game-winning goal to cap a 3-point night against the Ottawa Senators went some way to highlighting how useful his acquisition at the trade deadline has been.
Toronto Maple Leafs Getting Great Value from Giordano
Given the relatively low cost to acquire Giordano, the Toronto Maple Leafs are getting some significant value from him.
Especially when compared to the likes of Ben Chiarot, who cost a first-round pick, while Josh Manson cost the Colorado Avalanche an impressive prospect and a second-round pick. Giordano is by far the best of the three, and he cost the least.
Remember that Giordano did cost three Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks, but also joined with 50% salary retention by the Kraken and a very steady bottom-six forward in Colin Blackwell was thrown in as part of the deal.
Among defensemen (with 5 games or more) across his first 13 games in the blue and white, Mark Giordano is second only to T.J. Brodie in Corsi For and has the best Fenwick For among defensemen (at 5-on-5) in that time.
Only the top-line trio of Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and Michael Bunting have better 5-on-5 Expected Goal percentages than Giordano during that timespan too.
Fenwick and Corsi of course both measure (in different ways) shot differentials. Fenwick is more a proxy of offensive pressure. Corsi speaks more to offensive dominance or shut-down defense.
Factoring his contributions based on just those statistics at 5-on-5 certainly points to him playing at an elite level. Add in the expected goals and it’s clear that Mark Giordano is having some level of influence as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Looking at whether these results come off the back of offensive zone starts, it’s clear that Mark Giordano isn’t a product of better placement in that regard. Only Timothy Liljegren and Ilya Lyubushkin had lower offensive zone start percentages in the 13-game timespan.
At all strengths, he has taken 38 hits in that same timespan while dishing out 19 of his own and also leads the team with 24 shot blocks.
On balance, Mark Giordano has been a great acquisition and is really seeming to make a difference for the team regardless of opponent. (Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick).
What’s more important and not as easy to categorize that he seems to improve those around him, especially his blue-line partners.