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Toronto Maple Leafs Off-Season Was So Long and Boring

By James Tanner

Jan 8, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell (36) and right wing William Nylander (88) and defenseman Justin Holl (3) and Colorado Avalanche center Alex Newhook (18) watch the puck as right wing Ilya Mikheyev (65) turns away from the shot of defenseman Cale Makar (8) in the third period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 8, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell (36) and right wing William Nylander (88) and defenseman Justin Holl (3) and Colorado Avalanche center Alex Newhook (18) watch the puck as right wing Ilya Mikheyev (65) turns away from the shot of defenseman Cale Makar (8) in the third period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs summer was pretty disappointing if you were looking for excitement.

Sure, the Toronto Maple Leafs brought in Calle Jarnkrok and changed their goalies, but they didn’t make a single transaction that got fans excited.

And really, that’s OK.

The Leafs were the 4th best team in the NHL last year, even though every other team with similar goaltending missed the playoffs and drafted high.   The Leafs goalies had the 27th best 5v5 save percentage in the NHL and the fact that they went out and finished 4th overall means they are a really, really, really good team.

They then went out and proved it by being the better team against Tampa in the opening round of the playoffs.  While the Leafs ultimately lost due to poor officiating and an insane game 7 performance by the league’s best goalie, they did out play the team that has now gone to three straight Cup Finals, winning two.

Yeah the result was the same, but the Toronto Maple Leafs proved they were good enough to beat the best team in the NHL in a seven game playoff series.

Knowing that (even if the fans and media mostly refuse to recognize it) the team didn’t have to do anything this offseason except replace the players they lost to free-agency with players who are just as good.

The Toronto Maple Leafs Offseason Was Very Boring

Will the team miss Ilya Mikheyev, Jack Campbell and Ilya Lyubushkin?  Not really.

Ilya Mikheyev priced himself off the third line, and we know he is a bad top-six player and doesn’t do well with superstars.  Mikheyev out, Jarnkrok in, money saved and the team is no worse for it.

Jack Campbell is a fine option for a starter, but a terrible goalie to commit to for five years.  The list of goalies who deserve multi-year deals is short and does not include the name Jack Campbell.

It sure as heck doesn’t include Matt Murray either, but don’t forget the Leafs got paid to take him and he’s just as likely as any one other than the five best goalies in the league to have a great season.  If he doesn’t no harm no foul – the guy’s injury history is so long and so crazy that no one can question if he’s put on the LTIR and the Leafs trade for another goalie.

As for Lyubushkin, good riddance.  I can’t believe the Leafs were playing that guy on the top pairing, surely one of Sheldon Keefe’s worst ever ideas (though technically, they were not deployed as a top pairing, just being on the ice with Rielly makes it the de facto top pairing).

Next. Left Wing Options for the Leafs. dark

Overall, the Toronto Maple Leafs offseason was really boring, but that is to be expected for really good teams.  I for one would like to have seen something more entertaining, but at least the actual games will start up soon.

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