Toronto Maple Leafs: Sheldon Keefe Creating Competition for Key Role

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe is attempting to create some internal competition which at first glance appears for one of the final spots in the bottom six forward position.

Most recently, Keefe inserted 24-year old Joey Anderson onto the fourth line for the Toronto Maple Leafs game Wednesday night against the New York Rangers.

Anderson replaced Zach Aston-Reese in the line-up who was healthy scratched for the first time since the end of October.

Anderson started the game off well playing with Pontus Holmberg and Alex Kerfoot by setting up his Swedish centerman for the opening goal just two and a half minutes into the game, however would finish the night with just 4:57 of ice-time.

Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Creating Competition

While Anderson did not do anything negative to deserve so little ice-time, he has yet to really blow anyone away.  In eight games with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, the former third round pick has just two points while averaging 8:39 time on ice per game.

Prior to the game, Keefe stated that these types of moves “keeps those guys on their toes”, which I take as him trying to motivate Aston-Reese.

The Leafs have to be happy with Aston-Reese’s overall play this season, especially since he came to training camp on a “Professional Tryout” contract.  He pushed out Nicolas Aube-Kubel out the door when the club placed him on waivers, even with him coming to camp on a one-way contract.

Aston-Reese has since been averaging just over 11 minutes of ice-time per night, while being one of the main penalty killers on the club.  The six-foot, 200-pound winger has played in all but three of the Toronto Maple Leafs games this year and I do not believe that his move to the press-box is a long-term play by Keefe, and  he may have other strategies behind it.

In the bottom six, Pontus Holmberg, David Kampf and Pierre Engvall have appeared to have locked in their roles; and while Aston-Reese sat out Wednesday’s game I believe he should have a spot going into the playoffs.  This leaves two spots for a handful of players and it appears Bobby McMann is slowly earning one of those two.  If my assumption is correct, this leaves a competition between Anderson, Alex Kerfoot, Dryden Hunt and potentially Alex Steeves for the final spot; if that spot will still be available.

If  Kyle Dubas adds an expensive player at the deadline (or before), the team may part with Alex Kerfoot, so coach Sheldon Keefe needs to know what depth he has

I believe that the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to add a high-impact forward, wherever they end up playing him.  If that is the case, the battle is actually for the 13th spot on the forward depth and if Kyle Dubas is able to bring in some help, I believe that leaves Steeves, Dryden and Anderson pushing for that spot as Kerfoot would likely need to be traded to make room under the cap.

In this scenario there are a lot of “ifs” and moving parts, but Keefe needs to know if Anderson, Steeves or Hunt are able to jump into a bottom three role if there is an injury instead of wasting Kerfoot’s cap space in the press-box.