3 Toronto Maple Leafs Who Have Not Earned Playoff Ice Time
Toronto Maple Leafs Who Have Not Earned Playoff Ice Time: # 3 Sam Lafferty
Sam Lafferty was acquired in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks at the deadline.
Fortunately for the Leafs, that trade included the stellar Jake McCabe, because Sam Lafferty is not working out. He’s a fast, versatile player, but the Leafs have better options because he has not performed since being acquired.
In 19 games, he has just two goals and six assists. He is about as crucial to the success of the Toronto Maple Leafs as Michael Rappaport is to Talib Kweli’s on the classic album Quality.
Lafferty wasn’t brought into score, so you could forgive the lack of scoring if he did anything else, but he doesn’t.
The Leafs possess the puck just 41% of the time when he’s on the ice. Of the 41 skaters the Leafs have used this year, Lafferty has the 39th worst stats and has played by far the most games of all their bad players.
43% of the shots.
42% of the scoring chances.
42% expected goals. (all stat naturalstattrick.com).
There is no way the Leafs should play Lafferty when they have Wayne Simmonds on the roster, let alone Pontus Holmberg, Matthew Knies, Wayne Simmonds, or Bobby McMann.
Zach Aston-Reese
Matthew Knies signed with the Leafs yesterday, and his offensive upside is going to make it hard for Aston-Reese to keep his hold as a regular. If Knies is anything but horrible, he likely gets a chance to play in the playoffs. His upside can give the Leafs scoring depth they just haven’t had in the past. No guarantees that Knies is good, but Reese looses his minutes anyways and doesn’t score very much.
If Matthew Knies can’t help the Leafs this spring, there is also Bobby McMann.
McMann has scored at a torrid pace in the AHL this year (21 goals in his last 21 games before being injured two weeks ago). While he is currently injured, if he returns soon he is an option that provides scoring that ZAR just can’t match.
If you don’t like either of these options, Nick Abruzzese has performed great when given a chance and could help the Leafs. He has a 59% Expected Goals in his two games. Small sample, but still…
There is also Wayne Simmonds, who provides an element the Leafs value and is no worse than Aston-Reese.
Finally, Pontus Holmberg is a great option, and, unlike Aston-Reese, he also plays centre. Other than Kampf, who plays some pretty tough minutes, Aston-Reese is the only Leafs regular who loses his minutes.
He is under 50% in real goals and Xgoals, and the Leafs do not have a positive possession rating when he is on the ice.
Aston-Reese is a good depth player, but the Leafs have better options in Knies, McMann (if healthy), Holmberg, Simmonds and Abruzzese.
Luke Schenn Has Not Earned Playoff Ice-Time
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a major error when they traded a 3rd round pick for AHL quality player Luke Schenn. Sheldon Keefe has tried him all over the lineup, and the results are indisputable: he isn’t good.
Unfortunately, Schenn is the type of player old-school types love, and those are the kinds of people who are the most vocal online. They love to use all caps and tell you that if you don’t love Luke Schenn, you must just not understand hockey.
The people who un-ironically use the phrase “hockey knowledge,” love to insult you if you do the unspeakable and point out that by every way we have to measure a hockey player, he is not good.
In 12 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs Luke Schenn has a 45% Corsi, which means that the other team has the puck for 55% of the time he’s on the ice. Sure, he can box out with the best of them, and he can throw big hits, but if he is on the ice, the other team has the puck significantly more.
That is not good.
The other team gets more shots, chances, and goals when Luke Schenn is on the ice. People think he plays “playoff hockey” but the hits are useless if you lose your minutes. Without him on the roster, the Leafs beat Tampa last year, just not the refs.
Schenn is more likely to hurt you by taking a penalty than he is to help you with a big hit or by playing playoff hockey. He’s a popular player and I get that, I like him too. He just isn’t good enough to be in the top six of a contender, at least not any more.
And pairing him with Morgan Rielly is just ridiculous.
Luke Schenn loses his minutes, while for two years Timothy Liljegren wins his. It doesn’t matter how you do it, the result is what matters, and despite not hitting, Lijegren helps the Toronto Maple leafs win.
Luke Schenn’s most popular partner this year was Quinn Hughes. When they played together, they posted a 45% possession rating. Without Schenn, Hughes posts a 56% rating, and the Canucks have suddenly been winning games. Could it be that their best defenseman now has a competent NHL Level partner?
Can it possibly be a coincidence that Morgan Rielly is a 44% possession player with Schenn and a 55% player without him? I doubt it. (stats naturalstattrick.com).
Next. Leafs Top 10 Prospects. dark
In conclusion, the Leafs have a ton of depth and should use it to create the best possible lineup. That lineup does not include Sam Lafferty, Zach Aston-Reese or Luke Schenn.