3 bright spots from the Maple Leafs’ struggling defence

The volatile start to the 2026/27 NHL season for the Toronto Maple Leafs has been anything but dull. Eleven games in, the Leafs sit at 5-4-2, a record that one could optimistically spin as grabbing points in seven, or pessimistically as still losing more games than they're winning. With inspiring stretches of play that put their dynamic transitional offence on full display, forgettable defensive breakdowns continue to incite pleas for reinforcement at the centre of the hockey universe.

It isn't all doom and gloom in the Leafs' backyard, though. Albeit, reasons for optimism are in short supply, with few underlying numbers to support any real claims; it's still worth noting that there's hope for a fanbase whose lifeline depends on it.

Troy Stecher

One of the more controversial moves this offseason was moving on from Brandon Carlo after paying a ransom for him just two years earlier. Signing Troy Stecher to a two-year contract just two days later felt more like a move to lock down a 6th/7th guy who would spend some nights in the press box, and some logging bottom-pair minutes. The rational mind often can't see possibility, and in Stecher's case, the irrational mind would be laughed out of a room if it suggested what we've seen from him so far this season.

Through eleven games, Stecher is logging the third-most minutes in this Leafs defensive corps and the fifth-most ice time on the team overall, and since Tanev's injury, he has stepped up as a second-pairing defenceman playing alongside Reilly and even freeing him up to get some of his old tendencies back and contribute more offensively. What's maybe most impressive is how seamlessly Stecher has slotted in as the Leafs' go-to guy alongside Jake McCabe on its league-leading penalty kill.

Beyond his expanded role and rising ice time, the underlying numbers don't exactly shine because the Leafs are struggling defensively overall. What's most notable about Stecher's game is his tenacity and work ethic, two things he's always hung his hat on, and this season seems to have taken off on the right foot for him, given the skill set he's been given. But if we're being completely honest, Stecher being called on as much as he is is a telling sign of why this corps is spoken of with such inertia. That is to say, there's little reason to think the Leafs will suddenly mount a miraculous turnaround and become a legitimate defensive powerhouse. At the end of the day, they'll have to score at least four goals to win most of their games and continue to call on guys like Stecher to outperform their expected output.

Goaltending isn't an issue

The boys between the pipes are just as much a part of this defensive corps as anyone, and normally one might separate the two into distinct categories, but for the purposes of this roster and the desperate attempt to compile three meaningful points of view for a very below-average defensive corps, Bob and Stoly will be getting their flowers.

The bar for goaltending continues to get lower and lower as the years go by, with league-average save percentage continuing to drop with every passing year. A number of theories have been floating around as to why this is the case; I won't get into any of them (though betting companies sure seem to have their hand on the SOG stat). What matters more are the numbers themselves, and based on last season's averages, the Leafs tandem is just a hair above the league median in save percentage and just a hair below the league average GAA. All in all, the Buds' tendies give them a fighting chance in most games.

Bobrovsky, in particular, perhaps mainly because he's played more games so far, is facing the 4th-most high-danger shots and making the 4th-most high-danger saves. He's also faced the 5th-most 5-on-5 shots against, and for a 38-year-old goaltender, you can only hope Bob's critically acclaimed training program will keep paying dividends in his availability down the stretch.

Ben Danford might be called upon sooner rather than later

Just to summarize, the two biggest takeaways this season for this struggling defensive corps are Troy Stecher playing pretty well and the goaltending being league average; it's tough to be positive when the prospects are this bleak. However, if there's one thing Leafs fans can be hopeful about, it's knowing a young, up-and-coming prospect is in the pipeline who fits a much-needed mould for a corps struggling to minimize the opposition's onslaught of high-danger chances and skate pucks out of danger when needed.

Danford profiles as a mobile, high-IQ, defensively minded player capable of penalty-killing and playing big minutes. His ascension with the Marlies during their Calder Cup playoff run last season made him a key acquisition who contributed meaningful minutes to a championship run. With a significant chapter of his professional career already written, Danford is already making quick moves toward joining the big club and representing his home province in a regular role.

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