Yeah, the Maple Leafs recently won ugly, and while a win is a win, we’d be better off seeing more convincing W’s in the future. That will come, but only if every player on the team is pulling all of their weight at any given time.
That hasn’t been the case so far this season with the Leafs, and you can say the same for most of the league’s other 31 teams. So, let’s single out a few players on their respective performances this season and talk a little about what’s gone wrong.
You may be shocked to see a name or two listed below, but trust me, I’ll gladly go over my justifications. So, let’s start with one player who you may feel is a shocker and potentially an unfair name to mention.
Auston Matthews
While I know the Maple Leafs are a better team with Auston Mathews on the ice, it doesn’t mean I’ve been thrilled with his overall play this season. Yeah, he missed more than a few games there, and he’s been looking great since returning, but cumulatively, a point-per-game pace is a downer regarding what we’re used to seeing from Matthews.
Overall, he’s got just nine goals and 19 points in 19 contests, meaning he’s on track for between 34 and 35 of the former this season. If we rounded that total up to 82 games, hypothetically speaking, Matthews would have found himself on track to tally fewer than 40 goals.
Matthews has only dipped south of 40 goals when he’s missed time in the past, so you could give him a reprieve here. But that was also before he hit his prime, so I’m expecting more from Toronto’s premier forward.
Nicholas Robertson
Yep, it’s becoming clear that Nicholas Robertson is running out of chances with the team, especially one that needs each player to hold their weight. After showing quite a few flashes last season with 14 goals and 27 points in 56 games, part of me thought Robertson was again going to enjoy a year that would be in the ballpark of a half-point-per-game player or something close.
Turns out, he’s been anything but through 23 games, with just two measly goals and a 5.7 shooting percentage. What’s more ironic is that his average total ice time has increased to 12:17 this season, up nearly a full minute from last year.
Yeah, he’s been a little more physical, and has gotten in front of a few more pucks, but that’s about all the good I can claim regarding Robertson. Well, his on-ice save percentage at even strength is an incredible 95.4 percent, so there’s that, too. But it hasn’t been enough.
Morgan Reilly
Wow, if there’s one player whose play has dropped off considerably so far from last season, Morgan Reilly is your prime candidate. Let’s start with some possession metrics at even strength, where Reilly’s Corsi For is under 50 percent, he’s been on the ice for 27 goals allowed, and just 22 for.
Then, let’s look at his basic numbers, where he’s performing at just a half-point-per-game pace, with 15 in 28 contests, plus four goals. No, Reilly isn’t one who puts the puck into the net often, but still, he’s been one of the team’s premier playmaking blueliners for about an eon now, and there’s been a drop-off in that regard this season.
Like Auston Matthews, Reilly has more than enough time to get it together. And also, like Matthews, it’s not like he’s been terrible this season. Still, he’s not playing to Morgan Reilly standards at roughly the one-third of the way mark.