It has been an annual tradition for several years, at least, to complain about the Toronto Maple Leafs defensive corps. Every offseason, every trade deadline, and many times in between, fans of the team plead for General Manager Brad Treliving (and before him, Kyle Dubas) to please make it better.
No offence to the Toronto Maple Leafs most recent blue line addition, Brandon Carlo, but his name was absent from most wish lists of players who would significantly improve the overall quality of Toronto’s defenders.
Going back to last summer, Treliving signed shot-blocker extraordinaire Chris Tanev, which was good, but Tanev got a 6-year deal (at $4.5M per year), meaning he’ll be 40 years old at the end of the contract, which is not ideal.
The majority of the improvements were of the “addition by subtraction” variety, with the departures of the ancient Mark Giordano, the used-up T.J. Brodie, and the wounded, we-hardly-knew-ye, John Klingberg.
Treliving also upgraded(?) the roster by adding Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who was coming off a Stanley Cup-winning season with the Florida Panthers, but who was previously bought out by the Vancouver Canucks. Also added was Jani Hakanpaa, who seemed to be injured when signed, and has subsequently turned into “we-hardly-knew-ye” version 2.0, playing only 2 games this season.
The defensive returnees included Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Simon Benoit, and Conor Timmins. Timothy Liljegren started the season with the team, but was quickly traded to the San Jose Sharks. Philippe Myers was added on a part-time basis.
No Offense describes the Toronto Maple Leafs Defense
On paper, this group looks like one of the worst rosters the Toronto Maple Leafs have fielded in recent memory. With the regular season rapidly coming to a close now, just how bad has the defense actually been?
Starting at the simplest level, the team goals against has dropped from last season’s 3.18 to a more palatable 2.92 this season. Of course, some of that is due to improved goaltending, and possibly head coach Craig Berube’s change in style from that of Sheldon Keefe, but it’s still a positive trend.
Blocked shots per game (defense only, in all situations) have dropped from last year’s 10.54 to the current average of 9.89 (stats per moneypuck.com), even with the addition of Tanev. An interesting side note regarding blocked shots…..the Toronto Maple Leafs (all players) have blocked a total of 1353 shots this season, good for 6th in the league. The reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, have a mere 992, putting them at 31st in the NHL. Are blocked shots overrated? Obviously, since if you're blocking shots, you don't have the puck.
Offensively, the Leafs defense has gone from bad to worse. In 2023-2024, the blue line contributed only 24 goals and 173 points. This season, the results to date are 19 goals and 126 points. Colorado’s Cale Makar himself has 30 goals and 90 points.
There are 7 defensemen in the NHL with 15 or more goals each, and 13 with at least 50 points. In other words, the Toronto blue line is contributing almost nothing offensively. The picture is even worse if you consider how much a couple of gifted puck-moving defenders would increase the effectiveness of the Toronto Maple Leafs already high-scoring forward group.
The Leafs clearly lack top-end talent, at least offensively. Heading into the playoffs, though, how bad is the overall picture? Perhaps not as bad as the numbers suggest. The McCabe/Tanev line has been one of the best defensive pairings in the NHL. Rielly has posted great numbers when paired with Calo or Myers.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are only going to win in the playoffs if their offensive stars show up and score, and if the goaltending continues to shine as it has done during the regular season.
The lack of offensive contributions from the defense will not be a factor. What will matter is the fact that during tight, hard fought playoff games, Toronto’s stay-at-home, clog-the-front-of-the-net defenders may actually be an advantage.
Also, there’s no shortage of grit or effort. Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev have developed into a very effective, shutdown pairing. Morgan Rielly has had a rough year, but he is still a veteran leader. Simon Benoit (when he isn’t making mistakes) offers physicality and fearlessness. Ekman-Larsson has been better than expected. Brandon Carlo, in his brief time as a Leaf, has been very solid.
Overall, although the Toronto Maple Leafs defense is still in need of upgrading, it just may be good enough for now.