Mid-Season Grades For the Toronto Maple Leafs Defense
By David Agnew
Mark Giordano
Similar to TJ Brodie, Mark Giordano started going downhill last season, and has just accelerated that fall this year. Unlike, Brodie, Giordano’s decline has been no surprise at all.
Acquired from the Seattle Kraken in March 2022, Giordano was at the time a solid veteran addition to a team that needed experience heading into the playoffs. Although the Toronto Maple Leafs fell (again) in the first round of the playoffs that season, Giordano played reasonably well.
Two years later, Giordano is now 40 years old, and the oldest player in the NHL. As we hear often on television broadcasts, he is the all-time NHL leader in blocked shots. However, nobody can play forever, and Giordano is living proof of that.
Only fellow old-guy TJ Brodie has worse advanced stats among Toronto defenders, with Giordano coming in at a CF% (46.56) and XGF% (45.03%). Like Brodie, Giordano is just not fast enough to keep up with the majority of opposition forwards, and has become a major liability for the team.
Nagging injuries and “rest days” are now keeping Giordano out of the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup on a semi-regular basis. As good as he was for a long time, it’s will be time for him to retire at the end of this season.
Grade: F