The Toronto Maple Leafs defense could be the biggest storyline this season
The Toronto Maple Leafs defense corps has been the club’s biggest bone of contention, and it was management's biggest off-season priority even though the Leafs keep getting eliminated from the playoffs due to their inability to score beyond their three superstars. In fact, the Leafs played great playoff hockey and nearly grinded out a victory against the Bruins last spring.
But when it comes to defense, the Toronto Maple Leafs blueliners have a bullseye on their backs. We’ve heard it all. For instance, the infamous and unfair criticism of Jake Gardiner comes to mind.
Criticism of the Leafs blueline has come in all shapes and sizes. But this offseason, GM Brad Treliving made a concerted effort to bolster the back end. Now, we could get into all sorts of debates regarding whether the moves were warranted or not.
From my perspective, I’m mostly on board with the free-agent signings and contract extensions. What I’m unsure about is the price tag attached to various contracts. With that being said, the defense could be this season’s biggest storyline.
The Toronto Maple Leafs defense could be the biggest storyline this season
While an argument could be made for goaltending as the biggest storyline, the Leafs season will hinge on how well the D plays in front of Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz. If everyone bands together and plays well, we could see a great Leafs team game in and game out.
However, if we see the Leafs blueline leave the goalies out to dry, we could be in for a long season. Of course, Craig Berube will certainly have a say in keeping the Toronto Maple Leafs defense in check. His tough-love approach will be instrumental in ensuring everyone plays the game right.
I must underscore that the issue is not the Leafs defenders sticking to Berube’s game plan. It’s actually their health. My biggest concern is that Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Jake McCabe can stay healthy.
If the Leafs get between 75 to 80 out of each of the three aforementioned blueliners, the club will be in good shape. However, if any member of this trio misses any significant time, the team’s depth will be tested.
This point is crucial because the Leafs don’t have a goalie like Andrei Vasilevsky or Sergei Bobrovsky to bail them out. The team can’t just stop playing defence and wait for the goalie to stop everything. The Leafs need to play defence-first mentality in front of Woll and Stolarz.
Berube can’t take any chances, hoping that Woll turns out to be Martin Brodeur or Stolarz morphs into Ed Belfour.
It’s vital to keep an eye on training camp. Injuries could emerge as soon as the first couple of weeks. If everyone is healthy and fit to start the year, the regular season could go without a hitch. The real challenge will come in the playoffs.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs defence has an 82-game audition to prove it's ready to contend for the Stanley Cup. Otherwise, we could be nitpicking about what went wrong come springtime.