With the Toronto Maple Leafs gearing up for coaching camp subsequent week, it’s the right time to dive into our ideas on the workforce’s last common season lineup. On this complete evaluation, I’ll be teaming up with my common writing accomplice, Stan Smith, to investigate the Maple Leafs’ roster from high to backside.
We’ll break down our analysis into three detailed sections. Yesterday, we regarded on the workforce’s high six items. At this time, in our second submit, we’ll take a look at the underside six ahead items, assessing their roles and the affect they might have on the workforce’s general efficiency. Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at the Maple Leafs protection, evaluating its strengths, potential pairings, and general contributions to the workforce’s success.
We hope to see what this Maple Leafs workforce may seem like because the common season begins.
The Maple Leafs’ Third Line: Nick Robertson – Max Domi – Calle Jarnkrok
Whereas Max Domi confirmed he may very well be a productive top-six winger alongside Matthews, he did an honest job centering the third line final season. He’s the Maple Leafs’ most suitable choice for the third-line heart to begin this season. Domi held his personal on the faceoff dot, averaging 50% final season. In 2022-23, he received 53.7% of the 950 attracts he took whereas enjoying heart full-time for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Dallas Stars. Domi’s strengths are his skating and playmaking expertise, each important for the middle place.
Associated: NHL Rumors: Oilers, Leafs, Flames, Sabres, Canucks, Bruins
As a result of Domi is extra of a playmaker than a aim scorer, he wants a sniper to feed the puck. That is the place Nick Robertson is available in. Robertson’s greatest power is his shot. In his final season in Juniors, Robertson scored 55 targets in 46 video games for the Peterborough Petes. That’s the reason we’re giving Robertson the sting over Bobby McMann because the left wing on the third line. Nonetheless, all this relies on the Maple Leafs getting Robertson signed.
The appropriate-handed Calle Jarnkrok is our alternative for the appropriate wing on the third line. Jarnkrok’s power is his defensive play. If Domi and Robertson have a perceived weak point, it might be of their play with out the puck. Whereas these two could be anticipated to step up their defensive play, Jarnkrok would prepared the ground defensively. Jarnkrok has proven some offensive expertise as effectively at occasions when he has been wanted to step up right into a top-six position.
The primary power of this line is its pace. All three gamers are good skaters. The weak point is its dimension. Jarnkrok is the tallest of the three at 6 toes, whereas Domi is 5-foot-10, and Robertson is 5-foot-9 inches. Nonetheless, all three gamers are able to enjoying a feisty recreation.
One final level: Domi is a left-handed heart, whereas Jarnkrok, who has performed heart for many of his profession, is right-handed. They might share the faceoff duties, permitting each to take attracts on their sturdy facet.
The Maple Leafs’ Fourth Line: Bobby McMann – David Kampf – Pontus Holmberg
Virtually as a lot by the method of elimination as the rest, David Kampf would step in as the middle of the fourth line. It additionally occurs that he’s in all probability greatest suited to this position. Kampf is a participant who thrives on protection. There’s a purpose he has began near 70% of his common season and 90% of his shifts within the playoffs within the defensive zone. Kampf’s recreation is protection in a profession that has spanned 500 video games.
Associated: What Are the Maple Leafs Getting with Steven Lorentz?
Whereas Kampf is just not a bodily participant within the sense of hits, averaging fewer than one hit per recreation in his profession, he makes use of his 6-foot-2, 200-pound physique effectively. He’s adept at separating opposing gamers from the puck defensively and within the offensive zone on the forecheck or defending the puck. Whereas not gifted with open-ice ability and playmaking capacity, he’s sturdy at biking the puck.
It appears nearly a waste to have Bobby McMann enjoying as far down the lineup because the fourth line. However, if he’s the left winger on the third line, that might say loads concerning the power of the left facet, an space the place the Maple Leafs have been weak. We are able to simply as shortly see McMann enjoying on the second line as we will on the fourth line, however he could be a terrific fourth-line participant. He has dimension at 6-foot-2 and 210 kilos. He’s bodily, has 134 hits in 66 video games, and has proven the power to attain. Final season, he potted 15 targets in 56 video games. The most important query with McMann is his defensive play. He hasn’t proven a weak point but on protection, however we haven’t seen him play sufficient to gauge his defensive acumen.
The appropriate-wing spot on the fourth line was between Ryan Reaves and Pontus Holmberg. Reaves is a pure proper winger, and we all know what he brings. Physicality. He hits on the charge of over 4 per 10 minutes performed. He’ll battle anybody. The query is, at 37, can he do a lot else? Reaves had a team-worst plus/minus of minus-13 final season. He was on the ice at five-on-five for ten targets and 22 in opposition to. That was not simply his fault, nevertheless it was onerous to disregard.
However, Holmberg was plus-13. And, in five-on-five play, he was on the ice for 30 targets and 21 in opposition to. Whereas Holmberg is available in at league common in dimension at 6 toes and 190 kilos and isn’t overly bodily within the hitting sense (averaging a success per recreation), he’s a powerful participant and makes use of his physique effectively. In that, he’s much like Kampf. He performs a accountable defensive recreation.
Associated: Remembering Maple Leafs’ Goalie Jonathan Bernier
Holmberg is barely left-handed on the appropriate facet, however he has performed as a lot on the appropriate facet as on the left. Hockeyreference.com lists Holmberg without any consideration winger. McMann, Kampf, and Holmberg would make the Maple Leafs’ fourth line difficult to play in opposition to, particularly if new coach Craig Berube can get Kampf and Holmberg to step up their bodily recreation.
The Maple Leafs’ Backside-Six in a Nutshell
In analyzing the Maple Leafs’ backside six, a number of gamers had been not noted of the preliminary dialogue, together with Fraser Minten, Connor Dewar, Ryan Reaves, Alex Steeves, Steven Lorentz, and Nicholas Abruzzese. Dewar, specifically, stands out along with his relentless motor and powerful defensive play, whereas Steeves presents offensive upside, having made the American Hockey League (AHL) All-Star workforce final season. Ought to Minten make the workforce, it may shake up the middle place and probably shift Domi to the wing.
Coaching camp will in the end decide how Berube deploys the roster, balancing physicality with vitality from the workforce’s youthful prospects. As camp unfolds, surprises could emerge, and the ultimate composition of the underside six will start to take form.
[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]
