In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs News & rumors, I’ll take a look at the upcoming All-Star Game competition. Second, I’ll comment upon a surprising element of Nick Robertson’s game: his defense.
Third, I’ll look at William Nylander’s assessment by other hockey analysts. Finally, I’ll share my belief that the Maple Leafs’ success during the postseason will hinge on how the goalie situation pans out. I simply don’t believe the team can afford to go all-in on a defenseman.
Item One: All-Star Competition for Matthews and Nylander
The All-Star Game is soon upon us, and the skills competitions Auston Matthews and William Nylander will be participating in look interesting. For those who will be watching, the competitions Matthews and Nylander will be participants in are listed below along with some of their competition in those contests.
First, for the NHL’s Fastest Skater competition, the participants include Connor McDavid, William Nylander, Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, and Mathew Barzal. Second, for the One-Timers competition, the participants include Elias Pettersson, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, Nikita Kucherov, J.T. Miller, Auston Matthews, Mathew Barzal, and David Pastrnak.
Third, for the Passing Challenge, the participants include MacKinnon, Nylander, Makar, Barzal, Miller, Kucherov, Hughes, McDavid, Pettersson, Matthews, and Draisaitl. Fourth, in the Hardest Shot competition, the participants include Matthews, Makar, Pastrnak, Miller, and Pettersson.
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In the fifth competition, Stick Handling, the participants include Hughes, McDavid, Pettersson, Kucherov, Draisaitl, MacKinnon, Pastrnak, Barzal, and Nylander. Finally, in the competition Accuracy Shooting, the participants include Kucherov, Makar, McDavid, Hughes, Miller, Pastrnak, MacKinnon, Nylander, Draisaitl, and Matthews.
It’s worth noting Matthews and Nylander’s competition should be tough as top players such as McDavid and MacKinnon will be participating in multiple events. That said, is there a surprise in store? I’m anxious to see how Nylander does in the fastest skater competition.
Item Two: Nick Robertson Is Better Defensively Than We Thought
For me, it’s been good to see 22-year-old left-winger Nick Robertson get a regular chance to play. Although he’s taken a few hard hits, the 5-foot-9, 183-pound Robertson keeps bouncing back up. He’s also had success with his scoring, and his one-timer has looked hard and fast – even if he doesn’t score. He’s playing hard and smarter. Throughout the season, he’s averaged 11:26 of ice time per game.
Robertson is gaining a more integral role with the team, and it looks as if head coach Sheldon Keefe is trusting him more. During a recent overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets, he helped set up the winning goal by Matthews. He’s been contributing significantly to the Maple Leafs’ success.
While Robertson’s offensive capabilities are known, what has been surprising is his solid defense. The Athletic player cards assess him within the 70th percentile of forwards on defense, surprisingly high for a youngster. It suggests that he’s been adept at protecting his own team’s defensive zone. (from “NHL Player Cards: Atlantic Division,” Dom Luszcyszyn and Shayna Goldman, The Athletic, 01/28/2024).
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On the defensive end, Robertson also shows versatility and plays a well-rounded game. He has been exceeding expectations: he has an assessed Market Value of $2.8 Million, but his salary is only $800,000. That’s a surplus value to the team of $2.0 Million.
Robertson’s a young player who is beginning to contribute to the Maple Leafs both on offense and defense. Could he be growing into a solid NHLer? It would be nice to see what his trajectory will be. As it is, he’s beginning to become a player to watch.
What Hockey Analysts Think of William Nylander?
No one had a better start to the season than Nylander. However, he’s dropped off recently in his scoring. Sadly, for him, it comes after he signed a huge contract extension. Right or wrong, that fact cast a light on his commitment.
In a post on Maple Leafs Hot Stove, the hockey analysts evaluated Nylander at this point in the season. Analyst Nick Ashbourne offered an optimistic view, giving Nylander an A grade. He emphasized Nylander’s consistent role in driving a successful line throughout the season. Ashbourne noted Nylander’s potential for reaching close to 120 points, also pointing to his improved shot selection and his contributions to the penalty kill.
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On the other hand, Anthony Petrielli took a slightly more negative position – although still good. He grades Nylander at a B+. Although Petrielli valued Nylander’s added penalty-killing, he pointed out concerns about his on-ice performance at five-on-five, specifically that Nylander has been on the ice for 32 goals and 33 against during five-on-five play. Petrielli also believes Nylander is taking too many perimeter shots on the power play, which he feels contributes to the team’s struggles in scoring.
Let’s hope Nylander can continue to score. I’d love to see him hit the 120-point mark.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
In thinking about the Maple Leafs’ chances in the postseason, a focal point for me is the goaltending situation. The return of Joseph Woll from his high-ankle sprain will be a critical factor and will prompt speculation on how his play will shape the team’s fortunes. Additionally, recent positive strides shown by Ilya Samsonov over the past three games also raise my hopes. If questions about the sustainability of his turnaround are answered in the positive, this team could be so much better than analysts and fans believe.
In contemplating the team’s needs, for me the spotlight shifts from the defense corps to the goaltending position. My concern is the cost of acquiring a rental defenseman. Would it be worth the expense of draft capital or prospects? For me, that expense outweighs the short-term benefits.
My skepticism extends to the available defenseman on the market – especially with every other playoff-hopeful team also wanting and bidding for them. I believe their acquisition might be too costly.
While I like Chris Tanev, his reliability could be questionable, particularly given his injury history: An injured player is no help at all as a rental. The Nick Foligno trade from a few years ago was a debacle that didn’t contribute positively to the team and came at a huge cost.
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As I see it right now, the bottom line is that the team’s postseason hinges heavily on the performance and reliability of its goalies, as they would be hard-pressed to outscore opponents in every game if goaltending falters. It doesn’t seem that complex: the goalies hold the key to the Maple Leafs’ postseason destiny.