With the Toronto Maple Leafs gearing up for coaching camp subsequent week, it’s the proper time to dive into our ideas on the workforce’s closing common season lineup. On this complete assessment, 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 appeared on the workforce’s high six models. At the moment, in our second submit, we’ll take a look at the underside six ahead models, assessing their roles and the influence 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 would possibly appear 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 a good 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 abilities, each important for the middle place.
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As a result of Domi is extra of a playmaker than a objective scorer, he wants a sniper to feed the puck. That is the place Nick Robertson is available in. Robertson’s greatest energy is his shot. In his final season in Juniors, Robertson scored 55 objectives 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. Nevertheless, all this depends upon the Maple Leafs getting Robertson signed.
The correct-handed Calle Jarnkrok is our selection for the proper wing on the third line. Jarnkrok’s energy is his defensive play. If Domi and Robertson have a perceived weak point, it will be of their play with out the puck. Whereas these two can be anticipated to step up their defensive play, Jarnkrok would cleared the path defensively. Jarnkrok has proven some offensive abilities as effectively at instances when he has been wanted to step up right into a top-six position.
The primary energy 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. Nevertheless, all three gamers are able to enjoying a feisty sport.
One final level: Domi is a left-handed heart, whereas Jarnkrok, who has performed heart for many of his profession, is right-handed. They may share the faceoff duties, permitting every one to take attracts on their sturdy aspect.
The Maple Leafs’ Fourth Line: Bobby McMann – David Kampf – Pontus Holmberg
Nearly as a lot by the method of elimination as anything, David Kampf would step in as the middle of the fourth line. It additionally occurs that he’s in all probability finest fitted to this position. Kampf is a participant who thrives on protection. There’s a cause he has began near 70% of his common season and 90% of his shifts within the playoffs within the defensive zone. Kampf’s sport is protection in a profession that has spanned 500 video games.
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Whereas Kampf just isn’t a bodily participant within the sense of hits, averaging fewer than one hit per sport 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 talent and playmaking potential, 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 quite a bit concerning the energy of the left aspect, an space the place the Maple Leafs have been weak. We will simply as rapidly see McMann enjoying on the second line as we will on the fourth line, however he can 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 flexibility to attain. Final season, he potted 15 objectives 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 correct-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 price of over 4 per 10 minutes performed. He’ll combat 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 objectives and 22 towards. That was not simply his fault, however it was onerous to disregard.
However, Holmberg was plus-13. And, in five-on-five play, he was on the ice for 30 objectives and 21 towards. 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 successful per sport), he’s a robust participant and makes use of his physique effectively. In that, he’s much like Kampf. He performs a accountable defensive sport.
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Holmberg is just left-handed on the proper aspect, however he has performed as a lot on the proper aspect as on the left. Hockeyreference.com lists Holmberg with no consideration winger. McMann, Kampf, and Holmberg would make the Maple Leafs’ fourth line difficult to play towards, particularly if new coach Craig Berube can get Kampf and Holmberg to step up their bodily sport.
The Maple Leafs’ Backside-Six in a Nutshell
In analyzing the Maple Leafs’ backside six, a number of gamers had been unnoticed of the preliminary dialogue, together with Fraser Minten, Connor Dewar, Ryan Reaves, Alex Steeves, Steven Lorentz, and Nicholas Abruzzese. Dewar, particularly, stands out along with his relentless motor and robust 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 doubtlessly 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.]