The Toronto Maple Leafs face a couple of minor problems this offseason.
Leafs Nation has made mountains out of molehills when it comes to the current roster. They’ve spent hours upon hours analyzing every imaginable outcome of the current Connor Brown situation. They’ve wondered who will make up the bottom pairing on D. They’ve pondered whether top prospect Timothy Liljegren will spend the season back in Sweden or here in North America with the Leafs or Marlies.
All of these problems are trivial and likely already answered. Connor Brown will re-sign before training camp. Either Martin Marincin or Alexey Marchenko is the best bets to play alongside Connor Carrick on the third pairing. And Lou Lamoriello has already said that Liljegren will be playing either with Rögle BK or the Marlies this season.
One other problem, however, stands above the others as the most trivial problem we have. It’s a problem that many teams wish they could have. It’s a problem that many Leafs fans thought they’d never have. Its a problem that has been over-analyzed and discussed to no end, and will continue to be discussed all season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a surplus of NHL-ready wingers on the roster.
Imagine saying those words a few seasons ago. Typing them now doesn’t even feel right. From top to bottom, the Leafs have a bevvy of options available when it comes to talent on the wing. While 7 of 8 spots are fairly concrete, there has been one slot that’s been heavily debated.
That spot currently belongs to Matt Martin, the resident father and role model of the Maple Leafs.
It’s been said over and over: Mike Babcock loves Martin. He brings a grittiness that not many on the roster possess. His style of play causes you to hear Brian Burke whispering sweet truculence in your ears. And only Pierre-Edouard Bellemare had a lower P/60 than Martin.
Martin’s lack-of-production leads some to believe that one of the options currently on the Marlies should take his place, namely Kasperi Kapanen, Josh Leivo, or Kerby Rychel.
All 3 provide valid reasoning for that final slot. Kapanen was a point-per-game player in the AHL and shone in the series against the Capitals. Leivo has battled for the past three seasons to carve a spot on the roster and had his best cup of coffee last year. Rychel led the Marlies in both points and PIMs last year, while maturing as the year progressed.
With that being said, I got to thinking: Why not take a committee approach? There’s no rule that says Martin has to play all 82 games, so why not divide them up?
Let’s assume that one of these players is sent down. In this scenario, I’m sending Kapanen down, as both Rychel and Leivo are waiver-eligible. On nights where the Leafs need some grit, they can play Martin or Rychel. On nights where more speed is needed, use Leivo instead.
This strategy would allow all four players to get meaningful playing time while utilizing their strengths, rather than having three of them sit idly in the press box. This is crucial for a player like Rychel who, given his contract status and skill set, could very well end up in Frank Corrado territory. At any point if one player heats up, they can be kept in the lineup to milk it for what it’s worth. Since every game is essentially a tryout (remember that old Marlies slogan?) it pushes each player to play harder while creating healthy competition all season long. Baseball managers use this strategy often to optimize their lineup against certain pitchers.
On the other hand, each player would only be seeing in-game action potentially once a week. It would be hard for any of the players to gain momentum. Playing in a platoon can also foster pressure rather than competition, leading to poor performances from all parties. Finally, this scenario pins Kapanen to the AHL simply because of his contract situation, although he could be the one out of all 4 players who deserves the ice time most. No matter who you choose as the odd man down, someone is getting a raw deal.
Ultimately, the decision will be left to Babs and the Gang. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Martin continue to play his fair share of games, with Kapanen getting spelled in for injuries. As for Rychel and Leivo, one of the two could potentially end up as trade fodder as the Leafs look to land some NHL-calibre defensive depth.
For the first time in what seems like forever, the Toronto Maple Leafs have quality forward depth. How they use that depth to win games remains a mystery, but only for a short while longer. Training camp is just over a month away.
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