Team: 2021-22 Toronto Maple Leafs

Initial Creation Date: Sep. 16, 2021

Published: Sep. 16, 2021

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Honestly i really in hindsight do not like the Ritchie signing, i understand he brings some veterancy to the left wing, which can be a weak point for the team but frankly i would rather just not have him.(no i dont think the leafs are gonna trade a player they just signed but its more of a fantasy thing here.)

i dont hate having engvall around so hes just gonna play in the minors till he cant anymore, if he gets claimed on waivers it sucks but no one on here even wants the guy, even though hes probably a solid 3rd or 4th line option for a few teams in the league.

The trade isnt really relevant as i dont care where he goes or for any return i just wanted to look how the team may be without him and to get some insight on whether or not im alone in my thinking.


Honestly i think robertson will make the team out of camp, and i think he will play on the top line after watching him over the last 3 years both on the petes and after he was drafted by the leafs i think he plays the whole season with the team and we get to see what he brings.


Kerfoot has shown he can play really really well with Willy and JT, hes a great option for that role solves their revolving door they had last year in that position,
Vesey, boyd, soup, galch, simmonds, they never really had a dedicated 3rd on that line and i think it will be good for them.

Soup is good defensivly, Kampf is good defensivly, if kase is healthy he adds some scoring hopfully but the real goal is just not to let the other team score and to run the PK i think the line has some speed to help with that and Kampf is real good at defensive zone faceoffs which is important.


Bunting-Brooks-Spezza is a hell of an exciting line, i think these guys are gonna really enjoy playing together, Spezza and Brooks gelled really well together last year, brooks has shown he can produce at all levels no matter his situation, 130 points in the WHL
41 in 60 games in the AHL, 5 points in 11 games at the NHL level, i think this line has some real potential to change games in an offensive way.


Not having ritchie also lets the team have a 23 man roster which is really nice in case of injury, i first started following steeves when the leafs signed him, i saw his uni stuff and thought he was gonna be a solid option down the line, but then he had a really really good prospect camp thing, and i can see him occasionally taking that step into the NHL to get some games in in place of Spezza or Brooks depending.


I think Kase and Simmonds take turns playing depending on the game, and if the game really takes a turn this system would allow both simmer and Kurtis Gabriel to play in the same game on the same night, which wouldnt be fun for anyone frankly.