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What Are This Teams Major Weaknesses

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Team: 2021-22 Toronto Maple Leafs
Initial Creation Date: Oct. 17, 2021
Published: Oct. 17, 2021
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    Oct. 17, 2021 at 8:40 p.m.
    #1
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    Not having a number one d man, and a kind of hilarious lack of nhl talent and depth at the LW position sticks out. Also there just something off with how this team is constructed. Part of that is the mentality, and part of that is financial
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    Oct. 17, 2021 at 8:43 p.m.
    #2
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    Edited Oct. 17, 2021 at 8:48 p.m.
    Leafs third line would be on a contending teams fourth line or in the press box like the Lightning, Bruins, Avs, Panthers, and Islanders. Also, not enough real NHL calibre talent
    Oct. 17, 2021 at 8:47 p.m.
    #3
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    1st round exits lol!
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    Oct. 17, 2021 at 9:12 p.m.
    #4
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    Hawks immediately decline Strome isn’t worth nothing at least give us a second
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    Oct. 17, 2021 at 9:31 p.m.
    #5
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    Quoting: MrDinkiee
    Leafs third line would be on a contending teams fourth line or in the press box like the Lightning, Bruins, Avs, Panthers, and Islanders. Also, not enough real NHL calibre talent


    It would definitely be the lightning’s third line. Have u seen their bottom six? I think it would also be Florida’s third line
    Oct. 17, 2021 at 9:35 p.m.
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    I see two main weaknesses. One, that 1LW spot has been filled by players that would be better served in a 3LW role (Hyman effect). Two, a 1RHD is needed, Brodie is good but getting someone to fill that role and move him to the second pair and Stech/Holl down to the third pairing really strengthens that defense.
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    Oct. 17, 2021 at 9:35 p.m.
    #7
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    Quoting: CMcAvoy73
    Not having a number one d man, and a kind of hilarious lack of nhl talent and depth at the LW position sticks out. Also there just something off with how this team is constructed. Part of that is the mentality, and part of that is financial


    They’ve been one of the best offences in the league without a star LW for many years now lol. Rielly consistently plays the most minutes on the team as well. He is our number 1 dman. He doesn’t eat as many minutes as some of the most elite defencemen because they can afford to use their depth on defence to play Muzzin, Brodie, holl, dermott, and sandin.
    Oct. 17, 2021 at 9:39 p.m.
    #8
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    I personally don’t see any MAJOR weaknesses. Of course they are worse than other teams at some things, they aren’t perfect, or the best, but I don’t see any major weaknesses. If I had to pick one, it might have to be their lack of a star LW, but they’ve been doing fine without one (at least in the reg season) for the past 5 years lol.
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    Oct. 17, 2021 at 9:49 p.m.
    #9
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    Quoting: mauston_atthews
    They’ve been one of the best offences in the league without a star LW for many years now lol. Rielly consistently plays the most minutes on the team as well. He is our number 1 dman. He doesn’t eat as many minutes as some of the most elite defencemen because they can afford to use their depth on defence to play Muzzin, Brodie, holl, dermott, and sandin.


    He may be the leafs top guy, though that’s debatable…but he isn’t a number one in this league.

    I’m not saying they need a star LW, but they need better than ritchie
    Oct. 17, 2021 at 10:13 p.m.
    #10
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    Detroit declines.
    Oct. 17, 2021 at 11:01 p.m.
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    Detroit declines. We don't want Engvall and the 3rd pick is 2 years away.
    Oct. 17, 2021 at 11:16 p.m.
    #12
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    Quoting: CMcAvoy73
    He may be the leafs top guy, though that’s debatable…but he isn’t a number one in this league.

    I’m not saying they need a star LW, but they need better than ritchie


    Ritchie has been as advertised, and good, bunting has been great, and kerfoot has been better on the wing when he’s played there. I agree, it isn’t the greatest LW group. In fact, it might be one of the worst, but it is good enough to support the leafs excellent centre and RW side.
    Oct. 17, 2021 at 11:19 p.m.
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    Quoting: mauston_atthews
    Ritchie has been as advertised, bunting has been great, and kerfoot has been better on the wing when he’s played there. I agree, it isn’t the greatest LW group. In fact, it might be one of the worst, but it is good enough to support the leafs excellent centre and RW side.


    Is it though? It’s wayyyy worse than in years past, and that wasn’t good enough
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    Oct. 17, 2021 at 11:22 p.m.
    #14
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    Quoting: CMcAvoy73
    Is it though? It’s wayyyy worse than in years past, and that wasn’t good enough


    Last year at the start of the season it was Hyman; good, Vesey; yikes, Engvall(?); eh, and Simmonds; for the fourth line, ok.

    That team had an a excellent offence. The LW group this year is a lot deeper and is filled with guys who you’re confident can score on a bi-game basis, rather than just one in Hyman. In 2019 and past, those were the best, but the defence was also terrible.
    Oct. 17, 2021 at 11:25 p.m.
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    Quoting: mauston_atthews
    Last year at the start of the season it was Hyman; good, Vesey; yikes, Engvall(?); eh, and Simmonds; for the fourth line, ok.

    That team had an a excellent offence. The LW group this year is a lot deeper and is filled with guys who you’re confident can score on a bi-game basis, rather than just one in Hyman. In 2019 and past, those were the best, but the defence was also terrible.


    What? Hyman is a really good player and he was replaced by an ahl player in ritchie. Is bunting the savior? Guy has like a dozen good games in the league. The LW position is ridiculously worse, and really bad. The leafs haven’t been good enough to even be a threat, and they’ve gotten worse.
    Oct. 17, 2021 at 11:34 p.m.
    #16
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    Quoting: CMcAvoy73
    What? Hyman is a really good player and he was replaced by an ahl player in ritchie. Is bunting the savior? Guy has like a dozen good games in the league. The LW position is ridiculously worse, and really bad. The leafs haven’t been good enough to even be a threat, and they’ve gotten worse.


    So losing Hyman and replacing him with kampf, a reliable shutdown centreman which they’ve needed so bad, kase who when healthy can score, and has been good for us, Ritchie who scores playoff style goals, like banging them in, tipping them in infront of the net and being physical, which not many did before, and bunting who does the same and is turning into a Hyman lite, makes them worse? I don’t think so. I’d rather have all those guys contributing than resigning Hyman and having no depth at all
    Oct. 17, 2021 at 11:43 p.m.
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    Quoting: mauston_atthews
    So losing Hyman and replacing him with kampf, a reliable shutdown centreman which they’ve needed so bad, kase who when healthy can score, and has been good for us, Ritchie who scores playoff style goals, like banging them in, tipping them in infront of the net and being physical, which not many did before, and bunting who does the same and is turning into a Hyman lite, makes them worse? I don’t think so. I’d rather have all those guys contributing than resigning Hyman and having no depth at all


    Listen pal, I just watched ritchie torpedo my favorite team for a while. He’s not an nhl player. He’s big, but he’s not physical. Kase is a solid player if healthy, but he’s a RW. Like you said, Kampf is a center. He’s also not very good, and not exactly a shut down guy. Better defensively than offensively, but nothing special. Bunting has a very small sample size of being alright. Pardon me if I’m not giddy over after 26 year old that has 29 games under his belt, after not getting much of a shot with one of the worst organizations in the league.

    Ya. It’s miles worse, and it wasn’t enough in the first place
    Oct. 18, 2021 at 12:25 a.m.
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    Quoting: CMcAvoy73
    He may be the leafs top guy, though that’s debatable…but he isn’t a number one in this league.

    I’m not saying they need a star LW, but they need better than ritchie


    They had that, his name was Zach Hyman.
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    Oct. 18, 2021 at 12:32 a.m.
    #19
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    Quoting: CMcAvoy73
    Listen pal, I just watched ritchie torpedo my favorite team for a while. He’s not an nhl player. He’s big, but he’s not physical. Kase is a solid player if healthy, but he’s a RW. Like you said, Kampf is a center. He’s also not very good, and not exactly a shut down guy. Better defensively than offensively, but nothing special. Bunting has a very small sample size of being alright. Pardon me if I’m not giddy over after 26 year old that has 29 games under his belt, after not getting much of a shot with one of the worst organizations in the league.

    Ya. It’s miles worse, and it wasn’t enough in the first place


    I'd kill to have Kampf back in Chicago, but I agree with everything else you said. Ritchie is not a 1st liner, Bunting had an anomaly season, Kase is good, but like you mention, a RW. Toronto has virtually no options at LW. That odd thing about the construction of this team you mentioned in your first post is probably how there's over $55M tied up in 7 players (Big 4 up front, Rielly, Muzzin and Brodie) and virtually no money left to fill out the supporting cast. Quite a bold strategy that doesn't always lead to success.
    Oct. 18, 2021 at 12:33 a.m.
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    Quoting: CMcAvoy73
    Listen pal, I just watched ritchie torpedo my favorite team for a while. He’s not an nhl player. He’s big, but he’s not physical. Kase is a solid player if healthy, but he’s a RW. Like you said, Kampf is a center. He’s also not very good, and not exactly a shut down guy. Better defensively than offensively, but nothing special. Bunting has a very small sample size of being alright. Pardon me if I’m not giddy over after 26 year old that has 29 games under his belt, after not getting much of a shot with one of the worst organizations in the league.

    Ya. It’s miles worse, and it wasn’t enough in the first place


    Ritchie averages like 150+ hits a season what are u talking about lol. Not an nhl player? Please. Gimme a break. He’s been great for the leafs despite not scoring yet. I can tell you haven’t watched any leafs games with the way you’re talking about the new guys who weren’t bruins. I can’t blame u tho, ur clearly a bruins fan, but bunting has done everything Hyman has. Sure he’s inexperienced, but in his short time, he’s been excellent and better than many expected, except me. Kampf has been excellent and done all the quiet defensive work a shutdown centreman does, in all situations. Face off wins, takeaways, quick breakouts, keeping pucks in at the blue line, everything.
    I really don’t see how u can look at the leafs at the start of the season last year and call them worse now.
    Oct. 18, 2021 at 9:08 a.m.
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    Weak depth, no cap space, over reliance on essentially 4 forwards and 3 dmen.

    This team goes as far as its big 4 forwards take it and 3 above average dmen. Muzzin is a nice number 3, but age/injuries take its tool. Brodie is an above average complimentary RD, and Reilly is an above average first pairing puck rusher.

    But risky depth in oft injured Kase, physical but average 3rd liner Ritchie, average but overpaid for production Kerfoot, aging and injury concern Simmonds, 26 yr old Bunting and his less than 30 nhl games, pretty meh guys like mikheyev/engvall, semyonov is the new lehtonen, and nice defensive guy who cant score 20 pts in Kampf. All these guys are serviceable in limited minutes, but unless your big 4 play 20+ minutes a night, this forward corps could be in deep trouble.
    Sandin and Liljegren look promising, but I'm not sure either are ready for big minutes/responisbilities and can be paired together. Dermott is a nice 3rd pair guy, but not a big crease clearer or puck rushing pt producer. Holl is a solid overage guy whos in the right spot, but probably not a top 4 guy on alot of teams.
    Then take their depth behind that: Ho Sang? Kurtis Gabriel? Menell? Amadio? (I mean a few guys on the waiver wire could have come in handy had the team not been capped. MacEwen for example)

    Movement to make cap space by moving more midlevel salaries for right reasons or wrong (Kadri, Gardiner, Kapanen, Johnson, Anderson etc...) hasn;t exactly resulted in a deeper team. Not saying they should or shouldnt have but Tavares makes almost as much as Kapanen, Kadri and Hyman combined.

    All in all its just lacking team depth, and without cap space, even nagging injuries over an 80 game season (compressed by the olympics) will easily result in an over reliance on those top 7 players.

    I like Keefe, (and maybe its the lack of team depth and overall talent outside of the top 7 guys), but the team defense, physicality, grit, hitting and overall identity is lacking. Its no real suprise that the team acquired even old and broken down Foligno and Nash types at the deadline last year. The team needs to make one more run in its present form, but without cap space the team is limited moving forward to correct some of these issues, so I'd have to think one of the big salaries has to go.

    Better than last year, maybe, but that was a shortened season is an easier division, and the team depth while theoretically improved is based on many more risks than last year
    Oct. 18, 2021 at 12:16 p.m.
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    Quoting: CMcAvoy73
    Not having a number one d man, and a kind of hilarious lack of nhl talent and depth at the LW position sticks out. Also there just something off with how this team is constructed. Part of that is the mentality, and part of that is financial


    Quoting: Hammerwise
    Weak depth, no cap space, over reliance on essentially 4 forwards and 3 dmen.

    This team goes as far as its big 4 forwards take it and 3 above average dmen. Muzzin is a nice number 3, but age/injuries take its tool. Brodie is an above average complimentary RD, and Reilly is an above average first pairing puck rusher.

    But risky depth in oft injured Kase, physical but average 3rd liner Ritchie, average but overpaid for production Kerfoot, aging and injury concern Simmonds, 26 yr old Bunting and his less than 30 nhl games, pretty meh guys like mikheyev/engvall, semyonov is the new lehtonen, and nice defensive guy who cant score 20 pts in Kampf. All these guys are serviceable in limited minutes, but unless your big 4 play 20+ minutes a night, this forward corps could be in deep trouble.
    Sandin and Liljegren look promising, but I'm not sure either are ready for big minutes/responisbilities and can be paired together. Dermott is a nice 3rd pair guy, but not a big crease clearer or puck rushing pt producer. Holl is a solid overage guy whos in the right spot, but probably not a top 4 guy on alot of teams.
    Then take their depth behind that: Ho Sang? Kurtis Gabriel? Menell? Amadio? (I mean a few guys on the waiver wire could have come in handy had the team not been capped. MacEwen for example)

    Movement to make cap space by moving more midlevel salaries for right reasons or wrong (Kadri, Gardiner, Kapanen, Johnson, Anderson etc...) hasn;t exactly resulted in a deeper team. Not saying they should or shouldnt have but Tavares makes almost as much as Kapanen, Kadri and Hyman combined.

    All in all its just lacking team depth, and without cap space, even nagging injuries over an 80 game season (compressed by the olympics) will easily result in an over reliance on those top 7 players.

    I like Keefe, (and maybe its the lack of team depth and overall talent outside of the top 7 guys), but the team defense, physicality, grit, hitting and overall identity is lacking. Its no real suprise that the team acquired even old and broken down Foligno and Nash types at the deadline last year. The team needs to make one more run in its present form, but without cap space the team is limited moving forward to correct some of these issues, so I'd have to think one of the big salaries has to go.

    Better than last year, maybe, but that was a shortened season is an easier division, and the team depth while theoretically improved is based on many more risks than last year


    I know that our cap situation isn’t efficient and that the depth players we recruited look bad on paper and based on past performance, but they have surprisingly done a fine job so far. Whether or not it is sustainable is obviously the issue, but the past 2 seasons, are depth has performed at a sufficient level to get us into the playoffs and a game 7.

    The same goes for our defence core. On paper, Rielly, Muzzin & Brodie are probably weak compared to the core of other contending teams, but in terms of performance, it hasn’t been a problem at all. In fact they all rank near the top of the league results-wise.

    For me the problem will always be the top 3 players not performing at the level that is expected of them. They just haven’t risen up to the occasion when the team needs them. Marner crumbles under pressure and is just a head case in general, Tavares declined because he put on an extra 20 pounds after his peak season which speaks volume about his poor discipline and while Matthews’ performance is generally flawless, he is injury prone and rarely plays at full strength. Maybe you can argue that the team made a mistake investing so much in one position, but I’d argue that when these players are at their best, they are worth the money. The problem is they don’t perform consistently or when the team needs them. If they consistently played to the level that got them their salary, you wouldn’t hear anyone wanting to trade them and this team would prosper.
    Oct. 18, 2021 at 12:17 p.m.
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    Quoting: IconicHawk
    Hawks immediately decline Strome isn’t worth nothing at least give us a second


    Strome can’t even crack the roster on one of the worst teams in the league and y’all want a 2nd for him?
    Oct. 18, 2021 at 12:18 p.m.
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    Quoting: Sharkie0884
    1st round exits lol!


    Haha I agree. And the first round exit falls on the top 3 players underperforming.
    Oct. 18, 2021 at 12:22 p.m.
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    Quoting: Roysboy72
    I see two main weaknesses. One, that 1LW spot has been filled by players that would be better served in a 3LW role (Hyman effect). Two, a 1RHD is needed, Brodie is good but getting someone to fill that role and move him to the second pair and Stech/Holl down to the third pairing really strengthens that defense.


    Eh, I think our left wingers are fine, the players just need to be shuffled around. Like Kerfoot has been very effective in an offensive role while Ritchie has always excelled on a matchup third line.

    Maybe on a different team, Brodie would be second pair but I don’t have any complaints about his game so far. Finding a partner is priority cuz Holl stinks.
     
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