TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs managed to get themselves right in the middle of the playoff race before players ventured off for some warm weather during the NHL’s mandated five-day break.
Yes, the first 39 games of the regular season have gone better than most expected for a team that finished at the bottom of the standings a year ago.
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With a break in the schedule, the mid-season report cards are in. And the strong start has translated into some solid grades for this group:
Forwards
Tyler Bozak, B: Now the Leafs’ third-line centre, Bozak is averaging the lowest ice time of his NHL career. But he’s still producing offensively at a rate consistent with years past and is the best faceoff man on the team.
Connor Brown, B: He’s worked his way up to a place on the Matthews line after starting in a depth role, and his production has jumped along with the minutes. The fact that Brown is such a skilled shooter should bode well now that he’s going to be getting better looks.
Frederik Gauthier, C-minus: It’s early days yet for The Goat, who is trying to find his way in the faceoff circle and become a reliable checker. The Leafs have struggled mightily in the possession game with him on the ice at even strength, but we’re dealing with a small sample of just nine games.
Zach Hyman, B-plus: A tenacious forechecker and tireless worker, Hyman consistently helps tilt the ice in his team’s favour. While we might hope for a little more offence from someone who has played so much with Auston Matthews, it’s hard to ignore the space he creates for others to perform in the offensive zone.
Nazem Kadri, A-minus: With his shooting percentage returning to a more expected level after a down year, Kadri is a goal-scorer again. He’s on pace to eclipse 30 despite facing tough competition virtually every night. Some of his best work has come in keeping the puck away from talented opponents.
Leo Komarov, B-minus: A glue guy who can play in every situation. Komarov has had a big hand in both the improved penalty kill and power play while holding his own at even strength. Very useful.
Mitch Marner, A: In training camp there were questions raised about his small stature, and how that might translate to the pro game, but no one is asking them any more. Marner is just as elusive as he is gifted with the puck and would be on pace to establish the franchise’s new rookie points record if not for some guy named Matthews.
Matt Martin, C-minus: A popular teammate, his most significant contributions undoubtedly come off the ice in the form of mentorship and guidance. Martin occupies a spot on the fringes of this lineup – averaging nearly two minutes less per game than he did last year in Brooklyn while dropping the gloves more often than at any other point in his career.
Auston Matthews, A-plus: Great things were expected of the 19-year-old, just not this quickly. He’s already the team’s No. 1 centre, a huge driver of possession, one of the NHL’s best at generating shots and on pace for the most goals (44) by a member of the Leafs in a quarter century. Did we mention that he’s only 19?
William Nylander, A-minus: Any other year and we’d be raving about the rookie’s production. Even though Nylander is still finding his way at 5-on-5, he’s the most dangerous power-play weapon on the team. That’s quietly helped propel him to fourth in the NHL’s rookie scoring race – slotted behind two teammates and Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine.
Ben Smith, D: Plucked off the waiver wire to fill an extremely specific role – “right-handed faceoff guy who can kill penalties, too” – Smith is technically doing his job. But it’s hard to ignore the abysmal shot and possession numbers when he’s on the ice.
Nikita Soshnikov, C-minus: How much leeway should we allow the 23-year-old based on his lack of opportunity? Soshnikov hasn’t produced much, but he also hasn’t played much while being largely deployed as a fourth-liner. The jury is still out here.
James van Riemsdyk, A: On pace for a second career 30-goal season – not to mention a new high in points – the big man is doing what he’s paid to do. A nice bounce-back after breaking his foot last February.
Defencemen
Connor Carrick, B-minus: A pretty steady performer during his longest prolonged stretch in the NHL. He’s formed a dynamic second pairing with Jake Gardiner that often sees the Leafs playing in the offensive zone. Toronto is outscoring opponents 29-24 at even strength with Carrick on the ice.
Jake Gardiner, A: Gardiner helps the Leafs control more than 53 per cent of even-strength shot attempts and is tops among the team’s defencemen with 21 points. His playing style may never fit the traditionalist’s eye, but it’s helping drive the engine of this group.
Matt Hunwick, C-minus: The Leafs get caved in when Hunwick’s out at even strength, but as Mike Babcock has noted, they also give up fewer scoring chances against. He’s an effective penalty killer and has logged more than 18 minutes in eight of the last nine games – a stretch where Toronto went 6-2-1.
Martin Marincin, C: It was an up-and-down start before he was sidelined with an upper-body injury. He’s scheduled to return before the end of the month.
Roman Polak, C-minus: Basically the only player who brings a physical edge on the team’s back end, his performance is otherwise quite similar to partner Hunwick; the Leafs give up fewer goals per 60 minutes when they play compared to other pairings, but they’re also much less likely to score, too.
Morgan Rielly, B-plus: The coaching staff wants him to focus more on his defensive contributions than offensive ones, and Rielly is starting to make his way. On the positive side: Rielly logs the most minutes on the team, has 16 assists and a positive impact on possession, and is bound to see his shooting luck change soon. Not so good: The Leafs allow too many goals against while he’s out there.
Nikita Zaitsev, B: A nice find after seven seasons in the KHL. The Russian has made a smooth transition while being deployed in a top-four role. Babcock would love to see him shoot more often.
Goalies
Frederik Andersen, B-plus: After some early speed bumps, Andersen has been solid. His .918 save percentage is above the league average and should be good enough to keep Toronto in the playoff chase if it continues. One of the big keys to watch in the second half is how Andersen handles his busiest workload yet.
Antoine Bibeau and Jhonas Enroth, NR: Neither of the backups has played enough to earn a grade of his own. The position remains a soft area for the Leafs – with Bibeau’s first NHL victory in late December the only to come from someone other than Andersen all season.
Head Coach
Mike Babcock, A: The coach is earning his sizable pay cheque. He’s got more skill on the roster, sure, but he’s also got nine rookies. Babcock is a motivator, a teacher and an aggressive line matcher, and that’s all paid off during a promising 18-13-8 start.
