5 games in and the Maple Leafs have already proven that their season is going to be just as hectic as ever.
Image Credit: San Diego Union-Tribe
Welcome to another season of hockey, Leafs fans. Last year was the most memorable year for the team and the fanbase in nearly 2 decades, as the buds finally put their first round demons to bed. Even though they were nearly swept in the next round, having the playoff curse off of the backs of fans lifts an enormous tension. I mean, it is at least one less meme we all have to deal with.
2023 has been a year of new faces. New general manager Brad Treliving made sure to make his new presence in Toronto known by shaking up the core completely. The fresh faces on Leaf fans minds, John Kilingburg, Ryan Reeves, Max Domi and Tyler Burtuzzi. When you’re a new player in a city with as vicious of a fanbase as Toronto, you’re best to make a good first impression. So how did it all fair for them after the first 5? Here are some of the positives that make the Leafs as much of a threat as they have been in recent years, and negatives that should be addressed before it’s too late.
Image Credits: CTV News Toronto
Positives:
Auston Freaking Matthews
Yeah that’s literally it, how could I start on positives without bringing up Papi himself. I mean, when you start your season with back to back hat-tricks there isn’t much need to doubt his sheer talent level. He’s cooled off a bit in the 3 games since, but he’s still finding opportunities to get shots on net. He thought he had his 7th against Chicago, before it was called back for offside. Matthews currently leads the league in goals and is trying to justify the big time four-year, $53 million extension he was given in August.
The Rest of the Offense
Yeah it’s as good as ever. William Nylander in what could very well be his last season as a Leaf is not too far off from Matthews total, with 4 goals already (and leading the team in points), including an OT game winner against Tampa Bay last night. Speaking of last night, Matthew Knies, who emerged as a key playoff performer for the Leafs last year, picked up his first two career regular season goals to help the Leafs win in comeback fashion.
Tavares is the only other player at the moment with more than one goal. Ultimately when firing on all cylinders they are a force to be reckon with no matter how many goals an opponent may score. But what about the main 4 Treliving signings I listed earlier? They’ve only combined for 1 goal so far, that being curtesy of Burtuzzi. However, Domi and Klilngburg have combined for 7 assists. That leaves Reeves as the odd man out, but could he make his impression elsewhere?
Grit and Fight?
When Reeves was brought in, fan expectations were not very high in terms of offensive performance. What they really wanted to know was if he could he be the guy that gives the team the physical boom they needed? Seems like it so far. Ryan Reeves has already gotten into two fights this season. He clearly wants to send a message early, a sort of ‘It’s not safe to mess around with the Maple Leafs anymore, if you do I’m coming for you!’ energy. It has a nice change of pace after years of being called soft by opposing and rival fans. If Reeves can maintain that presence, let’s just say we might not be the punching bag we were once considered to be.
The New Goal Song(s)
I know this isn’t something that affects the team, but I don’t care I’m putting it on anyway. Since 2018 the Leafs had been using Hall & Oates 80s Classic “You Make my Dreams” after every goal. It was novel at first, but eventually it would get incredibly old and stagnant. So when it was announced formally before the home owner the goal song would be changed for good, many fans ~myself included~ rejoiced. But what has transpired since has been, confusing. It would start as they revealed that Steve Aoki’s remix of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” would be the new goal song for the team.
Negatives:
Defense… AGAIN!
In the offseason Leaf fans received what was likely the best news they could have imagined, Justin Holl was moving on. He signed a 3-year deal with the Red Wings. For the longest time he was considered the bane of Leaf fans’ existence, similar to Jake Gardiner before him. He made more mistakes than positive contributions and made plenty of his mistakes led to goals. However, the defense itself did not see much tinkering or additional pieces during the offseason to fill in his absence. The only addition was John Klingburg, who many know as being the defender who doesn’t necessarily justify the name. So far the Leafs have the 6th highest GAA average and the 17th best penalty kill. Could Brad find fixes to this throughout the season? We can only hope. It isn’t as bad as it could be, but it feels very… same old, same old.
Goaltending… AGAIN!
Another point of criticism was the lack of addressing goaltending concerns. Last year it was Samsonov and Murray as the main tandem, with Woll playing back up. Now with Murray all but obsolete on LTIR, the Leafs plan with goaltending is somewhat blank. Samsonov has proven to be an alright goalie, but not one that could lead a team to a Stanley Cup. He already has the 4th lowest save percentage at .831% and the 3rd highest goals against average with 4.34.
The only goalie added in the offseason was Martin Jones, who is currently on the Marlies and had been put on waivers before the season, but no one picked him up. The only guys available now are Samsonov and Woll. The latter showed promise in his stelar outing against Tampa Bay after Sammy was pulled early. As of right now, Woll seems like the best option, but ultimately the duo might not be enough to get over the hump. Let’s hope Martin Jones returns to form when he gets back to the NHL.
Is Keefe the Right Guy?
On his 4th full season as head coach, Sheldon Keefe is still as questionable as ever. He had an extension in the offseason which had a mixed reaction. For the 3rd season in a row the team is struggling in October, due to factors including playing down to inferior opponents like Chicago and Montreal (a game they were lucky to win), and poor defensive structure. If this is anything like the last 2 years though, November will be a month to remember for all of the right reasons. It’s literally like Groundhog Day. Many think that he is tactically outsmarted in a decent number of games, mainly in the playoffs. If Sheldon wants to stay afloat in the long run, he needs to send a message that the Leafs won’t play down to inferior opponents, are willing and have the ability to adjust when needed, and that high end offensive talent won’t be the thing that wins them every game.
Conclusion
The 2023 campaign has seen a better start for the Leafs than the last 2 seasons, just based on the fact that they’ve got 3 wins in the first 5 games. It is exciting seeing the new pieces justify their place on the roster and the offense being as lethal as ever, but ultimately, as is the case with every other year, the defense and goaltending will determine how many games they win in the playoffs. It’s still early, impressions can change with time. As of right now the skepticism remains. Lets see where they go from here.
(Photo via THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn)