Whenever there’s a roster turnover and new additions, the expectation is that they come into their team and make a big impact. With the Toronto Maple Leafs’ offseason additions, there hasn’t been a whole lot of anything to start the season.
With nine games played Ryan Reaves, Max Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi and John Klingberg have been underwhelming to say the least. Whether it’s the added toughness from the three forwards or the mobility and added offense from Klingberg, the results haven’t been there consistently for a team with aspirations of a deep playoff run. As a result, there are more questions than answers at this point as they haven’t delivered with their play.
While it’s still early in the season and there’s time for the players to turn things around, the non-existent impact early on has left many disappointed.
New Mentality is Missing
After the first two games where he had a fight in each outing, the added toughness that Reaves brought was becoming evident. The fans were loving it and even the players started to get behind it as Auston Matthews said the impact he brings is huge. Since then, the hits remain, but the in-your-face mentality hasn’t been consistent.
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Reaves was brought in for his personality and character. Which is fine as the mindset of this team needed to change. We knew that there wasn’t going to be a whole lot of offense from Reaves, but it’s his competitive edge and ability to mix things up that many thought would be a consistent factor. He has 19 hits but since the start of the season, he’s been quiet and isn’t creating havoc when he needs to.
In addition, the underlying numbers haven’t been kind to him or the fourth line as they have been hemmed in their zone quite a bit. Reaves alone has a five-on-five expected goals for percentage of 34.42%. If you know the offense is going to be minimal and the physical element is there from time to time, his impact on the team diminishes. He needs to continue to be physical to try and give his team momentum, otherwise many will question his place in the lineup.
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Domi was also brought in for some bite with a bit of offense added to the team’s middle six. He has four assists, but his decision making and awareness with the puck has been questionable. Too many times he’s slow carrying the play and the passes leaves you scratching your head, as it ends up in a broken play or thrown to the open ice where no one is available. He has the speed to carry the play quickly, but is trying to change the pace every time as it isn’t working out.
Out of all the signings, Bertuzzi has shown the most improvement game by game. He wasn’t fully 100 percent before, but now that he knows his role, he’s becoming more noticeable. You’re at least seeing more consistency in terms of engagement and ability to battle for the puck. At 5-on-5, he has a 54.09 Corsi for percentage, a 61.78 xGF% and a high danger chances percentage of 65.12%. The production hasn’t been there as he only has three points through nine games, but his positive impact offensively is. Maybe being bumped back to the top line might get him going again?
It’s safe to say that the Maple Leafs need more from their depth and new additions.
Klingberg’s Woes are Noticeable
Given his ability to be a strong puck-mover and be a factor on the powerplay, Klingberg could’ve been an x-factor to the Maple Leafs blueline. While his offense is there with five assists to start the season, it’s his defensive game that continues to draw the ire of many.
Many knew that Klingberg’s defensive game isn’t strong and he knew that going in that there was a lot that he needed to work on. That has yet to be the case as he looks lost at many points in transition and within his own zone with poor decisions and weak coverage. Just like this goal against versus the Florida Panthers. As all five players are below the hashmarks and no support along the boards, he just throws the puck away. Kevin Stenlund takes advantage by walking in and scoring his first of the season.
Even in the latest loss to the Los Angeles Kings, he looked nervous at times, couldn’t control a pass from William Lagesson and had poor coverage on Anze Kopitar, resulting in a goal against. Those errors are the ones that have plagued him over his career and has made his defensive play a glaring issue.
While many weren’t impressed with Justin Holl’s defensive play as a top-four shut down defender, you knew that there were points where he shined within his own zone. With Klingberg, his defensive game is becoming more of a detriment. Even on the offensive side there have been close calls where he almost turns the puck over leading to a rush chance. His shot selection has been off as 26.3% of his shots have made it on goal. Not an impressive number for a player known for getting pucks on net in the past.
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Earning $4 million for this season, Klingberg hasn’t quite lived up to that as the Maple Leafs need to address the blueline as soon as possible.
Time to Adjust is Now
There’s always an adjustment period for new faces joining a new team. However, with the Maple Leafs new additions from the offseason, their struggles are definitely being felt throughout the lineup.
The offense, new found grit and mentality brought in to help the middle and bottom portion of the forward group has been inconsistent and Klingberg has struggled on the backend in dealing with pressure and positioning. The time for the new additions to adjust is now. With the calendar flipping to November, the players should already get a feel of their new team and system.
If struggles persist, then moves need to be made. With three of the four players being free agents at the end of the season, there’s always the chance they can be moved for an improvement and immediate help. However, they need to improve their stock in order to get a strong return.
The team shouldn’t be happy with how things are going and neither should the players as they need to be relied on every game. So far, the have yet to do that.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick and Hockey Reference.