The Steeves Resolution! Leafs Young Gun Ready to Take the NHL by Storm
Saturday night ends the Maple Leafs tour through the Northwestern part of the NHL. To say it has gone well is an understatement and no matter how things play out in Vancouver, taking three out of four games on a road trip is always a positive and a nice way to head into what will be a break for most of the Leafs save for their three biggest stars.
Here are a few thoughts heading into the break:
Using the break to the Leafs advantage
Two weeks off the NHL shouldn’t necessarily equate to a vacation for everyone. For Joseph Woll, putting his feet up on a beach is the best way to spend the time off. The muscles and bones of Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev could benefit for a few days without being exposed to stinging pain also feels like a nice luxury, and while Matthews and Marner will be involved in the Four Nations, hopefully the tournament has more of a All-Star game free skate vibe and the break from the NHL regular season helps with their recovery from whatever is ailing them. Throw Tavares, Pacioretty, McMann, and many others with undisclosed injuries that haven’t required players to miss time, and this is a welcome reboot for a team that has struggled to dress its optimal lineup on any given night.
While the break might be welcome for most, it is worth considering a bulk waivers attempt where the Leafs shuttle as many players as possible down to the Marlies to put in work. Pontus Holmberg, Connor Dewar, Conor Timmins, Philippe Myers, and Simon Benoit are not above putting in a little extra work. You could certainly add Max Domi, David Kampf, and Ryan Reaves to that mix as well, but have my doubts that Brad Treliving will ask that of his underperforming veterans, and in the case of Nick Robertson, the reality is that there is no way he’d clear for the extra work and the Leafs will want to keep him healthy for when he is likely part of a future trade.
The break also allows for Brad Treliving, Craig Berube, and company to properly map out their roster, the gaps, and what the best strategy is for the trade deadline and beyond. There aren’t many opportunities to get all the scouts together with ease like this and have lengthy and in-depth conversations about the next steps like they have this year. For a contending team like the Leafs, even a normally risk-averse GM like Brad Treliving can attack the trade deadline as boldly as he’d deal in the offseason. Expectations should be higher even with every team being in the same boat.
Whether or not the Four Nations is your cup of tea or not, there is some good that can come from this break. It will be interesting to see what re-energized NHL rosters do following this time off and it will be interesting to see if the Leafs try to load manage Matthews, Marner, and Nylander over the remaining stretch of the season to give them at least a bit of rest as well, although pushing the stars a little harder after years of coming up short in the playoffs isn’t going to upset anyone, as long as it doesn’t keep them from being their best.
Seeing more of Steeves
When Alex Steeves comes up the Leafs he seems to quietly do all the things you’d ask of a bottom six replacement player and as soon as the roster gets healthy enough he’s sent on his merry way. Steeves then returns to the Marlies and lights up the AHL, more or less. I can’t speak for everyone but I want to see more of Alex Steeves in the NHL and would have no issue with any of Dewar, Holmberg, or Robertson (as well as Reaves) sitting in order to give Steeves an extended look.
The benefits to getting Steeves a look is that is clearly decision time on the forward. Steeves is a group six free agent and will be able to test the open market this summer. The Leafs finally having a good look at him potentially changes his mind about moving on.
On the other hand giving Steeves a look and showing what he can do in the NHL might at least generate some interest around the league in making a depth move for him at the trade deadline. If the Leafs are comfortable with their current forward depth or even their defensive depth, it’s a chance to go a little bit younger or pick up an interesting AHL project player which potentially offsets the lack of prospects coming in their system.
Steeves being the primary Leafs callup option also gives Minten some development time in the AHL and spare him the back and forth. The Leafs committing to putting work in on Minten until after the trade deadline and then calling him up to assess whether he makes sense on the playoff depth chart makes some sense, but so does acknowledging that more than anything it about getting Minten to ready to play a role on the Leafs next season and not competing for a spot that will likely be filled through the trade deadline anyway.
Adaptability/Familiarity/Fit of an incoming centre
The two big names that the Leafs have been associated with regarding trades this week are Dylan Cozens and Brayden Schenn. Both fit the role of what the Maple Leafs should be looking for, a third line centre who can comfortably be used in second line centre role both now and in the future. Both players come with the benefit of term on their contracts. Both would be a legitimate attempt by Brad Treliving to address the need for an additional centre on the Leafs. Both come with some question marks too.
Schenn’s age and the three year commitment beyond this season could be an issue. It’s likely that Schenn’s situation plays out similar to John Tavares’ situation and he’s perfectly capable of holding onto his production and role as a centre, but concerns about the Leafs getting older are also legitimate, and moving back to a younger, faster Leafs lineup has a lot of appeal.
On the other hand Cozens’ recent production decline in the past couple of years is a concern. He’s still producing at a third line centre rate and if that’s what you are bringing him in for, he can probably fill that role. There’s appeal in the Leafs trying to reboot Cozens over the summer and getting him back to where he was expected to be in the NHL, but the reality is that Cozens has been given the opportunity to play with offensive players in Buffalo and hasn’t had to face the toughest competition in that time. He’s not a penalty killer and he’s underwhelming on the second power play unit. Despite the future appeal, Cozens might not be the ideal option right now. The Leafs should be thinking right now first and about the future second.
That’s where the appeal of Schenn comes from. He’s very much the guy right now. He’s won with Craig Berube before. He can move to the wing if needed, he can play on the second or third line and fit in. Schenn will get use on both sides of special teams. It’s easy to see where he’s an upgrade over Max Domi and like Ryan O’Reilly, it’s easier to see his fit or how he can be moved around the lineup.
Dylan Cozens and a lot of other centre options beyond O’Reilly and Schenn seem to require the Leafs to have a plan on who they are going to play with and find the right fit.
If we’re going to assume that Marner will play with either Matthews or Tavares no matter what, and that Knies is likely with Matthews no matter what, that only leaves Tavares, Matthews, Marner, and Knies off limits to any potential new centre. How the Leafs use Nylander, McMann, Domi, Robertson, Pacioretty, etc to maximize their lineup card.
With the Leafs key forward personnel it is clear that someone with defensive awareness is required, but it also seems like the Yanni Gourdes of the world might be too much of a hinderance offensive for whomever they play with. It wouldn’t so much be a playing with David Kampf situation but would move the Leafs towards offence by accident rather than a purposeful secondary scoring option.
In contrast going with a more offensively focused centre seems like committing to an additional scoring line and hoping that a fourth line made up of Kampf, Holmberg, Dewar, Lorentz, Jarnkrok, Minten, or whomever else would need getting the sheltering that unit would normally be afforded. That feels like asking too much of the Leafs while potentially getting a third line that seems somewhat similar to what the Leafs are currently getting with Max Domi at centre.
A two-way, all-purpose centre that can play on the second line as needed is a tall order and would shorten the list of significantly of targets for the Leafs but seems like it is what is required to properly address their needs instead of picking up Nick Bjugstad and calling it a day.
