Are Maple Leafs Fans Arguing About the Wrong Thing?
I have to admit that I really enjoy reading readers’ comments on hockey articles. One reason is that fans tell me what they're really worried about. This week, after reading dozens of comments about Toronto's defence, I came away with one thought.
Maple Leafs fans make some excellent points. But I also think they're arguing about the wrong thing.
The post was about the rebuilt Maple Leafs defence and the role it will play this season.
The debate wasn't really about Chris Tanev. It wasn't even about Darren Raddysh. It wasn't about Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, or Oliver Ekman-Larsson either. It was about whether this defence has a true No. 1 defenceman, whether Tanev is too old, whether Raddysh is worth the money, and whether this group is good enough to contend.
Those are fair questions. But I'm not convinced they're the most important ones. To me, the bigger question is whether we're still looking at this defence the way we looked at Toronto's defence five years ago.
For a long time, Toronto seemed to be searching for that elusive No. 1 defenceman who could play half the game, shut down the opposition's best players, run the power play, and somehow fix everything else. Every summer the conversation started in the same place: "Who are they going to get?"
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Given what I’ve seen this offseason, I'm beginning to wonder if that's no longer the Maple Leafs’ plan.
John Chayka appears to be building something different. Instead of finding one superstar, he seems to be trying to create six defencemen who fit together. Not six stars, but six players who can move the puck, make a good first pass, skate well enough to keep up with today's NHL, and allow the coaching staff to spread out the minutes.
For me, that changes the conversation. If Tanev doesn't have to play 25 exhausting minutes every night, maybe he's more effective. If Raddysh really has taken another step, perhaps he makes life easier for everyone around him. If the Maple Leafs play a faster, more possession-based style, the defence may spend less time trapped in its own zone and more time doing what it was built to do.
None of the Maple Leafs' changes guarantee success.
There are still plenty of question marks. Tanev is 36. Raddysh has one breakout season on his résumé. Rielly is trying to rediscover his game. Those concerns are real. But if we look at the team differently, the question becomes whether the organization has finally built a defence that's greater than the sum of its parts.
That's a different conversation. And to me, it's the more interesting one.