Roslovic Is Giving the Maple Leafs Something They Didn't

Sometimes the best offseason additions aren't the ones that get the biggest introductions. They're players brought in to fill a specific role who end up giving a team more than anyone expected. Jack Roslovic is shaping up to be one of those players for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

When John Chayka signed Roslovic to a two-year contract worth $4 million annually, the thinking was fairly straightforward. He could provide secondary scoring, add speed to the lineup, and give the coaching staff another option when injuries or circumstances required someone to move up. Roslovic hasn't waited around for an invitation.

Through 16 games, he's scored six goals and recorded 16 points. That's an impressive start, particularly for a player whose previous career-high was 45 points in a full NHL season. He's already a third of the way to that career high, and we're only a month into the schedule.

There will probably be some regression. That's just the reality of expecting a player to maintain a point-per-game pace over an entire season. But there's something more interesting happening here than a hot scoring streak.

Roslovic Is Making Himself Difficult to Move Down the Lineup.

The original plan was for Roslovic to contribute to the Maple Leafs' depth scoring and provide flexibility around Auston Matthews and the top six. Instead, he's made a pretty convincing case that he belongs there. That's important. Every team needs players who can move up when somebody gets hurt. But it's even better when a player moves up because his performance makes it difficult to justify moving him back down.

Roslovic brings speed and offensive instincts, and he seems comfortable playing with skilled linemates. He doesn't need to dominate the puck to contribute, either. Sometimes a player who can keep up with a team's best offensive players makes everyone's job a little easier. For Chayka, that's a pretty nice return on a $4-million-a-year investment.

The Best Acquisitions Sometimes Surprise You.

The Maple Leafs have a lesson here as they keep building their roster. Teams spend plenty of time looking for the next big addition, but sometimes improving a lineup is about finding players who can do a little more than their original job description suggests. Roslovic wasn't necessarily brought in to become a major offensive contributor. He's giving Toronto that possibility anyway.

The question now is whether he can sustain enough of this production to become a genuine part of the team's longer-term plans. Nobody should be handing out season-ending awards after 16 games. But Maple Leafs fans have a reason to be pleased. Sometimes the most valuable addition isn't the player everybody expected to make a difference. It's the one who quietly makes himself indispensable.