5 years later, here's how drastic the improvements have been on the blueline for the Leafs
Earlier today, a fan on Twitter began an entire retrospective on the Leafs' defense by simply posting a comparison between the 5 years ago and today.
Twitter user TheBUDS16 shared the two screen grabs of the Leafs' lineup here:
The improvements made by the Leafs' front office is immediately clear. Instead of a grizzled journeyman veteran in Ron Hainsey as the number 2 defenseman, the Leafs have what may be their best Free Agent defensive signing ever in T.J. Brodie. The second pairing has evolved from the inconsistency of Jake Gardiner and Nikita Zaitsev to a having former Norris Trophy winner Mark Giordano and an internally developed right-shot defender/PK specialist in Justin Holl. On the third pair, instead of minor league talents in Travis Dermott and Connor Carrick, the Leafs have lofty-potential top-four defenders in prospects Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren.
Not only have the Leafs improved in every slot on the defensive roster, the depth pieces are much improved as well. Instead of relying on the likes of Martin Marincin and Igor Ozhiganov, the Leafs are carrying quality players in Conor Timmins, Jordie Benn, and even Victor Mete. Timmins has helped generate some offense at an unbelievable rate in his short stint with the Leafs so far, and Benn and Mete have proven to be viable depth options when the team faces injury. In Benn's case, he was even able to elevate his game enough to play alongside Morgan Rielly on the team's top pair without looking out of place.
What sticks out about the comparison from 5 years ago the most, is the continued presence of Rielly. While he may not be considered a traditional number-one defenseman around the league, he's been the Leafs' first option through a time where they were last in the league, to a perennial contender. His defensive shortcomings are not easily forgotten, but his offensive presence and longevity in the lineup won't either.
The comparison is really a testament to the work of Kyle Dubas, who was able to construct one of the league's top defense corps with a limited budget. With Giordano, Sandin, and Liljegren on value contracts, the Leafs have been able to retain more talent at forward and in the goaltending position. The improvement is evident all around, and still leaves out potentially our best two-way defender who could return towards the end of the season or at some point in the Playoffs - Stanley Cup Champion Jake Muzzin, though his health remains the top priority and there are no guarantees that he'll ever be back.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 5 | 201 ANSWERS 5 years later, here's how drastic the improvements have been on the blueline for the Leafs How would you grade Kyle Dubas' work on the blueline over the last 5 years? | ||
| A | 41 | 20.4 % |
| B | 80 | 39.8 % |
| C | 51 | 25.4 % |
| D or lower | 29 | 14.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
