Former Leafs enforcer slams the Leafs for not committing a roster spot to Wayne Simmonds
Jay Rosehill played parts of three seasons with the Leafs from 2009 to 2012 before ending his career with a two-year stint in Philadelphia. He was one of the toughest guys in the league throughout his career and while with the Leafs, he was part of a fourth line that also included fellow enforcer Colton Orr.
Rosehill was recently on the "Sticks in the 6ix" podcast and blasted the Leafs for not giving Wayne Simmonds a fourth line spot saying, "You look at Wayne Simmonds. That guy's played 1000 games. He's been a powerplay guy. He's been a top line guy. He can still keep up. He can still make plays. I don't think he's done and you can't just tell that he can't play on the fourth line for the Toronto Maple Leafs."
Simmonds has played in just 3 games so far this season for the Leafs, but it's not because they don't want him to play - it seems like it's more because of the fact that he can't keep up and isn't as versatile as fourth liners like David Kampf, Zach Aston-Reese and, currently, Denis Malgin. Those guys are more defensively responsible than Simmonds, can contribute on special teams and have earned Keefe's trust. Not only that, but they are able to move the puck up the ice much quicker than Simmonds, who has lost a step or two at the age of 34.
There are certain matchups where Simmonds will be in the lineup. For instance, against the Jets or possibly the Bruins on Saturday, with guys like Trent Frederic patrolling the ice for the B's. Simmonds will get his chances, but Keefe and Dubas have made it a point to craft a more versatile fourth line that can play more than six or seven minutes a night so that they don't have to play their top two lines 25 minutes per game and keep them fresh for the playoffs.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 4 | 184 ANSWERS Former Leafs enforcer slams the Leafs for not committing a roster spot to Wayne Simmonds Should Simmonds be a permanent fixture in the Leafs' lineup for the rest of the year? | ||
| Yes | 114 | 62 % |
| No, he can't keep up | 70 | 38 % |
| List of polls | ||
