It's time for a big change on the 4th line
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made significant strides between last season and this one, despite losing their number one goaltender and their lop line left winger to the Hurricanes and Oilers, respectively. But where the subtractions of Frederik Andersen and Zach Hyman were cause for concern before the start of the season, the Leafs have not been any worse for the wear this year, thanks to the play of Michael Bunting, Ondrej Kase and David Kampf (who were brought in to replace Hyman by committee). The goaltending is another story, but I digress.
One area that the Leafs appeared particularly strong at prior to the start of the season was their 4th line. Not only did they retain the services of veterans Jason Spezza and Wayne Simmonds, but they also had several forwards within the system that were more than capable of rotating in and out depending on the matchups, so long as Spezza and Simmonds hadn't declined too much from last season.
The problem is that, unfortunately, both players have shown some serious signs of decline. I'd like to think that Spezza's drop off is more because of arguably the worst season of Wayne Simmonds' NHL career, but the truth is that Spezza, who is soon to turn 39, has been on the back 9 of his NHL career for a number of seasons.
During Sunday's game against the Florida Panthers, the Leafs' 4th line did not register a single shot on goal. Not one. That puts their expected goals per 60 minutes at 0%. There's no way that the coaching staff and GM Kyle Dubas aren't aware of how staggeringly bad that is. Are they going to be content in icing that 4th line in the playoffs and risk getting caved in when the games really matter? I don't think so.
In my mind, there's absolutely nothing wrong with Colin Blackwell. He's a guy you can keep on that 4th line, or elevate, and he's going to play just as well regardless of where he is. So now the question becomes; should the Leafs remove Simmonds from the lineup? Spezza? Or both?
With NCAA standout Nick Abruzzese set to make his NHL debut in the not too distant future, he could end up being a natural Spezza replacement. If Matthew Knies signs his ELC with the Leafs after the conclusion of the Frozen Four, perhaps that can form your Leafs' fourth line right there.
Both Knies and Blackwell play a very physical game, and Abruzzese is a smart, skilled playmaking center who should have no problem setting up Matthew Knies to uncork his laser of a shot. Blackwell can be your chaos man in front of the net, as can Knies, and Blackwell's puck retrieval skills are on point.
Young legs may end up going a long way for the Buds. And, worst case, if Knies or Abruzzese is not ready for NHL action, the Leafs do have Nick Robertson, Kyle Clifford, Joey Anderson, Alex Steeves, and the newly signed Curtis Douglas, who are all deserving of a look.
Nothing against Spezza or Simmonds. They're both beauties. Both excellent human beings and great leaders. But it might be time to face the reality that they're not NHL players anymore.
| POLL | ||
MARS 28 | 466 ANSWERS It's time for a big change on the 4th line Should the Leafs pull Spezza and Simmonds from the lineup? | ||
| Yes | 110 | 23.6 % |
| No | 61 | 13.1 % |
| Just Spezza | 25 | 5.4 % |
| Just Simmonds | 270 | 57.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
