Leafs captain send clear message that the team will play with more of an edge this season
At the conclusion of last year, with the Leafs being eliminated by the Florida Panthers in 5 games in round 2 of the playoffs, the focus for new GM Brad Treliving appeared to be becoming tougher to play against.
Treliving spoke throughout the summer about wanting to add more "snot" to the Leafs' game, which will undoubtedly lead to more excitement during the regular season, but it will be much more noticeable in the playoffs, which must be music to the ears of Leafs Nation. The additions of Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Reaves and Max Domi further proves that the Leafs are serious about changing the dynamic and approaching the game differently this season.
Leafs captain John Tavares was among those who spoke with the media on Wednesday during team medicals. Today is Tavares' 33rd birthday, and it's safe to say that he knows better than anyone else how fast the time flies. He's running out of time to win a Stanley Cup, so the time is now to kick things up a notch.
Tavares acknowledged on Wednesday that Treliving has had conversations with the team about playing with a little more intensity, something that the captain has embraced. He also revealed how excited he is to welcome the new players and the new team identity.
Obviously, there has to be buy-in throughout the lineup. No, this doesn't mean that Mitch Marner, at 180 lbs, has to go around picking fights with guys who stand 6'3 and 220 lbs. It just means that the Leafs, from the top of the roster to the bottom, need to have some pushback and play with some backbone. For Marner, he may not have to drop the gloves, but it might mean some pushing and shoving during post-whistle scrums.
I'll be intrigued to see how many players on the roster play a little bigger this season, knowing that there are 5 or 6 guys in the locker room who won't hesitate to drop the gloves this year if need be. We've seen Rielly and Giordano do it in the past. Sam Lafferty has some snarl to his game as well. Now, with Bertuzzi, Domi and Reaves around, the Leafs are no longer a team who will be pushed around.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 20 | 299 ANSWERS Leafs captain send clear message that the team will play with more of an edge this season Is John Tavares capable of playing a more physical game to help lead by example in Toronto? | ||
| Yes, he's a big boy and needs to play bigger | 66 | 22.1 % |
| No, it's not what he's here for | 71 | 23.7 % |
| Captains need to do whatever it takes | 162 | 54.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
