Noel Acciari posting some elite defensive numbers for the Leafs

When Leafs GM Kyle Dubas made a push to acquire Ryan O'Reilly from the St. Louis back in February, it was originally thought by many within the fanbase that Noel Acciari was a throw-in in the deal. However, prior to last night's game in Carolina, it had become very apparent that "Cookie", as his teammates call him, was much more than just a casual throw-in.

Prior to last night's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Acciari ranked 1st in shot attempts against, 2nd in goals against, 1st in expected goals against, 1st in scoring chances against, 1st in high-danger chances against and 2nd in defensive zone starts. His heat map is something to behold.

On top of his defensive impacts, Acciari has also racked up 53 hits in just 16 games with the Leafs, 12 blocked shots, 22 shots on goal and is over 51% in the faceoff dot. He also has 3 goals to his credit. All in all, a pretty solid start for Acciari in his short stint in Toronto.

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