Some key observations about the Leafs after the first 5 games
The Leafs own a 3-2-0 record through 5 games and while that could be better, it could certainly also be a lot worse. Wins over Montreal, Minnesota and Tampa and losses to Chicago and Florida provided a pretty solid glimpse into what this season's team is all about. Not all of it has been positive, but it's not all negative either. In no specific order, here are some of my key observations to begin the year.
Observation #1:
Auston Matthews opened the season with a bang, scoring hat tricks in back-to-back games. While he has yet to tickle the twine since, he has certainly had his chances. A healthy Matthews is a dangerous Matthews and I like his odds of hitting 60 again this season.
Observation #2:
While on the subject of Arizona products, Matthew Knies seems to be the real deal - not that that should surprise anyone. Knies was excellent in a very limited sample size last season and after scoring his first 2 career NHL goals (not including his playoff marker last year), he has shown himself to be a true impact forward, which is wild when you consider that he hasn't even played 10 regular season games yet.
Observation #3:
After going through the arbitration process and being awarded a 1-year, $3.55M deal, the ball was very much in Ilya Samsonov's court to open the season. Most were expecting a strong start with how well Samsonov had played last season. However, as we well know, things have not gone according to plan for the Leafs and Samsonov to begin the season and now he stands a pretty good chance of losing the net to 25-year-old Joseph Woll, who has been very solid in his two appearances this season. If we're going specifically by the numbers, Woll (1-1-0, 1.69 GAA, .949 SV%) has a distinct edge over Samsonov (2-1-0, 4.34 GAA, .831 SV%). Samsonov will be given every opportunity to redeem himself, but at the moment, it's almost certainly Woll's net.
Observation #4:
John Tavares is currently tied for the team lead in points in 9 points in 5 games. Yes, the same 33-year-old Tavares that many were wondering whether or not could still play center. Yes, he can still play center. No, he's not suddenly going to stop being good at the things he's been good at his entire career just because he's not as fleet-of-foot as he once was. His office is along the wall, behind the goal line and in front of the net. You don't need to be fast to excel in these areas and Tavares is proving now that he's going to be just fine.
Observation #5:
John Klingberg is not going to suddenly change who he is. He is an offensive threat, especially with the extra room to work with on the power play, who is an absolute liability in his own end. Sheldon Keefe and the coaching staff have their work cut out for them. They need to find a way to keep this dude out of his own zone as often as humanly possible.
Observation #6:
Max Domi struggled mightily through his first 4 games as a Leaf. Chalk it up to Maple Leaf jitters and the pressure of the hometown kid pulling that jersey over his head for the first few times or just to some early season rust. Whatever the case may be, he hadn't been good through 4 games. However - that 5th game showed us a lot about what Domi is and can be. His pair of assists on Matthew Knies' 3rd period goals were world class. This is the playmaker that Brad Treliving signed - not the one who struggled to make anything happen during the first 4 games. Now it's on Domi to find that consistency and use his performance in the 5th game of the season to gain some momentum.
Observation #7:
I saved this one for last on purpose. Obviously, the William Nylander contract situation has been covered ad nauseum dating back to July 1st. The ask, as we all know is in the $10M range. The offer, as was previously reported, is believed to be under $9M. Not only was Nylander one of the best players on the team last season, but he's been quite arguably the best player not named Auston Matthews this season. After scoring 9 points through his first 5 games of the season, there's very little anyone can say to convince me that he's not a $10M player. Brad Treliving needs to pay this man before his $10M ask becomes an $11M or $12M ask. It was a mistake not pushing to get a deal done this summer and it would be a mistake to wait until the summer of 2024.
There are plenty of other talking points, but in the interest of keeping it on the shorter side, I'll cut it off there. Depending on how readers respond to this piece, I may make this idea a weekly occurrence.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 22 | 218 ANSWERS Some key observations about the Leafs after the first 5 games What is the most surprising thing about this Leafs season so far? | ||
| Tavares leading the team in points | 71 | 32.6 % |
| Joseph Woll taking over the net | 55 | 25.2 % |
| Matthew Knies being an immediate impact piece | 41 | 18.8 % |
| Other | 51 | 23.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
