The Leafs have a major Alex Kerfoot problem
The Leafs have had a remarkable first quarter of the season when you consider that the team has endured injuries to both Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov, with the team's third string goaltender, Erik Kallgren, seeing more starts than either of the two aforementioned netminders.
The Buds are also dealing with a banged up defense corps, with Jake Muzzin, T.J. Brodie, Morgan Rielly, Jordie Benn and Timothy Liljegren all having missed significant time this season. Heck, there are even problems up front with an underperforming bottom-six and the enigmatic struggles of Auston Matthews, whose shooting percentage is much lower than that of his career average. His 5v5 scoring is uncharacteristically low as well.
There are a number of players on the Leafs' roster who the team needs more from. With someone like Matthews, the problem is going to sort itself out. Matthews has shown throughout a very large sample size over his first six seasons what type of player he is. This isn't it. The struggles of Pierre Engvall are also concerning, especially for a player who possesses his unique blend of size and speed. But even with how poorly Engvall has performed at points this season, his shortcomings pale in comparison to Alexander Kerfoot, who is leaving by far the most on the table of any Leaf this season.
Kerfoot has been downright bad in the first quarter. His 1 goal and 7 points is tied for the lowest of any forward on the team who has played in all 22 games with Calle Jarnkrok, who just received a bump up to the top-six and scored in his first game there. Kerfoot has had multiple opportunities to play alongside both John Tavares and Auston Matthews this season and has not been nearly as effective as he was last season, when he notched a career high 51 points in 82 games. Right now, Kerfoot is on pace for about half of that - just 26 points.
Kerfoot's lack of finishing ability was frustrating for stretches last season, but even with those frustrations, he still finished with 13 goals. This season, he's had multiple "Grade A" chances but has not only failed to convert - he's done so in horrendously embarrassing fashion... more than once. Kerfoot is on pace for under 4 goals this season, which, given the time he plays and the roles he's been cast in for the Leafs, is downright embarrassing. How bad is it? Well, Kerfoot is actually DEAD LAST in the National Hockey League for Goals Above Expected in all situations.
The Leafs are currently paying Kerfoot $3.5M per season and he's in the final year of his current deal. Someone needs to tell Alex that he's in a contract year, because he's in the process of shooting himself in the foot. The Leafs need him to be better. He needs to be better. This 22-game run is unacceptable for a player who makes $3.5M, or 4.2% of the team's salary cap. Surely, there are better ways to spend that cap space, right?
While he's a popular guy in the room among his teammates, his play this year is leaving a lot to be desired. In a season as important as this one, the Leafs simply can't afford to standby and allow Kerfoot's lack of production continue without addressing it. The best way to send him a message at this point would be to healthy scratch him, much like what they've done with the other players on the roster who have underperformed at times. Players like Wayne Simmonds, Nick Robertson and Denis Malgin have all been scratched in multiple games. There needs to be some accountability here. If the message that you're sending these players is that consistency is required to stay in the lineup, then surely the coaching staff will have to apply the same logic to Kerfoot - and soon.
Look - I'm sure Alex Kerfoot is a great guy. But if the goal is to win a Stanley Cup, he's currently not moving the needle in that direction, which makes him more of a liability than it does an active contributor.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 26 | 314 ANSWERS The Leafs have a major Alex Kerfoot problem Should the Leafs healthy scratch Alex Kerfoot? | ||
| Yes | 235 | 74.8 % |
| No | 79 | 25.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
