The Leafs would be foolish to avoid players who may lack this one specific attribute
I think we can all understand and appreciate the fact that building a winning hockey team is difficult - especially with the constraints that teams are under regarding the salary cap. I'm sure some believe that if they took over a team today, they could fix the problems overnight, but in reality, it's probably a lot tougher than people think.
The Leafs are not without their flaws. One of the biggest concerns among the fanbase is the age and foot speed of captain John Tavares. However, with a full no-movement clause in his contract, Tavares isn't going anywhere and, barring a massive shift in his desire to play in Toronto, we're going to see him play out the remaining two years of his deal.
The problem with Tavares beginning to slow down and likely being moved over to the wing is that it isn't just specific to Tavares. Now, many of the fans want to limit the types of players coming to Toronto via trade, free agency or extension who share some similarities with players like Tavares. Take Ryan O'Reilly, for example. There is a large contingent of the fanbase who doesn't want the Leafs to bring O'Reilly back because of his age and his foot speed. A similar cohort is already ruling out a Tyler Toffoli trade for the same reasons.
We have been hearing for weeks now about how the Leafs have to get faster. Why, exactly? Yes, winning puck races is important, and getting an edge on a defender is important, but speed is just one attribute. If the Leafs go about their business with the idea of getting faster in mind and ONLY getting faster, they're not necessarily going to be any better. The problem with shying away from players like Ryan O'Reilly, John Tavares and, to a lesser extent, Tyler Toffoli is that they're good players. They do a lot of things well, even if they aren't the fastest players on the ice.
Hockey IQ, compete level, vision.. these are all equally important attributes. These are all things that Tavares, O'Reilly and Toffoli have in spades and guess what - they're all also conducive to winning in the playoffs.
A winning team contains a variety of player types. Speed is important, yes, but not every player on your team needs to have blazing straight line speed. Sometimes, you need a player or two who can slow the game down. Sometimes you need players who can just work down low and grind some minutes off the clock. Sometimes you need guys who play a strong possession game.
Someone who I spoke with around this time last week said something that really stuck with me on this subject. He said that if speed was the most important attribute in hockey, Kasperi Kapanen would be a Hart Trophy candidate every year. Speed is just as important as any other attribute, yes - but it can't be the deciding factor in whether or not the Leafs pursue a player. They need to focus on players who excel in more than one area. If they can do that, they'll be ready for just about any scenario and the postseason success will come.
