Two Leafs stars give rave reviews of newly-acquired D-man after playing with him on the road; it's not who you might think either
It's been over a week now since the Leafs acquired defenseman Erik Gustafsson and Boston's 1st round pick in 2023 from the Washington Capitals in exchange for 22-year-old Rasmus Sandin. The trade has received mixed reviews from the fanbase, largely due to Sandin, at many points, appearing to be a big part of the team's future on the blueline.
Since coming over from Washington, the trade hasn't worked out so well for Gustafsson, especially because it happened in the middle of a lengthy road trip with very limited practice time with his new teammates. However, prior to coming over to Toronto, Gustafsson had racked up 38 points with the Caps, and currently leads all Leafs defensemen in points this season. Meanwhile, Sandin has been crushing it in Washington, notching 5 points in 3 games, which I'm sure doesn't sway the optics of it in Toronto's favour.
Despite the fanbase's lukewarm early review of Gustafsson, he has already endeared himself to several of his teammates, including Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, who both seem to value what he brings to the table. Both Matthews and Marner were very complimentary of Gustafsson's game when asked about him on Friday.
Matthews on Erik Gustafsson: "I think he's going to get more comfortable and acclimated here and continue to get better and better. He's a really good player and he's had a really good season and I'm pretty sure he scored a hat trick against us not too long ago. He's a really good defender and the offensive side of his game really stands out & how smart he is and where he jumps into plays and stuff. It's not easy to jump to a new team, new system, new players.. it takes time."
Marner on Gustafsson: "A very skilled player. [Gustafsson] sees the ice really well and makes plays and just is really smooth out there, so it's always nice when you get another D-man like that who can make a lot of plays and jump through the rush... I think, when he's been in the lineup he's played some serious good D for us and has been really reliable."
Head coach Sheldon Keefe views Gustafsson as an important piece for the Leafs as well. Following practice on Friday, Keefe spoke to the idea that the team really needs to keep Gustafsson involved and allow him to develop some chemistry with his new teammates. Yesterday's practice in Toronto was Gustafsson's first practice in his new home practice rink with the Buds. Keefe believes the line rushes and having some time to work with guys he'll be playing with on a regular basis will help.
Keefe: "He was thriving in Washington. He was playing a ton and running a power play - lots of points and feeling really good about his season. It's been tougher for him, coming here and now he's playing behind a lot of guys. He offers our group some things, not unlike what [Rasmus] Sandin brought us in terms ability to move the puck, help us on the breakout, help us in the offensive zone, help us on the powerplay, so I think it is important to keep him involved and right now it's in the 11F/7D mix."
The 11F/7D lineup is not the most popular setup, but with the Leafs having 9 or 10 NHL defensemen when everyone is healthy and accounted for, it's the only way to really keep guys in the mix and help them to get comfortable playing with one another before the playoffs begin. Gustafsson was paired with Morgan Rielly at practice on Friday, but will likely play with a few different partners tonight when the Leafs welcome the Oilers to Scotiabank Arena.
| POLL | ||
MARS 11 | 343 ANSWERS Two Leafs stars give rave reviews of newly-acquired D-man after playing with him on the road; it's not who you might think either Should Erik Gustafsson take over for Morgan Rielly on the top power play unit, given how successful he was there in Washington? | ||
| Yes | 234 | 68.2 % |
| No | 28 | 8.2 % |
| PP2 is fine for him | 81 | 23.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
