5 questions the Maple Leafs should reply earlier than the ultimate playoff examination

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On Saturday, Dec. 31, the Toronto Maple Leafs will play their final sport of the 2022 calendar 12 months; a 12 months during which they’d nearly as a lot success as a staff can have…whereas concurrently leaving the vibe that the 12 months wasn’t successful.

Here’s the Leafs in 2022, throughout two barely completely different rosters, playoffs included:

RECORD: 59-25-11  (.679 factors proportion, third-best in NHL)

GOALS/GAME: 3.76

GOALS AGAINST/GAME: 3.07

PP: 24.0%

PK: 80.3%

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Leafs followers noticed the puck drop on 95 video games and their staff get factors in 70 of these, with an opportunity to win 60 occasions by beating Colorado Saturday. That’s a 12 months many, and even most, fanbases would like to expertise.

But we all know success for Toronto now could be decided by the post-season, and that their efficiency in seven of these 95 video games (which included three wins) had the impact of dampening the keenness about all the remainder of that hockey.

As issues sit proper now, the Leafs are the third-best staff within the NHL by factors proportion within the 2022-23 season, having overcome a sluggish begin to rip off yet one more torrid November.

But realizing that no matter occurs in these first four-to-seven video games in April will outline their 2023, some huge questions loom about simply how ready they’ll be to have success in these greatest moments.

For Kyle Dubas and the Leafs, these 5 questions will outline the subsequent 12 months, and the way they’re set as much as accomplish their objectives each in April, and past.

Do they get critical now and push to catch the Bruins, or use the 12 months to experiment with completely different lineups, D-pairs, and particular groups mixtures?

Don’t look now, however the Leafs are but once more on a crash course to play the Tampa Bay Lightning within the playoffs, a membership that’s virtually definitely going to play within the 2/3 seed Atlantic collection, miles behind Boston and sitting method forward of the challengers beneath. The Bolts are at the moment rolling out Mikhail Sergachev on their PP1, simply to see how that appears, and to organize him in the event that they want him within the post-season. But, as of a pair weeks in the past, Jon Cooper mentioned that’s nonetheless Victor Hedman’s spot come playoffs. They’re experimenting, attempting to be ready for all the things the post-season could throw their method.

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On the opposite hand, the Leafs have “experimented” with gamers up within the top-six, giving loads of possibilities to see if anybody may seize the coveted alternative. Nobody has up to now, and they also’ve wasted video games getting beneath expected-quality play from a left winger of their top-six.

And so, they in all probability must decide quickly: Do they continually roll out their maximally optimized strains and pairs each night time, or do they make a commerce early – quickly right here – to fill that spot with true expertise, to allow them to attempt to search out the Bruins, who’re at the moment 9 factors forward of them? Let’s not overlook, there’s effectively over half the season left to play, and the Bruins may nonetheless journey up for a stretch of video games alongside the best way. Will the Leafs push for that one-seed, which is able to possible draw somebody from this group in Round 1, quite than Tampa Bay or Boston:

Or will they merely go together with Tampa’s motto that you just simply must get within the playoffs to have an opportunity, give alternatives to younger guys to see if anybody can shock you, and check out folks in several spots everywhere in the lineup all season?

Is this an exciting chase of the Bruins or a coast to the end line, ready to rev up the engine for when the actual race begins?

Will the staff decide to Kyle Dubas with a brand new contract or not?

Whatever you consider Dubas, there’s little question he’s a tough employee who thinks creatively and has constructed a staff that’s made constant common season successful ho-hum for years now. His contract expires at season’s finish, and there can be no scarcity of NHL groups that’d take the success the Leafs have had (mixed with the laborious classes Dubas has realized within the post-season) as the way forward for their entrance workplace.

If Toronto doesn’t decide to him, is he free to commerce a number of first-rounders/prospects/belongings within the quest to have success Right Now?

Maybe it’s no huge deal. Maybe it’s offensive sufficient to the GM that even when the staff does have playoff success, he’ll nonetheless wish to work elsewhere. Whatever you consider the job the person has achieved, this choice will form the Leafs within the years to come back, when the wage cap begins to climb, and the superstars want their second huge contracts.

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Will the Leafs decide to Matt Murray or Ilya Samsonov this season (and past?)

There’s motive to regulate Ilya Samsonov’s play for the Leafs. He makes $1.8 million this season and is an RFA subsequent summer season. If he exhibits he will be an NHL starter, it’s doable the Leafs may decide to him long run, which might then imply they’ve obtained an costly back-up, and will look to discover a cheaper possibility there than Matt Murray’s practically $5 million greenback deal via 2023-24. So there’s motive they may give the Russian netminder some room to show he’s the man.

But apart from that huge image thought (which may conceivably have an effect on this season’s goalie deployment), who do they suppose will give them one of the best probability at a Stanley Cup this 12 months? The older man who’s achieved it or the youthful man with some pedigree? Both Murray and Samsonov performed wildly above expectation within the early elements of their seasons with the Leafs. Of late, they’ve regarded a lot, a lot (a lot) extra human.

Going into the season, I used to be involved about this place for the Leafs. Now I ponder: are their goalies going to be those they’d for the primary couple months of the season, or are they destined to be extra of what they’ve been of late, which hasn’t been unhealthy, however definitely wouldn’t make you comfy within the playoffs?

The staff simply wants one in all them to leap up and snag the crease. Maybe they need Murray to be the man as a result of he’s received earlier than. Maybe they need it to be Samsonov to allow them to have a less expensive, youthful starter within the years forward. Maybe they don’t care they usually simply need one in all them to cease pucks now to allow them to win a spherical.

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Are they purusing the commerce deadline menu for an entrée or aspect dishes?

What this query actually boils all the way down to is: are they going to maintain Matthew Knies and hope he might help them (a 6-foot-3, 210-pound left winger who can rating sounds interesting), or are they going to commerce him for a extra established, efficient NHLer? For the report, Knies has 11 objectives and 11 assists in 20 faculty video games this 12 months, third on University of Minnesota behind Jimmy Snuggerud and Logan Cooley.

Fans love to have a look at their prospects and overvalue what they’re prone to turn into. Knies might be a rookie with zero video games of NHL expertise studying on the fly, and the chance with the Leafs (based mostly on roster holes) is method up the lineup, alongside John Tavares and Mitch Marner (or possibly within the playoffs, by Tavares and William Nylander). It’s an enormous ask, so you possibly can see why if the purpose is to win now (and it’s, proper?) they may wish to money in Knies for somebody who they know might help at the moment.

But there’s an opportunity he may do it and be a valued a part of this staff for years to come back with no acquisition value. The Leafs would get higher, hand over nothing for it, and acquire a participant who’s dust low-cost.

If they preserve Knies, it’s unlikely they’ve sufficient capital to commerce for an enormous “entrée” kind participant (except they’re high quality buying and selling extra first spherical picks, which I suppose is feasible). But Knies is on the coronary heart of any selections they’ll be making within the months forward, so watch his improvement intently.

And lastly,

Do they wish to use the Jake Muzzin LTIR cash on a D-man, or a left winger?

When Muzzin went down, there was a frenzy in Leafs nation about how one can exchange Muzzin. Who can do what a wholesome Muzzin does across the league – play bodily and dependable, eat D-zone begins and PK minutes in opposition to stars – all for $5.6 million, and who’s giving guys like that up? (Hint: no person.)

But because the video games performed out, a actuality set in: the Leafs are higher than anticipated on the back-end, as Timothy Liljegren has taken a transparent step and turn into a helpful on a regular basis contributor, and Rasmus Sandin has overcome a sluggish begin to put collectively a powerful first half.

Suddenly it turned clearer that the massive “need” for an excellent Leafs staff was some depth scoring. It’s an space that has traditionally handcuffed the Leafs as they’ve gotten into the post-season, groups have centered on their stars, and their output has slowed down. They’re nonetheless outdoors the league’s top-10 in objectives for per sport, they usually may use an additional push.

But it’s no simple name. In the playoffs you’re going to wish eight D-men to go deep, and sloughing off the necessity on the place as a result of two small-ish defencemen have been good within the common season may lack foresight. You’d wish to get higher everywhere in the lineup, in fact, however this isn’t fantasy sports activities – sensible challenges are in every single place.

They’ve obtained the Muzzin cash to spend, and different artistic methods so as to add greater contracts come the deadline (particularly, by transferring gamers and asking for wage retention). So what’s going to they prioritize? Defending? Scoring? And will their goaltending maintain up sufficient for this query to even matter?

These are powerful questions, and most want a solution earlier than the staff even will get to their remaining examination.

Happy New Year everybody. Here’s to an excellent 2023 to all my fellow hockey followers on the market.

More from Sportsnet

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Winning Maple Leafs know success in 2023 received’t be judged till April

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