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Hadehariast · 06-07-2014, 03:44 PM

Toronto Maple Leafs - No Tee-Times Until June!

October-December 2013: Injuries, Collapses, and the Farmboys

The season began with a slew of injuries, defensive collapses, and roster juggling. October saw Tyler Bozak, Joffrey Lupul, and Mason Raymond all spend time on the IR for substantial periods. November was even worse: Phil Kessel, Nazem Kadri, Paul Ranger, and Antoine Roussel found the trainer's table, while Joffrey Lupul returned from the IR only to be hurt again five days later. In December, Jonathan Bernier, Carter Ashton, and James van Riemsdyk all spent time watching from the director's box. This series of injuries to important members of the team led to several players being called up, sent down, and called back up again, while also severely hurting the team's ability to play sound defence. For a time, the team's Goals Against stat was in the NHL's gutter...

Against this backdrop of surgeon's knives, the team made several moves to address the problem. Gabriel Desjardin's stay in the AHL was quite limited, as he was recalled to the team (permanently, as it turned out) on October 16, to fill in for Joffrey Lupul. After Phil Kessel and Nazem Kadri were both injured on November 7, Spencer Abbott and David Broll were both called up as replacements. Jamie Devane, Frazer McClaren, and Stuart Percy also saw time with the big club in November. The team was half-NHL, half-AHL. The farmboys had come up in droves.

Spencer Abbott turned out to be a revelation in his first month with the club, before cooling off. He contributed at nearly a point-per-game pace, as his speed and playmaking abilities helped to staunch some of the bleeding in the top-six. Gabriel Desjardins stepped into a third-line role and provided some much-needed defensive support for that line as Mason Raymond, David Clarkson, and even (gulp!) Antoine Roussel moved into the top-six, when things were at their worst.

Meanwhile, Paul Ranger's lack of dedication to training and poor skating ability combined to have the coaching staff pulling their proverbial hair out. This led to one of the best moves of 2013 for the Maple Leafs:

November 15, 2013

To Edmonton:
Paul Ranger
Tom Nilsson (Rights)
2014 7th Round Draft Pick (Toronto)

To Toronto:
Oscar Klefbom
Marc-Olivier Roy (Rights)

Analysis: This trade helped to satisfy two major needs for the Maple Leafs. Klefbom is a young, mobile d-man with excellent hockey sense and the ability to poke-check like it's no one's business. His upside as a top-four defender makes him a potential partner for Reilly or Gardiner for years to come. Adding the rights to Roy was the cherry on top. His playmaking and puckhandling skills, as well as his excellent hockey sense, make him the top offensive-minded forward in the minors for us. Having just turned 19 before the trade, Roy still needs another couple of years before jumping into the lineup, but it's nice to know that the Leafs have some top-six skill in the system.

Performance, Performance, Performance

With all the injuries sustained by the club, and the general turmoil created by trying to teach a half-dozen new players the team's system on the fly, it's no surprise that the team underperformed for the first three months. Losing so many top-six forwards for extended periods of time left the team relatively toothless, though the surprise of Spencer Abbott helped in that regard.

The arrival of Oscar Klefbom and the steady emergence of Morgan Reilly did help stabilize the blue line. Reilly started the season more slowly, but by December, had come into his own with a series of good performances. His dedication to training was paying off, as he was the fastest-developing player on the team. Some poor performances by veteran players underlined the problems Toronto faced in the first half, however. Cody Franson, despite putting up some good offensive numbers, was abysmal defensively. Several players, including David Clarkson, Nik Kulemin, Mason Raymond, and Carl Gunnarson, were all far below zero in terms of +/-.

Depite these problems, the team was tight to the .500 mark at the start of 2014. October's record was a surprising 6-4-2, while November saw a more pedestrian 5-6-2 record, and December continued the losing tradition with a 7-8-0 record. However, as of January 1, the team's record was 18-18-4, putting them within a couple of points of a playoff spot in the very tight Eastern Conference.

It was quickly becoming apparent that January would determine the outcome of the entire season. A string of bad performances, and the entire season-- and the careful plans of the GM-- would be lost.

06-07-2014, 03:44 PM	#2
Hadehariast Minors (Single A) Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 63	Toronto Maple Leafs - No Tee-Times Until June! October-December 2013: Injuries, Collapses, and the Farmboys The season began with a slew of injuries, defensive collapses, and roster juggling. October saw Tyler Bozak, Joffrey Lupul, and Mason Raymond all spend time on the IR for substantial periods. November was even worse: Phil Kessel, Nazem Kadri, Paul Ranger, and Antoine Roussel found the trainer's table, while Joffrey Lupul returned from the IR only to be hurt again five days later. In December, Jonathan Bernier, Carter Ashton, and James van Riemsdyk all spent time watching from the director's box. This series of injuries to important members of the team led to several players being called up, sent down, and called back up again, while also severely hurting the team's ability to play sound defence. For a time, the team's Goals Against stat was in the NHL's gutter... Against this backdrop of surgeon's knives, the team made several moves to address the problem. Gabriel Desjardin's stay in the AHL was quite limited, as he was recalled to the team (permanently, as it turned out) on October 16, to fill in for Joffrey Lupul. After Phil Kessel and Nazem Kadri were both injured on November 7, Spencer Abbott and David Broll were both called up as replacements. Jamie Devane, Frazer McClaren, and Stuart Percy also saw time with the big club in November. The team was half-NHL, half-AHL. The farmboys had come up in droves. Spencer Abbott turned out to be a revelation in his first month with the club, before cooling off. He contributed at nearly a point-per-game pace, as his speed and playmaking abilities helped to staunch some of the bleeding in the top-six. Gabriel Desjardins stepped into a third-line role and provided some much-needed defensive support for that line as Mason Raymond, David Clarkson, and even (gulp!) Antoine Roussel moved into the top-six, when things were at their worst. Meanwhile, Paul Ranger's lack of dedication to training and poor skating ability combined to have the coaching staff pulling their proverbial hair out. This led to one of the best moves of 2013 for the Maple Leafs: November 15, 2013 To Edmonton: Paul Ranger Tom Nilsson (Rights) 2014 7th Round Draft Pick (Toronto) To Toronto: Oscar Klefbom Marc-Olivier Roy (Rights) Analysis: This trade helped to satisfy two major needs for the Maple Leafs. Klefbom is a young, mobile d-man with excellent hockey sense and the ability to poke-check like it's no one's business. His upside as a top-four defender makes him a potential partner for Reilly or Gardiner for years to come. Adding the rights to Roy was the cherry on top. His playmaking and puckhandling skills, as well as his excellent hockey sense, make him the top offensive-minded forward in the minors for us. Having just turned 19 before the trade, Roy still needs another couple of years before jumping into the lineup, but it's nice to know that the Leafs have some top-six skill in the system. Performance, Performance, Performance With all the injuries sustained by the club, and the general turmoil created by trying to teach a half-dozen new players the team's system on the fly, it's no surprise that the team underperformed for the first three months. Losing so many top-six forwards for extended periods of time left the team relatively toothless, though the surprise of Spencer Abbott helped in that regard. The arrival of Oscar Klefbom and the steady emergence of Morgan Reilly did help stabilize the blue line. Reilly started the season more slowly, but by December, had come into his own with a series of good performances. His dedication to training was paying off, as he was the fastest-developing player on the team. Some poor performances by veteran players underlined the problems Toronto faced in the first half, however. Cody Franson, despite putting up some good offensive numbers, was abysmal defensively. Several players, including David Clarkson, Nik Kulemin, Mason Raymond, and Carl Gunnarson, were all far below zero in terms of +/-. Depite these problems, the team was tight to the .500 mark at the start of 2014. October's record was a surprising 6-4-2, while November saw a more pedestrian 5-6-2 record, and December continued the losing tradition with a 7-8-0 record. However, as of January 1, the team's record was 18-18-4, putting them within a couple of points of a playoff spot in the very tight Eastern Conference. It was quickly becoming apparent that January would determine the outcome of the entire season. A string of bad performances, and the entire season-- and the careful plans of the GM-- would be lost.