The resumption of the NHL regular season and/or the Stanley Cup Playoffs may be in question, but that is not going to prevent us at Hockeybuzz from providing daily content for our readers. We will continue to provide you with updates on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to the season, but we will also report on news specific to the Toronto Maple Leafs and reflect on the club’s season and player performances through 70 games.
We will continue with the report cards with a look at a couple more of the Leafs defensemen:
Tyson Barrie
Acquired in the deal for Nazem Kadri in July, Barrie was expected to help generate offense and help break the puck out of the defensive zone as he did in Colorado, but the 28-year-old did not fit Mike Babcock’s system and was a disaster until Babcock was fired in favor of Sheldon Keefe.
Barrie was promoted to the top power play unit under Keefe (which improved to a top five ranking) and became a more consistent offensive contributor, leading Leafs blueliners with 39 points (5 goals, 34 assists) in 70 games, but he has been below average defensively and often loses puck battles along the boards. GM Kyle Dubas considered moving the pending free agent at the trade deadline, but could not get a package of picks and prospects equal to his value.
Grade - C-
Justin Holl
Holl is the poster child for the Leafs developmental program. The 28-year-old was a second round pick of the Blackhawks in 2010 who was signed to an AHL contract by Dubas when he was GM of the Toronto Marlies, won a Calder Cup in 2018, earned an NHL deal and was re-signed to a three-year, $6 Million extension in December.
After being a healthy scratch for nearly all of last season, the right-handed Minnesota native earned an opportunity to play regularly with Travis Dermott out because of off-season shoulder surgery and was promoted under Keefe to a shutdown role with Jake Muzzin and top pairing minutes when the Leafs encountered injuries on the blueline.
Grade - B+
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One year ago today, the Leafs actually won a game in Buffalo over the division rival Sabres, as Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and Zach Hyman scored and Garret Sparks made 22 saves in a 4-2 win at Key Bank Center.
Matthews led the Leafs with seven shots on goal and put forth a dominant performance, after struggling for long stretches following his return from a shoulder injury.
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