For eight seasons, fans have heard the narrative that the Toronto Maple Leafs lack secondary scoring, and they need it to win. The problem is that you have to be able to pay for it. When you have a four-player core forward unit that takes up just less than half the team’s cap space, after defense and goaltending, there isn’t much left to pay for 20+ goal scorers, which is what a team needs to have scoring in their bottom six.
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Like it or not, the bulk of the scoring has to come from the top two lines. In the Maple Leafs’ case, the core forwards are the key scorers. The best they can hope for from their secondary players is that they are defensively efficient enough to play the opposition even.
If the other lines can play their opposition even, in most cases, the core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander should be able to outscore the opposition. If that happens, the Maple Leafs should win the game.
The Difficult Task for Tyler Bertuzzi and Matthew Knies
The Maple Leafs have problems with the left wing. They are one of the strongest teams in the NHL with the one-two center-right wing combinations of Matthews and Marner and Tavares and Nylander. However, whoever lines up on the left side usually has a difficult time learning to play with those talented duos.
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When they were with the Maple Leafs, Zach Hyman and Michael Bunting had some success alongside Matthews and Marner; however, Tavares and Nylander have had a parade of left-wingers. These players have come and gone. Yet, as hard as the Maple Leafs seem to try, it’s been tough to find someone who works.
We can’t help but wonder if the old saying “there is only one puck” is part of the left-wing problem. There’s only one puck on the ice, and when Matthews, Marner, Tavares, or Nylander is on the ice, one of them will have it on their stick. Whoever plays on the other side of the ice is going to be playing without the puck most of the time. They are like a third wheel on a date.
If the left-winger does manage to get their stick on the puck, their main goal has to be to pass it to one of the other four players. Although there’s been some critique of Bertuzzi’s lack of scoring, we don’t know how much success anyone put in that position can expect. Still, that Bunting was able to put up 23 goals in two straight seasons suggests it’s possible. But that was with Matthews and Marner.
This Season, Bertuzzi and Knies Have Been Tasked with Being the Third Wheel
This season, Tyler Bertuzzi and rookie Matthews Knies have been tasked with being the third wheel on the top two lines. And, like those that have come before them, they are struggling to put up points. Bertuzzi has six goals and 21 points in 48 games. That puts him on pace for 10 goals and 35 points. Knies has eight goals and 18 points in 47 games. That is a 14-goal, 31-point pace. These are not great numbers when the players they are playing with are putting up between 75 and 100 points in a season.
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By the eye test, while Bertuzzi and Knies have not added much offensive production to the top two lines, they have brought something. Both players are physical and tenacious forecheckers. They are both good at going into the corners, mixing it up, getting their stick on the puck, and getting it to the other two forwards or the defensemen at the point. They also play key roles in front of the opposition net, providing screens and making life difficult for the opposing goalies.
Why Bertuzzi and Knies Aren’t Putting Up Bigger Points
Bertuzzi has had his chances to score, but he seems snakebit. He has had his stick on the puck in tight so many times but has failed to capitalize on his chances. That said, history has shown he should eventually fight through this and start to see those chances go in. If it isn’t during the regular season, his success during the last postseason with the Boston Bruins suggests that he’s adept then as well.
Knies is a different case. He’s a rookie. While he has produced at the collegiate level, he doesn’t have a history in the NHL. Except, if Maple Leafs fans recall, he was all around the scoring during the first two rounds of last season’s playoffs. It seemed as if every time the Maple Leafs scored, Knies was on the ice.
During this regular season, Knies is learning as he goes. What better way to learn than to play with two of the best forwards in the league?
This is Not the Time for the Maple Leafs to Make Changes
Both Bertuzzi and Knies are playing a role that is needed on the top two lines, and playing that role pretty well. We realize that there’s an attraction to go out and try to rent a left-winger for the Maple Leafs’ top-six unit. However, we believe that would be a mistake. Given the unique roles that Knies and Bertuzzi play and their history of showing up in the postseason, it’s time to let the top six ride out the season – wherever it might go.
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The fact is that whether we are right or wrong, the answer is the same. Given the team’s spotty regular-season production to date, using resources to bring in a top-notch rental might be wasteful. If we are right, the Maple Leafs ship could correct itself before or during the postseason. The history for both Bertuzzi and Knies (although his sample size is small) suggests it’s possible.
Either way, no moves at the trade deadline seems like the right move.
[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]
