Maple Leafs’ Defensive Scoring: Who’s Contributing at 5-on-5?

This analysis focuses on the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ defensive production at 5-on-5, based on statistics compiled from Natural Stat Trick. Unlike analyzing the team’s forward group, where we typically analyze a broader field of 14 players, this evaluation considers only seven defencemen who have played a significant number of games.

Six of these players have played more than half the season, and we’ve included Philippe Myers, who has played 23 games and contributed one of the team’s nine total goals from defencemen.

Analyzing 5-on-5 Play for the Maple Leafs Defence

To better understand each player’s impact, we summarize their contributions across goals, assists, points, and shot metrics at 5-on-5.

Top Three 5-on-5 Goal Scorers

Despite not being a pure goal-scorer, Morgan Rielly leads the defencemen in 5-on-5 goals. While he scored 20 goals in 2018-19, his career has been more defined by playmaking and puck movement. His three even-strength goals this season underline the team’s general lack of scoring from the blue line.

Once a consistent double-digit goal scorer, Oliver Ekman-Larsson has transitioned to a more defensive role as he’s aged. Still, his two 5-on-5 goals show he remains a threat from the point.

McCabe, Tanev, Timmins, and Myers round out the list with just one goal each, reinforcing Toronto’s struggles with defensive scoring depth.

Defensemen Without a 5-on-5 Goal

Simon Benoit is the lone Maple Leafs defenceman yet to score at 5-on-5 this season. This isn’t surprising, as he has just five career goals in 252 NHL games.

Top Three 5-on-5 Assist Leaders

Ekman-Larsson surprisingly leads this category, given his limited power-play time. Almost all his assists have come at even strength, highlighting his ability to contribute offensively without special teams minutes.

Jake McCabe follows closely behind with 12 assists, while Rielly sits in third place with 10. Despite leading all Maple Leafs defencemen in overall assists, only half of Rielly’s 20 total assists have come at 5-on-5.

Bottom Three 5-on-5 Assist Leaders

Myers and Benoit fall at the bottom of the list, given their limited ice time and defensive focus. Timmins, known for having some offensive upside, has been unable to match the production of players like McCabe or Ekman-Larsson.

Chris Tanev falls outside the top and bottom three with eight assists, putting him in the middle of the pack.

Top Three 5-on-5 Point Leaders

Ekman-Larsson’s 19 points make up nearly 30% of the Maple Leafs’ total 5-on-5 points from defencemen, emphasizing his offensive importance. Rielly and McCabe are tied for second, which reflects Rielly’s slightly underwhelming even-strength performance compared to his historical standards.

Bottom Three 5-on-5 Point Leaders

Like the assist totals, Myers and Benoit remain at the bottom. Tanev once again sits just outside the bottom three with nine points, showing his ability to contribute offensively despite a heavy defensive workload.

Zone Start Distribution: A Key Indicator of Usage

Top Three 5-on-5 Offensive Zone Start Percentages

These numbers highlight how head coach Craig Berube deploys his players. Rielly starts nearly two-thirds of his shifts in the offensive zone. He’s been given prime opportunities to generate offence. However, his production hasn’t matched his usage.

Given his limited offensive reputation, Myers’ 58.8% offensive zone start rate is surprising. That suggests Berube might be sheltering him from defensive responsibilities. Ekman-Larsson’s balanced usage indicates trust in both zones.

Top Three 5-on-5 Defensive Zone Start Percentages

Berube leans on Tanev and McCabe in crucial defensive situations, starting them in the defensive zone more than 60% of the time. Benoit’s inclusion is surprising, but his physicality and defensive focus likely contribute to Berube’s trust in him.

Despite starting most of their shifts in the defensive zone, Tanev and McCabe have contributed offensively, showing their ability to impact the game at both ends of the ice.

The Bottom Line for the Maple Leafs Defence

While Toronto’s defence hasn’t been a significant source of offence, Ekman-Larsson has emerged as the most productive defenceman at 5-on-5. Though still valuable, Rielly has not produced at the expected level, given his offensive-zone deployment. Meanwhile, Tanev and McCabe continue to play key defensive roles while contributing offensively to a lesser extent.

Balancing offensive production with defensive reliability will be critical as the Maple Leafs look to solidify their blue line for a playoff push. If Rielly can elevate his game at even strength and Ekman-Larsson continues his strong play, Toronto’s blue line could become a more well-rounded unit.