Almost three months into the 2023-24 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs defense continues to be a major talking point as a result of their poor play.
In every game this season, there have been instances of missed assignments and breakdowns on all pairings. There’s a reason why the team is on the hunt for some help on the backend early on. In addition, with all the injuries they’ve faced to this point with Connor Timmins (until his recent return), Timothy Liljegren and now John Klingberg, there are bound to be some call-ups and the potential for someone to surprise everyone.
That may be the case now as the team may have found some stability on the blue line from an unlikely source that can be a reliable seventh defenseman. The play of William Lagesson may not be getting a lot of attention, but he has certainly provided a positive impact when he has been on the ice. He has quickly gone from being on the outside looking in, to being an NHLer in a short span. There’s a lot to like from his small sample.
Lagesson Earning High Praise
Needless to say, it has been a bumpy road for Lagesson to settle into a full-time role in the NHL. He signed a one-year deal with the Maple Leafs in the offseason to give them some depth.
He hasn’t had much success in the league– only having eight assists in 72 career games– having stints with the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens along the way. He had a very productive season in the American Hockey League with the Chicago Wolves last season scoring 10 goals and finishing with 32 points. Although earning regular minutes hasn’t been easy for him, he’s still a serviceable defender when he’s called upon.
Before he was put on long-term injured reserve, Klingberg had a great review of Lagesson’s play.
“He’s guy is also really good at reading the game,” Klingberg according to The Hockey News’ David Alter. “You might not see a lot of offense all the time from him, but I think he’s on the right spot on the ice all the time offensively and defensively.”
Given how the Maple Leafs have been all over the place within their own end, Lagesson does bring a breath of fresh air with his defensive game and ability to shut things down. You got a sense of that during the preseason, where he had great moments on both sides of the puck. While he was in tough to make the roster, when he earned the call-up, he seemed to have picked up where he left off.
Related: Maple Leafs’ 3 Up, 3 Down: Klingberg, Finding Matthews & Marner
Even when Liljegren was injured against the Boston Bruins, Lagesson was moved further up in the lineup as he continued to make the right plays. He isn’t flashy, but he’s smart and doesn’t take as many risks as some of the other defenders on the team. That game was just the beginning for him as he has continued to stand out in a positive way.
Brings Everything to the Table
It’s most likely that he’ll be sent back down to the Toronto Marlies in the AHL when everyone is healthy, but Lagesson has done enough to warrant more looks as a result of his steady and composed style of play. You can never have enough defenders in your lineup and he has been an underrated player for the Maple Leafs since coming into the lineup.
Offensively, he’s not going to produce to the levels of a Morgan Rielly. His underlying numbers aren’t that great for the season– especially his goals against as he’s been on for eight– but he does have great chemistry with Simon Benoit as they have great results. With a minimum of 25 minutes played at five-on-five, Lagesson and Benoit have the best expected goals for percentage of 70.63 and scoring chances for of 64.29 of any pairing on the team. It’s a small sample, but great results.
Lagesson plays a very simplistic, but effective style of play with his decision making, along with an ability to pick his spots to be aggressive when he’s on the ice. There are moments where he jumps into the rush and is engaging on the attack but then quickly gets back into position when the team regains possession. He’s confident and knows when to step up and hold the line to keep plays alive and isn’t afraid to utilize his size and engage in a battle. Even defensively, he shows a great work ethic and ability to battle in the corners and in front of the net, providing strong coverage.
While there have been some lapses at times, he has been a little more consistent positionally than other defenders that have played this season.
Related: Hockey Insider Anticipates Maple Leafs Blue Line Trade
Lagesson has been giving the Maple Leafs what the team needs in terms of his impact in the 12 games he has played. He has 20 hits and his 17 blocked shots shows that he’s willing to get into the shooting lanes to sacrifice the body. He’s doing whatever it takes to win and is giving this team some steady play as a result. Even when things start to get chippy, he isn’t afraid of getting involved and making his presence known to send a subtle message to the opposition.
Considering how there was a lack of response when things go awry, that’s a big boost to show that he cares.
Ideal Seventh Defenseman
It’s very likely that the Maple Leafs will make a move at some point to address their defense. While Lagesson isn’t the answer for the long-term, he remains a vital piece to this lineup as a strong depth option.
While the offense may not come, he can still have a strong impact with his steady play. He’s physical and provides a little more consistency on the back end where there isn’t as much risk. He isn’t going to be a top-four option, but he’s definitely showing that he can be a serviceable defender for the bottom pairing and a player that can play minutes and move into the lineup.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick and NHL.