In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs’ News & Rumors, I’ll take a look at Jason Spezza’s return to Dallas where he played with the Stars for five seasons. Second, I’ll look at the amazing season put up by both Auston Matthews AND Mitch Marner. I put AND in caps because they are so much better together than alone.
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Finally, I’ll take a look at how great the Maple Leafs’ special teams have been and compare them to the team they are playing tonight.
Item One: Jason Spezza Comes Home (Sort of)
The 38-year-old Jason Spezza is returning to Dallas tonight; and, I’d be totally surprised if he didn’t play. The Stars were the team he was traded to from the Ottawa Senators just over seven years ago.
Spezza remembers Dallas well. He noted that “I had five good years there in Dallas. It’s a great place to play. Hockey fans are incredible there. I really enjoyed my time there.” (from “Deeper Leafs have less room for Jason Spezza. In the end, the goal’s the same,” Kevin McGran, Toronto Star, 06/03/2022).
You can also tell where his head is and what matters to him when he added, “We got close (to the Stanley Cup) a couple of times, some Game 7s in the second round. Have some good friends there, so I’m excited to go back to Dallas and play.”
Spezza is now playing in a diminished role with the Maple Leafs, and that role seems to be diminishing even more this season because the team is deeper than it’s been during his first two seasons with the team. Also, he’s aging. Currently, he’s the sixth-oldest player in the NHL.
He’s recently been a healthy scratch a number of times; and, his scoring has gone down this season. He’s only put up a single assist during his last 10 games, and he’s been a healthy scratch four times in the past month.
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Spezza knows there’s competition and also knows that he has to keep himself “ready and stay fresh.” His nickname is Vintage and, when he looks around, he likely sees much younger teammates who want his minutes. He gets it.
He noted in a recent interview that “It’s just the nature of us having a good team, a deep team.” However, Spezza knows the postseason is a long journey and he believes he has a place on that trip. As he notes, “You need depth in playoffs and we have to keep everybody involved.” He believes that includes him.
Quick Hit Two: Matthews and Marner Are Having Record Seasons
Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander are having career seasons. However, they’re not alone. The talent general manager Kyle Dubas has put around them is probably the best roster the Maple Leafs have had since I’ve been covering the team. In fact, as Kevin McGran of theToronto Star wrote, it’s probably the best team the Maple Leafs have had “in decades.” He’s been covering the team for much longer than I have.
Matthews needs only one more goal to break the Maple Leafs’ single-season record of 54 goals set by Rick Vaive 40 years ago. While that seems a given, it’s also possible that Matthews might reach 60 goals on the season; and, he has 12 more games to do so.
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Marner’s also been more than carrying his own weight. He’s putting together a series of games that’s nothing like anything he’s done before. What a roll he’s on, both offensively and defensively. As he laces up his skates for tonight’s game against the Stars, he’s looking back at an amazing total of 26 points over only 11 games. He’s now up to 88 points in total, which is sixth in the NHL.
Item Three: How Good Are the Maple Leafs’ Special Teams?
One reason the Maple Leafs have been so offensively dominant over the season is that their special teams’ play is incredibly improved. For example, on the power play, most teams in the past would have been pleased if they scored one of every four times. The Maple Leafs are doing it almost one in every three times.
On the penalty kill, the Maple Leafs lead the NHL with 13 short-handed goals. They’re fast and dangerous. They pounce and scare the opponent’s defensemen.
Comparing their special teams to those of the Stars, the Maple Leafs power play ranks first in the NHL at 30.2 percent success rate scoring. The Stars rank 13th at 21.8 percent. On the penalty kill, the Maple Leafs rank seventh with an 83.0 percent successful kill rank. The Stars again rank 13th with a 78.8 percent success rate. (from “Leafs – Stars Game Night, Lance Hornby, Toronto Sun, 06/04/2022).
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
As readers know, I’m a great Spezza fan. His skills are leaving him, but he’s – at least in my mind – a sure Hockey Hall of Famer. He’s also a great mentor for younger players on the team. To me, and again maybe that’s my advanced age, I think the kind of leadership he brings matters.
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As a player, Spezza is sitting on 991 career points, which puts him 94th on the NHL’s all-time list. He’s recently passed such NHL greats like Paul Kariya, Rick Middleton, and the Maple Leafs’ own Dave Keon. I’m thinking he might retire after this season, win or lose.
I’d love to see him find nine more points somewhere for 1000 on the dot. I cheering for him.
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