• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Toronto Maple Leafs

Why the Leafs Don’t Need to Invest in a Number One Centre Immediately

By Lukas Hardonk May 18th, 2012

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Follow @LukasHardonk

Hal Gill

Alongside Tyler Bozak, Mikhail Grabovski is half of a solid one-two punch the Leafs have down the middle (Icon SMI)

It’s seemed like the Toronto Maple Leafs have lacked a “true” first line centre for ever now, although it has really only been about four years. That is, of course, when legendary Leafs captain Mats Sundin left the team to join the Vancouver Canucks for half a season, which was infamously followed by his retirement from hockey.

During those four years people have cried and cried over and over again for the Leafs─no matter who the general manager at the time─to scour the trade and free agent markets for the Leafs’ next great top line centre until their brain fell out of their head. The rationale behind this is obvious and makes sense to a certain extent, but what people don’t realize is that a forward to centre a trio that now consists of Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel shouldn’t actually be the Leafs’ top priority.

True, Tyler Bozak has shown to be inconsistent and doesn’t put up 80+ points each season, Mikhail Grabovski isn’t the type of player who will lead a team’s forward group and set up the Leafs’ top players with success 100 percent of the time and Tim Connolly went from being a play making wonder to a third line checker. But none of that means the Leafs need to spend upwards of six million dollars on someone better than all three of those players.

Why? Well the answer is simple.

For starters, what Bozak has shown to be is a two-way centreman who will surely be able to reach the 50-point plateau in 2012-2013 following a 47-point output. He spent much of the season between Kessel and Lupul, who each had career years. For the record, Kessel finished with 37 goals and 80 points while Lupul notched 25 goals and 67 points in just 66 games.

Let’s not forget Mikhail Grabovski, either. Although he didn’t play a first line role very much last season, he did show that he can take over the spot if something happens to Bozak that affects him or the team negatively.

It doesn’t end with those four, though.

Perhaps where the form you can find the most clear reasoning comes in terms of goals for to goals against. On a team that doesn’t have a “true number one centre” as many people would say, scoring the tenth most goals in the league isn’t too shabby. Now compare that to the 259 goals they allowed, which was the second most allowed by any of the 30 teams this past season.

Further strengthening the point that the Leafs shouldn’t invest their money in a number one centre this summer is that they had scored the eighth most amount of goals prior to the all-star break. At that point the team owned a 24-19-5 record and sat in a tie for eighth in the Eastern Conference, a place that they would eventually lose out on and fall all the way down to 13th, 12 points out of the post-season. It’s clear the team can play successfully and score goals at a nice pace without an 80-point centreman on the top line.

A number one centre has become nothing but a dream for Leaf fans as general manager Brian Burke and his staff appear to be content with the position they’re in when it comes to their top line. One would have to believe that if they weren’t so happy, we would have seen some relatively major changes to the team’s roster in mid to late February as the trade deadline approached.

That’s good news for Leaf fans as it’s time for money to be spent a little more wisely on the team’s defence corps. Perhaps one way to do that is to send Luke Schenn to a different team alongside a draft pick, prospect or current Maple Leaf for a more stable and reliable defender, something the Leafs lacked last season despite the presence of Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarsson. That goes with no disrespect toward Schenn, but it goes without saying that he doesn’t fit on the Leafs’ current roster.

In a salary cap world there is nothing more important when it comes to the business of a sports team than the management of the team’s payroll. And since the Leafs aren’t exactly in the world’s best position when it comes to salary cap space, the team must spend its money carefully.

If you follow this team at all, you should know that a first line centre should not be the Leafs’ top priority heading into the 2012 off-season. Rather it’s the perfect time to focus on what’s really needed: stable and reliable defence.

Twitter: @LukasHardonk | Email: lukas.hardonk@gmail.com | Lukas’ archive

For every Leafs article on THW, follow @THW_MapleLeafs on Twitter.

  • Tags
  • Brian Burke
  • Joffrey Lupul
  • Mikhail Grabovski
  • Phil Kessel
  • Tyler Bozak
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 26th 11:25 AM
NHL Goaltending

Wild’s Backup Goaltender Kahkonen Stands Tall

Jan 26th 11:15 AM
Los Angeles Kings

Kings’ Kopitar’s Red Hot Start to the 2020-21 Season

Jan 26th 11:05 AM
Edmonton Oilers

Oilers Need Breakout Seasons From Younger Core to Be Successful

Jan 26th 10:55 AM
Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche’s Byram Already Making a Case to Stay in the Lineup

Jan 26th 10:45 AM
Nashville Predators

Predators Need to Re-Examine Line Combinations

Jan 26th 10:35 AM
Previews and Predictions

Jets’ Projected Forward Lines With Dubois

Jan 26th 10:25 AM
Dallas Stars

4 Takeaways From Stars’ Opening Weekend Games Versus Predators

Jan 26th 10:15 AM
Tampa Bay Lightning

Anthony Cirelli to Be Lightning’s Biggest X Factor in 2020-21

Jan 26th 10:05 AM
Montreal Canadiens

Montréal Canadiens Need to Work on Discipline

Jan 26th 9:55 AM
Advanced Stats

Devils News & Notes: Strong Start to 2020-21 Continues

Editor’s Picks
Test Your Wayne Gretzky Knowledge With Our Quiz

Test Your Wayne Gretzky Knowledge With Our Quiz

2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information