There was much speculation early in the season about the possibility of Carolina Hurricane defenceman Tim Gleason being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. On the day of the Winter Classic showdown between The Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, this deal finally came to fruition, as general managers Dave Nonis of Toronto and Jim Rutherford of Carolina consummated a deal sending John-Michael Liles and the rights to prospect defenceman Dennis Robertson to Carolina in exchange for the aforementioned Gleason.
As I wrote in a blog earlier in the season, Gleason would be a great fit in Toronto, filling a role that the team was sorely lacking in. So far, 17 games into the trade, the deal has looked great for the Leafs, with Gleason playing exactly as expected. However, Toronto is still getting outshot in the majority of games, and the addition of Gleason is clearly only a start in improving the Leafs somewhat porous defensive game.
Gleason has been great since the trade, playing a hard-nosed, defensive game that intimidates the opposition and makes the goalie’s life easier. He has also been a key penalty killer and shot blocker, with many of his blocked shots coming at the most crucial times when the game is on the line. From a stats perspective, the Leafs are getting out shot by an average of roughly 6 per game since the Gleason trade, an improvement from the 9.4 they were being outshot by before he was in the lineup. It is great to see this improvement, but being outshot by an average of 6 per game is still a lot, so what can be done to improve this?
One solution that actually could be a relatively easy fix is to bring in a more reliable fourth line. As much as Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren are heart and soul players and great fighters and teammates, having both of them, and some might say even one for that matter-in the lineup every night is a mistake. Many games this season the fourth line has averaged less than 5 minutes of ice time, which can be directly related to the fact coach Carlyle does not trust these two players enough to give them more responsibility. This has meant added minutes and fatigue for the top three lines, especially in a season with a condensed schedule due to the Olympic Break.
The great thing about fixing the fourth line is it can be done internally. Once Dave Bolland comes back from injury, Jay McClement can slide back into the fourth line role that he is best suited for. A player like Jerry D’Amigo, Carter Ashton, or perhaps both can be recalled to flank McClement and Orr and/or McLaren can be buried in the minors with no little cap consequence (the first $900,000 of their cap hits would be removed from the team).
Another intriguing option is bringing Leo Komarov back form the KHL. Per TSN’s Jonas Siegel, Komarov wishes to come back to the NHL next season, and with his defensive, physical, and agitating skills combined with his versatility, would be a much more reliable option on the fourth line. By putting out a fourth line that is more skilled and defensively reliable than the current one, the Leafs will be able to take the pressure of the top three lines and possibly start controlling the possession game instead of chasing the puck all game. While he would need to clear waivers before he would be eligible to return to the club this year, the move can be made safely in the summer without the need to place Komarov on the waiver wire.
Another option that could be taken to reduce the shots against per game is to trade one of the team’s skilled, puck moving blueliners. With the high ceilings on Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly, the guy most likely to go would be Cody Franson. As much as his size and offensive skills are tantalizing, Franson’s skating makes Luke Schenn look like Mason Raymond, and his defensive brain cramps are very frustrating. There would be a market for him though, as his previously mentioned skills are highly coveted by many teams.
Trading one of the team’s offensive blueliners for another reliable, tough, shutdown defenceman like Tim Gleason, and tweaking the fourth line could be what turns the possession tables in Toronto’s favour. These are much needed moves, if Toronto wants to take the next step forward, from playoff contender to Stanley Cup contender.
