{"id":117325,"date":"2021-08-20T07:55:59","date_gmt":"2021-08-20T11:55:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=117325"},"modified":"2021-10-13T18:54:01","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T22:54:01","slug":"rasmus-sandin-make-break-season-leafs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2021\/08\/20\/rasmus-sandin-make-break-season-leafs\/","title":{"rendered":"Rasmus Sandin Faces a Make or Break Season in Toronto"},"content":{"rendered":"

If the Toronto Maple Leafs are to succeed next season, Rasmus Sandin<\/a> must become an effective, full-time NHL player. At the time of writing, the former 29th<\/sup> overall pick isn\u2019t that, nor does the hockey world quite know how to measure what \u2018success\u2019 means in Kyle Dubas-land.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with Sandin, who is likely to start next season on Toronto\u2019s bottom pair.<\/p>\n

The left-shot Swede was selected in the first round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft (Seymon Der-Arguchintsev and Mac Hollowell were the Leafs\u2019 other notable picks that year). Sandin has made it into the big show 42 times since being picked, registering thirteen points (two goals, eleven assists), and ten penalty minutes.<\/p>\n

Is Rasmus Sandin ready to step up in Toronto?<\/h2>\n

Briefly inspecting Sandin\u2019s output goes a long way in explaining his impact in the NHL.<\/p>\n

During his two seasons as bit-part Leaf, Sandin has upheld positive Corsi and Fenwick ratings \u2013 which, to cut through the jargon, means that Toronto controls the puck better than their opponent whilst he is on the ice. Moreover, the 21-year-old, who spent a season with the Soo Greyhounds back in 2017-18, has started the majority of his shifts for the Leafs in the offensive zone (62.7 percent in 2020-21).<\/p>\n

As a result, it is fair to assume that the Uppsala-native is a player that Toronto\u2019s technical staff believe has the upside to develop into an everyday, offensive defenceman in the NHL. And that prediction is well-grounded. According to Hockey Reference<\/em>, Sandin is currently performing at a 27-point pace over an 82-game season.<\/p>\n

Of course, forecasting a player\u2019s production is an imprecise science, especially when the skater in question has only contested 37 regular-season games. However, Sandin\u2019s upside is well-known, he registered 10 points (all of them assists) in 13 playoff appearances for the Marlies in his rookie AHL campaign and continued to produce at a similar rate the following season.<\/p>\n

‘A make or break season awaits’<\/strong><\/h3>\n

So, what\u2019s the problem? Sandin has grown (in skill and stature) since making his NHL debut aged 19 and earned a spot on the Leafs\u2019 powerplay in round one against the Montreal Canadiens<\/a> last season.<\/p>\n

Evidently, he is a key part of Sheldon Keefe\u2019s plans heading into 2022. Therein lies the issue. Is Sandin ready to be a big piece of the puzzle for an organization that is aiming to make a deep run in the playoffs next season? Is Toronto\u2019s blueline resilient enough to be able to support Sandin\u2019s development while winning enough games to achieve their goals?<\/p>\n

Maybe. But possibly not.<\/p>\n

At the time of writing, the Maple Leafs\u2019 depth chart looks something like this:<\/p>\n

First Line:<\/strong> Nick Ritchie<\/a> \u2013 Auston Matthews<\/a> \u2013 Mitch Marner<\/a><\/p>\n

Second Line:<\/strong> Michael Bunting<\/a> \u2013 John Tavares<\/a> \u2013 William Nylander<\/a><\/p>\n

Third Line:<\/strong> Ilya Mikheyev<\/a> \u2013 David Kampf<\/a> \u2013 Alexander Kerfoot<\/a><\/p>\n

Fourth Line:<\/strong> Pierre Engvall<\/a> \u2013 Jason Spezza<\/a> \u2013 Ondrej Kase<\/a><\/p>\n

Extra Forwards:<\/strong> Wayne Simmonds<\/a>, Adam Brooks<\/a>, Kurtis Gabriel<\/a>, Nicholas Robertson<\/a>, Michael Amadio<\/a>, Joey Anderson<\/a><\/p>\n

Defence Pair 1:<\/strong> Morgan Rielly<\/a> \u2013 T.J. Brodie<\/a><\/p>\n

Defence Pair 2:<\/strong> Jake Muzzin<\/a> \u2013 Justin Holl<\/a><\/p>\n

Defence Pair 3:<\/strong> Rasmus Sandin \u2013 Travis Dermott<\/a><\/p>\n

Extra Defencemen:<\/strong> Carl Dahlstrom<\/a>, Timothy Liljegren<\/a>, Alex Biega<\/a>, Brennan Menell<\/a><\/p>\n

Goalies:<\/strong> Jack Campbell<\/a> – Petr Mrazek<\/a><\/p>\n

Depth Goalies:<\/strong> Michael Hutchinson<\/a>, Joseph Woll, Ian Scott<\/p>\n

You might notice three things about Toronto\u2019s roster: (1) the core four <\/em>is still intact<\/a>, (2) the Leafs didn\u2019t lose anyone from their 2020-21 group to expansion<\/a>, (3) Dubas opted against replacing Zach Bogosian<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Will Dubas’ gamble pay off?<\/h3>\n

Essentially, the Leafs are rolling back last year\u2019s team with a less experienced blueline and a Zach Hyman<\/a>-less offence. Thus, Brendan Shanahan<\/a>\u2019s \u2018Shan-plan\u2019 rests on Dubas winning two significant bets: that Toronto\u2019s powerplay is set for a revival and that Bogosian wasn\u2019t the difference-maker in their 2021 defence.<\/p>\n

If the Maple Leafs continue to fire blanks on the man-advantage, they will struggle in a stacked Metropolitan Division. If Bogosian was behind Toronto’s defensive improvement, they will be reliant on Sandin making developmental progress to bridge the gap.<\/p>\n

As a result, a lot rests on a certain 21-year-old\u2019s shoulders. As his point-scoring rate suggests, Sandin could be the answer (or at least part of it) to Toronto\u2019s powerplay struggles. It\u2019s why he was handed an ill-fated run as the Leaf\u2019s quarterback against the Habs. Likewise, Sandin\u2019s defensive contributions will be vital if the Leafs are to uphold their improvements on the backend from 2018-19.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be mistaken, Rasmus Sandin\u2019s performances could make or break a decisive season for the Toronto Maple Leafs.<\/p>\n

I say he does it.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>