Beyond the Core Four: Maple Leafs’ Depth Scoring Dilemma

As pointed out in a recent article on The Athletic, the Toronto Maple Leafs are poised to be a contender in the Atlantic Division this season and the expectation is that their “core four” — Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares — will, as always, score a ton of goals. The question beyond those four when it comes to the offense is where it’s all going to come from.

The article, written in tandem by  Dom Luszczyszyn, Sean Gentille, and Shayna Goldman called it the “Wild Card” question for the upcoming season. They ask as they prepare for the upcoming season: do they possess enough scoring depth beyond their Core Four players? A prevalent narrative surrounding the Leafs suggests that their playoff struggles are due to their star players’ performances or a lack of commitment to team defense. While players like Matthews and Marner are pivotal to their success, relying solely on their brilliance may not be enough for deep playoff runs.

In the last postseason, the Leafs’ top six playoff scorers included Marner, Morgan Rielly, Matthews, Nylander, Ryan O’Reilly, and Tavares. Outside of this core group, secondary scorers like Matthew Knies and David Kämpf contributed modestly. Having reliable offensive options beyond the top players is crucial. This is where players like Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi could play a significant role.

Despite their imperfections, both demonstrated impressive five-on-five points per 60 minutes during the last postseason, outperforming every Leaf player outside of Rielly. Bertuzzi, particularly, showcased his playoff potential despite Boston’s challenges against Florida. The question about Domi comes when factoring his defense into the equation. In other words, he doesn’t really play it.

The Leafs are looking for Sam Lafferty to take a big step, but he’s not exactly a scorer. Noah Gregor is up for a fourth-line role and the Leafs shouldn’t expect anything out of Ryan Reaves. Nick Robertson can’t stay healthy and he’s a potential waiver move away from being back in the AHL.

Could A More Experienced Matthew Knies Play a Big Factor?

Knies, with a full regular season experience, could emerge as a more substantial contributor. Recognizing the necessity of depth scoring, the Leafs are looking for reliable alternatives. Relying on the Core Four alone may not suffice for prolonged playoff success. Finding consistent secondary scorers is imperative for the Leafs if they intend to advance beyond the initial rounds, making the upcoming season a crucial opportunity to address their depth-scoring concerns.

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