Monday Mailbag – Late Night Edition

Do you ever just get so consumed with work that you don’t realize what day of the week it is?

I still think so. The team seems to thrive with him on the ice, his production is solid, he draws penalties like nobody’s business, and he’s still fairly young. He might not be a lock to be a top flight first line centre, but he’s definitely a legitimate top six forward. It’s up to the Leafs to find the right scenario for him. So far, he looks pretty good where he’s been this year.

Honestly, it depends on the execution. We’re not going to see an instant transition to the jerseys in the Swedish Hockey League, for example. A small patch in the top left (or the shoulder) wouldn’t be the end of the world – AHL teams have done that for a while and it’s super hard to notice.

A specific point that needs to be brought up a bit more – the Leafs are actually a positive Fenwick Close team right now. Close-situations Fenwick is one of the best indicators of play control, and after being an abysmal 42.04% last season, seeing 50.65 at this point is fantastic.

Beyond that, the team has had marked improvements in most possession metrics. Zone time is worrisome still, however. Their offensive zone start percentage of 44.65 trails only the Sabres, though its a slight improvement on last year.

Seeing as TVR’s goal was changed to give credit to Kris Versteeg, I’m going to have to go with James on this one. This is probably the most useful thing that Versteeg has ever done for the Leafs.

He’s shown serious moments of skill with the Marlies over the past few weeks, but amazingly hasn’t put up a single point. I’m not quite sure what’s going on there. I have a feeling they’re going to need a strong hot streak from him before they look back in his direction.