All is right in the (Toronto Maple Leafs’) world. They are on a three game win streak. They are back to being tied for first in the Atlantic Division, and they face a very beatable Western Conference opponent on Hockey Night in Canada as they face off against the Nashville Predators. Things are generally pretty good and Toronto’s schedule lends itself favourably to the three team dogfight with the Panthers and Lightning.

The Predators, Flyers, and Sharks being three of the Leafs’ four opponents in the coming week presents a golden opportunity to stake claim to the top playoff seed in their division and come this time next week it will be interesting to get a read on the pulse of Leafs fans after what seems like an open book test for their playoff readiness.

Here are a few other stray thoughts.

Right sizing expectations of Scott Laughton

When a team gives up a first round pick and a promising prospect the price paid is going to set a lot of expectations for what that player should do. That’s the unfair reality and one that is presently being applied to Scott Laughton. The price that Brad Treliving paid to get Laughton in a Leafs’ uniform isn’t on him, and the fact that he hasn’t immediately grabbed the third line centre role with gusto and become a penalty killing dynamo that regularly produces offence at 5v5 is more on Brad Treliving for overselling the acquisition and on Craig Berube for initially not putting Laughton on a line that was going to be his best fit.

Laughton was barely a third line centre on the Flyers and is likely a Leaf largely out of necessity after Brad Treliving’s plans to acquire Brayden Schenn fell through. With other alternatives like Yanni Gourde and Brock Nelson already off the board, Laughton become the best option and the Leafs acquiring him at 50% of his cap hit had merit, but didn’t change some of the truths like his flimsy hold on the 3C position on a worse team.

Laughton is more of a complementary player to a line despite playing centre. His best offensive numbers are also from his usage up in the lineup when he was getting the opportunity to play with Travis Konecny or from when Laughton would be deployed on the wing. He’s a strong checking forward and capable of being a part of secondary offence, it’s just that he’s not the driver. Starting him in Toronto on a line with Bobby McMann and Max Domi seemed like it was entrusting too much to Bobby McMann to drive the play, Max Domi to distribute to capable but not elite finishers, and for Laughton to be a solid third option up the middle and balance out the shortcomings of Max Domi in the defensive zone. It was too much.

Laughton with Lorentz makes a lot more sense. There is a bit of an identity there. They are both physically imposing and can be trusted in their own end but won’t be regarded as stellar in that role. The depth on the Leafs also affords them the opportunity to put a pretty decent third piece on that line with either Jarnkrok, Kampf, or Holmberg, and when Pacioretty returns, the options will improve again. They might be labelled as the fourth line but it’s a pretty trustworthy line and one that can cut into the minutes of the third line that would require sheltering.

Ignoring the price paid for Laughton, this seems like the best place to at least start his time with the Leafs and maybe even deploy through the playoffs. It seems fair that the bar is raised for Laughton for next season, but for now, forcing a player into a role they can’t and aren’t ready to succeed in doesn’t seem like a good idea.

2024-25 has been Tavares at his best

This season it seems like John Tavares hasn’t been talked about a lot. At least not after the initial acknowledgement that the reports of his decline were greatly exaggerated, and prescribing the narrative that his rebound from the drop in production last year was due to the removal of the “C” from his jersey. Maybe that’s true, but now that Tavares has reached the 1,100 point mark, it seems like as good a time as any to reflect on how the centre should be a part of the Leafs’ future regardless of what unfolds in the postseason.

The reality is that even last year, Tavares was consistent with how he’s always been. It’s just that the powerplay was dismal in 2023-24 (Dismal-er?) I know it doesn’t have much support this season either, but 25.5% is still up from 24%). He already has more powerplay goals than last season and is close his 2023-24 powerplay point total with 13 games remaining. His even strength numbers are also up. When you factor in the spike in 2022-23 powerplay numbers and the decline in 2023-24, it is more that Tavares has returned to his offensive form of 2021-22 which at 34 years old is something you love to see, even if it is a contract year.

Understandably, if the playoffs don’t go well for the Leafs or Tavares there will interest in shaking things up. But he should be immune to that for a few reasons (despite having two points in seven games as the most recent playoff performance to speak of).

Tavares wants to be a Leaf (just like he wanted to be an Islander) and if there is a respectful deal in place it does seem possible he can be back at a reasonable price.
The centre market isn’t great this summer and Brad Treliving’s trade deadline efforts might not inspire confidence in his ability to land an upgrade that the position.
The fact that Tavares doesn’t rely on speed likely means his production drop off will be delayed or not as steep. Getting above average production out of him for the next three seasons at least seems reasonable.
Moving him into a third line role or a spot on the wing can help optimize Tavares in the later years.

The Leafs seem to have a high maintenance locker room, and having someone like him, who gets perceived as “boring” or even keeled if not stabilizing is at least a presence that doesn’t add to the difficulty level of team management.

Tavares responding the way he has after giving up the captaincy has been a success story that both sides should want to build off of.

The annual “identity” conversation

Few things exhaust me like the Maple Leafs identity conversation, so why not write about it just as I start my vacation and get fired up over it once more. The TSN Overdrive crew once again raised the topic this week and for my sins and yours, here’s my take on it:

The first thing is that Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and Tavares are the identity. Whether you like it or not, and whether how the Leafs organization has supported them or built the lineup behind those players has changed over time, the identity of the Leafs is still about optimizing their high end offensive weapons.

That has changed with trying to put tougher supporting cast members in their top six, building a tougher blueline, being tougher to play against, or having more reliable goaltenders to steal games. But, while all of that has been going on, it is still the core four identity, and if things don’t go right in the playoffs this year, that is where the spotlight will be before getting dismissed for less controversial tweaks.

There is nothing wrong with that being the Leafs identity, and moving on from the days of all out offence to a more balanced lineup isn’t a bad thing. Just like if the Leafs had stuck with the offensive approach, it would have been fine too. It is clear the direction they are going in. It’s also a nonsense question as you could ask that of almost any team in the league and you’ll get a variety of shrugs or cliched answers. It’s not identity that is holding the Leafs back, it seems to be preparation.

The past playoff appearances the Leafs seemed unprepared. They didn’t seem like they had done their homework on their opponents and as the series unfolded, they didn’t adapt to what was required to win. I’m not sure you can say they didn’t have the right personnel; it’s just that they weren’t doing the right things. A lot of that can be put on Sheldon Keefe and giving this group a shot at the playoffs without him seems fair.

You can debate the level of confidence that Craig Berube has inspired that things will be different under him in the post season, but until the Leafs get there, a lot of this is based off one off games against opponents and the fact that the 82-game season is an opportunity to test different ideas, not necessarily lock in your perfect lineup card every night.

“Identity” as defined by hockey pundits seems to be achieved when you have a roster, coach, and GM all on the exact same page. It’s pretty rare and still requires the right level of talent for actual success. If there is a barrier, it might be that the Leafs have the talent but the organization seems to be at odds on how they use it.

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Right sizing expectations of Scott Laughton

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The annual “identity” conversation

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