Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Leafs Defense

The Defense

Francois Beauchemin: Two-way defenseman who can be utilized in a variety of situations. Plays well with everyone, but is better served to be a supporting-type player than a catalyst on a top-pairing. Strong-skater, but lacks the speed to recover when beaten. Loves to initiate contact. Struggled earlier in the season, but has settled down and been playing his best hockey of the season. Still prone to brain-bending blunders that are somewhat blown out of proportions. Has taken on the heaviest duties throughout the season. Will eventually show why he was signed to his 3.8M contract. Grade: B-

Garret Exelby: Supposed to be a strong third-pairing defender, but has completely shit the bed. Potty training would be completely pointless. While he was part of the Kubina trade in a quest for cap-room, you had to have expected a little more out of a guy who has played several years in the NHL already. Handles the puck like a grenade and is devoid of any hockey sense in his own zone. Definitely on the way out. Grade: F

Jeff Finger: Victim of an undeserved contract. Is strictly a second-pairing defenseman on a bad team, but Toronto is a bad fit for him - doesn't have the skill or potential to leap ahead of anyone on the depth chart. Has barely played in favour of grooming the younger guys. Unlikely to be buried in the minors and will continue to spot-start when needed. Grade: C-

Carl Gunnarsson: The biggest surprise of the 2009-10 Toronto Maple Leafs, he has exceed everyone's wildest expectations. Hockey sense seems to be off-the-charts in his own end, but his offensive skill-set seems a bit limited. Owner of a good first-pass and a decent shot, and could be a lot more down the road, but there's not enough of a sample size to draw an accurate portrait of his ceiling. Bottom-pairing defenseman for the time being, but should he continue to progress, may eventually push out Kaberle. Grade: A

Tomas Kaberle: Surprised everyone at training camp by showing up in the best shape of his life. Was off to a torrid start before the overall lack of skill and depth on the team began to catch up to him as teams targeted the neutral zone to counteract his puck-rushing abilities. Exceptional puck-mover who uses head and body fakes to open up space in the neutral zone. An elite passer who puts it on the tape or in the wheelhouse. Owns elusive ability. Still a bit above average in his own zone, but his complacent, tepid nature can infuriate management and fans alike. Has been relegated to third pairing of late in order to lessen his defensive burden. Grade: B+

Mike Komisarek: Surgery aside, was improving by leaps and bounds after a disastrous start to the season in an effort to live up to his contract. One thing he'll never be mistaken for, an offensive juggernaut. Good skater for his size who can recover when beat. Lacks innate sense of positioning, but has the size to clog the lanes. Will be a fantastic support player who plays against the best offensive talents in the league, but will need to be paired with a strong puck-moving defenseman. Will hopefully bounce back next year better than ever. Grade: C

Dion Phaneuf: The sample-size is small, but his impression has been huge. Can play all three zones at an elite-level. Exceptional and unique edge-work that is the back-bone of his excellent skating ability. Not afraid to mix it up along the boards - in fact, seems to relish it. Quietly calmed down the utter mess that was the Leafs' defense with his edgy play and utilization of his offensive skill-set. Will be a huge fan-favourite and a dominant force in Toronto if he continues to climb the ladder of the expectations of his contract. Grade: N/A

Luke Schenn: The regression of earlier this season seems a bit over-blown - his confidence was badly shot after a few blunders and took some time to recover. Has momentarily lapses in concentration, but it seems more reflective of his surrounding cast's performance than a fundamental problem with his game. Has surprised fans with his ability to move the puck and take a shot himself. Foot-speed has improved by leaps and bounds and has thrived with Phaneuf in the mix. Defense has tightened up and his offensive skill-set is starting to bloom. Grade: C+

Overall: It's tough to quantify the performance of the defense with the shoddy goaltending the Leafs got earlier in the season. With Gigiuere minding the net, the defense can focus less on trying to do everything, and more on taking charge. Phaneuf's arrival has created a trickle-down effect that has relegated Beauchemin and Kaberle from full-time first-pairing responsibilities. His presence has also allowed Schenn and Gunnarsson to take advantage of the extra room they have on the ice. This is a major part of Burke's rebuild and if Phaneuf continues to play the way he has in Toronto, it will be the steal of the decade. The general consensus seems to be that Phaneuf and Schenn will be the anchor of the defense for the years to come while Burke continues to experiment with Gunnarsson, Komisarek, and Beauchemin. A tough, physical, mobile defensive corp that can be elite with the right mix down the road - perhaps as soon as next year. Grade: C

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