Toronto Maple Leafs: Success Driven By A Healthy Roster
The Toronto Maple Leafs have had more success so far this season than anticipated, and a lot of that has to do with being a healthy team.
It’s hard to win games when you’re plagued by injuries, but the Toronto Maple Leafs have been able to avoid the injury bug so far this season.
According to Man Games Lost, the Leafs have the third lowest Injury Impact To Team total at 357.08.
That number, compared to the underachieving Tampa Bay Lightning for example, is considerably low. The Lightning have the sixth highest ITT at 1050.26. I don’t think it’s irrational to say that the Lightning, had they enjoyed the health Toronto has had, wouldn’t be higher in the standings right now.
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Imagine a Leafs team with an injured Marner or Matthews. Devastating.
For all of the talk the play of this team gets, health is one that never seems to be touched on. Perhaps it’s relative to the voodoo involved in mentioning a shutout when a goaltender is well on his way to one. If so, my apologies.
This is a team that plays a good possession game, works hard and has a tremendous offensive group. Take away the offensive part and the Leafs flounder as they’re built right now.
The current push toward the playoffs will be heavily weighted on the young stars of this group remaining healthy. Without them, the Leafs are who everyone expected them to be this season.
This is relevant to the Leafs goaltending situation due to the workload that Frederik Andersen is being forced to endure because of the lack of confidence in Jhonas Enroth, Antoine Bibeau and Garret Sparks.
Andersen has received his fair share of heat this year despite being in the top half of starting goaltenders in the league. Consider this team with him on the shelf. Not a pretty sight.
The mandatory week off, contrary to Mike Babcock’s belief, is a good thing for this team. The kids need the rest and, more importantly, Frederik Andersen needs the rest.
The work-share isn’t going to be increasingly divided anytime soon, so an extended break only allows Andersen’s body to recharge and get ready for the next wave of starts he’ll be handed.
The Leafs season depends largely on their ability to stay healthy and remain on the low-end of the injury impact scale. That means a healthy Matthews, Marner and Andersen are the top priorities when it comes to the injured list.
