For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The Toronto Maple Leafs early exit at the hands of the Boston Bruins obscured a successful regular season, as the club reached the 100-point plateau for the second straight year. The Leafs failed to advance in the postseason in spite of getting career-best performances from center John Tavares, wingers Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, and Zach Hyman, and defenseman Morgan Rielly. This will likely lead GM Kyle Dubas to make roster changes to improve his club to get past the first round for the first time since 2004. Here is the sixth installment of the final report card of the Leafs for the 2018-19 season:
Forwards – Part III Frederik Gauthier After being given two short stints in the NHL and winning the Calder Cup with the Toronto Marlies in 2018, the Leafs gave their 2013 first round pick a full year as the club’s fourth line center. The only conclusion that can be made is that the 24-year-old is a marginal player at best who does not use his size to his advantage. Gauthier improved on faceoffs (53.7% on draws), but averaged a team-low 8:22 per game and scored just 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) in spite of being linemates with the likes of Tyler Ennis, Connor Brown and Trevor Moore. Final Grade - D Tyler Ennis A great find by GM Kyle Dubas, the veteran winger was signed as a free agent after being bought out by the Minnesota Wild and provided energy, experience and valuable secondary offense on the fourth line. In spite of missing nearly two months with a broken ankle, Ennis scored 12 goals in 58 games and was noticeable in a support role against the Bruins. Final Grade - B+ William Nylander Have to clarify that this grade is based purely on expectations and his performance last season, not the player’s talent level or career in total. The contract impasse that had Nylander miss training camp and the first two months of the regular season never allowed the 23-year-old to catch up and get up to speed with the teammates except for a moment here or there. Playing a good chunk of his time on a line with Auston Matthews, Nylander scored just 27 points (7 goals, 20 assists) in 54 games, which would average out to 41 points over a full season and 20 points below what he did in his first two seasons. Nylander had three points in seven playoff games vs. Boston and did not adjust well to a move to center after the suspension to Nazem Kadri. Final Grade - F
Nic Petan Petan was acquired from Winnipeg for Par Lindholm at the trade deadline. The speedy forward scored a goal in his first game, but did not get a consistent chance to play down the stretch with Tyler Ennis returning to the lineup and the recall of Trevor Moore. It’s tough to give an evaluation after five games, but Petan’s lack of size and more offensive tool set did not fit with what Mike Babcock was looking for in a depth forward. Final Grade - D+
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