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 third installment of the final report card of the Leafs for the 2018-19 season:
Defense - Part II
Travis Dermott
Dermott’s sophomore campaign was interrupted by a shoulder injury that had him miss most of the month of March. The young blueliner barely eclipsed his offensive totals as a rookie, with only one point in his last 16 games and 17 points (4 goals, 13 assists) in 64 games, but still showed some growth as a puck rusher on the bottom pairing. The 22-year-old was operating at less than 100% in the playoffs (with a shoulder that would require surgical repair after the season), but still had three points (1 goal, 2 assists) in the seven-game loss to the Bruins.
Final Grade: B-
Jake Gardiner
Gardiner took a step back after notching a career-high 52 points and struggled with chronic back problems in the second half of the season, with 30 points (3 goals, 27 assists) in 62 games. The absence of Gardiner was felt after the trade deadline, but that was more to do with the Leafs lack of quality depth on the blueline. He finished second to Rielly in average time-on-ice(21:13) during the regular season and quarterbacked the second power play, but was limited due to injury in the playoffs.
The 28-year-old is probably the most effective at using long stretch passes, but that has to be a tactic used by Gardiner because he still has a propensity for giveaways in his own zone. The eight-year NHL veteran is an unrestricted free agent this summer and it is likely that he will get offers that Toronto cannot match in free agency.
Final Grade: B-
Igor Ozhiganov
The 26-year-old former KHLer was competent but not spectacular in his rookie season, but never stepped up from a bottom pairing role in 53 games and has opted to return to Russia. Ozhiganov’s playing time decreased after the acquisition of Jake Muzzin in late January and he only got back into the lineup when Gardiner and Dermott were injured and finished with seven points (3 goals, 4 assists).
Final Grade: C
Martin Marincin
The veteran defenseman was pressed into service more than most of their fans (and probably the Leafs) wanted due to late-season injuries to their blueline. As has been the case for most of his tenure in Toronto, the lanky Slovak would put in the occasional decent performance, but would always resort to being a liability.
Final Grade: F
*******
Here we go.
— Norman James (@IamNormanJames) May 24, 2019
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