Continuing the evaluation of the Maple Leafs, moving from the goalies and defense to Toronto’s forwards, who for most of the season were able to score with regularity, but after the Olympic break the offensive struggles went hand-in-hand with their defensive breakdowns and subpar goaltending to create the perfect storm that was the March collapse.
Wingers
James van Riemsdyk : If there was any doubt that Brian Burke committed highway robbery in one of his final moves as Leafs GM, van Riemsdyk’s second straight solid offensive season should be the final proof needed. The 2007 second overall pick scored a career-high 30 goals and 31 assists in 80 games and combined with Phil Kessel to make one of the most lethal offensive tandems in the league.
One of the popular complaints about van Riemsdyk in Philadelphia is that he did not play like someone 6’3… 200 lb frame, but at the coaxing of head coach Randy Carlyle, the big forward started to make his presence felt, using his ample puck handling and shooting skills around the net, especially on the power play.
Playing over 20 minutes a night on the top line and both special teams units, van Riemsdyk wore down after the Olympic break, scoring just five goals in 22 games.
Grade – A-
Outlook for 2014-15 : Top six forward
Joffrey Lupul : The 30-year-old put forth an inconsistent, spotty 2013-14 season that may put his future in Toronto in jeopardy. Depended on to provide leadership and secondary scoring, Lupul scored 22 goals, a disappointing output when you factor in his torrid scoring pace in an injury shortened lockout season(18 points in 16 games, along with three playoff goals).
Lupul did not have good chemistry with Nazem Kadri(playing more effectively in a limited run with Peter Holland) and was a consistent defensive liability. Injured three separate times(foot, groin and knee), Lupul played 69 games, the most games played since his final season in Philadelphia. Grade – C
Outlook for 2014-15 : A potential victim of the expected culture change in Toronto
David Clarkson : Clarkson’s first season in Toronto was so bad that it made the debuts of Jason Blake and Pavel Kubina look like overwhelming success stories.
A pair of suspensions (the most notable being the 10 gamer for leaving the bench during a pre-season brawl), along with foot and elbow injuries never allowed the 30-year-old Mimico, ON native to get any positive momentum and he was a virtual ghost after the Olympic break, scoring one goal in 21 games.
The only positive of Clarkson’s season was his willingness to step up physically for teammates down the stretch, as he tied with Frazer McLaren for the club lead in fights with nine.
The seven-year, $36.75 Million contract looks like an albatross around the neck of the Leafs that is untradeable and un-buyout-able(I made up that word), so their only option is to consider 2013-14 a lost season and hope that Clarkson uses the year as motivation to prove his detractors wrong.
Grade – D-
Outlook for 2014-15 : Second or third line winger
Carter Ashton : The 23-year-old former Tampa first rounder bounced between the Marlies and Leafs all season due to his waiver exempt status and his level of success between the two leagues was like night and day.
Ashton scored 16 goals in 24 AHL games playing mostly in a top-six role, while with the Leafs he was relegated to fourth line duty and went goalless in 32 games.
It may not be fair to evaluate Ashton on two separate NHL stints where he never saw more than 10 minutes ice time. The young winger has the size and speed to be an effective NHL player, but offensively he may be one of many professionals whose scoring ability does not translate.
Grade – D+
Outlook for 2014-15 : Ashton will be given a shot at training camp to make the club in a third line checking role.
Colton Orr : Like Frazer McLaren, the veteran pugilist was rendered virtually useless in 2013-14 by the opposition not engaging in bouts and by Carlyle’s limited use of the fourth line. Orr went pointless in 54 games, did not hit with the same frequency and ferocity as in 2013 and fought only six times.
Grade – F
Outlook for 2014-15 : If Carlyle is retained as coach, there may still be room for an enforcer as a 13th forward for games against the Bruins, but more than likely it will be the younger McLaren, Bodie or David Broll, who are capable of playing a larger amount of ice time.
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