The Toronto Maple Leafs had an abysmal start to the season on the power play. It got so bad that the team eventually decided to move on from Marc Savard. Was he the problem? The power play got a bit better after his absence, but ultimately collapsed into the bottom ten in the NHL.
Is coaching all to blame for the poor power play production? Or do some players deserve some of the credit? Let’s take a look at how the Leafs power play has struggled recently.
The current situation
At the moment, the Maple Leafs power play sits at 16.8%, which is good for 25th in the NHL. It has specifically been a severe struggle over the last ten games. The Leafs are in the midst of a four-game losing streak that has bumped them back into second last in the Atlantic Division. If this franchise really wants to turn the season around, an improvement on the power play is the most significant need.
Over the last ten games, the Leafs are 5/24 on the power play. This is a mediocre 20.8%. After a disgusting loss against the Colorado Avalanche, something needs to give. Was Mitch Marner that serious of a contributor on the power play? He did lead the franchise in assists for each of the previous nine seasons. One would think that the Leafs would have tried to find a replacement for him once he was gone. Unfortunately, that has not happened, at least not yet.
The upcoming schedule for the Leafs plays in their favour a bit. They have a tough matchup against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, but then have two easier opponents later in the week. Those two easy opponents are the Seattle Kraken and the Vancouver Canucks, both of which sit near the bottom of the NHL in penalty kill percentage. The Kraken sit in third-last at 72.3%, while the Canucks sit in last at 70.6%. These are games where the Leafs power play must gain some momentum.
Are the players to blame?
One must look at the current roster and wonder if they need to be blamed. The first power play unit in Toronto consists of Knies, Tavares, Maccelli, Matthews, and Rielly. This is an excellent power play unit even without Nylander. With Nylander healthy, this unit should, hands down, provide one of the better power plays in the league. With the number of injuries Toronto has dealt with, it is no wonder they are struggling to go on a hot streak. Nylander showed some of that frustration with an interesting gesture to the broadcast camera in the recent loss.
The second power play unit is not a major threat. It consists of rookie Easton Cowan alongside Domi, Robertson, McMann, and Ekman-Larsson. The offensive output from Ekman-Larsson, in general, has been a letdown lately. The defenceman went on a nine-game point streak in November and has significantly cooled off since then. Regardless of his recent performance, this unit scored the only goal in the loss to the Avalanche.
A sad stat to look at is the fact that not one Maple Leaf has five power play goals this season. Looking back at last year, Matthews, Tavares, and Nylander all made it into double-digits alone. By the looks of how they have performed this year, none of them will hit 10.
Are new additions needed?
A player who has been in recent trade rumours around the Leafs is defenceman Dougie Hamilton. The 32-year-old is currently in the midst of his fifth season as a New Jersey Devil. However, it looks like that road could be coming to a close. An offensive defenceman like Hamilton is something that the Leafs definitely need. Hamilton would not only bolster the blueline, but he would also become the new quarterback on the top power play line.
Through 47 games this season, Hamilton has only recorded six goals and 19 points. Nine of those points came on the power play. There is no doubt that this is not the standard hockey fans are used to seeing from Dougie, but a fresh start may be exactly what he needs. His best offensive season came in 2022–2023. Here, Hamilton recorded 20 power play assists and 28 power play points. He finished sixth in Norris Trophy voting that year and helped the Devils make it to the second round of the playoffs.
The Leafs apparently poked around on potentially acquiring offensive defenceman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames. Unfortunately, nothing happened, and Andersson ended up going to the Vegas Golden Knights. Another name that has recently popped up in Toronto trade rumours is defenceman Luke Schenn. The Leafs originally drafted Schenn back in 2008, and if he is acquired, it would be his third stint with the Leafs. This move would more so assist the penalty kill rather than the power play.
Do you think the Leafs need to bring in some new additions?
