In my last post, the focus was on assessing the Leaf goaltending and defense corps based on their performance during the 2012-’13 NHL season and mini playoff run. Today, let’s try to apply a similar approach and criteria in “grading” the...
In my last post, the focus was on assessing the Leaf goaltending and defense corps based on their performance during the 2012-’13 NHL season and mini playoff run. Today, let’s try to apply a similar approach and criteria in “grading” the blue and white forwards from this past season.The ForwardsTyler Bozak BWhy not start with one of the ligtning rod players? We all know the things Bozak is thought to do well—good skater, pretty solid on face-offs, can kill penalties, moves the puck nicely, Kessel likes him, yada yada. The down side in the minds of his critics is that he is not a first-line type finisher. (Of course, the issue has long been that he has been mis-cast, as opposed to him simply not playing well...) Since we’re not talking about “what he’s worth” today (that’s a whole other debate, but yes, it can’t help but tie in a bit here, I realize…) but simply looking back at how he played this past season, I think the assigned grade is fair. If you balance expectations and production, he contributed nicely. Would we miss him going forward if he leaves in free-agency? Maybe a fair bit, but maybe not—depending on who would slide into his slot.Mikhail Grabovski C+Grabbo supporters (or Carlyle haters, I’m not sure if they are the same folks) point to his supposedly poor utilization by the coach this past season for his lousy offensive production. The poor guy often had to check the other team’s best centers, eh? Horrors. But here’s the rub: that was his assigned job—to be a shutdown center while still contributing a fair bit at the offensive end. He was handsomely paid to do it. His raw “numbers” (in the regular schedule and against the Bruins in the playoffs) don’t take into account his “heart”, but those numbers simply are not good enough—full stop. Thus the grade: not good enough.Jay McClement B/B+If I did this solely based on expectations and how he handled his “role”, of course it would be higher. A third-line guy who is that versatile and was an impact player (penalty-kill, for starters) is pretty important on a team. He brought experience and by all accounts a great attitude and work ethic, so what’s not to like? I just have a hard time giving a player in his position an A, and ranking other guys lower than him when they have big-time (first, line, or whatever) responsibilities and expectations. My expectations were low, and he over-delivered.Nazem Kadri B+Again, given that we did not know if he was even going to be a regular on the roster this season, Kadri certainly surpassed expectations. In his first playoff opportunity at this level, while he was not always a standout, he was a physical presence and still created some challenges for the Bruins. He stood out during the season because of his elite vision, passing skills and feisty play. While he slipped back at times into old habits, I thought he worked pretty darn hard in the playoffs to get back on defence and be a factor in his own zone. The really important “grade” will be two years from now when he is in his mid 20’s and we will need him to be a consistent impact player at both ends of the ice. But this season was a major step forward, for sure.Matt Frattin C+Frattin, for me at least, falls into the category of player who, on his really good nights, can make you think he is a fairly high-end power-forward in waiting. Other nights when he is not focused or on his game, he seems like just another guy out there. Injuries and inconsistency made it a bit hard to assess, and while he was OK in the playoffs when given the chance, I did not walk away thinking he was absolutely going to be a key player down the road. Time will tell, so an uncertain grade.Colton Orr CBy all accounts he worked hard to became more than a tough guy, but the truth is, that’s still his role at the end of the day. I guess he did it well. I like the fact that he tried to finish his checks. But a limited player still.Frazer MacLaren CHard-working guy, but while he
