Tuesday FTB: competition for roster spots

Coming out of training camp, the Leafs had some question marks up front. Namely where do Domi and Robertson go. So far this season Domi has been the lead supporting cast member after the big four and Knies, and Robertson has played third line minutes on average.

But the Leafs have most had their decisions made for them when it comes to who they play and when. Järnkrok is injured for a while, presumably Max Pacioretty too. And currently David Kämpf, Bobby McMann, and a mishmash of bubble guys have also been out. Oh, and Domi himself.

That has meant a lot of players have gotten chances to play, and a few of them have started to make names for themselves – and more importantly make it much more difficult for management to send them off the roster. Pontus Holmberg has done a decent job as a top-six supporting cast member, but the stars of the show have been Nikita "GREB" Grebenkin, and the young man who scored again last night, Fraser Minten. If you were to ask me who was off the roster if everybody was healthy out of training camp, it would've been those guys.

But now what do you do? Reaves is coming back from suspension soon. Domi, McMann, and Kämpf are all NHL-calibre players who can't stay on IR/LTIR forever. When those four come back to the roster, who goes?

Alex Nylander would likely have to go, even though he's also looked pretty good. The heartless answer is to send Greb and Minten down. They've been quite sheltered in terms of minutes, and despite showing buckets of spit, determination, and ability to play some damn hockey they're the easiest to send down. The fourth player would be one of Dewar, Lorentz, or Holmberg. All three would have to go if/when Pacioretty and Järnkrok return.

But are the Leafs better with that roster? Let's give it a peek:

Knies-Matthews-Marner
McMann-Tavares-Nylander
Robertson-Domi-Holmberg
Lorentz-Kämpf-Reaves

I'm just not sold. From feeling alone it doesn't have the spark the last few games have brought. The spark has been minty fresh with a healthy dose of GREB. The Leafs look like a team with jump and commitment. A team with life! This roster makes me feel like we are going back to a glass cannon third line and a paper shield fourth line. It's risky and safe in the most boring ways. In this scenario, at least give the glass cannon a heavy forecheck and a young all-around centre, and make the fourth line cheap.

Let me share what I have, I'm curious to hear your thoughts in the comments:

Knies-Matthews-Nylander
Holmberg-Tavares-Marner
Domi-Minten-McMann
Grebenkin/Lorentz-Kämpf-Reaves

I've accepted that Reaves will never leave the lineup until he retires. Play Domi with Minten, what's the worst that can happen? Lastly, I think it's time to finally pick a side of the fence and make a decision on Nick Robertson. He scored recently, but as respectfully as I can say, he figuratively and literally circles the drain in the offensive zone on a shift-by-shift basis. Once someone mentioned he plays like a Hab I haven't been able to get that image out of my head because it's so realistic. Him and Domi as the 1-2 punch on the second line, incroyable.

Onto the links...

Matthews, Tavares, and Minten (soon) all scored for the Leafs, with Knies getting the empty netter in a 4-1 win over Chicago. The team played pretty crap, but even that's better than what Chicago can do on their best nights.

Leafs beat Chicago without really trying

Seriously, they barely played the second period.

PPP LeafsCathy Squires

The guy who did the real winning for the Leafs was below.

Here is Berube postgame:

Craig Berube on Fraser Minten’s performance in the Leafs’ 4-1 win over Chicago: “The line was really good for us, and Minten was very good”

Craig Berube addressed the media after the Maple Leafs’ 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, which improved the team’s record to 15-7-2. On the team’s performance: It was a good first period. I thought we started off the way we wanted to and played our game. In the second period, not so much. We didn’t […]

Maple Leafs HotstoveMLHS Staff

Mitch Marner hit 600 career games played in the NHL, notching two assists in the milestone game.

In case it was missed, Hakanpää is back on IR.

Here is a vague injury update. Not sure what this weekend might hold, but surely it'll come with some answers to the roster?

Noah Chadwick's Lethbridge Hurricanes have acquired one of the best players in junior hockey, Brayden Yager (PIT) for a boat load of picks. Lethbridge and Moose Jaw actually play each other tonight, so several players will be literally walking across the hallway to their new teams.

Are the Leafs better defensively? The answer: mostly? Stolarz definitely helps.

Craig Berube has brought defensive balance to Maple Leafs | TSN

No team conceded fewer goals at even strength in November than the Maple Leafs, thanks to improved structural play under the new head coach, Travis Yost writes.

TSNTravis Yost

Matthews talking about being back on the ice.

Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews still getting up to speed after injury | TSN

Toronto head coach Craig Berube, whose team has four games this week, said it’s clear Matthews isn’t yet back up to speed after missing nearly a month with an upper-body injury.

TSNThe Canadian Press