Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumours: SDA, Chayka, Matthews & Competing in the Atlantic? – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs have certainly changed things this summer. John Chayka has brought in more size, more depth and a collection of forwards who seem designed to give Toronto a different look when the games get difficult. On paper, there is plenty to like about the direction. But there is also a little bit of a danger in looking at the new roster and assuming that because Toronto is better, it must now be good enough. Those are two different things.

And that’s where a couple of interesting storylines come together. One involves a familiar former prospect who apparently still wants another chance with the organization. The other is the much bigger question of whether Toronto has actually closed the gap on the better teams in the Atlantic Division. Both are really about the same thing: does this new version of the Maple Leafs have enough to win?

SDA Wants Back In — But Do the Leafs Have Room?

Semyon Der-Arguchintsev apparently isn’t ready to give up on his NHL dream. More interestingly, he hasn’t given up on the idea of doing it in Toronto. The former third-round pick spent two seasons with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL) before heading back to Russia, where he has now played three seasons in the KHL. He got just one NHL game with the Maple Leafs, but at 25, he obviously believes he’s a different player than the one who left Toronto. His agent, Shumi Babaev, has indicated that discussions with the team are still going on, and SDA has reportedly chosen not to report to his new KHL team while he waits to see if an NHL opportunity develops.

I actually find that part of the story pretty interesting. SDA isn’t coming back as the same prospect Toronto once drafted. He’s played professional hockey in Russia, he’s older, and he’s had to figure out what kind of player he can be. Last season he had 37 points in 59 KHL games and has increasingly played wing rather than centre. He’s still a playmaker and an energetic player, and Auston Matthews liked what he saw from him when SDA was around Toronto. The problem is that Toronto has added Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime. There aren’t exactly a lot of empty chairs in that bottom-six room.

So if SDA comes back, I don’t think anybody should expect a red carpet. He’ll have to earn his way onto the team. Maybe he gives the team an offensive spark they don’t otherwise have on the fourth line. Maybe he starts with the Marlies and waits for an opportunity. Or maybe the new front office decides there simply isn’t room. But there is something to be said for a player who still believes he belongs in the NHL badly enough to turn down a guaranteed opportunity in the KHL. Sometimes a prospect just needs more time. Chayka now gets to decide whether SDA is one of those players.

The Maple Leafs May Be Better — But Is Better Good Enough?

This is the bigger question for me. I don’t have much trouble believing the Maple Leafs are a better team than they were a year ago. They’ve added depth and physicality, and the roster looks more deliberately constructed for playoff hockey. I also believe the coaching has a bead on creating the best path forward for this team.

But Toronto isn’t competing against last year’s Maple Leafs. It’s competing against the Buffalo Sabres, the Montreal Canadiens, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Florida Panthers, and the rest of a pretty competitive Atlantic Division. Those teams aren’t standing still while Toronto rebuilds its identity.

And that means the Maple Leafs are going to need more than simply improved depth. They’re going to need their best players to be better when it matters. Auston Matthews needs to look like the old version of Auston Matthews. William Nylander needs to be a difference-maker when games tighten up. The new additions have to prove they can contribute when the opposition gets bigger, faster and more difficult to play against. You can spend the summer improving your third and fourth lines, but eventually the stars have to carry some of the load.

That’s the part we really won’t know until the season starts. Has Chayka built a team that is simply better than last year’s team, or has he built one capable of beating the best teams in the division? Those aren’t the same questions. Toronto might look terrific in November and still discover in April that Tampa, Florida or Montreal presents a very different problem. The Maple Leafs have changed the supporting cast. Now we have to find out whether the entire team can take the next step.

What This Really Means for Toronto

The SDA situation is interesting because Toronto doesn’t necessarily need another player to fill a spot. It needs players who bring something different. If SDA can provide some offence and creativity, he might be worth another look. If he’s simply competing for a job the Leafs already have covered, there’s probably no reason to force it.

The same goes for the team itself. Chayka has changed the mix, and I like the direction. But changing the roster isn’t the same as proving it works. Toronto still has to show it can compete with other Atlantic Division teams, which means all the players must raise their games when the pressure goes up.

That’s really what we’ll be watching. Is this just a better Maple Leafs team, or has Chayka actually built one that can survive a long playoff series? We won’t know that until the games get serious.