Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Raddysh, Tavares, Matthews, Knies & Roslovic – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs have spent much of the summer talking about getting bigger, tougher and harder to play against. That makes sense. After another disappointing regular-season finish, nobody needed to tell the new management group that something had to change.

But there’s another part of the Maple Leafs’ makeover that might be getting overlooked. Some of the NHL EDGE numbers suggest Toronto could also be adding more offensive punch than people realize, particularly from the blue line and from some of the players expected to play important minutes up front.

Darren Raddysh Could Change the Look of the Maple Leafs’ Blue Line

The team picked up Darren Raddysh to become an offensive defenceman. That might work pretty well. The NHL EDGE numbers from last season are pretty remarkable. Raddysh led the league with 97 shot attempts of at least 90 miles per hour. Evan Bouchard was second with 51. That’s almost double. The Maple Leafs, as a team, had only 34 such attempts from their entire defence.

That’s the part that really jumps out. The Maple Leafs produced just 28 goals from their blue line last season, the fifth-fewest in the NHL, and their defencemen combined for only 132 points, the second-fewest total in the league. Raddysh scored 22 goals by himself, including 10 on the power play. He also led the NHL in long-range goals with nine.

Nobody should assume he’s going to score 22 goals again. But Toronto didn’t sign Raddysh for his floor. The Maple Leafs signed him because his offensive game gives the defence something it simply hasn’t had in a long time. A defenceman who can actually threaten a goalie from distance changes the way a penalty kill has to play. That matters because it immediately makes the power play look different.

The Maple Leafs May Have More High-End Shooting Than We Think

Another interesting thing about the EDGE numbers is that Toronto already had some pretty good shooters. John Tavares remains particularly effective around the net, while Auston Matthews continues to generate high-danger and mid-range chances at an elite rate.

Matthews missed 22 games last season, but even with that lost time, he was in the 96th percentile among forwards for high-danger shots on goal. Tavares was also among the league leaders in high-danger shots on goal and goals. These aren’t players who need to be rediscovered. They need to stay healthy and get the puck in the places where they do their best work.

Knies, Roslovic and Nylander All Add to the Maple Leafs’ Offensive Potential

Matthew Knies is another interesting piece. He had a career-high 66 points last season and ranked in the 96th percentile among forwards for high-danger shots on goal. That’s important because Knies isn’t simply becoming a bigger, stronger winger. He’s getting to the dangerous areas and creating scoring chances.

Then there’s Jack Roslovic, who could get a chance to play alongside Matthews and Knies. His EDGE numbers show that he was in the 93rd percentile among forwards for 20-plus miles per hour speed bursts last season and in the 83rd percentile for high-danger goals. That combination is worth watching. Matthews creates the threat. Knies gets to the net. Roslovic brings speed. Maybe it works. Maybe it doesn’t. That’s what training camp is for. But there is at least some analytical evidence behind the idea.

William Nylander had 79 points in just 65 games last season, and his EDGE profile looks like exactly what you’d expect from one of the league’s most dangerous offensive players. He was in the 97th percentile for high-danger goals, 94th percentile for long-range shots on goal and 94th percentile for maximum skating speed.

The funny thing about Nylander is that sometimes the numbers make the obvious even more obvious. He’s a really good hockey player.

The Bottom Line From the NHL EDGE Numbers

So maybe the more interesting question heading into this season isn’t whether the Maple Leafs have enough offence. They should. The question is whether the new roster construction allows that offence to succeed when the games get more difficult.

Raddysh gives the defence another weapon. Matthews and Tavares remain dangerous in the middle. Knies is becoming a much more complete offensive player. Roslovic adds some speed. Nylander is still Nylander. That’s a pretty good collection of shooting and scoring talent.

The challenge, as always in Toronto, is turning all of it into the kind of hockey that still works when April arrives. That’s where the new-look Maple Leafs really have something to prove.