Toronto added a lot more defence, toughness, size, and physicality to the lineup this summer but neglected their biggest glaring hole - a top-six forward.
John Chayka was busy this summer and revamped the Toronto Maple Leafs' bottom-six with not only a flurry of signings, but also a deal that sent Dennis Hildeby and two picks to Tampa Bay in exchange for Nick Paul.
The goal was to add defence, penalty killing, and give Auston Matthews a chance to focus more on offence.
Every addition Toronto made up front was for the bottom-six
But with that, they didn't really address their top-six hole, and taking a look at the numbers from these new additions, they don't spark hope as a solution either. They also turned over their entire goaltending situation by trading Joseph Woll, Samuel Ersson (who came over in the Woll deal) and Dennis Hildeby.
Toronto's additions:
(F) Nick Paul (51 games, 15 points, minus-15)
(F) Colton Sissons (66 games, 11 points, minus-11)
(F) Teddy Blueger (35 games, 17 points, minus-12)
(F) Brandon Duhaime (82 games, 9 points, minus-2)
(F) Jack Roslovic (69 games, 36 points, minus-9)
(F) Zack MacEwen (3 games, 0 points, 0-rating)
Out of all the players added, only Roslovic and Paul have multiple 20-goal seasons with the former being streaky and inconsistent over his career and the latter is viewed as more of a defensive option than a top-six piece.
Granted, Blueger, Paul, and Sissons didn't play full seasons, and MacEwen barely had time to make any type of statement.
Combined, Toronto spent $16.5-million (annually) on a bottom-six that had a total of 88 points (43 goals) and a minus-49. Not exactly the type of numbers that suggest a top-six solution and that equates to $187,000 per point.
They still don't have a piece to complement John Tavares and William Nylander, and while there are still names on the open market available, Toronto's $2.75-million over the cap so they need to move money out first.
Chayka's goal of adding a lot more toughness and defensive acumen was smart on his part, but it didn't make them a lock for the playoffs. These players have to perform to their capabilities, and only then is the postseason a viable goal.
Two seasons is not enough time to be this patient with the roster
Toronto can only hope that as soon as the season starts, these new additions can gel and find chemistry quickly. While the goal is April, they can't get there with a weak beginning of the season.
Their competition the first month of the year involves playoff contenders like Vegas, Colorado, and Edmonton so it's the perfect chance to see how these players fare against tough teams who are fresh and hungry to get things going.
If they perform well and are able to set the tone against potential playoff opponents now, it'll set them up well later on. But a weak showing is only going to make things harder now and in the future if they get into the postseason.
The team is over the cap and relying on the past resumes of these forwards to help balance things out. They spent a lot of money improving that bottom-six so it's purely results-driven at this juncture.
Auston Matthews certainly won't have the patience to sit through things if this season fails, and that only leaves one more year of the two-year plan with a lot more questions than answers.
It's a race against time for John Chayka because despite building a potential playoff contender - he may not even get there in the first place.
Do you think that John Chayka spent too much on improving the bottom-six?
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