After a disappointing end to the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, fans have begun speculating at what the team should do during the off season.
One popular narrative is that the Leafs need to get faster but that might not be the case.
What the Leafs need
Yes speed is a very important aspect of the NHL however players like Captain John Tavares and Ryan O'Reilly have been able to be productive stars in the NHL for many years despite their foot speed being slower than many.
Defensive IQ, toughness, offensive abilities... these are also very important attributes that a player needs in order to be a successful player.
The Leafs have the main core of Stanley Cup winning roster they just need to add players to help round out their team and looking for players that just have speed is not going to help them.
A player like Kasperi Kapanen is a prime example of this, he is a young very quick forward however struggles on the defensive side of the puck, is that really what a team like the Leafs need?
One player that has recently been made available for trade is Tyler Toffoli. He is not the fastest player but he is good on both sides of the puck and has a finishing touch but many fans do not want the Leafs to go an acquire him because of his speed.
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Toffoli was someone that put up an incredible season on a Flames roster that heavily disappointed, the 31-year-old forward had 34 goals and 71 points last season.
As Read on Maple Leafs Daily :
The Leafs would be foolish to avoid players who may lack this one specific attribute
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