The Maple Leafs changed something behind the scenes, and the injury conversation won’t go away
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs injury problems may only get worse as a new report outlines a major change.
Injuries have been the foil of the Toronto Maple Leafs this past season, with most of the team having been injured at some point throughout the season.
Goaltending has been hampered heavily with both Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll having been out of the lineup for extended periods of time due to injury.
The Leafs have also faced injury woes at both the offensive an defensive sides of their lineup, currently on the sidelines including key rostered players in William Nylander, Chris Tanev, & Dakota Joshua.
Luck has not been on the side of the Leafs who have felt the challenge that comes with consistent losses, outside of the playoff hunt with a 24-20-9 record.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been unable to stay healthy, and win while the roster is handicapped, and a new report may be able to provide some clarity as to why the Leafs have been so battered on the injury front.
New report reveals potential root of the Leafs injury problems
A new report from The Athletic provides some potential insight into what has caused the Leafs injuries to build-up this season.
In an interview with former Leafs director of sport science and performance, Dr. Jeremy Bettle, he viewed the decision to no longer have a department focused on player health is potentially leading to more injuries.
Bettle, who left the Leafs in 2019, told The Athletic's Jonas Siegel that the decision not to replace his successor Rich Rotenberg after he joined the Pittsburgh Penguins has made it difficult for the Leafs to analyze player needs.
Bettle says that the coach won't be able to on his own determine if a player is fit or is dealing with an issue without support from tracking data that helps view potential overworking or screening for issues that may be present in a player's fitness.
The Leafs last season had injuries, but the bulk of time lost was the cause of two major injuries to Jani Hakanpaa and Calle Jarnkrok. The amount of players injured has risen substantially without a player performance coach.
You cannot have injury-free seasons the way they’re currently set up. And that’s no knock on anyone in particular — it just doesn’t work.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 29|989 ANSWERS The Maple Leafs changed something behind the scenes, and the injury conversation won’t go away Do the Leafs need to hire a health specialist again? | ||
| Yes | 755 | 76.3 % |
| No | 234 | 23.7 % |
| List of polls | ||