As pointed out by Edmonton Oilers radio host Bob Stauffer, there is a huge difference between the top two players on the Oilers roster and the Toronto Maple Leafs roster. Stauffer tweeted on Sunday the following: “Playoffs (Career) Connor McDavid: GP: 54 Points: 87 Points/GP: 1.61 Leon Draisaitl: GP: 54 Points: 87 Points/GP: 1.61 Auston Matthews: GP: 55 Points: 48 Points/GP: 0.87 Mitch Marner: GP: 57 Points: 50 Points/GP: 0.88 Draw your own conclusions.” Why is there such a difference in playoff point production between the Oilers’ stars and the Maple Leafs’ stars?
As one would expect, the tweet garnered some reaction.
Some took to the post and immediately pointed out that none of these four stars have Stanley Cups on their resume. That is true. Perhaps the biggest measurement of what an elite player has done in his career comes from the amount of times they’ve led their team to the championship. Neither the Oilers, nor the Maple Leafs have done so with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner on the roster.
Still, the differences in point production when looking at games that matter is alarming. McDavid and Draisailt are dominating opponents in the playoffs. Matthews and Marner are buckling under the pressure. All are paid big money to deliver, but it appears only the Oilers’ top guys are doing so.
Why Don’t the Maple Leafs Stars Show Up in the Playoffs?
Conceding that McDavid and Draisaitl haven’t won the big one, the fact that they nearly doubled the production of the Leafs’ top players in the postseason screams at the Oilers’ ability to show up in big games. It’s not clear if it’s the pressure of playing in Toronto or the expectations that guys like Matthews and Marner are struggling to meet, but something is causing a hurdle neither can seem to jump.
That Edmonton hasn’t won a Cup with them on the roster is more about the team built around them than the fact they aren’t doing their job. The team wasn’t or isn’t bad, but there were missing pieces that previous Cup winners had. Still, GM Ken Holland has done a much better job trying to find the right mix than Brad Treliving, or Kyle Dubas before him in Toronto.
This season, the Oilers have a chance to change the narrative. They are still in the playoff mix, getting set to face the Vancouver Canucks. Edmonton is a +220 favorite in the series. Meanwhile, the Leafs continue to bow out early from playoff contention with major questions surrounding their roster.
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