After being shut out in their first game of the season by the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 1-0, the Toronto Maple Leafs have strung together a three-game winning streak. In those games, they have outscored their opposition 14-6. While the core players got off to a slow start, they have picked up their scoring pace.
If we look at the top scorers for Toronto, we find three familiar names in the top four.
Maple Leafs Top Scorers
We also see forwards Max Domi and Bobby McMann are right up there. Note that McMann, a healthy scratch in game one, only played three games. He’s scoring at a goal-a-game pace.
Maple Leafs Defensive Scoring Contributions
There are also two defensemen in the top four scorers, and neither is Morgan Rielly. Rielly is presently a point behind with a goal and an assist.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson has had a strong start for the Maple Leafs. He seems more like the Ekman-Larsson of a few seasons ago. Not only is he tied for the top-scoring defenseman with Jake McCabe, but OEL leads the team in average ice time at 21:50 per game. That is over 40 seconds more per game than McCabe (21:07) and Rielly (21:05).
In the early going, the power play has been better since Ekman-Larsson replaced Rielly. If OEL continues to be a part of the #1 PP unit, we could expect his ice time to remain high. The only concern there might be, at 33 years old and with his recent injury history, is whether Ekman-Larsson can log 20+ minutes per game over an extended period.
Maple Leafs Players Yet to Register Points
At the other end of the scoring chart for the Maple Leafs, five skaters have yet to register a point. As you might expect, three of them are defensemen: Chris Tanev, Simon Benoit, and Timothy Liljegren. Both Tanev and Benoit are known more as stay-at-home defensive defensemen. They are not expected to put up many points.
In 205 career games, Benoit has just 20 points, less than a 10% scoring rate. Tanev has been slightly better at just under 24%. He put up 190 points in 796 games. That makes sense: their job is to keep the puck out of their net and to kill penalties.
Liljegren has only played one game, logging just 13:56 of ice time. Given his limited and sheltered ice time to this point, it is no surprise he has zero points.
Two forwards have yet to register a point: Ryan Reaves and Nick Robertson. It took Reaves 15 games to get his first point last season. His total of zero points in four games is no surprise. Reaves also had a terrible start last season in scoring goals against when he was on the ice. He was minus-11 in his first 14 games played. In Reaves’ first four games this season, he was minus-one in each of those games. This season, he is a little better at minus-two in his first four games.
The Surprise of Nick Robertson’s Scoring Drought
One of the biggest surprises for the Maple Leafs this season has been Nick Robertson’s lack of scoring. Despite showing his talent during the preseason and looking engaged and hard-working on the ice, Robertson has yet to register a point in the regular season. He consistently appears to have scoring opportunities, contributes defensively, and puts in the effort, but the puck just hasn’t found its way into the net for him.
As the team looks to elevate their overall performance, getting Robertson off the schneid and into the scoring column has become a priority. Whether adjusting his placement in the lineup or waiting for that breakthrough moment, the coaching staff and fans hope he’ll soon find his rhythm and contribute to the team’s success.
