New Leafs math includes seven D
Zach Bogosian’s Cup run shows the possibilities, GM says.
Don’t be surprised if the Maple Leafs mimic what the Tampa Bay Lightning did in using seven defencemen on their way to winning the Stanley Cup.
General manager Kyle Dubas told an audience of coaches just that in a question-and-answer session with “Hockey Night in Canada” host Ron MacLean at the Tim Hortons Coaches Open House.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see us use it from time to time during the season,” said Dubas. “In the end, it will be (coach Sheldon Keefe’s) call, but I think the matchups and then the flexibility that it gives you on defence are certainly intriguing.
“It’s been shown now that it certainly works in leading a team to a championship. So I think you’ll see a lot more teams do it because, as you know, the championship teams tend to get mimicked.”
The open house is an annual event that would normally be held after a Leafs morning skate, but was moved online because of the pandemic.
In a wide-ranging interview, Dubas also spoke about the influence of his late grandfather and others in his hockey background, revealed that his wife is expecting the couple’s second child in the spring, and discussed the challenge of balancing family life with such a demanding job.
The focus was mainly on the team, however, and lessons learned from a disappointing 2019-20 season.
Dubas said he’s on the same page as Keefe when it comes to the idea of deploying seven defencemen, something the coach had done when he was with the AHL’s Marlies — even calling on Lightning coach Jon Cooper at the time, for advice on how best to deploy that kind of lineup.
“I know that Sheldon called Jon Cooper during our Marlies playoff run (in 2016) in the conference finals against Hershey, and we just probably felt the depth of our defence was better than what we’re getting from the forward group,” said Dubas.
In the Leafs’ case, it would mean relying more on the top three lines while occasionally double-shifting a star forward such as Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner with two fourthliners to create mismatches. Dubas said the key is communicating roles to players, adding that the conversation has already happened with freeagent signing Zach Bogosian, a veteran defenceman who is used to a rotation, having played with Tampa last year. On other topics:
Dubas said he admired Morgan Rielly’s selflessness in giving up a spot on the first powerplay unit to help struggling blueliner Tyson Barrie get his game going: “Morgan went to Sheldon and said he would have no problem if it was what was best for the team … because if we were going to reach our potential, everyone felt it was important that Tyson play the way that everyone knew he was capable of playing. And I just thought that spoke so much to the character of Morgan Rielly and everything that he’s about.”
The Leafs may allow assistant coaches to speak to the media — specifically Paul MacLean and Dave Hakstol, who have experience as head coaches.