Toronto Maple Leafs: Why Jake Muzzin is so Important to the Leafs

On Monday, defenseman Jake Muzzin was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a deal that goes even further in solidifying their contending status in the NHL

If you’ve pulled one of those $40, flimsy-fabric Toronto Maple Leafs tuques over your eyes for the past few days in this -20° icy inferno that Toronto has become, then maybe you missed the Jake Muzzin trade.

For those of you who did, the Los Angeles Kings traded him to Toronto in exchange for Carl Grundstrom, the rights to prospect Sean Durzi, and a first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.

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Opinions are divided on the quality of the trade; particularly on the Kings’ side. L.A. doesn’t have much of a use for someone as talented as Jake anymore, but perhaps they received too little for him. That much is up to you.

However, even if the haul was a bit disappointing, this trade will likely work great for both teams. The Leafs finally have a real, no-doubt, top-line defenseman who can really defend, while the Kings have two NHL-bound prospects and a first rounder.

While the significance of obtaining a great defenseman is obvious to Leafs fans, some don’t quite have a grasp on just how much better Muzzin makes this team. If there existed a canyon between this team and Cup, the defense had a lot to do with it. The canyon just got a lot smaller.

If head coach Mike Babcock plays his pairings correctly, Toronto might soon have something close to a great defense.

Muzzin: Before and After

Before acquiring Muzzin, the Leafs had a very unique defensive corps – specifically their top four. Both Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner are pretty good at keeping the puck out of the zone. Although this gives some the impression that both of them are simply too offensive-minded, keeping a puck in the neutral zone is an important aspect of defending.

The Leafs’ biggest problem was what happened once the puck actually entered the zone. Their top four were sadly ineffective at clearing the puck. Out of the bunch, Rielly is the only one whose clearing attempts work more than they don’t.

While Gardiner surpasses him in keeping it out, he has fallen a bit in terms of his ability to clear compared to last season. If you’ve wondered why the Leafs suddenly seem to collapse in their own end occasionally, it’s because they’re really ineffective at clearing the puck.

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Once you get passed Gardiner, it gets a lot worse. By themselves, Ron Hainsey and Nikita Zaitsev severely hinder the amount of time the Leafs get outside of the defensive zone.

Despite both of them having bizarrely good puck-breakup stats, they are just horrendous at clearing. Hainsey’s clearing attempts are successful 37 percent of the time while Zaitsev’s attempts are at a nauseating seven percent.

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Hainsey and Zaitsev simply cannot make up half of a contending team’s top four. Now, if Babcock drops either one to the bottom pairing to make room for Muzzin, the Leafs defense will look a million times better.

If you’re tired of these red lines on the graph, take a look at just how talented Jake Muzzin is, all over the ice. In addition to having a 70% breakout success rate on the lowly Los Angeles Kings, he adds an offensive spark with his shot-contributing abilities.

Muzzin is an all-around defenseman, who happens to be able to help this team where they need it most. But really, this isn’t even the most exciting part about this transaction.

Every second a team spends in the defensive zone could be a second in the offensive zone. Every second in the offensive zone increases your chances of scoring. If say, Nikita Zaitsev’s average of 20 minutes on-ice per game is transferred to Muzzin, imagine how many more goals an offense as explosive as the Leafs can score.

Every facet of play, whether that be scoring, defending or… neutral-zoning is interconnected in hockey. Muzzin just makes the Leafs that much better in every conceivable way.

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The writer is of the less-popular opinion that Zaitsev should be taken down to the third pairing, considering Hainsey’s surprisingly capable zone protection, but it hardly matters. Muzzin is incredible to have, and Leafs fans should be grateful to have him.

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Conclusion

The Leafs are so much better with Jake Muzzin. If ever you doubted Kyle Dubas’ ability as a GM, now is the time to repent. Just hope he forgives you. This Toronto team is something to be excited about.

Stats are from hockeyreference.com and C.J. Turtoro’s player comparison tool

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