Not too long ago, the Leafs could at least boast about having one of the better defensive units in the league. Their goals against ranked as high as 7th at one point (now 13th), and the penalty kill was was once as high as 9th. As bad as their offense was, the defense was at least keeping them in games. Now they’re taking them out of games early, as the Leafs have allowed more goals in the first period than any other team in the league.
While many are quick to point to his middling stats and bad plus minus rating, there should be no question as to how important captain Dion Phaneuf is to this hockey club. On ice leadership is important, and with the Leafs entire top 6 group being 26 years of age or younger, and no single player having more than 3 seasons of NHL experience or any measurable leadership skill, the leadership has to come from somewhere. Prior to his injury, it came from Dion Phaneuf.
Since his arrival in January of last year, Phaneuf has been the glue that has kept this team together. With Phaneuf in the lineup, the Leafs are 18-13-2, without him they are winless, going 0-3-2 in the 5 games Phaneuf has been sidelined. What’s worse is that in those 5 games they have given up 17 goals, not including shootouts. The power play has dried up, and they’re struggling to move the puck out of the zone with any kind of regularity. Even Tomas Kaberle, the team’s best puck mover on the blue line, seems to be fighting the puck.
After their 4-0 loss to the Lightning, in which they squandered many chances in the offensive zone, it was left to veteran netminder JS Giguere that spoke out about the club. They then held a players only meeting prior to last night’s game against the Panthers, yet came out flat once again. Any team that loses a player who logs 25 minutes of ice time per game is going to struggle. When that player is the voice of your locker room, the team will struggle even more.
At an average age of just 27 years old, this is one of the youngest Leafs teams we’ve seen in a long time. As is the case with most young teams, the veteran leadership is clearly lacking. Tomas Kaberle has never been a leader and never will be, even though he is the only player on the roster who has played a playoff game with the club. Phil Kessel, the team’s offensive leader, is a quiet and reserved player, not the type you would put a letter on.
While several other teams this season have iced plenty of rookie talent, that rookie talent is being flanked by stable veteran leadership, both offensively and defensively. The big three of Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi of the Edmonton Oilers are splitting time with veterans such as Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff and Dustin Penner. Doug Weight provides guidance to the young stars for the Islanders such as John Tavares, Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo.
Mark Recchi and Zdeno Chara have been solid leaders for the younger Boston Bruins players, while the young Blackhawks stars benefited from years under players like John Madden, Martin Havlat, Marian Hossa, Brian Campbell and Brent Sopel. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry of the Ducks came up with Andy McDonald and Teemu Selanne.
Good teams have always done this in the past as well. Whether it was Detroit throwing Brett Hull on a line with youngsters Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, or Sidney Crosby staying with Mario Lemieux during his early days as a Penguin, young stars will always do better when they have experienced players to help them in their time of need.
The Leafs forward corps consists mostly of young talent and role players, but the senior member is Colton Orr at 28 years of age, a fourth line enforcer with little in the way of offensive talent or solid NHL experience. Colby Armstrong was able to provide some of this element for the club prior to his injury, but even he is only 27 years of age.
Phaneuf’s influence on the young Leaf defenders like Luke Schenn shows that you need a veteran presence in the lineup, preferably one that plays your position, to help the younger players along. JS Giguere does the same for the other Leafs goalies, but, after Burke’s dissection of the roster, the team lacks that type of guidance for a forward group that is in dire need of it at the moment.
This is one of many reasons why calling up rookie Nazem Kadri would be a bad move at this point. He is in a similar boat to the rest of the Leafs line up and would not benefit at all from being thrown to the wolves. Of the players they do have on the Marlies, Mike Zigomanis would be the best candidate for a recall at this point, having performed well for them in a limited role.
With the added pressure of not having their own first round pick this year once again, GM Brian Burke is going to have to remedy this situation with a player or two that are not currently in the organization. With both Armstrong and Phaneuf out until at least early December, the Leafs’ current downward spiral could conceivably last through the 8 remaining games in November as well, and that would be, much like last season, too big of a hole to climb out of.
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Born and raised in Northern Ontario but currently living in Toronto, Tyler wouldn't have it any other way. Home to his two favourite sports teams, Tyler revels in the day to day sports experience that is Toronto. 
“This is one of many reasons why calling up rookie Nazem Kadri would be a bad move at this point. ”
Which is probably why the Leafs brass did just that. Just when you think they just might know what they’re doing this time, they slip right back to being such idiots.