Are the Toronto Maple Leafs ruining young defensemen?
Photo credit: The Hockey Writers
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren was recently traded to the San Jose Sharks and it has sparked a discussion on Toronto's player development.
The trade for Liljegren sparked a decent return. Matt Benning is coming to the Leafs alongside a 3rd round pick and a 6th round pick.
However, The Old Prof over at the Hockey Writers made a good point about the Leafs' history with young defenseman and their development. Larry Murphy, Nikita Zaitsev, and Jake Gardiner are all players who have struggled in Toronto despite their talent. Liljegren is yet another example.
The Old Prof suggests a lot of it has to do with the pressure of playing in Toronto.
"The intense atmosphere and «win-now» pressure seem especially unkind to younger defensemen, who need time and space to learn from mistakes. The Maple Leafs have long prioritized winning immediately, and developing players is often secondary to results. This is a challenging environment for young players who need to make and learn from their mistakes as part of their development."
Toronto Maple Leafs coaching changes do not help one bit
He also noted just how bad the coaching changes can be on young players. When these coaches are too tough and don't allow room for mistakes, you can be left with bad situations.
"Toronto's coaching changes haven't helped ease the pressure on young defensemen. Since Mike Babcock, through Sheldon Keefe and now Craig Berube, Toronto's young defensemen have been subject to various coaching styles and systems. While coaching philosophy varies, one constant has been the pressure on the players to be error-free."
Trouble for Ben Danford
With Ben Danford coming up the ranks, there is a worry that the same thing that happened to Liljegren could happen all over again. However, Craig Berube has the ability to change that. Fans want Danford to be successful, but that is going to require some patience.
Only time will tell whether or not the Leafs can break their curse.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 1 | 117 ANSWERS Are the Toronto Maple Leafs ruining young defensemen? Are the Toronto Maple Leafs poison for young defensemen? | ||
| YES | 66 | 56.4 % |
| NO | 51 | 43.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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