Net-front defensive zone coverage in general has been an issue for the Maple Leafs for much of the season. Their goaltenders are underperforming on screened shots, which we touched on recently. Muzzin will be the Maple Leafs most physical defenseman without being just a physical defenseman. He makes a good first pass, which, for a team that attempts more stretch passes than anyone, is a prerequisite in Toronto.

Cutting down cycle chances against and scoring opportunities in front of the net is what we can expect now that Muzzin is a Toronto Maple Leaf. I’ll revisit this in a couple of weeks to provide an update. However, like any player, it’s not all sunshine and roses with Muzzin.

TURNOVERS

Muzzin turns the puck over on 17 percent of his possessions. So, for every 100 times he touches the puck, his team loses possession of the puck 17 times. That ranks him 5th out of the Kings 6 most used defensemen and would rank him 5th on the Maple Leafs. Muzzin’s defensive zone turnover rate also ranks 5th on the Kings and would rank 5th on the Leafs, right now. It’s important to note, the Kings rely on short passes in the defensive zone when breaking out, while, as mentioned, the Maple Leafs attempt more stretch passes than anyone. Very different breakouts. It will be interesting to see how Muzzin adapts in this area.

Bottom line, the Maple Leafs addressed a big-time need on the blueline and they didn’t lose a roster player in the process. This is a homerun trade by Kyle Dubas and the Maple Leafs front office. I’d still be hesitant to call the Maple Leafs favourites in a playoff series against Boston or Tampa Bay but, they are better than they were 24 hours ago and there’s still a few weeks to go before the trade deadline on February 25th.

(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)