Toronto Maple Leafs week in review: Is this team any good?

The Toronto Maple Leafs were busy in action during week five. They played in four games and posted a record of 2–2. For the most part, it was a tough week for the Leafs. On the bright side, they got some wins and had some impressive individual performances from a handful of players. There were also a couple of roster moves that changed the outlook of the team. Let’s take a look at how week five went for the Leafs.

Roster changes

Arguably, the most significant news for the Leafs in week five was that forward Easton Cowan got sent down. He had a fairly strong performance with the big club, where he posted four points in ten games played. The 20-year-old rookie got to play all up and down the lineup, making appearances on the first line and in the bottom-six. Cowan will make a great impact with the Marlies in the AHL. One could argue that a season in the AHL would be a huge benefit, as he could develop his game against other professionals. So far, through two games, Cowan has one assist with the Marlies.

Another roster change included goaltender Cayden Primeau getting claimed off waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes. Primeau made only a handful of starts with the Leafs because Joseph Woll was away from the team. He made three starts, posted a 2–1 record along with a .838 save percentage. Primeau certainly had some struggles in his brief stint with the Leafs, but he did manage to keep them in some games when it mattered. The 26-year-old will now get a new beginning in Carolina with a packed goalie situation.

This is not necessarily a roster move, but former Leaf David Kampf was suspended by the organization for leaving the AHL team out of nowhere. Kampf will not be getting paid during this time, even though he is still under contract with the Leafs. Kampf has struggled mightily this season and failed to make the NHL club out of training camp. It is likely that his contract will eventually be terminated by the team.

Impressive individual performances

One of the most pleasant players to watch this season has been forward Nick Robertson. The Leafs drafted Robertson in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft. Ever since this time, he was hyped up to be a great offensive player. However, he was never really capable of finding a consistent role with the team. This season has been a bit of a breakout year so far, as he has recorded four goals and nine points through fifteen games. Moving forward, Craig Berube should definitely consider keeping Robertson in the top-six.

Veteran forward John Tavares has also been having a phenomenal season with the Leafs. He currently has nine goals and twenty-one points through sixteen games. If he can keep this kind of scoring up, he could potentially be on pace for his best season as a Leaf. Tavares is second on the team in scoring, just two points behind William Nylander. A lot of hockey fans say that Tavares is overrated, but I think it is the opposite. He is shadowed by other superstar talent that sometimes hides his importance to the team.