Can Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong Carry the Leafs to the Playoffs?
Only a day after Toronto Maple Leafs off-season acquisitions, Colby Armstrong and Kris Versteeg put on the blue and white for the first time to promote a team event. Meanwhile, Torontonians are already wondering whether or not the two forwards can get their team out of the basement.
Kris Versteeg
Versteeg managed 20 goals for the second straight season playing on a very skilled Chicago Blackhawks third line last year. He was an important piece of the puzzle in Chicago as he logged plenty of minutes up front and played on the team’s penalty kill.
Although he is small, Versteeg is able to use his size and speed to become an effective, everyday National Hockey League (NHL) player.
His minutes are expected to go up in Toronto, as the Leafs are thin up front. Versteeg is likely to play on the second line, while getting time on both the power play and the team’s penalty kill. He is capable of 50-60 points a season next year.
Colby Armstrong
Long time role player Armstrong is coming off an effective two year stint with the Atlanta Thrashers. Known mostly for his energy and ability to kill penalties, Armstrong is a stereotypical Brian Burke player, hard-nosed and ready to play every night. Although he may not put the puck in the net as much as his counterpart Versteeg, he is still able to rack up some points, and will do the little things well, earning his new $3 million contract.
Expect Armstrong to play the majority of next season on the third line, as well as logging big minutes on the team’s penalty kill.
What do Versteeg and Armstrong bring to the Leafs?
The two forwards brought in by Toronto this off-season make the Leafs forward core look a little bit more threatening and reliable.
The young group came together well to end the season last year, but still struggled as they tried to perform consistently and seemed to lack scoring depth.
Versteeg will bring more of a scoring punch up front as he fills out the second line with Mikhail Grabovski and Luca Caputi, bringing more reliability to the left-wing.
In Armstrong, the Leafs get the league veteran they desperately needed up front. With such a young inexperienced forward core, the 27 year-old Armstrong brings experience to the table. In addition, he will set an example, as a player that does not quit and comes to the rink every day with his game face on.
Armstrong should play a major role in teaching the young forwards what it takes to be a professional. Perhaps most importantly, Armstrong should help bolster a floundering penalty kill.
Can they get the Leafs to the playoffs?
For the Leafs to make the playoffs, it will take more then just Armstrong and Versteeg performing up to their expected levels. However, they do make the forward core look more formidable heading into next season.
With that said, the Leafs are still incredibly thin up front and are going to need to acquire some more talent before they can be looked at as a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. Nevertheless, they should not be counted out as a contender for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Montreal Canadiens are an indication that a sub-par team can pull together and do some surprising things.
In the end, the Leafs making the playoffs will land on the performance of their stacked defence core, their goaltenders, and the progression of sniper Phil Kessel, and his set up man, Tyler Bozak.
Either way, the two new acquisitions have given Leafs fans something to talk about and hope for, as the team tries to get back to the post-season for the firs time in five years.
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