Mike Babcock said after Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres that he’s more confused than ever about his defenceman choices. There’s a list of candidates for the openings on the Leafs, more than there are jobs to fill, and I have to agree that the choices aren’t obvious yet.
To sort this out, I thought it would make sense to first look at the job requirements to be a Maple Leafs defender.
If you’re a defenceman in the NHL, you already know what your life is going to be like on any team. You’ll be subjected to constant scrutiny over every mistake and scolded for not scoring enough, when if you could score, you wouldn’t be a defenceman.