Bruce Boudreau Breaks His Silence on the Toronto Maple Leafs: A New Perspective That Leafs Nation Never Saw Coming!

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Dawson Mckenzie
November 2, 2023 (10:26)

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Bruce Boudreau recently discussed the status of the Toronto Maple Leafs and what he thinks they need to do to improve.

Boudreau Discusses Leafs' Offseason Aquisitions

On the Leafs Morning Take podcast this morning, Bruce Boudreau discussed his opinions on the Leafs' offseason acquisitions. In some instances, he believes the Leafs may have gotten better, while in others, they have gotten worse.

I think they're good fits. Let's face it, I may be different, but I think I watch teams in the summer all the time for the last 20 years, NHL teams and they retool, they're going to lose players, so they get players to replace their players. And every now and again you go out and you get somebody that is above and beyond a replacement. Like, I mean, for example, they went and got Bertuzzi for Bunting. Okay, both similar players, I think they should be the same.

Is Max Domi better than Ryan O'Rilley? I would go to say that Ryan O'Reilly is the better fit for that.

I mean. Ryan Reaves is a fourth line guy.

They've lost some guys and they've gained some guys but the one thing is the core of their mean wall has come to us a huge surprise and a positive surprise so that's better. But I think the Leafs are the Leafs. They're the same Leafs.

Essentially, Boudreau thinks that the Leafs have what it takes to repeat their success of last year, at least in the regular season, with the roster they have at hand.

Boudreau Thinks It's Not Time To Panic When it Comes to the Top Six

Boudreau also discussed what he would do with Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews, as the two struggled the past 5 games to produce the points they are used to producing. While some have called for them to be split up and to try something new, Boudreau thinks it's too early for that.

I mean, the top six, it's all a scramble.

I mean, they can change in game, so I'm not worried about that. And you're going to find, okay, the first ten games, Mitch Marner is going to end up with nine points. If he gets one point next game, okay, but the next ten games he might get 25. Everybody goes, he's on fire, he's got that kind of capabilities.

And that's the whole thing about statistics.

I love reading statistics, like in baseball, well, he's only three for the last 30, and then all of a sudden he goes 15 for 25 and the average comes up again. It's the same as in hockey. If you're a goal scorer, you might go eight to ten games without a goal, and then the next ten games you might get ten.

Auston Matthews, he's got six in his first two. Nobody says he's only got one, I think, in his last seven. Him, but he looks like he's got a lot of goals, seven and nine. So, I mean, I'm not worried about Mitch Marner. I think he's one of the best players in the league.

Clearly, Leaf fans are hyper-aware of every play and when things are going badly. Given a bit more time, as Boudreau says, things will likely even out, and we will see the goal-scoring and production we are used to with the big guns.

As seen on Leafs Morning Take