Sheldon Keefe and the Leafs highly value Noel Acciari

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Joshua Deeds
February 20, 2023 (9:11 PM)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have found new life as they have added Noel Acciari and Ryan O'Reilly. With Ryan O'Reilly being the Selke and Conn Smythe-winning player of the two teammates, it feels like O'Reilly gets the majority of the spotlight these days.

Sheldon Keefe Is Impressed With This New Toronto Maple Leaf

But what a lot of people are lacking in their appreciation of Acciari is his bottom-6 skill that teams look for in a player for a post-season push.

"An incredible defensive stick. Really heavy and hard on the puck. When he leans on you, you stop, generally. Very, very encouraged with what we have seen from him."

Keefe expressed how impressed Acciari is on the forecheck, as a defensive forward who isn't afraid to play a heavy game, which is what you can argue they lacked last season against a grittier Tampa Bay Lightning.

Noel Acciari is very skilled

Also noteworthy is how skillful Acciari is on the face-off posting a 53.5% win percentage in the circle and he is not afraid to throw the body, with 168 hits currently.

With these two new acquisitions, who have post-season pedigrees, Keefe can weaponize his new line-up to utilize skill, speed, and a heavy forecheck to keep the game in their favor. Not to mention the ability to flex lines, should Keefe decide to switch John Tavares and Ryan O'Reilly between Center and Wing positions.

With Acciari being the latest addition, Dubas may not be done but you can tell that they are prepping for a long post-season.