Carlo Colaiacovo slams alma mater Toronto Maple Leafs' "failure" to develop defensive prospects

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Aug 11, 2024 04:57 GMT

Carlo Colaiacovo has criticized the Toronto Maple Leafs for failing to develop strong defensive prospects. A recent survey by The Athletic showed that fans ranked the Leafs 30th out of 32 teams. The team received "D" grades in areas like roster building, cap management and draft and development.

On TSN 1050’s "First Up," Colaiacovo pointed out the team’s struggle to develop quality defensemen. He believes this problem started during Kyle Dubas’ time as general manager.

Colaiacovo argues that the team focused too much on four-star forwards Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares while neglecting to build a strong defensive lineup.

Since establishing the "core four" in 2016, the Leafs have been known for their offensive power. However, their defense has been criticized. Colaiacovo questions why the team has not drafted and developed top defensemen since Morgan Rielly, the only notable defenseman drafted recently.

“That’s what has kept this organization back. Since Morgan Rielly, what defenseman has this team drafted and developed that has been a stud on defense?” Colaiacovo asked via "First Up."

"Justin Holl, (Rasmus) Sandin, (Timothy) Liljegren – that’s where the organizational failure has been with this team. You’ve built around four forwards, and you just continue to draft forwards to play with those guys," he added.

The data supports Colaiacovo's concerns. Since picking Rielly in the 2012 NHL entry draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs have drafted 30 defensemen. From 2012 to 2019, they chose 21 defensemen. Only nine reached the NHL, with four playing more than 15 games. Only Timothy Liljegren remains with the team. This record shows ongoing issues in developing defensive talent.

TSN analyst Martin Biron on Toronto Maple Leafs' new goaltending and defense changes

NHL analyst Martin Biron shared his views on the Toronto Maple Leafs' goaltending and defense changes. He questioned Ilya Samsonov’s past performance.

Samsonov is now with the Vegas Golden Knights. Biron said:

"I was never a big Ilya Samsonov guy. And look, last year they had, you know, three goalies, and it was kind of this piece of together."

This offseason, the Maple Leafs signed Anthony Stolarz to a two-year, $5 million contract. Stolarz had a strong season with the Florida Panthers. Biron praised his advanced metrics performance but wondered if he could handle playing 35 to 40 games.

Biron is more confident in the Leafs' goaltending this year than last season. However, he is unsure if Joseph Woll can handle a large number of games.