Former Leafs forward talks about Leaf fans destroying players' confidence in Toronto
The Toronto Maple Leafs have started the campaign 6-4-2, but it hasn't been as smooth sailing as many had envisioned before puck drop on the 2023-24 season.
After acquiring guys like Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, John Klingberg, and Ryan Reaves, there was a lot of high expectations especially for players like Bertuzzi and Domi - players who would slot into the top-6 and brought intangibles the team didn't have. Unfortunately they have struggled mightily through 12 games and understandably so, the media and the fan base has jumped all over their slow start.
Bertuzzi has 2 goals and 3 points in 12 games, is averaging only 15:41 TOI - his lowest since his sophomore season - is currently a minus-1, and only has 24 shots on goal. Domi on the other hand has 0 goals but 5 assists, is averaging 13:45 TOI, and only has 16 shots.
The usual suspects remain at the top in Auston Matthews (18 points), Mitch Marner (17), William Nylander (16), John Tavares (12), and Morgan Rielly (10). However their supposed depth and secondary options have been invisible and former Maple Leafs forward Kris Versteeg believes he knows why:
"When guys come in, they come in with high expectations. The media, the fans, they have this way of building these players up to something they're not but not actually understanding the value they bring at what they're doing.
But what happens is - again myself, very similar situation - you come in and you have a weak start. So I had 2 points in 11 games and the narrative starts to build, the media starts creating a narrative, the fans start to create a narrative and then it starts to become unshakeable. They're not playing great right now, I don't think they're playing terrible either." - Versteeg on fans' expectations and quick reactions
But what happens is - again myself, very similar situation - you come in and you have a weak start. So I had 2 points in 11 games and the narrative starts to build, the media starts creating a narrative, the fans start to create a narrative and then it starts to become unshakeable. They're not playing great right now, I don't think they're playing terrible either." - Versteeg on fans' expectations and quick reactions
Throughout the summer it was perceived that Bertuzzi and Domi were the missing pieces that kept this team from taking that much needed leap in the playoffs for years upon years. At the same time, I don't blame the media or the fan base for thinking that either because both players have shown in flashes that they are very capable scorers, they have that grit and snarl, and would be able to slot next to either Matthews or Tavares and be seen as better replacements for players like Micheal Bunting.
Versteeg then goes on about how once the narrative has been created, there is no going back. You can score however many goals and points but they don't forget your slow start and they want to keep the narrative going:
"Similar to myself, I wasn't playing good at all and then all of a sudden the next 30 games I have 30 points, that was never really talked about. Everyone remembered the terrible start, someone keying my car, spitting on my car, and then they don't really remember what you're doing because the narrative has been created about this guy who doesn't want to come here, doesn't want to be here, and then the media jumps on and that's where I get scared for those guys.
It's when the narrative starts to spin and the news starts to cycle and then one little micro-mistake becomes magnified, it's hard to dig out of that in a market where hockey means so much." - Versteeg on volatile Toronto fanbase
It's when the narrative starts to spin and the news starts to cycle and then one little micro-mistake becomes magnified, it's hard to dig out of that in a market where hockey means so much." - Versteeg on volatile Toronto fanbase
The Maple Leafs have a lot of time to figure out their woes but the last thing you want to see is players crumbling under the Toronto media and city pressure. It's a tough environment to succeed in and so far it seems that both of their prized free agent acquisitions are succumbing to the pressure.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 7 | 355 ANSWERS Former Leafs forward talks about Leaf fans destroying players' confidence in Toronto Do you agree with what Kris Versteeg had to say about fans being too quick to turn on players? | ||
| Yes | 234 | 65.9 % |
| No | 72 | 20.3 % |
| Don't care, just win | 49 | 13.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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