Toronto Maple Leafs: A Tale of Two Defensemen

Toronto's Jake Gardiner and Cody Franson are two teammates involved in an all-out war for ice time.

Doubtless, Franson did not expect to be put in this situation.  Based on Ron Wilson and Brian Burke’s reactions, neither did they.  Why’s that?

Simple.

Gardiner took his coaches, management, teammates, and fans by storm this preseason.

His performance was a revelation during exhibition play prior to the start of the regular season in 2011.  He showed unparalleled poise, mobility and creativity every time he hit the ice.

By the time Ron Wilson had to choose his opening lineup, Gardiner made it an easy decision for the Leafs’ bench boss.  He not only earned his spot on opening night, he was arguably the Leafs’ best defenseman throughout the preseason.

However, after two ho—hum performances to start the year, Wilson elected to yank Jake and pop the then bitter Franson into the lineup.  After sitting out the first pair of games to start his year as a healthy scratch, Franson spent some of his time away from the rink beaking off about Wilson and his decision.

Understandable. 

Appropriate?  Professional?  Acceptable?  Not in the least.

But understandable.

Nonetheless, the stage was set. Wilson gave Cody his shot and he had a lot to live up to.

I expected a ferocious performance out of Franson in games three and four of the year, the way he had been talking.  The fire appeared to have been lit from deep within.  But his game left a lot to be desired.  Was he terrible?  I wouldn’t say so.

But he wasn’t able to justify his complaints or a spot in game five, which was awarded to Gardiner.

Versus the Winnipeg Jets, Jake Gardiner showed again exactly why he was kept on the big club, as opposed to being relegated to the minors with the Marlies.  He led the way with his calm, yet aggressive play, from the blue line.  Meanwhile, Phil Kessel took care of business on offense with his seventh goal and twelfth point of the season to help send the game to OT and eventually an incredible shootout win. He still leads the league after nine games played with 16 points.

I could go on for hours praising Kessel at this point, but I digress.

It seems as though Gardiner has really benefited from taking a step back.  You cannot underestimate the effect that just sitting and watching the game from afar can have on a player.

Unfortunately for Franson, it can have as negative an impact as it can a positive one.

No doubt, Franson is a solid NHL-level defenseman.  With the way Burke has built his blue line, I think Cody will always be battling for a third pairing spot.  But for the time being, I think Franson is going to have a difficult time cracking the line-up on a regular basis. 

To make matters worse, trade rumours have been swirling throughout the Toronto media regarding Franson.  Sure, it's likely speculation from people with too much time on their hands and I doubt Burke is actively looking to trade him. 

Nonetheless, it can make for a difficult environment for Franson to work in.

Of course, to make matters more interesting, Luke Schenn’s play has dipped significantly and Mike Komisarek has come back down to earth after a surprising half-decent preseason.  Will one of these two be next to step out in favour of Franson?  Komisarek did sit out as a healthy scratch against Montreal last Saturday, but it wasn't enough to prompt Wilson to call on Franson. 

Who knows, maybe even Keith Aulie will be back up in the big leagues soon to save the day as he did late last season.

It’s impossible to predict, but one thing is for sure. Despite the depth that Burke has acquired on the back end, it isn’t working out as well as most thought it would.

Yes, the Leafs sit 6-2-1 in their first nine games.

The defense has been very questionable to this point.  They've played well on rare occasions, like this evening's win against the New York Rangers, but given the time and money spent in building this blue line, I for one, expect more.  So too does management and the coaching staff, as it's very clear the club has been winning in spite of their back end—not because of it.

Three clear, and I mean clear, breakaways for Jaromir Jagr in one game?  He is getting on in his years, but to let a man of that innate talent walk in from the red line untouched is an atrocity.  I pay more attention to the opposition flying the zone on my Tuesday night D-division beer league team.

Doesn't mean I always catch them...but at least I know they're there.

I do believe this situation will sort itself out as the year goes along and the lineup starts to solidify. For the time being, however, I will watch nervously on the edge of my seat whenever the puck is in the Leafs’ defensive zone.

This article was originally published on http://sports-at-work.com.