How much of Maple Leafs’ sloppy start can be blamed on injuries?

Alex Hobson argues that while injuries should not be used as a total excuse, persistent roster absences have heavily exacerbated the Toronto Maple Leafs' sloppy early-season slump. Toronto has dropped five of its last six games to sit second-last in the Atlantic Division under head coach Jim Hiller. Hobson highlights that the team's five-on-five offensive production and power play efficiency plummeted sharply after forward Kirill Marchenko suffered a knee injury against the Calgary Flames.

Beyond Marchenko, the Leafs have recently played without key regulars including Morgan Rielly, Jack Roslovic, John Tavares, and Chris Tanev. However, Hobson emphasizes that goaltending cannot be blamed on injuries, noting Sergei Bobrovsky has conceded three or more goals in 11 of his 12 starts. While acknowledging that criticism of the team is justified, the writer concludes that Toronto needs better defensive play and goaltending while adapting to roster adversity.