Brett Lebda 2010-11 Preview

When the Leafs signed former Detroit Red Wing and Stanley Cup Champion Brett Lebda in the first week of free agency, all signs pointed to Tomas Kaberle being moved in exchange for a scoring forward. However, the August 15th deadline passed with no Kaberle trade to be seen. With Tomas returning for another season, the Leafs defensive core ranks amongst the top in the NHL. The issue is that Lebda is making $1.45 million this season and may only play on the third pairing. It is a good problem to have for Brian Burke and Ron Wilson.

Lebda played a complementary role with Detroit last season, where he scored 1 goal and 7 assists, along with 24 penalty minutes, in 63 games. Lebda is small-in-stature at 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds, although he makes up for it with his sound puck moving abilities and good first pass. He does however lack physicality and is often criticized from his play in the defensive zone. If Lebda was paired with a more defensive defenseman like Mike Komisarek or Luke Schenn, he would thrive on the backend.

Lebda brings 62 games of playoff experience, which is a wealth of experience that will hold him in good stead if the Leafs make the playoffs this season. He can act as a calming influence for youngsters like Luke Schenn and Carl Gunnarsson, who have never made it to the dance.

When Lebda signed with Toronto, he believed that he could push for a top four role with the club, but that doesn’t look very likely, so he will form one of the best third pairings in the league. When one of the members of the top four is injured, Ron Wilson can rest in his laurels that Lebda will make a seamless transition from the third pairing.

Although he is not an overly offensive defenseman, Lebda posted a career high of 18 points during the 2006-07 season with the Red Wings. If played in the right situations – including on the power play – Lebda can be realistically counted on for at least 20 points this season. His playmaking tools will also contribute to the Leafs goal of improving their special teams.

The additions of Lebda, along with Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong, all add playoff experience to a young Leafs team that is desperately seeking an identity. All three will help ease the load for some of the younger and less experienced players on Toronto. The presence of Lebda on the blueline and the fact that he came from an illustrious organization for development like Detroit is reason for hope for Leafs fans.

2009-10 Statistics
63 games, 1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points, 24 penalty minutes

2010-11 Prediction
72 games, 4 goals, 15 assists, 19 points, 32 penalty minutes

3 Burning Questions

1 – Do you think Lebda has a legitimate chance at cracking the Leafs top four defense?

2 – Will his puck moving abilities help improve the Leafs dysfunctional powerplay?

3 – How many points do you think Lebda will score for the Leafs this season?

Feel free to chime in with your answers or share your predictions in the comments section.