Islanders: Three takeaways from Devon Toews trade to Colorado

Hi Nick Leddy!

Since earning his spot on the roster in 2018-19, Devon Toews has consistently taken ice time away from Nick Leddy. Both are smooth-skating, puck-moving defensemen, with the ability to create offense at 5on5 and the power play.

Just watch Nick Leddy’s time decrease (at 5on5 and on the PP) as Devon Toews plays more and more games for the Islanders:

*TOI from NaturalStatTrick

Leddy’s power-play ice time plummeted this season. Of course, it was a shortened season, but getting to 100 PP minutes would have been a stretch over the 14 games the Islanders didn’t play in 19-20. Getting to 100 minutes would still only account for less than 50% of Leddy’s usual power-play time.

With Devon Toews gone to the Avalanche Nick Leddy will clearly make up that difference on the power play in 2020-21. Not to mention at 5on5.

With Toews gone, Nick Leddy now becomes the Islanders only puck-moving defender on the team. He will be bumped up to the second pair with Scott Mayfield, where he will be lugging the puck up the ice and setting up the attack.

If Nick Leddy can get back to playing the way he played between 2014-15 and the beginning of 2017-18 this won’t be an issue. But the last two-and-a-half years make you question his ability to get back to his best.

Backing him to get there is Barry Trotz, who loves Nick Leddy’s play. After a win against the Ottawa Senators in November of 2019 where Leddy had three points and was instrumental in an Isles win, Trotz went out of his way to quash any trade rumors involving the veteran D-man. Hopefully, the veteran coach can get Leddy to play like he used to.