Replacing Kerfoot isn’t the goal, adding to the line up is the goal. Eventhough miller is the better player it doesn’t achieve anything subbing one for the other.
The difference between Ritchie and miller at 50% is 125k. The leafs can make that work easily.
Miller is a substantially better offensive player than Kerfoot is. Kerfoot, for the most part, has been fairly irrelevant to his line's production this year (and in the past). He's a guy who relies on his linemates to be offensive catalysts. Miller is a guy who can drive a line.
Furthermore, I think you have to look a little closer at the composition of the Leafs roster... especially on that left side.... you've got:
- Kerfoot who's 5'10, 181lbs
- Bunting who's 6'0, 186lbs
- Engvall who's 6'5, 215lbs; but plays like he's 6'0 185.
- Mikheyev who's 6'2, 192lbs
- Ritchie who's 6'3, 235lbs.
The goal for the Leafs is not just to get out of the first round, but to win a cup. To do that, you're going to need to beat 4 different teams, and chances are, throughout a run, there will be a series where a team is clogging up the middle of the ice consistently, and a guy like Nick Ritchie is going to be a much needed force. JT Miller is certainly better than anything else the Leafs have on the left side, but he brings a lot of the same attributes as what the Leafs already have in their lineup, both on the left side, and in the middle/on the right.