Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthews, Marner, Coyotes
Here are some good reads to get your Saturday started right – thinking about the Toronto Maple Leafs and how great they’re going to be.
A collection of good Toronto Maple Leafs reads, and some random NHL news, is what everyone should get in the morning, so enjoy, read and comment your thoughts.
Pension Plan Puppets has a good breakdown of the pending RFA’s and how they need to be signed – and soon. (Pension Plan Puppets)
We talked a bit about a few players who should be passed over earlier in the season, and Garret Sparks may have joined that list. It’s going to be interesting to see what the Toronto Maple Leafs do with Sparks as an RFA after hi late-season problems and the signing of Kasimir Kaskisuo.
Bob McKenzie talked, on Insider Trading, about Auston Matthews, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Arizona Coyotes and the constant connection between the three. His outcome was transcribed by the always great Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot. (Today’s Slapshot)
It’s hard to envision a trade between Arizona and Toronto – although there’s no doubt they’ve had at least a feeler conversation – involving Auston Matthews. A true number one center and drafting first overall is just too rare to come by.
More from Editor In Leaf
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- Top 10 Scandals in the History of the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Results from the Traverse City Prospects Tournament
Even Finnish news outlets are picking up on Mike Babcock’s hilarious narrowing down of the Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick at #1 between Matthews and Laine. (Sportti)
Spoiler Alert: It’s going to be Matthews. As much as Laine may want to hype himself up, and how good he actually may be at the NHL level, the Stanley Cup is won by teams with a legitimate number one center. That’s the end goal – a Stanley Cup.
Mitch Marner was named an OHL All-Star, adding to his 2015-2016 resume of winning everything possible at the junior level. (Bayshore Broadcasting)
Perhaps the new name for the last two months should be named “The Spring of Mitch”. The London Knights forward has won everything imaginable and has set himself up to play himself out of a job in September’s training camp/pre-season.
News Around The NHL:
Logan Couture is back-peddling after angrily calling Sidney Crosby a cheater in the faceoff circle, citing himself and Joe Thornton as cheaters as well. (NHL.com)
It was a heat of the moment move by Couture that seems to have blown up in his face. The focus should be on the Stanley Cup Final being a great series, not emotional whining.
On Insider Trading, the panel indicated that Alexander Radulov is seeking a two year deal worth $7.5M per season. That’s right, the attitude-problem NHL-defect Radulov wants a team to commit $15M over two years for his services. (TSN)
Radulov has wishful thinking here. There is no team that should be shelling out $15M for Alexander Radulov, regardless of his production and underlying numbers in previous NHL years.
Next: UFA Target: Jhonas Enroth
Apparently Milan Lucic would be open to signing with the Edmonton Oilers. (Edmonton Journal)
As much heat as Lucic gets, he’s a quality NHL player – he just has a bad temper and takes bad penalties at bad times. If he’s picking between his hometown (Vancouver) and Edmonton, he’s better off choosing Edmonton, because Vancouver is a trainwreck.
Happy Saturday, Toronto Maple Leafs fans.