The Toronto Maple Leafs currently find themselves in the midst of an undeniably pivotal offseason.
Because of this, the minds here at Editor in Leaf have been working around the clock to bring you coverage of all the latest developments. With so many pieces flying left and right, it’s easy for some to slip through the cracks.
So, here’s a quick taste of some of the content our hard-working writers have churned out in May.
Time to Ban Fighting
James is never one to shy away from a controversial take. And, based on the reaction this piece garnered on social media, this take was as controversial as they come.
Give it a read to see which side you fall on.
“Since the instigator rule, fighting has been a sad parody of itself. It’s just designated fighters fighting other designated fighters. The idea that Sundin was protected from cheapshots because Wade Belak would fight Chris Neal if a different Senator touched Sundin never made any sense to me. It never made any sense to anyone because the idea is dumb.”
What’s Next for Mark Hunter?
With Kyle Dubas being promoted to the GM’s chair, speculation has shifted towards the future of his closest competitor, Mark Hunter. To try and answer where the latter will end up, Josh took a dive into the various landing spots for the former London Knights architect.
“Fortunately for Hunter, there are likely to be a few teams across the NHL who will be hungry for a new GM to take the reins. The teams who might be looking for a new face to lace their operations include the Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Dallas Stars.”
Why the Leafs Don’t Need Tavares
Boy, Nicholas has hit the ground running since joining EIL in May.
For his latest piece, Nick chose to present a case AGAINST the Leafs inking John Tavares to a long-term deal. It’s a bold stance to take, and one he defends pretty well. Give it a look if you’re open to an alternative point of view.
“Getting a great centre is fantastic. But, if you already have one of the best offences in the league, why add onto it when you need defence? The Leafs have had defensive troubles for a little while now, and we’ve seen some slight improvements the past season or so.
If you’re going to acquire or sign anyone, it needs to be someone to help Freddy and Rielly and prevent us from allowing so many shots.”
The Odds on Pending UFA’s Returning
The Leafs are in danger of entering next season sans James van Riemsdyk, Leo Komarov and Tyler Bozak. Lauren weighed the odds on whether or not any of Toronto’s pending UFA’s would return.
“The Leafs have six pending unrestricted free agents, and five of them are forwards. There’s a good chance all five could be gone in September. That will be a huge change.
There are also two restricted free agents. It’s four if you count Andreas Johnsson, who finished the season with the Leafs, and Martin Marincin, whose NHL salary is buried in the minors.”
Did Nylander Have a Sophomore Slump?
Ugh. I’ll never understand why the Canadian media has chosen William Nylander as their new punching bag. The guy doubles his even strength production this season and still finds himself the centre of unsubstantiated trade rumours.
To combat this, Alex answered the question of whether Willy took a step back in his sophomore season.
Spoiler alert: he didn’t.
“Even though Nylander finished with the same amount of points, there was a significant difference. In his rookie year, Nylander had only 31 5v5 points and rounded out the rest on the PP. This year, he improved to 45 5v5 points – a 50% improvement.”
Next: Kyle Dubas and Hidden Talent
Thanks for reading! Make sure to keep your eyes peeled to the site as our coverage ramps up leading into the draft and free agency.