It may be the offseason, but the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to make headlines.
Because of this, the hardworking writers here at Editor in Leaf have been cranking out fresh, steaming content each and every day.
With the news cycle operating at such a breakneck pace, it may be easy for some pieces to slip through the cracks. We all have lives. I totally get it.
So, here is a quick round-up of some of the content from the past seven days.
Why Joe Thornton Isn’t a Good Fit
The Leafs went hard after Joe Thornton’s services last season, only to see him re-sign with the Sharks. With a number of spots now opening up down the middle, one could assume they’d go hard after him again.
Well, not so fast. Nick doesn’t think so. In fact, he provides a compelling argument as to why the Leafs should take a pass on Jumbo Joe. Check it out!
“With Thornton finishing an $8 million one-year contract, I just don’t see him fitting in with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team is already paying his long-time teammate Patrick Marleau over $6 million a season to play on the second/third line.
Bringing in Joe Thornton would make things difficult salary cap wise and would take away a young player’s opportunity to make an impact on the team. He is long past his prime so bringing him on this young team would just be a short contract for leadership and a playoff edge.”
No Need for an Elite Defenceman
Toronto’s blueline has been a point of contention for as long as I can remember. And this year especially, the cracks truly began to show. Armed with a treasure trove of cap space this summer, the Leafs can actually land the big fish they’ve long needed.
Again, not so fast, folks.
James argues that the Leafs have no need for a blueline stalwart, and instead can make do with what they have. Do you agree? Well, read on to find out.
“The Leafs defence is not nearly as bad as its been made out to be. Their biggest problem last year wasn’t even their blueline – it was the defensive capabilities of their forwards.
Nazem Kadri has been my favourite player since Mats Sundin retired. (He’s receiving some serious competition from my boys Gardiner and Rielly, but I digress). But regardless of how much I like Kadri, he’s miscast as a ‘shutdown centre.”
Dubas Needs to Shop in Beverly Hills
Josh is one of our busiest writers, and he brings up a good point in his piece from earlier this week.
With Kyle Dubas now at the helm of Leafs management, he’ll need to scour every corner of the hockey world to bring in roster reinforcements. And it just so happens that the Los Angeles Kings may have what he needs.
What do you think? Should Dubas take a trip to Cali? Give it a read to find out!
“Dubas could go shopping in Southern California. He could walk around Beverly Hills and window shop or he could place a phone call down to Rob Blake, general manager of the Los Angeles Kings.
The Kings will be eager to move some salary as they currently have 4.25 million USD in cap space. If the Kings want to make it far into the playoffs next year, they’ll need to spend this off-season.
Unfortunately for the Kings, the dynasty seems to have crashed and burned. If Blake expects to return to the glory days, he’ll need to shed some salary.”
Stay Tuned!
As the draft and free agency approach, coverage on Editor in Leaf will only continue to ramp up. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the plethora of intriguing content we have planned for June and beyond!
Next: How Kyle Dubas Pushed the Marlies to Greatness
Thanks for reading!