Even in the driest period of the offseason, there is still plenty to talk about when it comes to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
As always, the EIL staff have been working overboard to keep you informed of every angle. With so many articles hitting the, as the kids say, interwebs, it’s easy for some to slip through the cracks.
So, here are a few notable pieces from this past week.
Top 5 Leafs Moments
Last season was fun, wasn’t it?
In his latest piece, Michael takes us through his top 5 Leafs moments from 2017-18. You remember that season, don’t you? It was a certainly different time. A time when facial hair was outlawed, Lou Lamoriello was still thought of as a respected hockey executive, and John Tavares‘ best linemate was Anders Lee.
Ah, memories. Anyway, give it a read!
“The first meeting between the Leafs and the New York Islanders proved to be a dominating performance by Toronto as they cruised to a 5-0 win. Looking at the box score for this game, it’s clear that the Buds were simply the better team for the entire 60 minutes.
While the game itself was fun for Leafs fans to watch, what makes it stand out are the first NHL goals for Travis Dermott and Justin Holl.
The first one from Dermott saw him strip Matt Barzal of the puck while attempting to exit the zone and force a turnover. He quickly darted towards the goal to position himself for a pass from William Nylander. Once the puck came his way, Dermott simply redirected the puck past Thomas Griess and extended the lead to 4-0.”
Morgan Rielly and his Potential
The Toronto Maple Leafs and their blueline have been a primary topic of discussion for the bulk of the summer, largely for all the wrong reasons. This is a peculiar sentiment, as the back end boasts a number of enticing pieces, one of those being Morgan Rielly.
Denver dives into the aspects of Rielly’s game, predicting just how high his ceiling can go.
“With five years of experience in the NHL already, it’s easy to forget Morgan Rielly is only 24 years old, and that he still has a lot of runway left to take off and develop into an even better player than the elite offensive-minded defensemen we’ve seen so far.
Last season was an incredible one for Rielly, made more so if you look at the WOWY stats (with you, without you). Whenever Rielly got on the ice without his normal partner, Ron Hainsey, his stats skyrocketed, hinting at what he can be if the Leafs ever find him a better partner.”
Thoughts on Alternate Jerseys
Third jerseys are all the rage these days, as it seems as if every NHL team revealed one this summer. Some were great (Anaheim). Others were putrid (what are you doing, Carolina?).
At this point, it’s unclear as to whether the Toronto Maple Leafs will join in on the fun. There are a number of templates and concepts to draw off of from the past, and in his latest piece, that’s exactly what Josh does.
Give it a read.
“Last season, the Toronto Maple Leafs wore their old Toronto Arenas jerseys for their one hundred year anniversary game, in which they played the Carolina Hurricanes on home ice.
Over the last few years, they’ve worn a special Canadian Navy inspired jersey for the Stadium Series in Annapolis, a jersey for the Centennial Classic at BMO Field and a Winter Classic jersey for the January 1, 2014 match-up versus the Detroit Red Wings at the Big House. Unfortunately, these jerseys have only been worn once.
Perhaps, it’s time for a change. If the Toronto Maple Leafs announce an alternate jersey for the 2018-2019 regular season, not only can they make a tremendous amount in revenue on jersey sales but they pay homage to their history as well.”
Thanks for reading!
Training camp is now only days away, and I can promise you sure won’t want to miss what the great minds at EIL have in store.