The Toronto Maple Leafs are back, baby!
The regular season is finally upon us, and the Editor in Leaf staff have been working around the clock to bring you, our loyal readers, right into the middle of the action. Every angle has been covered, and every stone has been overturned.
With so many stories hitting the wall all at once, it’s easy to lose a few in the shuffle. So, enjoy this roundup of this week’s notable pieces.
How Mitch Marner is the Key to the William Nylander Contract
One day, hopefully in the near future, we’ll be able to log on to any Leafs-related website and see no mention of William Nylander’s contract. That, my friends, is the world I one day want to live in.
Unfortunately, we’re not there quite yet. The Nylander Saga continues to drag into what now feels like its second decade and we have since become bombarded with reports of how the Leafs are perfectly willing to sit their young stud for the entire year. Yikes.
Wilbert, like the entirety of the fanbase, does not want that to happen. In his latest piece, Wilbert dives into the notion of how another youthful star, Mitch Marner, could be the key to ending this ridiculous stalemate once and for all.
Give it a look.
“Put Nylander, Matthews, and Marner in a room with Dubas and they will all punch it all out right there. The problem, however, Mitch Marner is allegedly unwilling to talk contract terms until the end of the season.
Imagine being Nylander: you don’t want to sign a contract long-term only to see Marner get 2 million more per year. It’s arguable who’s the better player of the two, let alone being the difference two million per year. You’re not willing to sign anything before you know what Marner is going to get.”
Toronto Maple Leafs Monthly Prospect Update: The AHL
Alex has been doing a fantastic job lately, effectively summarizing the early returns of all of the Leafs prospects at every level. In the final edition of his series, he now turns his focus over to the Marlies in order to gauge how the most NHL-ready youngsters seem to be doing.
Take a peak for all your latest prospect news!
“Andreas Borgman (D, Undrafted, Signed from SHL in 2017)
Andreas Borgman’s time in North America has been, well, strange to say the least. After having a very strong training camp back in September of 2017, Borgman cracked the Leafs’ defensive core and earned a spot on opening night.
He appeared in 48 games for the Leafs and registered 11 points before being reassigned to the Marlies in January of 2018. He hasn’t seen NHL ice since then but after a strong start to the season that saw him put up 10 points in 15 games, he could potentially earn himself a callup barring any injuries.”
It’s Time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to Go All-In
This has been the million-dollar question at a number of moments throughout the Auston Matthews-Era. Should the Leafs go all in? Do they have the talent and personnel to actively contend for the Stanley Cup? Or are they a piece or two away from real contention?
D.J. has some pretty clear thoughts on this. If it were up to him, he’d push all the chips into the middle of the table and load up for April. And there is certainly an argument to be made which supports his theory.
To find out what that is, check out his latest piece down below.
“Despite all the success so far, there’s still room for improvement. The Leafs often allow too many shots against from high-danger areas of the ice. Andersen has been incredible, but he’s still human, so let’s help him out a bit.
I don’t advocate getting rid of lots of picks and prospects for marginal players or rentals. If the Leafs have an opportunity to trade for a talented defenceman that can play the right side, however, they should. Pushing Hainsey and Zaitsev down the line-up (or trading them) would be an improvement. Could potentially save the Leafs a bit of money on the cap this summer, too.
I say the Leafs should consider trading their first, a prospect and/or complimentary player on our roster to help round out the team. Not to get in the habit of doing that each year, but this is one where it makes sense.”
The Case of Moving Josh Leivo Higher in the Lineup
Ah, Josh Leivo. Remember when he was all Leafs fans could talk about?
It’s funny, really. Once Nylander inevitably signs and then bounces Leivo into press box purgatory once again, this fanbase will almost certainly turn to Leivo as their next topic of outrage.
Honestly, Leivo has been pretty good thus far. Not the 20-goal scorer those who advocated for him believed him to be, but serviceable nonetheless. Michael certainly shares this sentiment and, in fact, even thinks Leivo has earned a spot higher in the lineup.
Do you agree? Well, if you don’t, give Michael’s piece a read and see if it changes your mind.
“Taking a look at Leivo’s stats to up to this point, he has just 2 goals and 2 assists so far. While these numbers alone don’t jump off the page, his underlying stats are impressive, to say the least.
As of November 18, Leivo has a 58.15 Corsi-for%, a 58.62 SF%, a 66.01 SCF%, and a 66.22 HDCF%. What these mean is that he has been a positive offensive contributor for the Leafs whenever he is on the ice both in terms of possession and scoring chances.
Additionally, this shot map by Bill Comeau shows that Leivo has done a great job of getting most of his scoring chances down low. He very rarely takes a low percentage shot from a long distance, as his average shot distance is 27.4 feet.”
Thanks for reading!