Toronto Maple Leafs: EIL Content Roundup – January 27th

The Toronto Maple Leafs are back from the New Year, baby!

The regular season is now firmly out of the winter break, 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.

A Brief History of the Toronto Maple Leafs at the All-Star Game

Take a seat, folks. Class is in session.

The All-Star game has always been a divisive event. Some fans love it for the carefree platform it gives players to express their true selves, while others despise it for, well, exactly that reason. The players who attend the All-Star game tend to take it pretty easy during the game portion of the weekend, which, in some years, has led to a pretty mediocre product.

But can you imagine the uproar if the game were played every year between the defending Stanley Cup Champions and the best of the rest? Twitter would literally melt down.

Well, as Matt explains in his piece this week, that’s exactly how the game used to be.

Buckle up. You’re in for a fascinating history lesson.

“While the All-Star game is a multi-day spectacle that features some of the greatest players from across the entire NHL with at least one representative from each of the league’s 31 franchises, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, when the NHL All-Star game first made its debut in the 1940s, not only did it occur in mid-October, but it was held between the previous year’s Stanley Cup champion and the best of the rest.

On October 13, 1947, the NHL’s best faced off against the hometown favourites, the Toronto Maple Leafs at the famous Maple Leaf Gardens. While the Leafs would drop the inaugural contest by a score of 4-3, the game featured many all-time greats including Syl Apps, who led the Leafs squad with a goal and an assist.”

Toronto Maple Leafs: Kasperi Kapanen Most Likely to be Traded

Whether you agree with this particular assertion or not, the fact that some difficult decisions will need to be made in the coming years for the Leafs to maintain their window of contention is indisputable. The money will be tight and some players will need to be let go. That’s just the reality we live in.

Wilbert, in his latest piece, believes one of those players will be Kasperi Kapanen. Frankly, he’s got a point. Kapanen is an RFA at the end of this season and just happens to be putting up career-high numbers in nearly every statistical category. No, he won’t be able to command William Nylander money, but a $4 million cap hit isn’t out of the question and neither is another drawn-out negotiation saga.

Do you agree with Wilbert here? Give his piece a read to find out.

“Considering the skill level and value to any teams roster, Kasperi Kapanen will be most likely be traded at the end of the season. I’m not saying I want this, or even saying that I consider this the best option at hand. The value of Kapanen is enormous and I would want him to be a Leaf for a long time.

Realistically speaking, he would earn the Toronto Maple Leafs a bigger return in a trade over Johnsson and would cost less to sign to a bridge deal than Johnsson.

Perhaps Kyle Dubas has an elaborate plan and will find room for Kasperi Kapanen to stay in Toronto. Though, I find that unlikely at the time.”

Two Blueliners the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade For

The Leafs need an upgrade on defence. You know it. I know it. Heck, even Mike Babcock knows it, although he’s unlikely to actually admit it.

Which now begs the question: what will that upgrade look like?

Will it be a top-four defender who arrives via a blockbuster trade involving multiple picks and prospects? Will it take the form of an internal promotion for either Timothy Liljegren or Rasmus Sandin? Or will it be a more under-the-radar move, buying low on a thought-to-be undervalued asset?

In his latest piece, James dives into which avenue the Leafs could take and who it could net them.

“The one player the Leafs should be going nuts to acquire is Radko Gudas.  Gudas is a 28-year-old right-handed defenseman with one year left on a very reasonable $3.5 million dollar per year contract.

He is exactly what the Leafs are missing: a right-handed shot with excellent defensive impact.

The Flyers aren’t winning anything this year, and probably not next year either.  Gudas contract will expire before they’re any good, and so it makes sense that they’d want to move him now while the team acquiring him can get two playoffs out of him.”

Thanks for reading!