The Toronto Maple Leafs will play the Florida Panthers tonight, but that’s just one of the major things going on with the team right now.
In addition to trying to break their losing streak against a should-be tired Panthers team, the Toronto Maple Leafs GM gave a Ted Talk, the Coach made some moves and the team avoided a major unforced error.
So where to start?
How about Patrick Kane, the world’s most overrated hockey player. The Toronto Maple Leafs were rumoured to be interested, but it turned out they didn’t actually meet with the ex-Blackhawk.
Kane, who hasn’t been a positive force at 5v5 for nearly a decade, is coming off major hip surgery and isn’t the kind of player we’d normally have to worry about the Leafs pursuing (Dubas was majorly into analytics and character, two things that disqualify Kane from Toronto) but with a new GM clearly into name-brand antics, I was a little worried.
For no reason, it turns out. Kane signed in Detroit and the Leafs are smart to have not signed him.
Toronto Maple Leafs Avoid Error, GM Pumps Rumours, Panthers Game
As to those rumours, they aren’t specific, but when the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs gets in front of the mic and states that he’s looking for defenseman, expect things to go a little nuts.
It’s only been a couple weeks since the Leafs were supposedly on the verge of getting Nikita Zadorov and Chris Tanev, but obviously the Flames wanted too much.
There are a ton of options out there, not all of them good.
Then there is the Nylander situation. The Leafs can’t afford the optics of letting him walk to free-agency, and Treliving, barely recovered from the Johnny Gaudreau fiasco, is definitely not going to let that happen.
So expect the Leafs to overpay or make a trade. Their own GM’s bad track record makes it easy for Nylander’s agent. I doubt they’d have the guts to move him at his absolute peak, but it’d be the best move if emotions weren’t involved.
Unfortunately, we’ve grown quite attached to Nylander and I’d rather sign him to a bit of a bad deal than trade him, but as is repeatedly pointed out to me, I am not in charge.
Sill, the Leafs blue-line is killing their season, so somethings got to give.
If the Leafs don’t have a good effort tonight, I don’t know what will happen, but it might be nuts. The Leafs have gotten some really lucky results, or else they would be in the midst of one of the worst slides in franchise history.
Keefe changed the lines, and Marner will skate with Tavares, but the problem has more to do with the horrendous blue-line than any actual problem Mitch Marner has.
Woll gets the start and, unfortunately, Sheldon Keefe has decided to play Ryan Reaves. What the heck is Bobby McMann supposed to do to earn a regular shift?