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2 pieces of good news + 3 pieces of bad news for the Toronto Maple Leafs

It was a mixed back on Toronto Maple Leafs media availability day

By James Tanner

May 4, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov (35) skates off the ice after the Boston Bruins won in overtime in game seven of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
May 4, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov (35) skates off the ice after the Boston Bruins won in overtime in game seven of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
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The day before training camp opens is usually one with lots of little bits of news and yesterday did not disappoint for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

There was good news for the Toronto Maple Leafs, there was great news. And there was some bad news. There was even a nightmare scenario floated that may or may not have a realistic chance of coming true.

It was a big day!

Let's dig into it.

2 pieces of good news + 3 pieces of bad news for the Toronto Maple Leafs

First the two pieces of good news: New coach Craig Berube's first public address about his plans as the Leafs coach was only 33% idiotic. Considering where this organization usually operates from, I'll take that as a huge win.

Berube told the assembled masses that he will start William Nylander as a centre and Max Domi as a winger when camp opens. The Leafs are desperate for a centre, but Domi is a below replacement level centre who excels on the wing. Both of those things were music to my ears.

That's two pieces of good news, but as he is now a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ol' Craig couldn't help himself: he immiiedieately said that Nylander and Domi would be paired together. This despite the gaudy and franchise-level numbers Domi put up with Auston Matthews for 20% of last season.

Not having Domi and Matthews paired together for 82 games + the playoffs is ridiculous. The Leafs were given a gift and they punched the horse in the face. Then again, Domi and Nylander likely won't stick together due to their bad defense, so I expect Berube to fix this bad idea sooner than later.

As for the other bad news, there is the revalation that the Leafs have taken money from a cookie company to make their helmets look like crap. Jersey and helmet advertising is a disgrace and we were all humiliated to watch with second-hand embarrassment as the Leafs so-called marketing team tried to drum up publicity for this wretched move.

But finally, the worst news was about MLSE owndership. Bell is selling their 37.5% share to Rogers, the most hated company in all the land. The Toronto Maple Leafs know a thing or two about bad ownership and while the current situation was not in any way good, at least the two competing companies held each other in check. This is bad, but the nightmare scenario is Ed Rogers having full control of the team becoming the new Harold Ballard, a sentence that made me barf as I wrote it.

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Oh well, at least the new coach knows enough to play Max Domi on the wing. That's something!

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