Cathy Squires
Total 4906 Posts
With the 153rd pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, the Maple Leafs select Hudson Malinoski
Hudson Malinoski is a centre from Saskatoon. He has not played in the WHL, instead opting for the AJHL for a year to allow him to go the NCAA route. He is committed to Providence College for next season.
Like any prospect at this stage, that makes him a long-
Maple Leafs Re-signing David Kämpf and Pontus Holmberg
Four more years for Kämpf.
Maple Leafs Cap Space Pre-Draft
It's been a while since I wrote about the Leafs roster, and the cap situation, so with the draft, trades and free agency looming, an executive summary is in order.
Sheldon Keefe not yet extended
Brad Treliving met the media one day before the draft and reported what was obvious: Sheldon Keefe will be coach next year.
Report: Leafs taking a second look at Kämpf & Kerfoot
It's possible Brad Treliving had some sticker shock when looking at other available players to fill the roles these two held on the Leafs.
Seaside Hockey
Today the NHL and the NHLPA announced a new program. Both Sarah Nurse and Mark Fraser, the Maple Leafs Manager of Culture and Inclusion, selected Seaside to get a $5,000 grant.
2023 NHL Awards
The awards are in Nashville this year, after pandemic cancellations, and last year's strange hybrid of pre-announced winners and a show in Tampa during the playoffs, the full show moves out of Vegas after years in that city.
Mitch Marner, Selke Finalist
I have to begin by admitting that when Mitch Marner was announced as a Selke Finalist, I burst out laughing. Not as loud as for Erik Karlsson, Norris Trophy candidate, but nearly. After I'd stopped, I considered the situation and thought, okay, this is a good opportunity to
John Tavares is not a kid anymore
You've all heard it from somewhere: John Tavares is the reason the Leafs can't add five or six new superstar players and win the Cup. He's no good anymore, he's past it, he's in the way and he needs to waive that no-move clause.
Pride, jerseys and no easy answers
James van Riemsdyk and Scott Laughton were the players behind the Pride initiative in Philadelphia, and I trust them both to have been sincere in their work, and sincerely frustrated by the conversation that ensued that was all about Provorov.
Replacing Michael Bunting
It's been said dozens of times that the Leafs can't afford Bunting. But of course they could, and they may actually acquire someone new in the lower end of his price range in the coming days, but the Leafs can't afford to overpay someone as much as he will be overpaid in the marketplace.
Maple Leafs to face the Sabres in St. Thomas
The Buffalo Sabres will be participating in a preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Joe Thornton Community Centre in St. Thomas, Ontario on Wednesday, September 27 as part of Kraft Hockeyville celebrations.
Team Building
I have no idea what type of team Brad Treliving is going to build. While it seems like he's building that team with Sheldon Keefe, we have no idea what format it will take.
3 Possible NHL Assistants
In Monday's 32 Thoughts, Jeff Marek named three possible hires for the Maple Leafs open coaching slot. Two were names he'd heard as possibles, and one is just a rational guess everyone has made by now. Let's start there.
RFAs to watch out for
The Leafs don't have a lot of assets to trade to add players, and the free agent market means older, and more expensive relative to player worth most of the time. Getting a good, young, cost-controlled player is the holy grail, but is it possible?
TGIFTB: Offseason is underway
Maple Leafs and NHL news and information for you to chat about on a Friday in the summer.
Let's talk Nylander extension
There's been reports that the Leafs are happy to re-sign William Nylander, something that the general zeitgeist would have had you think was unlikely a month ago. A lot of people thought they'd sacrifice him to pay Mitch Marner.
Ch-ch-changes
Instead of guessing the future, which is basically all we do in June, July and August around here, how about a break where we think about the past, question the way things have always been done and ask where else there should be changes than just the players themselves.
Maple Leafs RFAs and Qualifying Offers
June 30 is the deadline this year for Qualifying Offers to RFAs, hard on the draft, there isn't a lot of time for teams to get things organized before free agency opens the very next day.
Buyouts and the Leafs
It's been a few years since buyouts were very relevant to our interests around here, but this year is different. The Leafs have open positions to fill, and they also have that goalie issue.
Report: Maple Leafs hiring Shane Doan
Kevin Weekes with the scoop today.
Who has played their last game as a Maple Leaf in 2023
Usually this sort of thing is mostly obvious, but Kyle Dubas (clearly intentionally) left the team in a state where it can be radically altered this summer while not touching the core players. Now there's a new GM at the helm, and we're flying blind when it comes to guessing on his likely moves.
The Case For a Core 4 Trade
There is no case to trade one of the Leafs top players because somehow that magically makes the team better. It is extremely hard to make a team better trading elite or near-elite talent in the immediate term, even if you're happy with short term gains.
Offseason NHL Schedule
There are 2 - 5 games remaining in the Stanley Cup Final, and when that ends, one team is very happy, and the other 31 teams get to work.
Shane Doan to the Leafs?
It all began with Nick Kypreos who is quoted as saying that there are "rumblings" that the Leafs are interested in Shane Doan.
On Monday's Jeff Marek show, Elliotte Friedman said that it can't be confirmed to be happening, but Kypreos was not wrong in what he said.