Good morning Maple Leafs fans!

It’s mid-September, and we’re one month away from the start of the season, but we are still waiting on some big news to drop. With the season starting a couple weeks later than usual the news cycle is still a little behind schedule.

For now we have development camp highlights, which is a lot better than we had last week.

Here’s a refresher if you, like me, keep forgetting who Steeves is:

Leafs Sign NCAA Centre Alex Steeves to ELC for 2021-22
Maple Leafs Might Have a Hidden Gem in Alex Steeves - The Hockey News on Sports Illustrated

Kristen Shilton: Taking stock of five Toronto Maple Leafs prospects after rookie camp - TSN.ca

Steeves scored four goals in the final scrimmage of development camp. The kids are taking a few days off before the Traverse City prospect tournament this weekend.

Speaking of prospect, yesterday it was #6 in the Top 25 Under 25:

2021 Top 25 Under 25: Timothy Liljegren is #6

Nylander, no flow?

Is this a vision of the future?

The Morgan Rielly debate is one that will happen until the trade deadline. Then it becomes lamenting the Leafs decision.

Solving Morgan Rielly

It was Leafs media day, and two players want to reset their image:

Opinion | Leafs stars Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews understand the urgency to win. They’re not old but they’re not part of the kiddie core anymore

Elsewhere in the news:

Finally, one of the stories that could be a precedent setter, Sylvain Lefebvre who was hired to be an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets back in June has been let go after the NHL’s vaccination policies were announced, and he is not vaccinated yet, and if he’s fired then it’s assumed he wouldn’t be getting the shot.

NHL to require everyone that interacts with club personnel to be vaccinated

“We had to part ways with him because he couldn’t do his job. We need a coach,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “If you’re not vaccinated, you’re not allowed within 12 feet of the players. You can’t do your job as a coach. He couldn’t be in the locker room, couldn’t be in the coaches’ room, couldn’t be on the bench, couldn’t be on the plane with us…we need a coach.”

Blue Jackets hire Steve McCarthy as assistant, relieve...

This is the second coach gone after the policies were announced, San Jose Sharks assistant Rocky Thompson stepped down as he could not be vaccinated for medical reasons.

That's’ what I have for you today. #5 in the top 25 comes out later, and we’ll see you then.

From The Branches