Life is great for Leaf fans as media "crys the blues."

It was the worst of times for the media types in Toronto, times had truly changed. For the media types it was the worst of all news. You see for decades they had made their living pouring their derision on the lowly but loyal Leaf fans who suffered through some of the most inept management and trades ever seen in professional sports. But one day, everything changed. Rogers Cable bought the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Ontario teacher's pension plan who were content just to cash in on the regular season gate receipts and didn't seem to care for playoff glory or it's riches in Toronto. Rogers hired Brennan Shanahan and then suddenly after decades of being the laughing stock of the NHL the fans were turning the tables on their evil oppressors and mocking them for hating the Leafs and her fans. The Leafs, other than unloading Phil Kessel were no longer making bad moves. They had Mike Babcock at the helm and finally got their star Center, Auston Mathews, number one overall in the NHL draft. Another turning point was when the Leaf's GM Lou Lamorello landed Fredrick Andersen for a very good price and out of nowhere Connor Brown and Andreas Johnsson appeared from the long forgotten Burke era. If that wasn't enough, Timothy Liljegren got mono  and free fell through the draft allowing Toronto to take him 17th overall in a weak draft class. Was that enough? Hardly. Mitch Marner(4th overall) and William Nylander(8th overall) started to rear their heads as well giving Toronto the best collection of forwards since the Oilers. At the same time the stubborn coach Mike Babcock got through to Morgan Reilly who finally emerged as a bonafide top 2 defenseman while Travis Dermott made huge strides in 2018 as well, all the way from the 2nd round in 2015. How could it get any better? Well, New York Islanders star Center John Tavares(former 1st overall pick) woke up one day and said " I'm going home to get a cup!" Thus the nightmare for the Toronto media who had for years made their living laughing at the Leafs and their fans had begun with a thunderous roar. To make matters even more delicious The Leaf's farm team the Toronto Marlies won the AHL's Calder cup giving The Maple Leafs a stream of soon to be ready NHL prospects for years to come. There was precious little for the Toronto media to pick apart anymore, how would they survive these lean times ? They couldn't just join the rabid Leaf fans who could smell a cup coming from miles away, so they told them to calm down and not get excited.


Consider this, Toronto's Center is 4th ranked Auston Mathews, 10th ranked John Tavarres and their 3rd line Centerman  is none other than  Nazem Kadri, the guy who shut down and crushed  Connor McDavid and scored 2 goals in the process. Their wingers included the likes of Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Connor Brown along with sniper Andreas Johnsson and speedster Kappanen not to mention veteran scorer Patrick Marleau.It is doubtful Toronto has ever had such a skilled group of forwards and still they added Tyler Ennis to the group while hard working Hyman brought up the rear. The Leafs also have some promising winger prospects such as Carl Grundstrom,Jeremy Bracco,Yegor Korshkov and Pierre Engvall marinating in the minors. In a word, Toronto is "Stacked!" The Leaf fans need apologize for nothing. This is an incredibly exciting team entering the 2018 NHL season and with the addition of a defenseman to play with Morgan Reilly becomes the cup favorite. So rave on Leaf fans, you have every right and you have earned it! Dubas has the assets and needless to say when the right offer comes he will add the needed pieces. I smell a cup within 2 seasons in Toronto and if you don't think this is one of the best teams in NHL hockey then you must be half blind.

Latest trade rumours. Toronto Maple Leafs . TD Fizzle...

Jan 12 2022: Most plausible rumour. Sandin, Robertson and our first rounder for Jeff Chychrun. Very plausible.

Jan 10 2022
Kyle Dubas most likely realizes the Leafs need a top 3 defensive defenseman for the Leafs to make any real noise this year in the playoffs. All roads to the cup lead through Tampa Bay but Tampa has the cup and a better defense. Sandin and Liljegren have progressed well but aren't ready for top 3 minutes just yet. Dubas has many issues cap wise and will have to make a lot of decisions based on free agency, cost to his cap and who he can even resign. All we can do is look at his options but letting guys just walk for zip year after year needs to end. The prospect pool is middling and Sandin and Liljegren were two of your more NHL for sure type prospects.


Alex Kerfoot. Alex is a UFA next summer and only making $3.5 Million. With all the guys Dubas has to sign, Bunting, Soup 1 and 2, Kerfoot will get a raise elsewhere. Because the Leafs have Marner , Dubas will have to look at a trade if a package lands him a top defenseman.


Pierre Engvall. With Soup back his days are numbered . If Dubas got offered a 3rd rounder at TD, he would take it.


Jake Muzzin. It isn't likely he gets moved at all. The cost to eat his contract would be a first rounder and Dubas will want that for a bigger type deal and just hope Muzzin picks it up come playoffs one last time.


Nick Ritchie. He just cleared waivers. Next.


T.Dermott. This could happen in a package with Kerfoot for an upgrade on defense. If it was a young stud defenseman Dubas could throw in his first rounder and go all in.


J.Holl. You might get a respectable upgrade on defense with Kerfoot but it would cost you your first as well. Highly unlikely he gets moved before summer.


Nick Robertson. He has only played 2 games and many will think he is a Dubas castoff since they can't gauge his game fully. Will not get traded before TD nor till he puts a half decent amount of games in a row.


Rodion Amirov. He hasn't done much in the KHL yet and is 2 years away. GM's will want a player who can either help now or next season whereas Dubas can easily sit on him for 2 years because he is overstacked on the wings, if he resigns everyone. Worth more to Dubas than other GMs. Highly unlikely he goes anywhere unless its a monster deal and the other GM inists on having him.


Topi Niemela. People will ask for him but Dubas won't listen. It will take a deal Dubas can't refuse, which is overpay me time. Dubas could look really stupid in 2 to 3 years if he trades this guy and doesn't get top return.
======================================================================================= Jan 10 2022 Potential targets.

Ben Chiarot the 30 year old 6 ft 3 inch 234 lb defenseman is a UFA at the end of the year playing for Montreal. He could really help in the playoff battles and stabalize the defense. The price will be a first rounder and someone will pay it at TD. Given it's Montreal and that he will walk at the end of the year, he won't be Dubas' first choice. Dubas will want youth first when he is shopping for defensemen since Muzzin is starting to show his years.

Jakob Chychrun: The Leafs would love to get their hands on this guy who is only 23 and could help their p.p with his shot and offense. The problem is so would a lot of other GM's. If Dubas gets in a bidding war the price would be Sandin a first rounder and a very good prospect. While it's a nice thought Dubas will seek cheaper options, especially if the prospect is Niemela.

Mark Pysyk. The 6 ft 1 inch 200 lb 29 year old defensemen plays for the Buffalo Sabres who likely will be sellers. The cost ? Most likely a 2nd rounder or a good prospect. This one is very plausible.

Scott Mayfield is a 29 year old,6 ft 5 inch defenseman with the NY Islanders who may not be sellers.

TOMAS HERTL is a 28 year old 6ft 3 inch center with the San Jose Sharks. While it may happen, it isn't likely because of the cost and the fact Toronto has Kampf and Spezza. Center isn't the Leafs weakness but the cost of Hertl would be high. Most likely media speculation.

Dylan Strome. A rumour creeping around but again, who does he replace ? He makes $3 Million per year, making this one armchair GM fodder, not likely.

Feb 6th 2020:Confirmed trade. The Maple Leafs trade  winger Trevor Moore, a 3rd rounder and a conditional 3rd rounder(2021) for 29 year old LW Kyle Clifford and goaltender Jack Campbell.

Jan24th: There are somewhat credible rumblings the Oilers and Leafs may be sizing each other up.Names like Johnsson, Kerfoot and Kapanen are being kicked about. On the Oilers side the Leafs are talking Adam Larsson or Darnell Nurse, if Reilly is out till playoffs.Oilers could use some secondary scoring after the Taylor Hall trade, on the wings. The Leafs will want a RH Defenseman under contract longer than just this year.Jeremy Bracco with the Marlies becomes sweetner as Dubas picked OHL's scoring phenom Nick Robertson(2nd round), so he won't blink if that fixes the deal up tight.

Another name that keeps popping up is Brett Pesche a RHD on the Carolina Canes but the price might be steep.

Well, it has been a while and as of 16th of Jan, there were no real credible rumours. With Morgan Reilly now out for 2 months with a broken foot and Andreas Johnsson coming back from injury some credible rumours are emerging.Teams are calling Leaf GM Dubas about his desire for a defenseman, most likely a right hander.One rumour I could believe is Buffalo who themselves are fighting to even make the playoffs. The rumour is Andreas Johnsson and Tyson Barrie for Buffalo's Montour or Ristolenien.I could see this one making sense as Barrie will be a UFA and the Leafs have wingers to spare with the emergence of Engvall and Micheyev and possibly Korshkov next season.They also have some sweetner such Bracco and Timashov. Likelihood for this rumour,5 out of 10.

November 3rd 2019: As of this writing there are no concrete rumours floating around but coach Mike Babcock recently benched William Nylander for indifferent play. He is the most likely to be traded but GM Kyle Dubas is a stumbling block. His inexperience and lack of humility may not allow him to admit his mistake. In overpaying Nylander he opened the flood gates and put himself into cap hell. The recent headhunting of star Center Auston Mathews along with the injury to Jake Muzzin has shown that teams see the Leafs much as agents view Dubas, "soft as butter".

 The Leafs play has raised concerns but it is doubtful Dubas is listening. The Leafs are playing uninspired hockey and many think this team won't go far in the playoffs with the current lineup.
Their defense has not improved nor have their special teams and their effort is sub-par, struggling to get wins against teams they should have no problems with.



Well it is that time again, to decipher between grass concocted fantasies at the bar/work or reality driven murmurs from those in the supposed know. This is the net, so please take it with some salt.


July 21 2019: Well, it's the dog days of summer and the only rumour Leaf fans want to hear is what is going on with star Mitch Marner?  I'm sure other teams want to offer sheet RW Mitch Marner but I'm not sure he would sign them. This is now more akin to the William Nylander situation last year and we are in a Mexican standoff. My best guess is that GM Kyle Dubas doesn't want a repeat and neither does Marner. Marner wants a cup now and knows if he misses half the season it could cost us and him a real chance next summer in the Stanley Cup playoffs. I have no idea but my best guess is Marner gets signed at $10.5M on a 5 year deal and saves face as he is now close to star Center Auston Mathew's paygrade and he must know Toronto is now cap strapped with no real room for improvement via trade route. We will be counting on our younger guys maturing and just plain playing better next year, being a year older and wiser. Any improvement will come internally or perhaps at TD, although Toronto has no more room to offer up first rounders in TD trades in my opinion. As good as Kyle Dubas is at drafting, sooner or later a strong draft comes along and you need those cheaper prospects down the line.I see no more major changes to this lineup at this point. The Kadri deal having already been done and bringing in Right handed defenseman Barrie and 3rd line Center Kerfoot from Colorado.




May 2nd 2019: The rumour is Mitch Marner and his agent want $9M/ year and that Leaf GM  Kyle Dubas has said " Take a lap." A different tone may have set in after Dubas didn't appear to look good on the Auston Mathews and the William Nylander negotiations.




August 12th: weak rumour of Tyler Myers being traded to the Leafs.


Fake Twitter rumour : August 3rd-   The Maple Leafs sign William Nylander to a 6 year contract at an average of  $6.575 Million per year.


Rumour: August 1st 2018 - The are rumours Toronto has some interest in St Louis' Defenseman Colton Parayko. Hard to believe because St Louis is in win now mode and the price would be very high. I would imagine the bid starts with William Nylander who is apparently asking for $8M/yr to sign.We will follow this one as it would greatly help the Leafs defense but try not to lose any sleep as I would rate this one as not very likely to happen.

Nothing tangible to report on Nylander deal. We may be starting the season without him at this point. Thankfully we signed Tavares.

October 6 2018 : Rumour is William Nylander seeks $8.5 M and isn't budging on his demands. To me it looks like he will not be signed. The reality is Ehlers on Winnipeg makes $6.5M and there is nothing in Nylander's game set that implies he is better or even as good as Ehlers. If Winnipeg called and offered me Ehlers for Nylander straight up right now, I would take it. Odds are now good he will have to be traded, we simply can't make those numbers work with the group we have. Kadri, Andersen and Reilly all make about $5M each. I would now rate it above 50 percent he is traded and most likely for a defenseman. If that happens Gardiner(UFA soon) comes into play.

Dumping McIheney may very well come back and bite us, cost cutting measure or not. Sparks needs to win some games and not get blown out or we may be looking for another backup G.

October 13 /18 : There is a rumour Colorado may offer sheet Nylander 6 yrs for $48M which would cost them four first rounders. Stay tuned.

October 20th :Rumours are that the Leafs won't be signing Nylander longterm for the money he wants rumoured to be $8M/yr. They will now negotiate on short term. No sign of a trade as of now.

October 27th  2018 :Another one bites the dust? It was about to be announced within days,William  Nylander was no longer practicing in Austria, new bridge deal... Not! Dubas has been taking in games and the most likely trading partner is... Carolina. They are on fire with a good young team and have the defense to barter with. I could also see a team like NYR being willing to pay Nylander his asking price. But do they have the pieces?

* retarded talk of the month; Leafs will trade Kadri to make room for Nylander. Odds now zero, Mathews is injured again, Kadri goes nowhere.

November 3rd. Toronto just thumped Pittsburgh 5 to 0 with Morgan Reilly now off his leash and starting to look every bit the impact defenseman we always thought he would be. Odds are now very high Nylander gets traded. Dubas has been seen scouting other teams and December 1st gets closer. This was always going to happen. At $ 8M/yr. Nylander played his hand, fans must accept this but Toronto had no plan for this and made their move when they signed Tavares. Toronto needs pieces for the playoffs and Nylander is the collateral teams want and need, offense. The Leafs are plentiful offensively and something had to give and it did, Nylander opted out of Toronto in  his own way, " I need to take care of myself." I don't blame him but we cannot afford him and to win a cup a price must be paid. 87 percent chance now Dubas is getting ready to pull the trigger, his hand has been forced but in a way he must have known that when he signed Tavares. Nylander wants to be front and center and paid that way, he can never do that in Leafland. With Mathews, Tavares, Marner and Reilly in front of him he needs to go to a team where the competition to be spotlight is far more sparse and of course the GM thinks his 41 pts. playing with Mathews is worth $8 M/ yr. Like it or not but Kapanen now replaces Nylander and life goes on just as did for the Oilers after Greztky went to L.A.. that's hockey.

November 23rd 2018 : The rumour is Dubas will have words on the William Nylander situation by 5pm today. My guess is bridge deal at this point. Stay tuned. OK and after 5 pm... keep staying tuned ?

Nov 28th 2018 : Auston Mathews returns vs San Jose Sharks and mercifully Nylander has a date with December 1st coming up.

November 29th: Nice Rumour. The Flyers may be shaking things up soon and one player I could see Dubas and Toronto having interest in is Wayne Simmonds. The Leafs could sure use a guy like him in the top 9 and he could have surprising impact in this lineup. The price a good young player who can play soon, perhaps our first rounder 2018 and winger Ygor Korshkov a former Hunter 2nd overall pick.

December 1st 5:03 pm  Word is William Nylander has signed with the Leafs at 6 years / $6.9M.

Dec 3rd 2018: Josh Leivo goes to the Canucks for an unknown undrafted winger called Carcone. The Canucks win this one and I hope there are some future considerations in there. Leivo could pot 20 goals someday but with William Nylander to make room for, his days were numbered. Best of luck and you did well Josh!

Dec 12th 2018: Bad rumour alert. Alex Pieterangelo may be up for grabs after St Louis is off to their worst start since I don't know when. The Leafs have the pieces but it is doubtful they will pay the price. Right now The Leafs have Gardiner and Zaitsev to contend with and quite frankly, they don't have the cap nor the desire. Pure media speculation at best. Won't happen... Apparently Pieterangelo  needs to go for hand surgery.

Dec 23rd: This one may have some legs. The Leafs may have some interest in Kronwall as a rental, especially given his history with Mike Babcock in Detroit. I'm not sure of the price but if it is reasonable such as a 2nd rounder it is very plausible at TD.

Jan 1st 2019 : The rumour that won't go away. Pieternagelo. Rumour is the Leafs have some interest but what is the cost?

Jan 6th 2019 : Leafs add veteran goalie Michael Hutchinson from Florida for a 5th rounder in 2020. Hutchinson looked solid in his first  Leaf game getting a shut out versus the Canucks in a 5 to 0 thrashing.

Rumours are Simmonds is not happy in Philly and it doesn't look good for Philly making the playoffs thus year. JVR has not panned out either. A player such as  Marlies Jeremy Bracco is bound to get their attention but will Dubas pay that price ?

Jan 28th :

Leafs acquire Muzzin for Grundstrom, Durzi and a 2019 first round pick. Huge move great pickup but not cheap.


Feb 1st 2019 ; Dubas has apparently said he is looking for a top 9 heavy hitter. The rumour is it's Anaheim Ducks 23 yr old LW 6ft 2 inch 234 lb Nick Ritchie from Orangeville , Ontario.Not sure on the ask for him, I hear Brown.

Feb 2  2019: Hot and heavy trade alert?  Wayne Simmonds is a Leaf? Apparently they are even calling it on the Philly station and TSN and Sportsnet. Stay tuned. This is a red hot one! Doesn't look like this one will happen, Philly is 9 and 1 in their last 10 and now in the playoff hunt.

Feb 9 2019: Apparently the Leafs have some interest in Michael Ferland a 6ft 1  217 lb rental winger currently with Carolina. Rumours of Pesch being involved keep appearing as he is a RHD. Don't look now but Kappanen's offense has dried up with one goal since Christmas.

Feb 13th 2019: With the price likely too high to get Wayne Simmonds from Philly ,there are rumblings Dubas enquired about L.A Kings tough 3rd or 4th line winger Kyle Clifford during the Muzzin talks.Dubas has already stated he won't give up Liljegren,Sandin or the 2020 first rounder for a rental.With Jake Gardiner probably leaving and the cupboard looking a little thinner he is likely offering a roster player and odds are it's Connor Brown. I doubt L.A would accept that. Dubas does have winger Jeremy Bracco(Toronto Marlies) and there may be a question of where Toronto fits him in with Trevor Moore more likely to play 4th line.There is also the Seattle expansion draft where Toronto will very likely lose a good player this time. Will Leaf G.M Dubas give up J.Bracco the way he is playing right now ?

Feb 14th: The Leafs are now in contract talks with Kapanen. You can ignore all the cries for offer sheets on Leaf players. Dubas said " He as never worried about it."  GM's don't need to start a war over a max $5M player the Leafs would only match anyway. Yes, the Leafs because of Bracco's play may have to trade Johnsson or Kapanen next summer but that would likely be part of a larger trade including more pieces. Dubas is in far better shape than some report.

Feb 20th 2019: Bingo! If Dubas is smart he will grab Pelly- Smith off waivers from Washington. He is free on the last year of his contract and has won a Stanley cup last year. He will be motivated and is just the tonic Toronto needs for that 4th line. Do it Dubas !

Feb 21st 2019 : Even though Pelly- Smith could be had Toronto has apparently enquired about Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers. Kreider is a 6ft 3 inch , 217 lb LW drafted in 2009.

Feb 22 2019 : TRADE
To Columbus F Matt Duchene D Julius Bergman To Ottawa F Jonathan Davidsson F Vitaly Abramov 2019 1st RD pick (CBJ) * 2020 1st RD pick (CBJ) ** * Lottery protected ** Conditional: Duchene must sign an extension with Columbus

Feb 25th 2019 : And Lindholm for Petan...... Fizzle.


December 2020: There is a rumour floating that Leaf GM Kyle Dubas is entertaining offers for goaltender Frederick Andersen who is on the last year of his current contract. If he wants a raise, it is doubtful he will get one from Toronto and they may not want to let him walk away for nothing. The strongest rumour, so far, is The Carolina Hurricanes may have some serious interest.

Dubas enters a Brave New World. " No guts, no glory! "

During the Lou Lamoriello reign Toronto played a very conservative trade game not taking any real chances in order to preserve our prospect pool and to avoid some of the past mistakes of trading away high picks and then living to regret it. Tukka Rask, Russ Courtnall, Alex Steen, Scott Niedermayer  and even Roberto Luongo all went on to have great careers after being traded and so Lou played it very cautiously only giving up 2nd rounders to get Tomas Plekenac, Dan Boyle and giving up a late first rounder to get Frederick Andersen.In the end his cautiousness cost him his job and wasn't enough to get Toronto past the first round. During that time Toronto went from worst to 8th best in the league and still it cost him his job. A first round elimination simply won't do next year and could even cost more jobs should it happen, perhaps even Mike Babcock or who knows Shanny himself may feel some major heat. Toronto is an odd town and rightly so. They haven't seen a cup in over half a century and even the Cubs have ended their long drought.

Enter Dubas' Brave New World because  as was once said ," No guts, no glory!" Dubas inherited a team in good cap shape with a team full of young players and a few decent prospects still left in the cupboard after it had been pillaged over two years. The team has way too many wingers and when players like Grundstrom, Engvall and perhaps Jeremy Bracco arrive there simply won't be any room. Last year players with size played a major role with Washington re-signing Smith Pelly and perhaps signalling a new era back to impact players with some grit and size. Let's look at some of the other teams Toronto may face in next year's Stanley Cup Playoffs. Thanks to OVO16 of Hockeysfuture:

Capitals: Tom Wilson, Smith Pelly, Oshie, Orlov, Bowey
Blue Jackets: Josh Anderson, Foligno, Jenner, Dubinsky, Savard
Bruins: David Backes, Mcquaid, Chara, Miller
Lightning: JT Miller, Killorn, Paquette, Callahan, Andreoff, Coburn, Hedman
Penguins: Aston-Reese, Hornqvist, Rust, Letang, Oleksiak

What can Toronto respond with now that Matt Martin is gone? Kadri ? Didn't he just get suspended ? Can Kadri play his game and take that chance next year ? The answer is no. Toronto is stacked with talent with star John Tavares willingly jumping on board but those players need role players to chop wood for them and wear down other teams behemoths such as Chara. It wouldn't be wise to lose next year due to a lack of those type of players who seem to be coming back into style again, just look at the hulking Winnipeg Jets who Toronto could one day face in the finals. Late last year Winnipeg thumped Toronto soundly as many announced Winnipeg the best team in Canada. So, what does Toronto need to beat such teams in next year's playoffs ? In my opinion some size to do their dirty work and a top 4 defenseman who can help Frederick Andersen, who I think is a very good goalie. Sure the Leafs were nervous the first 2 games in Boston last year and they have added a star but does Toronto want to lose over a 7 game series because of a suspect defense again ? No, they don't. I can't prove a top 9 power forward would have changed the outcome last year but I fail to see how it would hurt. Some Leaf fans are in love with the idea of just outscoring every team but in the playoffs many teams have talent and sometimes role players get hot and make a huge difference in a series. Play the wrong team and one can get worn down, injured or in the case of Kadri, suspended. We can't let that happen.

Enter the trademan. Dubas has the assets, some of which we may never use. Does Jeremy Bracco have a future in Toronto ? Perhaps but is hard to see whose job he will steal. Toronto Marlies Carl Grundstrom may help but the jury is still out on whether he is ready to play fulltime in the NHL yet. While Zaitsev may get another year to prove himself due to injury last year, Gardiner needs to be upgraded. He is an offensive defenseman some teams may covet to help their powerplay etc. but some sacrifice must be made to get what we need. No one is giving away defenseman anymore. Some speak of Vancouver's  Tanev but he is injured too often and over valued by the Canucks who seem to think he will land Nylander. They can dream as Tanev  represents too much risk and will never land such a prize. I'm not even sure The Leaf's would do Gardiner straight up for him in a trade. One player they might look at is Winnipeg's Trouba or perhaps even Tyler Myers. No one knows what the price would be but it would be at least Gardiner and Brown with the possibility of Bracco or even our 2019 first rounder as sweetner. That player won't play for 4 or 5 years, if ever. If one looks at players taken from 26th to 30th in the last 10 years or more, the pickings are very slim, so you can stop howling at the moon. Dubas needs to make at least one more bold move and hope a useful Smith Pelly type player becomes available on the market before the trade deadline. He owes that to Toronto's long standing loyal fans as the horror of losing in the first round again will haunt him, Shanahan and Babcock if they don't. I just dread what could happen should we collapse in game 7... again. After all there is more to hockey than just statistics.

Toronto Marlies playoff stats. 3 Moore LW on the way.

As if Toronto didn't have enough wingers, 4 more are on the way, 2 from Sweden. Grundstrom(traded to L.A for J Muzzin), Timashov,Moore and Engvall will likely all be pushing for NHL jobs soon.

Marlies playoff stats

December 2018: LW Trevor Moore gets the first call up as the trade of Leivo and the injury of Ennis forced Toronto to fill their 4th line LW. Moore played well and got an assist in his first game in.

There is no need for panic, The Maple Leafs have options.

I don't think Lou ever chases anything or McDonaugh wouldn't be playing on Tampa Bay right now. I don't think any one player can win us the Stanley cup anyway. Even if we had beat Boston somehow, we wouldn't have gotten far with Tampa and Pittsburgh waiting. We knew before the series our defense was incomplete and most knew Hainsey wasn't a top 2 guy at 37 or ever for that matter. We got a great lesson and if not for playoff nerves early in Boston and of course, Kadri not leaving for 3 games, we could have won. Coming back from 1 to 3 down isn't easy and Boston is one of the best teams in the NHL right now. Yes, the Leafs need a defenseman or two but I doubt they trade for an elite one... yet.

There will be no panic button move from this management team and they do have some options with Lupul coming off the books now. It won't be Nylander traded but if they do land a good defenseman, someone will have to go to make room for them. It won't be Dermott who is young and cheap or even Hainsey with one year left and can play on the 2nd/3rd pairing. Reilly is staying but Gardiner has one year left before UFA next summer. Should Toronto land a UFA, for example, he would fetch some assets or could be part of a trade to land a RHD. The Leafs may have learned a lesson as both Bozak and JVR could now walk for nothing and so could Plakenac for that matter.


No one is picking on Gardiner, the whole team lost. Was that Gardiner in game 1 and 2 ?  No, that was everyone, including Babcock blowing that offside goal. That was Kadri getting suspended for 3 games. The shades and wounds of 2013 caused a flashback and the fans being dismayed looked for a culprit. Then blame the whole defense. Blame management for not seeing it first. Blame Kadri for only getting 2 assists all series. This is all part of a learning curve for the whole team and the coach apparently. The days of trading Courtnall for Kordic or Rask for Raycroft or how about Kurvers for Scott Niedermayer are long gone. Management got the message and have options and assets. The point has been made. This is not a Stanley cup defense and changes will be made but there is no need for panic. No one is picking on Gardiner for the loss but someone will be gone and an upgrade will occur on defense. It just won't be Nylander as chasing isn't Lou's game, nor is overpaying. The whole league knows what we need but why overpay or get in a bidding war? This team is young and needs time and I doubt even Karlsson can lift us to the Lord Stanley cup singlehandedly. Doughty might but he isn't going anywhere nor could we afford $10 to $12 M per year to get him.

Stay patient and this will get resolved and a year or two of growing and maturing won't hurt this very young team either. When the deal is right it will get made. This isn't the time to panic, we weren't going to win it this year anyway. This team is about 2 years away and improvements will be made next season. But if we lose JVR and Bozak for nothing, do we really want Gardiner walking for zero as well?


On a footnote: Lou Lamoriello was relieved of his GM duties by Brendan Shanahan and a new GM/ era will begin...... It looks to me like Shanahan wants to win sooner rather than later.

Is size starting to play a major factor in the Playoffs?

I'm watching game 2 of the Winnipeg Jets versus Minnesota Wild as Zach Parise laments the Wild's inability to penetrate their zone and it occurs to me the Jets have Bifygulen, Laine, Schiefle, Wheeler, Tyler Myers and Trouba. They are mandhandling the Wild and to me look the playoff favorites in the West this year. The Jets truly have it all with skill, grit,size, scoring, defense and goaltending. Now can they resign Laine at $12M/yr.



Underdog to watch : Columbus Blue Jackets. Coming in hot. Highlights---->GM 1 April 12 CBJ vs Washington

Toronto beat Boston in ot game 7!

Well it appears the hockey godz may smile upon us yet. Tampa Bay may yet claim first place giving the Maple Leafs a rematch with the much hated Boston Bruins, a team Toronto can beat. Boston is what is known as a one line team, albeit a very good first line featuring Bergeron, Pastrnk and Marchand. Beyond that it gets a bit sparse thus Boston acquired aging Rick Nash at the Trade deadline this year. The key to that series is shutting down Boston's top line while Toronto rolls 3 offensive lines. Chara is no longer a spring chicken and McAvoy was recently injured, a lingering injury perhaps?

Toronto fans will no doubt remember being up 4 to 1 in game 7 going into the third and then amazingly losing 5 to 4 in OT as Bergeron scored for Boston.


Home ice advantage: Boston

Being rested : Toronto Maple Leafs. Boston had to play 5 extra games in the final quarter of the season, many high intensity, as they had 5 games on hand.

Defense: With Chara back there: Boston.
Gardiner and Zaitsev are question marks while Hainsey is 37 and may wear down in a long series.

Goaltending : Pick em. You will be hard pressed to find 2 better goalies.

Coaching: Babcock wins, Cassidy will be hard pressed to outwit Mike Babcock and has no NHL playoff experience.

Offense: Toronto has 3 scoring lines and can still put Johnsson and Kapanen on their 4th line with Plakenac.

Intangibles: Boston's players have more playoff experience but the Maple Leafs are young and fast.
There is only one player Marchand hates playing against. Plakenac, let's hope he can shut him down.

Series outcome: I recently put in a call to Nostradamus and he whispered" Kadri in OT game 7." A bitterly fought series will go to 7 games but if Toronto shuts down Boston's top line they will emerge victorious and payback will be complete.


Toronto wins in game 7 OT. The Bruins are tired and as the series goes on Toronto's younger and fresher legs will prevail. Just ask Nostradamus


As of this writing Kadri is out on suspension. The entire series is on the line and the odds are about a hundred to one right now for the Maple Leafs. Nothing to lose and everything to learn. Bring it on.

NHL draft 2018 preview. - March






Well it's a tad early but in June the draft arrives. The year a tall 6ft 2 inch Swedish defender named Rasmus Dahlin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv5eJZ4uKHQ  looks a shoo in to go number one. He has drawn comparisons to Karlsson but may be bigger and more like Hedman with major skills. Word is this is an average draft, so not as loaded say as the 2015 McDavid draft. As per Sportsnet. Bear in mind drafts vary and are projections. In this draft you may see highly differing opinions after the top 10. The Leafs depending on how far they go into the playoffs will likely be drafting after the top 20 and may be as low as say 25th overall.

Odds to win the 2018 NHL Draft lottery

Arizona Coyotes55 points18.0%48.1%
Buffalo Sabres56 points12.5%36.2%
Vancouver Canucks59 points10.5%31.2%
Ottawa Senators59 points9.5%28.6%
Montreal Canadiens62 points8.5%25.9%
Detroit Red Wings63 points7.6%23.4%
Edmonton Oilers64 points6.7%20.9%
Chicago Blackhawks68 points5.8%18.3%
New York Rangers69 points5.4%17.1%
New York Islanders70 points4.5%14.4%
Carolina Hurricanes71 points3.3%10.7%
New York Islanders (via Flames)              78 points    2.7%    8.8%
Florida Panthers                                       75points     2.2%    7.2%

Anaheim Ducks                                        80 points    1.8%     5.9%
Philadelphia Flyers (via Blues)                 79 points    1.0%     3.3%


Rasmus Dahlin, D, 6-foot-2, 181 pounds (Frolunda, SHL): Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman and now Dahlin. Are you ready for the next franchise-changing defenceman from Sweden?
2. Filip Zadina, RW, 6-foot-1, 196 pounds (Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL): The Mooseheads’ import factory strikes again and sends a high-end sniper to the top of the NHL draft.
3. Andrei Svechnikov, RW, 6-foot-2, 186 pounds (Barrie Colts, OHL): Led all scorers at the Five Nations tournament and has put up points at a torrid pace with the Barrie Colts since the world juniors (38 in 22 games).
4. Brady Tkachuk, LW, 6-foot-3, 196 pounds (Boston University, NCAA): Better than older brother Matthew?
5. Adam Boqvist, D, 5-foot-11, 170 pounds (Almtuna IS, Allsvenskan): A fantastic skater and playmaker who isn’t afraid to shoot. If you don’t end up with Dahlin, getting Boqvist is more than just a consolation prize.
6. Noah Dobson, D, 6-foot-3, 180 pounds (Acadie-Bathurst Titan, QMJHL): The secret is out, this righthand shot blueliner is legit.
7. Oliver Wahlstrom, RW, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds (USNTDP): Eight points at the Five Nations (tied with tourney leader Svechnikov) and a solid spot on the U.S U18 top line, Wahlstrom continues to produce big in his draft year.
8. Evan Bouchard, D, 6-foot-2, 193 pounds (London Knights, OHL): Despite his Knights trading away most of their vets, Bouchard has continued to excel in all areas. February’s defenceman of the month in the OHL is also a natural leader.
9. Quinn Hughes, D, 5-foot-10, 174 pounds (U of Michigan, NCAA): One of the most creative players in the draft. An outstanding skater who can create even in the most challenging situations.
10. Isac Lundestrom, C, 6-foot, 185 pounds (Lulea, SHL): As one scout told me “he’s the Swedish Patrice Bergeron.” A lofty compliment, but the comparisons are there.
11. Barrett Hayton, C, 6-foot-1, 191 pounds (Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds, OHL):Extremely focussed and hard-working, Hayton is the “all-in” guy every team loves to have. Nursing a small injury and the ‘Hounds are being careful with him.
12. Joel Farabee, LW, 6-feet, 164 pounds (USNTDP): Hard-working, skilled playmaker who is magical with the puck on his stick.
13. Bode Wilde, D, 6-foot-3, 195 pounds (USNTDP): Offensive defenceman who plays physical. Leads all USNTDP blueliners with 32 points. Hard wrist and slap shot from the point.
14. Joe Veleno, C, 6-foot-1, 195 pounds (Drummondville Voltigeurs, QMJHL):Has excelled since the trade from Saint John to Drummondville where he’s being coached by the excellent Dominique Ducharme.
15. Grigori Denisenko, LW, 5-foot-11, 176 pounds (Yaroslavl Jr.): Great passer who also boasts a good shot. Played on the top line with Andrei Svechnikov and Alexander Khovanov for Russia at the Five Nations tourney.
16. Ty Smith, D,D, 5-foot-11, 176 pounds (Spokane Chiefs, WHL): Speed and smarts, those are the calling cards of the first overall pick in the 2015 WHL draft.
17. Rasmus Kupari, C, 6-foot-1, 183 pounds (Hermes, Mestis Finland): Not the biggest guy on the ice by any stretch, but can create and finish. And does it all with great bursts of speed.
18. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, 6-foot-2, 190 pounds (Assat, Finnish Liiga): Physically he has everything you want – skill, speed, size and he keeps improving.
19. Jet Woo, D, 5-foot-11, 205 pounds (Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL): Has more than a bit of ‘old school’ in his game and isn’t afraid to throw the body around.
20. Rasmus Sandin, D, 5-foot-11, 190 pounds (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, OHL): Even with the Conor Timmins (COL) injury the ‘Hounds have not skipped a beat on the blue line mainly due to Sandin’s work. Plays tough minutes in all situatio.

21. Jared McIsaac, D, 6-foot-1, 195 pounds (Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL): Good skater with offensive instincts and has just enough bite in his game to keep players honest.
22. Serron Noel, RW, 6-foot-5, 201 pounds (Oshawa Generals, OHL): Skilled yet raw power forward who keeps getting better and better.
23. Ryan McLeod, C, 6-foot-2, 200 pounds (Mississauga Steelheads, OHL): A slippery and skilled centre, McLeod has high-end vision. As one OHL GM told me “where his brother Michael (NJ) smashes down the front door to score, Ryan sneaks in through the side.”
24. Alexander Khovanov, C, 5-foot-11, 179 pounds (Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL):Great puck distributor with excellent vision.
25. Jacob Olofsson, C, 6-foot-1, 192 pounds (Timra, Allsvenskan): A reliable two-way centre who almost made the Swedish WJC team. Plays a lot with Canucks prospect Jonathan Dahlen.
26. Ryan Merkley, D, 5-foot-11, 170 pounds (Guelph Storm, OHL): Has top 5 skill without a doubt and can skate.
28. Dominik Bokk, LW, 6-foot-1, 180 pounds (Vaxjo, SHL): Another great hockey story for Germany in 2018.
29. Akil Thomas, C, 5-foot-11, 170 pounds (Niagara IceDogs, OHL): Huge ceiling here that Thomas is only now starting to scratch.
30. K’Andre Miller, D, 6-foot-3, 206 pounds (USNTDP): Was outstanding and probably the top U.S defenceman at the U18 Five Nations. Great skating blueliner who isn’t shy about joining the rush.
31. Mattias Samuelsson, D, 6-foot-4, 217 pounds (USNTDP): Big, strong, and safe defenceman. Son of former NHLer Kjell Samuelsson.










all scorers at the Five Nations tournament and has put up points at a torrid pace with the Barrie Colts since the world juniors (38 in 22 games).y Tkachuk, LW, 6-foot-3, 196 pounds (Boston University, NCAA): Better than older brother Matthew.


Babcock sounds the alarm as nemesis Buffalo looms. March madness....






A big game looms for Toronto against arch nemesis the Buffalo Sabres on Monday in Buffalo. The Sabres are fresh off a victory against the  Eastern conference leading Tampa Bay Lightning , just as Babcock hits the red button putting the Leafs through a high tempo 40 minute practice on Sunday. "Yeah..it was a lot of skating." said one Leaf player. The Leafs record against Buffalo over the last 10 or so years is a good reason for Babcock to be concerned. The Leafs have played Buffalo 206 times winning 75 games for .434 winning percentage. To make things a little tougher, it will be in Buffalo where Toronto rarely wins. Toronto is now 2-5-2 without star American Auston Mathews going up against a team they in theory should beat, otherwise they are 0-4 in the last few games. Not the way Babcock wants his team to enter the final quarter of the season where being hot going into the playoffs is almost critical. Below Toronto is Florida, 15 points behind with games in hand but 6 - 0 and very hot lately.


Naturally, Babcock was on top of it and concerned. It isn't time to panic just yet and Babcock will not be interested in using the Mathews is injured card. The Leafs have a young but loaded lineup and many teams often say this situations create opportunity. To date it can't be said that Plekanec has had much impact but then players often take 10 games or so to gel with a new system and environment. All of a sudden a game that shouldn't be all that important is. Babcock knows that 15 point lead can cause complancey and if Florida did win its' 4 games on hand that lead would quickly shrink to a mere 7 points. To furthur complicate things losing to the 2nd worst team in the NHL who just lost Evander Kane might hurt their psyche. The truth is Mathews alone can't beat Boston, Washington, Pittsburgh or Tampa Bay this year. As the games get tougher now and more like the playoffs there are far more 1 goal and OT games where Babcock wants this team to excel entering the playoffs hot. Buffalo is an excellent test and if the players don't respond Babcock is right to be alarmed and so is Lou Lamorello the Leafs' GM. Lou just gave up a 2nd rounder but some fans will have the expectation of it paying dividends now. There are many fans who are hardcore rebuild mode and if the Leafs lost the first round the year would be perceived by many as a failure. The argument being Toronto still needs to load up on picks and prospects to have organizational depth when the spending spree on their young stars(Mathews, Nylander and Marner) begins soon. The truth is Toronto most likely is long odds against the big 4 in the Eastern conference and adding Plekanec at 35 isn't going to change that. Stay tuned for Monday's game.


 Like it or not, this is an important game and portends whether Toronto will be ready or not come playoff time as only 14 games will be left in their season and Mathews is still out with a shoulder injury. As of 3 pm Eastern interviews with the Buffalo players "It is an easy game to get up for, there is a rivalry there."  Sounds like this is a good test for the Leafs tonight and perhaps Mike Babcock saw something in their play lately and gave good cause for his concern. Going 0 and 4 tonight will put Leaf nation on high alert as we have all seen the cliff dive at the end before.It would be nice to see some veterans start contributing again. Did anyone tell JVR the trade deadline is over yet and that his free agency loom$? At this time it is unlikely injured star center Auston Mathews will be in the game. He is skating but no timeline truly exists yet.

Coming back to the fold tonight is Leaf enforcer Matt Martin who is all smiles understandably. Looks like we should expect a fiesty playoff style game tonight. Chad Johnson will be starting in net for Buffalo does that qualify as an advantage? Probably he is 31, I haven't seen him play but sounds like a backup to me.

Early in the first Buffalo has Toronto on it's heals in their own zone down by 2 goals. Reinhart struck on the PP and Pominville at even strength. 2 to 1, Komorov jumps on a Nylander rebound as the first ends on a powerplay goal assist to Marleau. In the 2nd Komorov scores again, assist to Martin. Looks like that 40 minute practice may have slowed them down in the first and we have a game again. 3 to 2 Buffalo, goal by Reinhart on a fluker odd goal. JVR bats one out of the air with some good hand eye co ordination but Johnson stops it. 4 to 2 for Buffalo, O 'Reilly beats Andersen glove side. The 5th goal by Buffalo showed the NHL has no bias against Toronto as the Buffalo players slew foots Andersen and then pounces on the puck as Andersen lies on his back.Marner gets a nice deflection off the Buffalo defenseman but too little too late. Game over Buffalo 5 Toronto 3. Leafs enter March 0 and 4. They now get a few days off.

The Leafs faced two consecutive time Stanley cup winners Pittsburgh on Saturday at home. The


Leafs were on an 0 and 4 skid looking to put some space between themselves and red hot Florida who beat NYR 4 to 3 in OT. The Leafs played well in their 5 to 2 win with one controversial goal being disallowed to Pitts when their player struck Andersen in the head while he had the puck frozen between his skate and the post. Johnson, Pittsburgh's coach was livid but tonight the puck rolled Toronto's way as Kadri scored twice and shutting down Crosby. Marner, Marleau and Kapanen chipped in singles as Andersen saved 38 shots, he had another busy night. The Leafs played well , broke their mini slump and now face the Dallas Stars in Toronto on Wednesday. Dallas will be looking for payback as they lost to the Leafs last time in Dallas.

Wow, quite the game on Wednesday in Toronto with a wild 6 to 5 OT shootout win for the Leafs. It wasn't quite playoff style but had some urgency to it. Kadri got lucky as Dallas' goaltender wobbled a clearing pass straight to him giving Toronto the first goal. JVR scored 1 of 3 goals on his hatrick night putting Toronto up 2 to 0. Then Dallas started to hit on all cylinders. After Benn and Seguin were done it was 4 to 2 Dallas and Andersen was out with an upper body injury. Toronto then got a couple as the game seesawed until with some 15 seconds left in the game Marleau scored on a Marner shot putting the game into OT at 5 to 5 even. There was no scoring in OT and so Marner became the penalty shot hero giving Toronto a nice cushion of 2 points over Florida on one crazy offense filled game.

On March 13th Buffalo came back to Toronto and the Leafs injury list grew as Komorov got hit accidentally by Nylander and hobbled of the ice unable to out weight on one leg. JVR scored twice as Toronto took a 4 to 1 lead into the 3rd period. Buffalo got the score to 4 to 2 but pulled the goalie allowing Marleau to place an empty netter in and make this sleepy game 5 to 2 on the back of 38 saves by McLhenney. 2 points and Florida still faces Boston several times. The playoffs are now in view. Mathews, Andersen, Zaitsev and now Komorov are injured or still out. JVR is laser hot with 5 goals in just 2 games.


Saturday Montreal was in town but it was Andreas Johnson's night. Smiling all game Johnsson had his chances and finally got his first NHL goal the fourth of night. McElhinney got his 3rd shutout of night and is unbeaten in 8 games now. Nylander opened it scoring first then Kapanen struck with a nice goal. Kadri had a sweet tip in. Getting chances all night Johnson lifted the puck in tight to get an in close goal to remember. Tonight a non playoff team played a playoff team and it showed. I think it is safe to say, Toronto unofficially clinched the playoffs tonight and earned it. Mathews is out but is allowed contact again, he expects the injury to linger....hmmmm. I suspect in Andersen's case he is being rested for the playoffs.With 93 pts Toronto has a comfortable 16 pt lead and 10 games left to play this year before playoffs. Florida sitting at 77 pts has to play the red hot Bruins 4 more times.

Tampa Bay 4 Toronto Maple Leafs 3.
It was the best of times , it was the worst of times. Toronto went up 3 to zip on the back of 2 more JVR goals but a veteran Tampa Bay team scored late in the 2nd to make it 3 to 1. Tampa scored 3 in the 3rd as Toronto didn't respond. A wake up call onto Nashville.

Welcome back Auston Mathews ! Toronto got a plethora of goals from JVR, Mathews,Nylander, Marner and Gardiner. They looked a threat on every shift. In the end it was a 5 to 2 win over Nashville one of the best teams in the league at home. Toronto was flying and looked the bigger threat all night. A great win now off back to Toronto for Detroit at home Saturday. A win here surely claims playoffs and the first time the Maple Leafs are back to back years in the playoffs for a long time. This team is starting to look very promising.

Well on Saturday the Leafs won their 13th straight home game against Detroit on the strength of Kadri's 13th go ahead goal. It wasn't a playoff type game but they won it in a close game.They now face Buffalo on Monday and Florida on Wednesday both games are at home and a win will surely seal the playoffs where we might even face two time stanley cup winner Pittsburgh, what a test that would be.

Current league tables :NHL Standings March 25th 2018.

March 27th was the Jack Eichel show as he scored 2 ending our 13 game hone win streak. Buffalo considers us a rival and gets up for these games. Full credit to Buffalo for a well deserved 3-2 win. We now play Florida and a win here should seal playoffs, it should be a good test as Florida is hunting for a playoff spot and must play Boston 4 more times.

March 28th Florida came to town and the Leafs started out strong going up 3 to 0 with Mathews launching the 2nd goal to get his 30th of the year. Toronto now has 3 -30' goal scorers in JVR, Kadri and Auston Mathews. In the 2nd Florida ripped back with 2 nice goals by Hurbedeau making it 3 to 2 Toronto after 2 periods. It would be far worse if not for Luongo's play. JVR shovels in his 35th of the season while falling and Toronto holds on to win 4 to 3 over the Panthers setting a new franchise record with 46 wins and putting Florida in bad situation as New jersey won last night. We now move on to play NYI in New York.Last game of the month of march will be in Toronto versus the powerful Winnigpeg Jets and Laine.

Ottawa clinches the playoffs(March 29th) for Toronto beating Florida on a penalty shot. If the playoffs started today we face the Tampa Bay Lightning. Funny reward for our best season ever.

Current standings March 30th 2018 NHL standings for March30th 2018

On the last day of March we found out who the best team in Canada is. Winnipeg handed Toronto a 3 to 1 loss in Toronto. The Leafs took the lead on a Marleau tip in from Mathews in the first. Then Winnipeg took over the next 2 periods using size and grit even running McElhenney. The difference was defense and size. Winnipeg is built to win a cup, Toronto still has some building to do this summer. Time will help as our core ages but we have a dire need for a top 2 defenseman and are in denial about our lack of size.



A rundown of the Toronto Maple Leaf's top 20 prospects.

Chart climber : Ian Scott as of October 20 2018 is 10-1-1 with .942 save percentage.A good sign as the Marlies clearly need a goalie for next year. Ian Scott has made the Team Canada world juniors and the Leafs have signed him to a 3 year entry level contract.Ian Scott is the talk of the underground and many think Toronto has landed a Goal stud from the 4th round.Update :December 2018. Scott has made the Canada world juniors and will be fighting with Carter Hart for the number one job.

Updated as of July 23rd 2018. According to a recent fan poll on HFboards the voting produced this current top 20 Maple Leaf prospects.

Rankings:
1. Timothy Liljegren -- 78.7%
2. Andreas Johnsson -- 86.2%
3. Carl Grundstrom -- 49.6% (traded to L.A for J. Muzzin)
4. Rasmus Sandin -- 86.2% (Recent first rounder 2018)
From TSN:  Pick 29: Rasmus Sandin, D, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Embedded Image
There was plenty to glean from Dubas about Sandin’s game and his immediate future when he was drafted on Friday night. But Sandin also has a unique history with the number one overall pick in this year’s draft, his countryman Rasmus Dahlin. Both are defencemen by trade, but played a few shifts together at forward as 10 year olds for Team Sweden at the World Selects Under-13 Invitational in 2012-13. Dahlin was at centre, with Sandin acting as his right wing. By age 11, Sandin had committed to the blueline and never looked back. And should he return to Rogle BK in Sweden, which Sandin stated on Friday was his intention next season, he’ll have an opportunity to skate once again beside his brother Linus, also a Rogle product.
Sandin may not be flashy, but boasts a high-end hockey IQ with good mobility and a playmaker’s flare for putting the puck in just the right spot to make something happen offensively. All that makes Sandin a natural quarterback on the power play, and as he adds strength and weight to his 5-foot-11 frame, Sandin’s skill set will continue to shine through.

As of November 28th 2018 Sandin is playing with the Toronto Marlies with some impact. 3 Goals in 9 games already. Impressive for an 18 year old defenseman. December 12th. Sandin has been impressive and now has 10 points in 18 games with the Marlies as a rookie.


5. Sean Durzi -- 26.8% (Recent 2nd rounder 2018) From TSN ( Traded to L.A for J. Muzzin)

Pick 52: Sean Durzi, D, Owen Sound Attack
Embedded Image
* Apparently Dubas wanted Durzi last year and he went on to have a huge year.

An overager in the OHL last season after he was passed over by all 31 teams in the 2017 draft, Durzi said on Saturday that rejection ended up being a blessing in disguise. He was at United Center in Chicago last June, one year removed from an ankle surgery that slowed his production during that first draft season to 38 points (two goals, 36 assists) in 60 games. Still, at least one scout said on Saturday he had been a little surprised when Durzi went undrafted, and thought the Leafs were smart to jump on him early in the second round.
When his previous draft plans didn’t pan out, the right-shot defenceman attended Leafs’ development camp last spring and made a big enough impact on management they considered giving him a contract, but were maxed out at 50 deals. So Durzi took what lessons the Leafs offered and returned to the Attack for a third season, his best to date. In 40 games, Durzi put up 49 points (15 goals, 34 assists) while re-vamping his entire lifestyle off the ice.
“He has really transformed the way he lives day in and day out,” said Dubas. “Not that there was anything wrong with how he was living before, but he was a teenager before and now he monitors everything that goes into his body, he’s meticulous with his habits, and he’s become a pro in that last year.”
Dubas cited Durzi’s improved foot speed, play making ability and how well he defended against the OHL’s best forwards last season as reasons they took him off the board. The Leafs also appreciated Durzi sense of what he needs to work on going forward. It was an added bonus for Durzi that the Leafs were so interested and also happened to be his favourite team growing up. Born and raised in Mississauga, Durzi loved watching Brian McCabe and hopes to make a mark of his own on the organization one day.
“[I was] one of the biggest Leafs fans I’d say,” he remarked. “It’s been a thing in my family for generations. This is a dream come true.”

6. Jeremy Bracco -- 31.3%
7. Yegor Korshkov -- 40.1%
8. Calle Rosen -- 36.8%
9. Pierre Engvall -- 34.6%
10. Joseph Woll -- 30.5%
11. Eemeli Rasanen -- 37.5%

12. Igor Ozhiganov -- 23.2% (Coming over this year from Russia)
At 6ft 2 inches and 210 lbs Igor has size and skates well for a big man. He doesn't shy away from the rough stuff and is said to have a big shot.He has signed a one year contract similar to the one Zaitsev signed. Let's hope he can make the jump.


13. Semyon Der-Arunitsev -- 26.3% (Recent 3rd rounder 2018)
From TSN
Round 3, Pick 76: Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, C, Peterborough Petes
The youngest player in the 2018 draft (his birthday is September 15, 2000, the cut off to be eligible for the 2018 draft), Der-Arguchintsev looks the part of a 17-year-old with plenty of room to develop. At 5-foot-10, 159 pounds, it’s not surprising Der-Arguchintsev cites Mitch Marner, also undersized when he was drafted, as a player he admires. But all that being said, the Leafs like his potential. Over two seasons with the Petes, Der-Arguchintsev was more playmaker than scorer, putting up 80 points in 131 games. Like Marner, Der-Arguchintsev (known as “Sammy” to his teammates) has a tendency to pass up open shots to make a pass, even after ably shifting through traffic and creating prime chances. As Der-Arguchintsev progresses through his junior career, adding the strength and size (he’s hoping to still grow a little taller, too) needed to play against men is near the top of his to-do list
14. Dmytro Timashov -- 32.3%
15. Filip Kral -- 29.3% From TSN
Round 5, Pick 149: Filip Kral, D, Spokane Chiefs
Kral played his first season of professional hockey as a 17-year-old in his native Czech Republic, and adapted quickly to the North American game when he joined the Chiefs last year in a 35-point campaign (which led all WHL rookie defencemen). A strong skater already with good acceleration, Kral is a mobile defenceman with solid awareness through the neutral zone to make plays offensively. One scout cites Kral’s lack of physicality as an area to improve on, as well as his tendency to throw pucks into the wrong place when he’s pressured. His limited experience in North America may have hurt Kral’s draft stock with some teams, but if his development continues on its current trajectory he could be a great value pick for Toronto.

16. Fedor Gordeev -- 29.7%
17. Adam Brooks -- 29.7%
18. Trevor Moore -- 37.9%
19. Riley Stotts -- 26.3% ++++ > ( 2018 draft)
Round 3, Pick 83: Riley Stotts, C, Calgary Hitmen From TSN
A trade doesn’t always end up being the best possible outcome for a young hockey player. But for Stotts, being dealt from the Swift Current Broncos to the Hitmen last season helped shine a light right on him. After a successful rookie campaign with the Broncos in 2016-17, Stotts saw his playing time slip the following year when Swift Current loaded up on talent to chase a championship. Posting just three points in his first 22 games of 2017-18, Stotts was traded to the younger, less experience Hitmen, and carved out a big role and tallied 41 points in the season’s remaining 47 games.
Like many mid-round players, Stotts doesn’t show a high aptitude in one aspect of his game just yet, but is proficient in size, mobility and stickhandling. But Stotts also comes with a reputation for being hard working, dependable and smart with the puck. It all makes him potentially easy to mold into the Leafs system down the road.
20. Jesper Lindgren -- 26.9% (tie) 
20. Mason Marchment - - 26.9% (tie) 



A second opinion. According to the Sporting News we have the 16th overall prospect pool. Note the slight difference in their list.

Sporting News Opinion.
Top 10 Maple Leaf prospects:

PROSPECT

POSITION 2018-19 TEAM (Proj.) ACQUIRED
1. Tim Liljegren RHD Toronto (NHL) 1st/2017
2. Rasmus Sandin LHD Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) 1st/2018
3. Andreas Johnsson LW Toronto (NHL) 7th/2013
4. Yegor Korshkov LW Yaroslavl (KHL) 2nd/2016
5. Carl Grundstrom LW Toronto (AHL) 2nd/2016
6. Pierre Engvall LW Toronto (AHL) 7th/2014
7. Sean Durzi RHD Owen Sound (OHL) 2nd/2018
8. Jeremy Bracco RW Toronto (AHL) 2nd/2015
9. Dmytro Timashov LW Toronto (AHL) 5th/2015
10. Filip Kral LHD Spokane (WHL) 5th/2018




2017/2018 Season.

With the Toronto Maple Leafs firmly entrenched in the playoffs and with about 20 odd games,a quarter of the season left, it is time to look forward to the 2018 draft this summer. Despite the Toronto Maple Leafs sending a flurry of prospects into the NHL lineup over the last two seasons, the Toronto Marlies are one of the best teams this year in the American Hockey League . Some of Toronto's very promising prospects aren't even in North America yet with Yegor Korshkov, a big 6ft 4 inch, 225 lb winger in the KHL(Russia) who can skate and Winger Carl Grundstrom playing over in the SHL(Sweden). Former first rounder Kasperi Kapanen looks to finally have cracked the big leagues at the age of 21 for good and as such will be removed from this list.

 Times have really changed in Toronto as their drafting and acquiring and retaining of picks has drastically improved.In fact the Leafs had four 2nd round picks in 2015/2016. The Toronto Marlies are now a development team where prospects are given the best mentoring money can buy while they mature and gain much needed experience under the watchful eye of Sheldon Keefe and his staff. No doubt it is a distinct plus having the Marlies farmteam in their backyard and allowing Leaf management i.e Brendan Shanahan, Lou Lamorello and Kyle Dubas to watch and monitor very closely. The top prospect for the Toronto Maple Leafs is the 17th pick from last year's draft. The grading system is simply the calibre of player by position in the draft. The better the player and lower the round of the pick the higher the grade. For example a Weber or Subban type player at 2nd round is an A+.



Too see recent highlights of Timothy Liljegren Click  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_4SssOp96w

 1) Timothy Liljegren. Last year prior to the draft, Liljegren was considered by many as a potential top 3 overall pick. But then, in his draft year, he got  a case of mono and was then bumped  around from team to team and coach to coach in Sweden making some question his overall hockey sense / Iq. He started this year in North America polishing his defensive skills against men in the American Hockey League. It showed at this year's World Junior Tournament where Liljegren was a top 3 minute defenseman on the silver winning Team Sweden, which lost in the finals to Team Canada. He played well by all accounts. On the Toronto Marlies his current stats mask his elite skills and skating and thus his offensive potential. He may crack the Leaf lineup next year, if only for an audition but he is likely 2 seasons away and could be a Swedish Reilly type down the line. This kid has major potential and is highly likely a future top 4 defenseman for the Maple Leafs.

Grade A- :

 A steal at 17th in a weak draft.  " He(Liljegren) has elite, elite, elite skills ." -  Mike Babcock.
 That is a lot of elites!

" He was a no brainer at 17th.." - Hunter at the 2017 NHL draft.


travis-dermott-12218-getty-ftr.jpeg

Travis Dermott's first goal with Dad present. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5EGhv-ASPw


2) Travis Dermott is a Leaf 2nd rounder who was taken in 2015. Dermott has emerged as not only the best young defender in the American Hockey League but is playing with the Toronto Maple Leafs currently and looks very good indeed. Most see him as a future top 4 defenseman who can skate, carry the puck, hit, play defense and add a little offensive ability from the backend. One of Hunter's best picks so far by position.

 Grade B+.
He may not be a Subban or Weber  calibre but a top 4 Defenseman in the 2nd round of the draft isn't easy to find. Hunter took a big risk trading the Konency pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for two 2nd rounders. Toronto had a greater need for a top 4 defenseman.




3) Andreas Johnson came all the way from the 7th round back in 2013, a former Brian Burke pick.  Johnson, a winger , is leading the AHL Toronto Marlies in scoring and may be the 2nd coming of  Connor Brown. He isn't big but he is tenacious enough has the ability to score, kills penalties and is definitely a skilled winger, something Toronto now has almost in embarrassing abundance. He will be good enough for the NHL next year but where Toronto fits him is anyone's guess right now. It won't be in Leivo's press box seat. Johnsson scored his first NHL goal March 18th 2018 versus Montreal in his second NHL game.

 Grade A+ :
 How do you complain about a 7th rounder? Looks to be a skilled top 9 forward for years.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzUvDF9r_gM

4) Carl Grundstrom is another 2nd round winger and is still playing over in Sweden. Grundstrom's game is quite physical and engaging. He can be a hound for the puck . He has good size and skating while also knowing how to put the puck in the net. He is exactly what the Leafs will need in the future but expect him to start next year with the AHL Toronto Marlies and perhaps fight his way into a stacked NHL lineup by 2019 season's end. I see him in the future, as a good top 9 forward and feel confident saying that. He looks like he could be a good fit to play with Mathews due to his style and shot.

 Grade B :
 Just what we need ? Could push for Hyman or Brown's jobs in the future.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tULqgMTRpkI

5) Yegor Korshkov is currently playing in the KHL(Russia) getting some big minutes in. He is a massive 6ft 4 inch 225 lb  winger with skill and skating ability. He is slated to come to North America next year in 2019 and will likely play with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL learning the North American style and rink size. He could replace JVR but that is not likely to be by next year.

 Grade B - :
 Haven't seen him enough but getting decent reports on him so far. A strange pick at the draft as he had been passed over in the 2 drafts prior and was taken at age 20.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAboQukUWQE

6)  Eemli Rasanen is a giant 6 feet 7 inch, 209 pound defender playing for the Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League. He is a hitting and block the lanes with his insane reach type of defender. He is of Finnish descent with a great shot from the point and can run a power play. It is said Rasanen hits harder than his considerable shot. Like anyone that size at 18, he has some skating to work on as he grows into his frame and matures and learns to co ordinate his large frame at a higher level. Another Hunter 2nd rounder in 2017, he is a project drawing comparisons to gulp... Chris Pronger. Even if Rasanen becomes a 5/6th defender at the National Hockey League level the Leafs win. He is likely 2 or 3 years away but Toronto can now send him to the Marlies confident he will be getting the best grooming money can buy.

Grade B +.
Almost the last guy in the 2nd round(59th) and he is a massive defender in the OHL already. Great project and something their backend needs, some grit and net clearing ability.






Jeremy Bracco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TveGb5R_r04

7) Jeremy Bracco is yet another small, skilled forward and another Hunter 2nd rounder from 2015. He has graduated to the Toronto Marlies and is slowly playing better and getting more comfortable and confident against men. He likely will play in the NHL someday but will it be in Toronto?

Grade B- :
 Has lots of skill but needs more time in the AHL next year.




Miro Aaltonen.jpg
8). Miro Altonen was a free agent signing from Finland who is starting to tear it up at the center postion playing with Johnson in the American Hockey League. He is smallish but fast. Aaltonen looks like he could play in the NHL as a 4th line center and might be able to move up to 3rd C, in time or due to injury. Has left NHL. no longer a prospect of note.

Grade B :
How do you complain about free? Update: Altonen has left the NHL and is unlikely to return to Toronto. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Scratch from prospect list as of  July 2018.


Andreas Borgman can expect to be a healthy scratch once every three games under the Leafs' blueline rotation.
9) Andreas Borgman is a big, 22 year old NHL ready defender from Sweden and another Maple Leaf free agent signing. He has showed well in his audition in the NHL this year  but the emergence of Travis Dermott pushed him back to the AHL. Why? Because the Leafs can and waiver considerations. Borgman should be in the NHL and looks like a future 5/6 defenseman.

 Grade B :
Big defender who can hit and play in the NHL with a very good, booming shot and all for free.






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-DqxTdJvEs

10) Fedor Gordeev is  a hulking 6 ft 6 inch , 211 lb. defender getting scouts attention while playing in the OHL and has some saying he is a better prospect that Rasanen. He was taken in the 5th round so he could be a steal.  Gordeev was a darkhorse who has earned some attention.

 Grade B+ :
 A big defender who may make the Maple Leaf top 5 defense core,drafted in the 5th round and coming on strong.





11) Joseph Woll is a big goaltender playing for Boston in college right now. He was a 3rd rounder in 2015 and played as the number one USA goalie in the World Juniors this winter. Woll is likely years away and hard to project as a number one Goalie in the NHL. Could easily become a solid NHL backup goalie though. At the juniors Woll did have a 5 to 1 blowout game making many question his number one NHL potential.


Grade C +:
 Goalies are the hardest to read this early and also take the longest to develop. A project but at low risk in the 3rd round.







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y4PnRiIp4w&feature=youtu.be

12) Tie!  Center Adam Brooks and  defenseman Andrew Nielsen are both from the WHL and are later picks going in the 4th round 2016 and the third round 2015 respectively. It is still too early to say which player is better or furthur along in their development since defenders always take longer to learn their game. While Nielsen may have skating and defensive concerns, Brooks hasn't exactly lit up the AHL the way Nielsen did scoring 14 goals in his first year. Both prospects need to go on slow cook and are long shots to ever play with The Toronto Maple Leafs. Nielsen likely has an NHL future but is it a top 5 defenseman with Toronto? Brooks on the other hand is a center and has little competition from within the organization, if he does develop over the next 2 years his character, leadership and position played could land him a job on 4th line.



 Grade B- :
 Projects with some potential who need at least one more year in the AHL. Leaf management stated apparently that " Nielsen is near NHL ready." at the Leafs camp in 2017.



13) Calle Rosen is a free agent signing from Sweden and a defender who is 23 playing in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies. Rosen is an 7/8th defender depth signing. There isn't much to get about excited in Rosen's game but he can skate.

 Grade C:
Could still play in the NHL but is now a long shot.



We now enter the twilight zone: These prospects are projects who if properly developed may some day play in the NHL and if they do it will be all gravy.



14) Dymtro Timashov is yet another small, skilled winger who was taken in 5th round in 2015. He is currently in the AHL with the Marlies and needs at least one more year before he can play NHL. He is a possible injury fill player from the 5th round. Timashov is buried beneath depth from the likes of Johnson, Bracco, Grundstrom and Korshkov not to mention recently graduated first rounder Kasperi Kapanen.Timashov has shown well in the AHL playoffs and may be a rising prospect.

 Grade C+
 Most 5th rounders never play in the NHL. At least he has a shot somewhere in the future 32 team NHL.



15) Ian Scott was a 4th rounder in 2017 who plays goal on a bad WHL team. The good news is at least he sees lots of rubber and his individual play has been good.

 Grade C+ :
 Too early to tell, good potential on a weak team. Of all the players in the bottom 13, Scott still has some great potential and could be the sleeper. As of October 20  2018 Ian Scott was 10-1-1 with a .942 save percentage and is climbing the charts.



16) Frederick Gauthier is a big 4th line defensive center from the Nonnis era 2013. He has played some NHL games but it doesn't look good for him playing under Babcock. He has hit make or break time next camp.

 Grade C- :
 For a 17th overall pick who now has at best a 50/50 chance of getting 4th line next year or being dumped as an add on in a trade such as Rychel and Valiev were.






17) James Greenway taken in the 4th round, is a big 6ft 4 inch, 205 lb. defender in college right now, who can skate well for a man his size. He took part off this year off to deal with some personal issues. Take it for what you will but Craig Button on TSN called J Greenway " A steal !" shortly after the draft.

 Grade C :
Still too early to tell and needs one more year of college play to properly assess. Potential is there for an NHL top 6 defender.

Pierre Engvall
18) Engvall is a 6ft 4 inch 200lb.  LW from the 7th round in 2014. He is Swedish and currently playing effectively and scoring with the Toronto Marlies. He is only 21 and has been developing over in Sweden. He has good chance to make the NHL and be a 15 to 20 goal scorer.

Grade B: Once again Toronto may have found a gem in the 7th round.



Martins Dzierkals hockey player photo
19) Martin Dzerkals is.. you guessed it, a small, skilled right winger playing very little with the AHL Toronto Marlies. He is a 4th rounder  from the 2015 draft who has drawn comparisons to a certain Detroit Hall of Famer , Pavel Datysuk. He may stand an outside chance with Babcock but he has a long way to go yet.

Grade C:
 A 4th rounder who is a long shot to ever play in the NHL. The Leafs must decide whether to re sign him or let him return to Latvia potentially losing his rights.







Honourable mention: LW  Vladislav Kara was taken in the 4th round in 2017 at the 124th pick. He is currently playing in the VHL. From Maple Leaf hotstove: With an April 1998 birthdate, the 6’1, 187-pound Kara was passed over in last year’s draft. He split the 2016-17 season between the VHL with Bars Kazan and the MHL with Irbis Kazan. In the MHL (the Russian junior league), he posted 11 goals and 20 points in 31 games and a further five points in seven playoff games.
Kara was unranked by all of the major scouting services.

Mark Hunter’s Take

A big, strong winger that plays a two-way game and can handle pucks. He drives the net.


Departed : Winger Rychel and  defenseman Valiev.  Valiev slipped from " He is our best defensive prospect" to almost nowhere as Toronto's depth raced past him. Rychel is a borderline NHL 'er acquired for Scott Harrington. A former first rounder who wasn't going to play for Toronto. Gone to Montreal. Best of luck guys.






 Numbers By Position  Centers: 3
                                      Wingers: 7
                                      Defenseman : 8
                                      Goalies: 2


Organizational Strength : Our wing position is now totally loaded and our defense also has good depth with at least one blue chip in Liljegren and Sandin plus some very interesting projects such as Rasanen, Durzi and Gordeev who have both size and grit something the Maple Leafs clearly need..


Organizational Weakness : At center Toronto has Miro Altonen(returned to play overseas), Adam Brooks and Frederick Gauthier but no top 9 talent in this critical position. Another need is a top 6 power forward. Toronto has plenty of speed and skill but need to beef up for the defense of teams like Tampa Bay and Boston.In the 2018 draft this weakness continued but the signing of Tavarres gave them time to fill that 4C hole as they would likely not be playing much anyway.

Needs some work : Goaltending is probably the most important position in hockey and as of yet neither Woll or Scott can be called a number one. Hunter likes to use later round picks on goalies, so taking one per draft late may work out as a longterm strategy since goalies take the longest to develop and are the hardest to read at the age of 18. GM  Kyle Dubas added a late Goalie pick in Zachary Bouthillier continuing a cautious trend of picking Goaltending picks late.
             


 Toronto Maple Leaf organizational grade: B:

 The Maple Leafs have now plundered their once bountiful prospect pool. As it stands right now, there are at least 10 NHL teams with a better prospect pool than the Maple Leafs. Toronto does have some future NHL top 9 forwards and potential top 4 to top 5 defenseman. The Maple Leafs have first round 2017 Timothy Liljegren and now first round pick 2018 Rasmus Sandin left over and have added some depth in most positions while drafting a few very promising projects such as Eemili Rasanen, Durzi and Fedor Gordeev as well. Toronto have an over-abundance on the wings and good overall team depth on defense. Their current center core is young in Mathews, Kadri and Nylander but center depth still needs some work. Goaltending is a huge question mark right now with no clear number one goalie in the current pool although that could change. It isn't time to panic and use a 2nd rounder on a goalie yet and the take 'em late and make 'em wait approach may still work out for Hunter and now Dubas. As such, Toronto will likely focus on finding  a top 9 Center or a top 6 power forward at next year's draft in June 2019 .

Darkhorse rising fast : Pierre Engvall.