Just Now: Maple Leafs Top Star To Exist After Crisis With Coach….
As we approach the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs are seemingly involved in trade rumours on every other player, for better or worse.
It’s no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs have holes on their roster but with many names linked to the Leafs it’s clear that they know that. Especially since this is General Manager Brad Treliving’s first deadline, he’s likely itching to put his mark on the club.
In December, Treliving joined Sportsnet’s Real Kyper & Bourne show and said “Would we like to improve the defence? Absolutely. It all comes at a cost.” He also said “I made it clear coming into the season, that we would like to see if we can help ourselves on defence.”
The good news is, that it seems that Treliving plans to make moves but isn’t just going to sell the farm for the sole purpose of making a change.
According to multiple insiders, the Leafs did attempt to add to their group and were in on Nikita Zadorov before the Russian left-shot defender was traded to the Vancouver Canucks.
Although it is more likely than not that the players the Leafs are reportedly interested in now go the same way, there are quite a few names floating around tied to the Leafs. Aside from defenders, there are a number of forwards that they are rumoured to be kicking tires on as well.
The Toronto Maple Leafs played an absolutely beautiful game last night.
The Toronto Maple Leafs scored four goals in six minutes during the first period, where they threw 22 shots at the net, and the Stanley Cup Champs were done for the night before 20 minutes even expired on the clock.
The Leafs have won six in a row, and Auston Matthews scored his tenth goal in the last five games, and is now making a serious case for 60 in 60.
Bobby McMann kept his hot streak going, adding an assist to give him points in four straight games, as well as being involved in a second goal in which he didn’t end up getting a point.
Domi has been great lately, and perhaps it’s Sheldon Keefe who finally figured out how to use him. Pairing him with Nylander and Bertuzzi means he doesn’t need to be so sheltered, and he’s responded in kind.
The new look Leafs lineup was fantastic again even though they were forced to risk breaking up the good times by inserting the suspended Morgan Rielly back into the lineup.
Keefe smartly kept the Brodie/Liljegren pair together and used them as the top pairing. Rielly played less than usual and was paired with William Lagesson. It couldn’t have worked out better.
Brodie and Liljegren led the Leafs in ice-time, and each of them finished the game with a totally dominant 76% Expected Goals Rating.
The Leafs dominated play. They scord 7 5v5 goals. They destroyed one of the best teams in the league on their own ice.
It’s incredible to think about what this team could look like when not dressing Ryan Reaves, William Lagesson or Martin Jones.
I gotta hand it to Trelving, even though he sat by and didn’t add to the team during several emergencies, he allowed the Leafs to find a way to get the most out of Nick Robertson and Bobby McMann.
The blue-line and goalie positions need attention, but the Leafs could easily go past the deadline without doing anything but adding depth to their forward group – they really just need to make it impossible for Ryan Reaves to draw into the lineup and they are good to go.
You can’t have Jones or Samsonov anywhere near a playoff roster, but that said, Woll will be back soon and for now the team is playing near the top of their abilities.
