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By Kevin McGran Sports Reporter Wed., May 1, 2019 Brad Marchand’s true colours are showing through, huh? Gonna guess a fair bit of Leaf Nation is rooting for the Columbus Blue Jackets at the moment. Or maybe you should be with the Marlies, who signed Egor Korshkov (though his name is Yegor on hockeydb.com), for their playoff run. Game 1 vs. Cleveland (Columbus’s top farm team) is tonight. Korshkov, whose Leaf contract kicks in July 1 and runs two years, will stand out because he’s actually big. Six-foot-four. We’ll see what kind of pro he is, if he can skate, etc. His numbers in the KHL don’t exactly scream: “Prospect.” Injured most of this year, he had five points in 19 games, and 65 points in 119 career games with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. He had a terrific 2016 World Juniors, with eight points in seven games, losing the gold medal game to Kasperi Kapanen’s Finland. He was drafted by the Leafs that summer, already 19. … [Read more...] about Leafs forwards make the grade: Marner is the key
Leafs
Why Morgan Rielly is the Leafs’ most C-worthy option
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By Damien Cox Sports Columnist Mon., April 29, 2019 You had to like the snarl. The defence of a teammate with a snarl. That was how Morgan Rielly reacted last week when asked about the future of Jake Gardiner with the Maple Leafs. He didn’t go with the usual “well, we all know there will be changes” or “we’ve got a bunch of great guys in here” kind of stuff. Rielly, rarely caught using off-colour language, made it clear Gardiner is a “f---ing great player” and that the club needs him back. Period. Rielly was also the first one to talk on Hockey Night in Canada after the dispiriting Game 7 loss to Boston last week. He didn’t have much to say — “I’ll have to get back to you on that,” he said several times — but he was the kind of standup guy good teams need in tough situations like that. The kind of standup guy that makes a good captain. Article Continued Below And it’s … [Read more...] about Why Morgan Rielly is the Leafs’ most C-worthy option
Trevor Moore among Mar-Leafs with something to prove
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By Kevin McGran Sports Reporter Mon., April 29, 2019 Trevor Moore doesn’t feel like Andreas Johnsson, but in a way he has been cast in the same role. Moore, who finished the NHL season with the Maple Leafs, has returned to the Toronto Marlies as they embark on the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs, much like Johnsson did last year. Johnsson went on to be named the most valuable player in the post-season. “I don’t know if I can compare with Johnny,” said Moore. “Johnny is a real good player. It’s been fun. I’m happy to be here. This organization treats players so well. The winning culture we’ve created with the Marlies is really exciting.” Moore was a real find, signed in 2016 as an undrafted free agent after three years at the University of Denver. He rose up the depth charts through the Marlies’ Calder Cup run last spring, an energetic forward who can play in all three zones. At just … [Read more...] about Trevor Moore among Mar-Leafs with something to prove
Grading Kyle Dubas after his first year as Leafs GM
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Mon., April 29, 2019 So for the rest of the week, I’m going to grade the 2018-19 Maple Leafs in this blog, starting at the top: General manager Kyle Dubas. (Tuesday: Mike Babcock) Before I get to that, I want to tell you a little tale about the last time the Maple Leafs hired a rookie general manager, when things didn’t end well. That rookie GM was John Ferguson Jr., who came with a reputation of being a great talent spotter and of course came from a famous hockey family. It was a rocky ride for the young GM, just 36 when he started in 2003. He was certainly a better GM by the end of his tenure than the beginning. MLSE was a different monster then, more concerned about profit and a few (actually budgeted) playoff dates rather than winning and long playoff runs. The hockey world was different then. With no salary cap, the Leafs could simply buy a winner. Article Continued Below Along the way, Ferguson made mistakes (Should I mention Tuukka Rask for Andrew … [Read more...] about Grading Kyle Dubas after his first year as Leafs GM
Why the Leafs have to win salary showdown with Marner
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By Dave Feschuk Sports Columnist Sun., April 28, 2019 The instinct always seems correct. Talent wins in pro sports — especially the flow games like basketball and hockey where a chess master like Bill Belichick can’t consistently win by outwitting. And since talent never seems to come cheap, it only makes sense that talent gets paid — handsomely, if need be. So when you think about the individual decisions to sign the Maple Leafs’ top players, it’s tough to assail any one of them as completely out of touch. William Nylander’s contract is the easy target. But with a cap hit of $6.9 million (all figures U.S.) in the years to come — with a seven-goal season in the rear-view — this might not be the ideal moment to analyze the deal’s merits. Ontario’s premier promised Buck-a-Beer. Surely one of Ontario’s premier right wingers will eventually see fit to produce at a rate beyond A Million-Bucks-a-Goal. … [Read more...] about Why the Leafs have to win salary showdown with Marner