Maple Leafs 2025: Big Expectations

Welcome, Ryan Leslie

Ryan will be a great addition to the Maple Leafs. His relationship with the fans will be nothing less than spectacular. He is one of the most professional media personalities in the industry. He is a very personable guy, and the fans will love him.

A few observations

Auston Matthews

There will be a lot of expectations on Matthews. Rightly so; this is his team, and it comes with $13.25 million in cap space. The other reason for the expectations is that Auston is the Captain. Where much is given, much is required. Auston has to stay healthy. We need to score 40-50 goals and accumulate 100 points in a season. He has to be the leader of this team.

Matthew is one of the best young players in the league. His skill, combined with his speed, makes him an explosive forward. It is vital for Matthew to continue to have chemistry with Matthews. If Knies can score 30-35 goals and 70 points, it will go a long way toward making me smile.

John Tavares

John did everything for us last season. He then gives us a huge team-friendly contract. John gave up the captaincy willingly for the team. I do not see many players doing that voluntarily. John has to keep up the play as second-line centre, scoring 65-70 points. His primary role is to feed Nylander and maintain the chemistry with him.

William Nylander

For most of the season, William was probably the best player. He is a slick, explosive player whose Hockey IQ is off the charts. If he can continue his magic 90 points this season, the Leafs will be fine. For Nylander to achieve this, he will have to continue to work well with Tavares. They will still have an excellent top 6.

Last word

I am not going to pull punches; I am expecting a lot of points this season. But, I promise they will be a better team in the long run. I see the Leafs ranking second or third in the division. They’re going to a mean, nasty team this season.

Building Toward the Future: Isles’ Rising Stars

We are getting closer and closer to the NHL season. Nobody really has high hopes for the Isles this season, although I still am optimistic about the future of the Isles. The future is bright, with plenty of prospects in the system. Excluding the picks this year, there seem to be some good reasons to be happy. To me, these are the top 3 prospects after this year.

Cole Eiserman

Cole has all the tools to become a star. His number one asset is his Hockey IQ, which allows him to anticipate plays several steps ahead. He has a knack for finding space so teammates can see him. More importantly, he creates space for his teammates. His quick releases on one-timers makes him an invaluable asset on the powerplay. I was particularly impressed with his ability to get clear in the offensive zone for scoring opportunities.

Calum Ritchie

Calum is a solid prospect. He is a solid prospect and an excellent playmaker. He is known for his exceptional vision when it comes to finding open teammates, and he rarely gets flustered when in possession of the puck. He always looks at his options before dishing the puck. He has been named a strong puck carrier. It is hard to take the puck off him. Ritchie is developing his physical game, which will only make him stronger. 

Danny Nelson

Nelson is a big, strong center who uses his size to his advantage. He is best suited for the penalty kill and is a defensively sound player. Most people see him as a third liner. I can see potential second liner if all goes right.

Last word

With this recent draft, the Isles’ prospects system is getting stronger. Fortunately, Mathieu Darche’s strength lies in building prospects; he prioritizes them. Don’t worry; we’re in good hands with Matthieu. Darche is very good at seeing and developing talent. He will have the prospect cupboard up in no time.

Randy

Passion, Insight, and Unfiltered Takes with The Sick Podcast

Today, I would like to introduce you to an intriguing podcast: This entertaining world of hockey is known as The Sick Podcast - The Eye Test. The show is hosted by Jimmy Murphy and Pierre McGuire, who bring a perspective of their experience in the NHL.

Why watch it?

Hockey Passionate

You will love this show if you're a passionate hockey fan.

Pierre and Jimmy are passionate about hockey and care about its direction. If there is a trend in hockey, they praise it if it's good; if it isn't, they discuss how it can be made right. They pull no punches; everyone is fair game.

Stay informed

What is the latest? How will it affect your team? If it's happening, they will find it. If it's news, they will discuss it. Whether it's breaking news or maybe a team needs a shake-up. If a team needs a change, they will review different scenarios that could be implemented. If you want to be in the crowd, you need Jimmy and Pierre to get you there.

Terrific guests

Jimmy and Pierre try to bring in the best guest they can find. Some of my favourites include Scotty Bowman, Greg Cronin, and Mark Recchi. They have some great guests with great insight.

One-on-one with Jimmy and Pierre

Jimmy and Pierre often get questions from the viewers, which is their favourite time of the show. This is where we get to ask them questions. You can follow Jimmy on Twitter @MurphysLaw74 and the Sick podcast @sickpodnhl

Getting to know Jimmy

1. Favourite memory: 

Boston vs Montreal 1992 Adams Division Final Game 4 at the old Boston Garden. The Bruins are up 1-0 with time winding down, and Patrick Roy pulled for the extra skater. Peter Douris breaks in alone, puts the puck into the empty net, and the old barn erupts! 

So as Roy settles back into the net and we're waiting for play to resume and the roof not to blow off, the guy next to me lights a Roy jersey on fire and throws it onto the ice! Roy comes over and tries to put the fire out, but the famous Bull Gang (the on-ice maintenance crew) has to come out with a fire extinguisher to do it. 

I grew up going to games there from 1984 until the last match ever there in 1995 (Game 5 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals) when Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils bounced them from the playoffs in five games. That Game 4 against the Habs was the loudest I ever heard the Garden!

2. Favourite players growing up:

1. Ray Bourque
2. Cam Neely

3. What are you looking forward most this season in the NHL:

The Stanley Cup Playoffs!

Scoring Depth: The Islanders’ Make-or-Break Factor

A friend and I were discussing some of the Islanders’ concerns going into the season. The biggest issue is the lack of scoring. Barzal and Horvat cannot do it all; the secondary scoring has to pick up the slack. So who is capable of picking up the slack?

Today, I will highlight three players who possess the ability to do that. Not that there aren’t more players who could be held accountable, but I feel that these three are the best candidates. Here are the players in no particular order.

Anthony Duclair

First, we need a healthy Anthony. It goes without saying that Anthony has some skills, the most significant of which is his sneaky wristshot. Duclair has the hockey IQ to know where Horvat and Barzal want him to be. The Isles need 30 goals from him. If he can achieve this, it will go a long way toward the Islanders’ success.

Simon Holmstrom

Simon has a very underrated wrist shot; the Isles need him to use it more. The answer itself is simplistic, but it’s harder to achieve. We need Simon to bring that intensity to the open spots when he takes the shot. Trust me, if he does this, Barzal or Horvat will find him. If he can find a way to score 25, you will see a smile on Roy’s face.

Anders Lee

Anders could be nicknamed the Garbage Man. With all due respect, many of his goals will be in front of the net off rebounds. The most significant contribution from Anders is getting off to a better start. If Lee can contribute to the power play and score his regular 30 goals, the Isles would be ecstatic.

Final word

Even if the Isles get all three players to reach these expectations, there is no guarantee they will be successful, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. No one ever said it would be easy, but they did say it would be worth it. 

One Forward Away: Can the Leafs Find Their Missing Piece?

I am really hoping the Leafs are still looking for a top-six forward. They need one more forward to be a contender. Other than Jack Rosolovic.

Would you take a chance on Jimmy Vesey? Most people would say he is no better than what we have. I wonder if he could excel with the right combo. The one thing he has going for him is his age. He still has plenty of time to work himself out in the lineup. There is not much out there in the market when you’re considering Vasey. The problem is that the Leafs have to pay the price for a top-six forward. 

Turning to coaching, can Craig Berube mold this team into a playoff success? More critically, what will Matthews be like without Marner? There are a lot of questions about this season.

Do we think about bringing back Patches? I worry about his age being a red flag. His stats do not speak to me. Although he was expensive, he came through in the playoffs, something the Leafs so badly need.

Robby Fabbri is another forward who comes to mind, but again, he would have to take a pay cut to fit the cap for the Leafs. Unless Robby could go back to his early career days, I do not think he would be an upgrade over what we have.

Last word 

Look for the Leafs signing some PTO’s. They will try to address the forwards, making the camp enjoyable this season. I am excited to see how Ben Danford does in preseason camp. There is one thing for sure: this looks like Berube’s team. 

Randy

From PTOs to LOLs: Preseason Humor Ensues

I’m trying to find something to write. It is so boring right now. 

Breaking news: Calgary Flames fans are saving the Flames store from going under. They are showing up in droves, buying Connor McDavid Voodoo dolls. The Calgary Flames were quoted as saying, “Everyone was on pins and needles to see if it was a successful venture.” Yes, it was very nice of the Flames fans to show up in this prickly situation.

In Calgary, firefighters rush to a golf course in response to flames on the course. By the time they noticed it was Flames players instead of fire, they had to resuscitate some of the players. Unfortunately, it became life-threatening for the fireman as the Flames players did not respond well to mouth-to-mouth treatment. Yes, being a firefighter can be dangerous. They need more hazard pay.  

In Vegas, police refuse to comment on pulling over a minor driving a car. The problem was that the driver was Vegas Golden Knight forward Mitch Marner. The only comment the police made was that they did not use unnecessary force in the arrest. There will be an investigation into the incident.

I came in on a conversation between two of my sources.

There was a rash of medical emergencies in Toronto. There was a lot of foaming in the mouth disease as Connor McDavid was seen with Auston Matthews. As it turned out, Connor had gone over on a play date. Of course, there was parental supervision, making sure everything was kosher. Whew, good thing—who knows what damage those kids could have done!

Now for real news. I appreciate your patience. According to my source, the PTOs ( Personal tryouts) will be handed out. Teams like having extra players at camp to rest roster players from playing in preseason games.   As a new season creeps up, it is interesting to speculate about how it may go. I am eager to see how many players get PTOs. 

 

The Barzal Decision: One Move That Could Shape the Isles’ Season

My friend Paul Kreischer and I had a conversation about where to put Matthew Barzal. Will the Islanders keep him on the wing with Bo Horvat or as a second-line centre?

The Case for Barzal as a Second-Line Centre

The main advantage of him as a second-line centre is that he provides more balanced scoring in the lineup. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” This option gives some secondary scoring a chance to bloom. Players like Maxim Tsyplakov could break out in the top six, or a player like Simon Holmstrom could take the next step and match 20 goals and maybe even stretch to 30 goals.

Some players’ performance improves exponentially, transforming them from a piece of coal into a diamond. This option gives the Isles a chance to add more to the scoring. Lee and Duclair now have a bona fide centre, either Barzal or Horvat, who opens the doors for the Isles to have a legit second line. The scoring may be a challenge. Paul also made a good point. (Do not tell him I said that.) This option opens the door to trading Pageau and adding another defenseman through a trade.

Keeping Bo & Barzal Together

So what is the advantage of keeping Bo and Barzal together?

There was some chemistry with the two highly gifted forwards, some may say even magical. The two were dynamic; losing that could be catastrophic for the Islanders. Simply put, if it’s not broken, why fix it?

Final word

In my opinion, the Islanders will keep Barzal as a second-line centre, with the caveat that they will bring them back together if needed. I prefer more balanced scoring; it hurts the team when there’s only one scoring line. I also think the Islanders want to make one more transaction before the season starts, whether it’s through the waiver wire or a trade.

Randy