Could Gavin McKenna Be Toronto’s Next Draft Star?

Round 1

Gavin McKenna — LW

McKenna is easily the best player in the draft. I could sit here all day using all sorts of adjectives to describe him. First, his agility on the ice is remarkable as he maneuvers the puck in ways that should be illegal. A lethal shot, combined with the ability to think four steps ahead, makes him a bona fide star. His passing skills are deadly accurate.

Round 2

60 Blake Zielinski — RW

Solid right winger who plays off the puck. He works hard in the corners. Blake, with his tenacity, will win his share of puck battles. He will be used in the penalty kill. He never gives up the puck, and he is a very useful player.

Round 3

69 Olivers Murnieks — C

Olivers is a playmaking centre with excellent vision. His goals will come from in front of the net, otherwise known as the Garbage Man goals.  

4th Round

114 Cooper Williams — LW

Solid two-way forward who has some offensive skills. He has the sauce with great playmaking skills. His creative skills include the ability to make something out of nothing. Potential third-line winger with some scoring punch.

6th Round

169 Will McLaughin — LD

Will is not flashy, but he gets the job done. He gets the puck out of the zone and out of danger. A fluent skater who knows his limitations and is a solid defender.

Leafs Drop the Axe: What Comes Next in the Center of the Universe

The hockey world got a huge surprise on Monday afternoon as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Brad Treliving parted ways. That is a kind way of saying Brad got the axe. What surprised me was not so much the firing as the timing. I was not surprised at the firing, since it's usually the coaches or managers who suffer through a bad year. The timing is rather curious. Why not wait until the end of the year? I am expecting a coaching change at the end of the year.

Where do the Maple Leafs go for a new General Manager? I would stay with the division, as with the Florida Panthers.

Rick Dudley

Rick is serving as the Senior Advisor for the Florida Panthers. He has been heavily involved in the Panthers' success. He has been General Manager for Florida, Tampa, Atlanta, and Ottawa. He has also been a head coach. He knows how to maintain a stable franchise. He can step right in with very little training. Perfect for a team that does not want to rebuild.

Doug Armstrong

The process is probably pretty much done. I am sure if the Toronto Maple Leafs had their choice, Doug would be their man. The Maple Leafs need a man who can work under plenty of scrutiny and pressure from the media and the emotional fan base. Doug knows how to work with people, having been the General Manager of Canada's hockey team.

The wild card

If Toronto were going through a total facelift, is there one name I should look for? Mark Messier.

Mark has never been a General Manager, but he has learned from Glen Alther, who was one of the best. Mark brings in some new blood, which could bring some life back into the center of the universe.

Final word

Whoever gets the job, the General Manager's first responsibility will be the future of Matthews. He will have to work on the fly; there is no rest for the wicked. The Leafs are not in the business of rebuilding; this is a retool on the fly.

Randy 

Leafy-Like Hockey: Just Enough Hope to Avoid Real Change

We all know Berube’s days are numbered. It is only a matter of time, right? It may not be right, but it’s easier to fire the coach than all the players. But in this case, wouldn’t it be nice to fire some of the players and the General Manager?

Isn’t it so Leafy-like?

The Leafs, of course, won in Boston the other night. They probably played their best game of the season. The Maple Leafs have developed a terrific penalty kill and scored a short-handed goal in Boston. Then, of course, they backed up that victory by beating the Rangers. You can thank Woll for that, achieving 40 saves for that victory. Someone forgot to send Woll the memo about tanking.

Matías Maccelli

Keeping up with the theme of Leafy-Like: Does the play of Matias save him from the dungeon of the off-season? Admittedly, the winger’s play has vastly improved of late, but this does not excuse his absence when the season still mattered. So Leafy-Like for him to show when we still want him in hibernation.

Austin Matthews

Matthews’ season has been marred by injury issues throughout. Which brings up the question: What would a healthy Matthews like now? The team is expected to meet with Matthews to discuss his future this offseason. Wouldn’t it be Leafy-Like for the team to leave it up to Matthews and then chicken out, not changing anything?

Final word

This has been a season to forget. The Maple Leafs have appeared disinterested in the game most of the season. Whether this is a coaching change (which will happen) or a dressing room problem (which needs to be addressed), it has to be fixed. Going on with the Leafy-Like theme, they will fire the coach and dabble with the lineup while totally ignoring the r-word (rebuild ). Maybe if you ignore it, it will go away.

Randy

I Screamed at the Leafs—Now Let’s Talk Solutions

Can I act like a two-year-old for 5-10 minutes? I just wanna go downstairs and fall on the floor and yell and scream obscenities. It doesn’t even have to be coherent. It was just so satisfying to let the Toronto Maple Leafs have it.

Now, back to being an adult

Now that my tantrum is over, how can the Maples fix this? It can’t be a total rebuild. We have a schedule on our hands. We have to fix this as soon as possible. A rebuild now is not acceptable.

The players who will probably go

Bobby McMann and Scotty Laughton. These two are probably the two most valuable assets the Leafs have. Both of their contracts expire at the end of the season, and they become UFAs. In a perfect world, Bobby should get a first-round pick and return as part of a package. Scotty, on the other hand, could get a B+ prospect. Another pick up if we are lucky.

The players they will try to move

Morgan, Riley, and Anthony Stolarz fit this route. I do not think they will ever be able to trade either of them, simply because of mathematics. The salary hit is too much, but I’m not sure any team can fit them in. Morgan has a $7.5 million cap hit. Anthony just signed a four-year deal worth $3.75 million, which kicks in next season. Anthony just signed a four-year deal worth $3.75 million, which kicks in next season. I have a hard time believing Toronto can find a new home for him with that term.

The ones who will go if there are offers

Calle Jarnkrok

Calle is a good fourth-line forward who is willing to get his nose dirty. If you need a momentum change on a good hit, he is your man. He’s an option for any team in the league for the penalty kill or a fourth-line forward when you need a spark plug.

Simon Benoit

Simon is a stay-at-home defenceman, a left-hander who would help any team in the league. He is a good third-pairing defenceman who can kill penalties. He may not get many points, but that isn’t why he’s on this team. He is a reliable defenseman.

Final Word

The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be sellers; it just remains to be seen how much they will sell. They are desperately trying to get a first-round pick in the 2026 draft. If not the 2026 draft, they will try to get an extra pick in the 2027 draft. Some extra prospects won’t hurt them either. I don’t think they will do a full rebuild; I think a retool is the route they will go.

Randy 

Maple Leafs Yard Sale: Bring Cash, Take a Defenseman

There is a difference between a yard sale and a fire sale. A yard sale implies some tinkering. At a fire sale, you sell everything, almost like a going-out-of-business sale. So far, my understanding is that the Leafs are listening to all players, but keeping it to the yard sale. They still want to be competitive for next season.

Here is the list of players rumored to have a price tag:

Anthony Stolartz

Great stand-up goalie, but he may be the odd man out. With the emergence of Hieldby and Woll, the Maple Leafs are set for years to come. Anthony could be a starter for a few years, making him a valuable commodity.

Bobby McMann

I was talking to a fan who was perplexed by the Leafs' decision to put Bobby out in the market. He was questioning it because he would be a very good player for the Maple Leafs to build around. My response is that Bobby, being a UFA, might have priced himself out of the Leafs' price range. Any contending team could use a versatile forward with some scoring punch. Add to that the fact that Bobby plays with a chip on his shoulder. He is a talented forward who might be the final touch for a contender.

Adam Larson

Arguably, Larson is the best defenceman the Maple Leafs have had this season. I would be sorry to see him go. He has been everything to the Leafs this season. He is the best defenceman for the power play. He has an underrated slap shot and puck-moving skills; he could bring in a haul for the franchise. He is showing some signs of his days with the Phoenix Coyotes, when he was one of the best.

Derrick Roy

A great fourth-line centre who is very good in the face-off circle. Bobby is good at helping with the defensive zone coverage, slowing down the scoring chances against them. His no-nonsense attitude, combined with the abandonment of anything nice in the world, means the Leafs could get some assets in return for him. Several teams will have inquired about his availability or plan to do so. His leadership skills and his Stanley Cup ring will increase his value.

Final Word

The Leafs are trying to get back into the first round of the draft. Triliving needs to get the rebuild done, as it's vital for this job that this year remains an anomaly. I suspect that McMann and Stolartz are gone, but I'm hoping for more!

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Three Goalies, One Roster: Toronto’s Tough Decision

In my last Leafs blog, I posed the question of what I would do if I were GM when Stolarz returns. I asked the question, but I chickened out of answering it, so I thought I would address it today. What solution do we have for the three goalies? Everyone I have met hates the three-headed monster. I like all three goalies; they're all NHL-quality.

Dennis Hildeby

Dennis has done everything he was asked to do. He is so cool under pressure, and he keeps his composure. He had an excellent glove hand; he has been outstanding. He has proven worthy of being called an NHL goalie.

Joesph Woll

An agile goalie who overcame a lot this season to get back to the NHL. This speaks volumes to his character and stamina. He has been great at times, holding the Leafs in games. His reflexes are among the best in the league. He will rebound from his last start.

Anthony Stolarz

Anthony's greatest weakness is not his fault. I speak of his health. There is no doubt that Anthony was outstanding, posting the league's best save percentage at times last year. Most people have argued that the Leafs would have won the series if he had not been injured in the Panthers series. He has been the number one in the past, and I am confident he could be again.

The stats between Woll and Hildeby are crazy close. Both goalies have a 2.90 average. Hildeby has a save percentage of .912, and Woll has a .910 save percentage. Goaltending has not been a problem. Then there is Stolarz, who was the man last season.

So, who stays or goes?

As I see it, there are three options

First, we could trade Anthony and collect more assets. No doubt the Maple Leafs could get a solid defender or a top-six forward in return. Anthony is still considered a quality starter.

Secondly, we could go with the three-headed monster. The Leafs could keep all three on the roster. If the Leafs use this selection, it is a headache; it rarely works. You cannot keep all three happy. Sooner or later, one of them will ask for a trade.

Third is sending Hildeby down, since he does not have to clear waivers. The third choice is the easiest. I do not like this option, but it will most likely be the Leafs' choice.

I just do not think that Anthony gets traded. Trading him is too much of a gamble. We need a veteran goalie going down the stretch.

Final word

The Leafs have a problem that 31 other teams would love to have. I love having insurance in case one goes down. They need to have solid goaltending down the stretch.

Randy