• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Editor's Choice

Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Mahovlich, Marner, Tavares & More

By The Old Prof August 13th, 2019

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

It’s easy for Toronto Maple Leafs fans to get lost in the one thing that is NOT happening this summer (Mitch Marner signing), and forget about how busy the summer has really been for the team. We’ve learned two things about general manager Kyle Dubas: first, he’s not afraid to make moves; second, he can be exceedingly creative in the moves he makes.

Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Marner Offer, Fantasy, Robertson, Poutine

Dubas helped improve the blue line by acquiring veteran, right-shot defenseman Tyson Barrie. In addition, he picked up defensemen Cody Ceci and Ben Harpur. At the same time, he traded long-time Maple Leafs’ fixture Nazem Kadri and also moved Connor Brown and the anxious-to-go Nikita Zaitsev.

Tyson Barrie
New Maple Leafs D-man Tyson Barrie (Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports)

The move he made to free salary-cap space by trading Patrick Marleau to the Carolina Hurricanes was smart and unexpected, and his trade with the Vegas Golden Knights for David Clarkson’s contract was also a creative use of the salary cap.

In this post, I will try to synthesize some of the most recent news and rumors emerging from the team. Specifically, it seems as if veteran center John Tavares has been speaking out about a number of topics. I’m wondering if he feels fans need some reassurance.

Item One: Former Maple Leafs Say Team Is Ready to Win the Stanley Cup

The great, Hall-of-Fame forward Frank Mahovlich, who was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1967 when the team won its last Stanley Cup, is optimistic about this iteration of the Blue and White. Specifically, at the NHL Alumni Celebrity Golf Classic on Monday in Halton Hills, he said he feels that the team is close to ending its 52-year drought.

Frank Mahovlich (THW Archives)

Mahovlich noted, “I thought they should have won the Stanley Cup last season.” He added, “I think they’ve got a good enough team to do it.”

If he’s correct, that would end a run of frustration that has seen the team qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the past three seasons, then bow out before they could get to the second round. As Maple Leafs fans know, the team lost in the first round to the Boston Bruins in 2018 and 2019, and to the Washington Capitals in 2017.

Mahovlich, who won the Stanley Cup four times with the Maple Leafs (1962, 1963, 1964, 1967) and then two more times with the Montreal Canadiens (1971, 1973), has enough Stanley Cup experience to be listened to when he speaks. His perspective is that the next step is “building chemistry, getting the fellows together and playing together a little more.”

Related: NHL Rumors: Capitals, Coyotes, Oilers, Maple Leafs, More

He noted that the team has “so many good players” that it’s the chemistry that’s key. “Some teams get it, some teams don’t.” But he believes the team’s young core of players have learned some lessons during their playoff failures. Now, it’s applying those lessons that will make them reach success – or, vice-versa, lead them to one more season of failure.

Both Mahovlich and former Maple Leafs player Darcy Tucker, who was also interviewed at the Golf Classic, raved about 21-year-old Auston Matthews. Tucker believes Matthews, as successful as he’s been already during his first three seasons, has “only scratched the surface” of his potential. Tucker sees Matthews as easily capable of 50 goals and 100 points. Using an interesting metaphor, Tucker believes Matthews has “a ceiling that is just through the roof.”

Darcy Tucker Wikipedia
Former Maple Leafs player Darcy Tucker. (Wikipedia)

Mahovlich agrees and said he started admiring Matthews after his very first NHL game, when he scored four goals against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 12, 2016. “He really opened my eyes.” Mahovlich added, “I thought he was great and he’s only gotten better. He’s got great balance, a great skill set, everything that a player needs to be successful.”

Both former Maple Leafs noted that the next step in the Maple Leafs’ progression was to become more “battle-tested come playoff time.”

Item Two: Tavares Believes Marner Will Work Out His Contract with the Maple Leafs

Tavares believes the “right thing will happen” in Marner’s negotiations with the team. Although there are less than five weeks remaining in the offseason, Tavares is confident Marner will soon sign with the Maple Leafs.

Tavares reminded TSN that Marner wasn’t the only restricted free agent (RFA) remaining unsigned. He believed there was time remaining for Marner to sign with the team and added, “that’s what both sides obviously want.”

Related: Maple Leafs Rumors: Marner & Dubas Can’t Find Common Ground

As far as Tavares’ personal thoughts, “Mitch is obviously an important player for our team, just the type of guy he is as well. We really count on him, so obviously, we want to get him there for Day One of camp and get moving forward and continue to kind of build this thing and work toward the ultimate goal.”

As a note, training camp begins Sept. 13.

Item Three: Tavares Is Excited to Play with Maple Leafs Young Core Players

In another bit of news, Tavares said he’s expecting “big steps” from the young Maple Leafs core of Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson after both RFAs signed new contracts early during the offseason. Now that the Maple Leafs have moved some veterans out of the way of Kapanen and Johnsson, Tavares expects them to assume bigger roles both on and off the ice.

Because there are so many new players on the roster, although Kapanen and Johnsson are young, Tavares believes they’ll become part of the team’s core group this season, and that excites him. Tavares thinks that “with the talent and youth we have and the impact our young core makes, I think there’s no question that there will be big steps from them.”

Andreas Johnsson, Dan Girardi, Andrei Vasilevskiy
Toronto Maple Leafs Andreas Johnsson (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

He also feels they’ll impact the team both on the ice, but especially in the locker room by working with “all the new guys we have on board to really make them part of the group right away.”

Related: Maple Leafs Must Extend Dermott Before It’s Too Late

Is this my imagination, but does such talk sound like a captain speaking? Maybe this will become the first time since Dion Phaneuf that the team names a captain. Might it be Tavares?

What’s Next?

Speaking of Phaneuf, the 34-year-old currently remains an unrestricted free agent. If the former team captain signs with someone soon, might that team be his old Maple Leafs? Who’s to say Dubas is finished with his offseason surprises?

  • Tags
  • Darcy Tucker
  • Frank Mahovlich
  • John Tavares
  • Mitch Marner
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 17th 6:35 PM
Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets Hope Early Start Leads to Bounce Back

Jan 17th 5:50 PM
New York Islanders

Islanders Loss Can’t Be Pinned on Sorokin Entirely

Jan 17th 5:15 PM
Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings: Zadina’s Start Sparks the Imagination

Jan 17th 5:05 PM
Archives

Jacques Plante: The Man in the Fiberglass Mask

Jan 17th 4:25 PM
Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs Make Tough Decision in Waiving Spezza and Dell

Jan 17th 4:05 PM
Toronto Maple Leafs

Joe Thornton’s First Maple Leafs’ Goal: Just a Little Trickery Out There

Jan 17th 3:55 PM
St Louis Blues

Blues’ Winter 2021 Prospect Pyramid

Jan 17th 3:40 PM
Column

Senators News & Rumours: White, Batherson, Stützle & More

Jan 17th 3:30 PM
Boston Bruins

First-Year Islanders Shocked Big, Bad Bruins 48 Years Ago

Jan 17th 2:55 PM
Detroit Red Wings

NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs, Oilers, Canadiens, Flyers, Red Wings, More

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information