Welcome back to ‘Maple Leafs Weekly’, a series where we look at all things regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs. In this edition, we added a few more segments such as the good, the bad and the ugly, game of the week and three stars of the week.
Our regular segments are back as well, like the news and rumours portion. In this segment, we look at The Hockey Writers’ own Jim Parsons’ reports to see what the Maple Leafs are up to. We also get into the game of the week and finish up with what’s coming in the week ahead. Without further ado, grab your coffee or whatever morning beverage you prefer and enjoy the latest installment of Maple Leafs Weekly!
News & Rumours
Rumours
According to Parsons’ latest piece, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun mentioned in his latest blog that the Maple Leafs appear to be still engaging in trade talks with the Calgary Flames regarding Chris Tanev.
“I think if the Leafs were willing to move their June first-rounder, they could potentially entice the Flames into getting this done sooner rather than later. Too rich a price? Maybe… I don’t think it’s completely greedy for the Flames to be thinking first, even if they end up settling for a second and/or a prospect instead.”
source – ‘LeBrun rumblings: Chris Tanev’s trade cost, more Blues decisions coming, and the Penguins’ timeline’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 12/13/2023
It feels like it’s just a matter of time until the Maple Leafs and Flames announce the Tanev trade. It doesn’t seem like he will end up anywhere else but Toronto, and if we are lucky, he will sign an extension when he arrives.
Sportsnet’s Luke Fox also reported in his latest article, ‘Quick Shifts’, that the Maple Leafs may be looking at a few middle-six forwards. He mentioned Sean Monahan, Alexander Wennberg, and Adam Henrique as possible trade targets.
He also suggests that he would be interested in the Maple Leafs pursuing Will Borgen from the Seattle Kraken. Fox is around the club daily and could have a good idea as to what they are looking for, but that doesn’t mean he will be right. Either way, Henrique would be the player to watch if I were to bet on the Maple Leafs acquiring any of those three forwards.
Injury Report: (Not including Matt Murray, John Klingberg, or Jake Muzzin)
- T.J. Brodie: Flu – day-to-day
- Mark Giordano: Finger – expected return Dec. 19, 2023
- Ryan Reaves: Leg – expected return Dec. 23, 2023
- Joseph Woll: Ankle – expected return Jan. 9, 2024
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
The Good of the Week
The good is that the stars are showing up, and so is the scoring depth. It seems like every game now, the Core Four on the Maple Leafs are scoring. Whether it be Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, or John Tavares, together it feels like these four have been clicking.
Related: Biggest NHL Trade Rumors 2023: Eastern Conference Teams
In addition to the Core Four, the Maple Leafs’ depth scoring has finally come alive. Leafs Nation has only been asking for consistent scoring spread out throughout the bottom six, and now they have it. The list below is the point paces that the supporting cast is currently on.
- Max Domi – 50
- Nick Robertson – 40
- Matthew Knies – 40
- Calle Jarnkrok – 47
- Tyler Bertuzzi – 35
- Bobby McMann – 35
- Noah Gregor – 20
Although it doesn’t always seem like the depth is being productive, they are. Together, they have supported the Core Four this season by playing to the best of their abilities and putting the puck in the net. This will help come playoff time because, as you know, sometimes the stars can go quiet in the postseason. However, for this team, I feel players like Bertuzzi, Domi, and Knies will play up to their full potential and give the Maple Leafs the best possible chance they have to win the Cup.
The Bad of the Week
The bad is that the Maple Leafs can’t seem to break the injury or flu bug. It isn’t uncommon for a sports team to get sick, and it goes through the whole team. For the Maple Leafs, it’s been happening over the last week and a half. Since the annual Dad’s trip when they went out on the road to New York on Dec. 11 and 12, players have been battling the flu bug. The latest victims were Knies, Matthews, and T.J. Brodie. Thankfully, no one else has reportedly been dealing with the issue. But you truly never know until game time if someone needs to be pulled due to being sick.
The Ugly of the Week
The ugly is Ilya Samsonov’s play this season. It has been just overall ugly, to say the least. However, there is time to turn it around, but he has to do it quickly. With Woll sidelined with an ankle injury and Martin Jones playing out of this world, Samsonov could find himself on the trade block, or worse, in the American Hockey League (AHL). He has struggled this season, which isn’t news to Washington Capitals fans; they left him unqualified for one reason: inconsistency.
Unfortunately, Samsonov now has a lot more competition; first, it was just Woll, but now it is also Jones who is pushing for his job. If he does go to the AHL, there is also Dennis Hildeby, who has been impressing a lot of people with his play this season.
Game of the Week: Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets – Dec. 14
It was the tale of two games. During the first 40 minutes and the last 20 minutes, it almost seemed like two different teams were wearing Maple Leafs jerseys. The Maple Leafs had an awful first 20 minutes and found themselves down 2-0. Most people expected the club to come out and take over the game in the second period, but that didn’t happen. After 40 minutes, the Columbus Blue Jackets were up 5-0 on the Maple Leafs.
Related: Strike Outs vs. Singles: What Defines Treliving’s Maple Leafs Run?
In the second intermission, many members of Leafs Nation turned off the game out of disgust. However, I’m sure they turned it back on within the first 10 minutes of the third. Nylander got the Leafs on the board early, bringing the lead down to 5-1. Marner followed that up with a very nice between-the-legs goal less than four minutes into the period. This had the crowd back into it, and the boys fired up. Jake McCabe did his best Bryan McCabe impression and destroyed the puck with a slap shot that went bar down to bring the Maple Leafs within two.
It seemed like the comeback may fall short, but with the net empty and the best six-on-five team with the puck, the boys found a way. Matthews scored two goals in less than 40 seconds and was able to tie the game, salvage a point, and send it to overtime. Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs had a few chances, but Kent Johnson scored on a shot from just above the circle that beat Samsonov, and the Blue Jackets beat the Maple Leafs 6-5.
Honourable Mention: Maple Leafs vs. Penguins – Dec. 16
3 Stars of the Week
3. Martin Jones – 7-0 shutout against Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Matthew Knies – Gordie Howe Hat Trick against the Penguins (goal, assist & fight)
1. Auston Matthews – eight points in three games, including capping off the comeback against Columbus
Maple Leafs’ Week Ahead
- Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, New York Rangers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:00 pm
- Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Buffalo Sabres at 7:00 pm
- Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets at 7:00 pm
Be sure to follow along with Maple Leafs Weekly throughout the season. We have some very exciting stuff to come during this series. Have a great week and Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!