Ilya Samsonov Is Solid & Leafs Bounce Back Against The Stars
Also, Easton Cowan Rides The OHL Wave & more
Welcome to the THW Toronto Maple Leafs Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Maple Leafs writers.
In today’s edition we have, Ilya Samsonov plays a solid game and William Nylander’s heroics came at the right time after the All-Star Break, the Leafs bounce back in a tight match against the Dallas Stars, what’s new for the Leafs prospects, and more
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Now on to the good stuff…
Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Nylander, Tavares, Marner & Sammy
February 8, 2024 by The Old Prof
After losing to the New York Islanders on Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs came back with a high-powered offensive game to beat the Dallas Stars 5-4 on Wednesday. The Maple Leafs got off to a good start and scored first; however, the Stars quickly responded with two goals late in the period to pull ahead. In the second frame, the Maple Leafs’ power play stepped up, scoring twice to regain the lead, 3-2.
Maple Leafs Bounce Back With Big Win Against the Stars
February 8, 2024 by Spencer Lazary
The Toronto Maple Leafs looked to bounce back after dropping their first game back from the All-Star Break against the New York Islanders. They need to start putting points in the bank to help solidify their spot in the postseason. The Maple Leafs welcomed the always-challenging Dallas Stars, which was a hard-fought battle. The game was back and forth, but the Maple Leafs came out on top with a 5-4 win to reach 60 points on the season and will jump over the Tampa Bay Lightning and move back into third in the Atlantic Division.
Maple Leafs’ Prospect Report: Riding Cowan & the AHL All-Stars
February 8, 2024 by Andrew Forbes
Over the past couple of seasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect pool has thinned out when it comes to options. We’ve seen promotions for guys like Alex Steeves, Bobby McMann and Pontus Holmberg at times during that span, but the ceiling for their prospects isn’t as high as teams around the league.
Still, with the NHL trade deadline just around the corner, there’s no better time than now to check in with the team and what they’ve got in the pipeline as potential trade options. With that, let’s agree now that the Maple Leafs surely aren’t moving Easton Cowan and Matthew Knies anytime soon.
With that, here’s a look at three of the team’s prospects on their road to the NHL.
What if the Maple Leafs Had Picked Aho Over Dermott in 2015?
February 7, 2024 by Jesse Courville-Lynch
You can never predict the future when it comes to prospects at the NHL Entry Draft, and many teams have looked back and realized their mistake when they took the wrong player. The same could be said for the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft when they chose to select defenceman Travis Dermott in the second round instead of forward Sebastian Aho. Looking back, this was the wrong choice, as Aho has become a superstar with the Carolina Hurricanes, and while Dermott has become a serviceable defender in the NHL, he isn’t quite on the elite level that Aho is.
5 First-Round Draft Targets for the Maple Leafs
February 7, 2024 by Peter Baracchini
As we’re now in the second half of the NHL season and the trade deadline is fast approaching, the shift then quickly moves to the NHL Entry Draft. For the Toronto Maple Leafs, their draft capital is very low compared to other teams. With the notion of possibly not being buyers at this year’s deadline, general manager Brad Treliving could very well end up keeping the Maple Leafs 2024 first-round pick if there’s no substantial deal in place.
3 Maple Leafs’ Trade Partners in Potential Ryan Reaves Deal
February 7, 2024 by Jesse Courville-Lynch
The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping they can make it back to the postseason after another season of disappointment in their 2022-23 campaign. At the time of this article, they sit tied for the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with the Detroit Red Wings, but luckily they have games in hand on every team above them. It’s fair to assume they will be buying at the 2024 Trade Deadline to bolster their roster and try to make their team the most competitive it’s ever been. Having not won a Stanley Cup since 1967 takes a toll on a franchise, and they’ll be looking to change the narrative that they can’t win another one.
3 Maple Leafs Most Likely to Be Traded Ahead of 2024 Deadline
February 6, 2024 by Jim Parsons
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager (GM) Brad Treliving is approaching his first NHL Trade Deadline with the team. Rumored to be one of the more active GMs when scouring the market, this could be a busy 2024 trade deadline as the organization approaches March 8. The team is near the NHL playoffs’ cut line, and some insiders wonder if this is the year to go all in. At the same time, not buying at all would be viewed as a failure by others. The question worth asking is where is the middle ground? What do the Leafs buy and what do they sell?
It could be a mix of both, but we’ll focus on who the team is most likely to move out in making any potential deals.