Reflecting on Missed UFA Opportunities by the Maple Leafs & Sheldon Keefe Gets His 200th Win
Plus, some Leafs news and rumours & more
Welcome to the THW Toronto Maple Leafs Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Maple Leafs writers.
Looking back at who the Maple Leafs missed in free agency, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe earns the 200th win of his coaching career, Leafs recent performance put them in a buying position before the trade deadline, Leafs are treading carefully to avoid a bad deal, and the latest news and rumours surrounding the club.
Don’t forget to check out all of our FREE team Substacks, and sign up for your favorites…or all of them if you want.
You can also upgrade your subscription to a paid THW account, and get access to ALL of our Premium content from ALL of our team Substacks for one low price.
Now on to the good stuff…
Maple Leafs’ Sheldon Keefe Sets Franchise Mark With 200th Win
March 1, 2024 by Andrew Forbes
There was a moment when Brad Treliving was hired this past offseason that questions swirled around the future of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ bench boss, Sheldon Keefe. That was quickly put to rest when Treliving noted that he would be keeping Keefe on and — while the Maple Leafs have played inconsistent hockey this season — it hasn’t been the worst idea.
Maple Leafs’ Recent Play Makes Them Trade Deadline Buyers
March 1, 2024 by Peter Baracchini
Weeks ago, many were wondering if the Toronto Maple Leafs would consider being buyers at this year’s trade deadline. They were in the midst of inconsistent stretches, blowing leads, weren’t competing to a high standard and more importantly, they don’t have a lot of assets to work with. Their play on the ice wasn’t reflective of a playoff contender and weren’t doing much to give general manager Brad Treliving an incentive to make a move.Â
Maple Leafs Dodging Bad Deals: Teams Seek 4 Deadline Assets
March 1, 2024 by Jim Parsons
As the NHL Trade Deadline looms, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to find the right balance between being buyres and making bad trades. At the end of January, Elliotte Friedman shed light on the Maple Leafs’ measured approach in an episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast. The team, counting on GM Brad Treliving to do the right thing, appears hesitant to go all-in this season, opting for a cautious strategy.
Reflecting on Maple Leafs’ Missed UFA Opportunities
February 29, 2024 by JP Gambatese
Last offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed unrestricted free agents (UFAs) Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, Ryan Reaves, John Klingberg, Simone Benoit, Noah Gregor, and a couple of other minor pieces. Domi and Benoit have been solid additions by all accounts, as they have strong underlying statistics and have produced well in their roles. The others have been a bit disappointing, to say the least. Bertuzzi, though he’s come on as of late, had struggled to produce in a top-six capacity for the bulk of the season. Reaves and Gregor have been quasi-useless this season, with extremely weak metrics and point totals on the season, and Klingberg is out for the remainder of the season but was a defensive liability and offensive disappointment when in the lineup.
Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Woll, Cowan, Hyman & Bertuzzi
February 29, 2024 by The Old Prof
Tonight the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Arizona Coyotes on home ice. Last week Toronto went into Phoenix and beat the Coyotes easily. Can they do it again? Both teams are coming off losses and are hungry for wins. In addition, the Coyotes usually play the Maple Leafs tough, so the game could be close.
Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Samsonov, Rielly, Brodie & Reaves
February 28, 2024 by The Old Prof
Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ winning streak came to an end, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights, 6-2. Despite a strong start in the game that promised Maple Leafs fans more, the team struggled to capitalize on its scoring opportunities. At the other end of the ice, the Golden Knights weathered Toronto’s early push and then pushed back themselves.
More Maple Leafs Must Reads
Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Jarnkrok, Giordano, Liljegren & Woll - February 27, 2024 by The Old Prof
Buds Breakdown Weekly Audio Report: Maple Leafs Ride a 7-Game Winning Streak - February 26, 2024 by Anthony Testaguzza