Twas the Night before Christmas, hockey version

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey, what do you want from me, I have two grandchildren....

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the rink,
The players were stirring, can you smell that hockey stink?
The gloves, pads and skates were hung in the lockers with care,
In hope that the next game soon would be there.
The players were ready, they’ve trained and they’ve bled,
With visions of hat tricks dancing in their heads.

The Zambonis were parked, the sticks were taped,
What a beautiful night for a long winter skate.
When out on the ice there arose such a clatter,
Gloves were dropped, what exactly was the matter?
The fists they flew through the air like a flash,
The blood hit the ice, drop by drop, with a splash.
The combatants were sent to the sin bin for a timeout,
To jaw at each other, to whine and to pout.
They’d get five minutes each, a penance for their sins,
Then come back out and go at it again.
The dekes, sick handles, and slap shots they fly,
But the goalie says, “No!” each and every time.
The game has come down to the last little bit,
The crowd rises to their feet, urging their team not to quit.

Their team gets the puck with one last chance to score,
As the clock ticks downs, they need one goal more.
The puck moves left then right, and rifled down the boards,
The forecheck crashes in with defensemen and forwards.
The puck squirts free, it’s there for the taking,
The home team picks it up and there they go skating.
The goalie, he looks through the steel of his cage,
His weak spots the forward will have to gauge.
The shot flies through the thin winter air,
The puck spinning and twisting, this the goalie must snare.
The goaltender lunges, to his left with the glove,
But the sound of puck hitting twine the crowd would surely love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a thud and a swoosh as the puck hits the net,
The forward wipes his brow of his sweat.
The horn sounds loud for all to hear,
This was the greatest game of the year.
With sticks raised high in salute to the crowd,
The home team has won and wow, it is loud!
The three stars skate out and then head out of sight,
The announcer calls out, “Merry Christmas to all and to all a happy hockey night!”

and drop the puck on January 13th !!

 Merry Christmas , Merry Christmas.

Drop that Puck !!

 

The NHL and NHL Players' Association reached an agreement Sunday to play a 56-game regular season starting Jan. 13, 2021, and ending May 8.

 

"The National Hockey League looks forward to the opening of our 2020-21 season, especially since the Return to Play in 2019-20 was so successful in crowning a Stanley Cup champion," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.

 

 "While we are well aware of the challenges ahead, as was the case last spring and summer, we are continuing to prioritize the health and safety of our participants and the communities in which we live and play. And, as was the case last spring and summer, I thank the NHLPA, particularly Executive Director Don Fehr, for working cooperatively with us to get our League back on the ice."

Formal training camps will begin Jan. 3. There will be no preseason games. The seven teams that did not participate in the 2019-20 Return to Play will be permitted to open their camps as early as Dec. 31.

The 2020-21 season has been delayed due to continuing concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

Under the agreement, the Stanley Cup Playoffs will feature 16 teams in a best-of-7, four-round format and conclude around mid-July with the plan of returning to a normal hockey calendar for the 2021-22 season (regular season beginning in October). The NHL and NHLPA will release the 2020-21 schedule for each team, health and safety protocols, transition rules and a calendar of critical dates in the coming days.

Games will be within realigned divisions only, including a division of the seven teams based in Canada. In reaching agreement on the format for the 2020-21 season, the NHL and NHLPA determined that the ongoing closure of the United States-Canada border required realignment and also sought to minimize travel as much as possible by shifting to exclusively intradivisional play.

Each team in the East, Central and West divisions will play every other team in its division eight times, and each team in the North Division (Canada teams) will play every other team in its division nine or 10 times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Get on with games, already, I have beer in the fridge getting old by the second.

The top four teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs. The first two rounds will be intradivisional, with the first-place team playing the fourth-place team and the second-place team facing the third-place team in the first round. The four teams that advance from the second round to the Semifinal Round will be seeded by their points total in the regular season (No. 1 vs. No. 4; No. 2 vs. No. 3).

The current plan is to play games in teams' home arenas with the understanding that fans will not be permitted to attend in most, at least in the initial part of the season. But depending on prevailing conditions, the NHL will be prepared to play games in one or more neutral venues per division should it become necessary.

 

 

The NHL and NHLPA have had to adjust to government regulations at all levels, from restrictions at the Canada-United States border to local limits on gatherings, and the coronavirus situation in each of the markets for the 31 NHL teams. The agreement includes health and safety protocols.

The last game of last season was played Sept. 28, when the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars 2-0 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.

"The players are pleased to have finalized agreements for the upcoming season, which will be unique but also very exciting for the fans and players alike," Fehr said. "During these troubled times, we hope that NHL games will provide fans with some much needed entertainment as the players return to the ice."

He shoots he scores, that's what I want to hear.   That one's for you Billy !

Boil up some soup

 

 

Souper Man has re signed. Break out the Campbells soup/

Fewer than 24 hours before Wednesday’s scheduled arbitration case, restricted free agent Ilya Mikheyev and the Toronto Maple Leafs  found common ground — although it did mean a last-minute financial concession on the player’s part.

The Russian winger and the club agreed to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $1.645 million that will see Mikheyev skate in blue and white through the 2021-22 season and walk him directly to unrestricted free agency at age 27.

“Ilya decided to step off a little bit from an already agreed number to help the team fit under the cap,” Mikheyev’s agent, Dan Milstein, told Sportsnet after tweeting news of the signing Tuesday night.

“For Ilya, it was less about the money, but more about the role in the organization. He wishes to win the Stanley Cup. It's been a lifelong dream.”

Mikheyev’s two-year pact carries a $1.1 million salary in 2020-21 and $2.19 million in 2021-22.

 According to Milstein, the sides had initially agreed to a cap hit higher than $1.645 million.

The agent was on the phone explaining the bridge deal’s terms to Mikheyev when the Maple Leafs quickly called back requesting the forward take slightly less so they could be cap compliant for 2021’s opening night.

The Leafs and Mikheyev discussed the sophomore’s position in a winger-loaded roster “extensively” during the negotiations, which had been ongoing for weeks.

“We know what they have going. We know what the goals are. Toronto and both camps communicated very clearly,” Milstein said. “We feel very comfortable about the next season, and Ilya is very excited about the next season as well.”

The 26-year-old Mikheyev — fast a fan favourite — appeared in only 39 games as a rookie with the Maple Leafs in 2019-20, scoring eight goals and adding 15 assists.

Returning for post-season action after suffering a gruesome wrist injury in late December, Mikheyev failed to register a point during the club’s five-game playoff qualification series versus Columbus.

“He would’ve liked to help the team get past Columbus, but overall this was a good first-year experience for him,” Milstein said. “He’s adjusted. He’s adapted. And I expect him to have a better season next year.”

The Russian elected to file for salary arbitration to buy time, and a deadline, for his first North American negotiation.

Mikheyev filed for one year at $2.7 million; the Leafs requested two years at $1 million.

 

But, Milstein maintains, the strongest efforts on both sides were focused on a two-year pact that would provide Mikheyev and his family a little more certainty in uncertain times and give the Leafs smart value through his RFA years.

 

 

The player affectionately known as “Mickey” to his teammates and “Souperman” to fans stayed up to the wee hours in Russia, where he’s training, in order to finalize the paperwork.

 “The first season didn’t go as well as planned, due to the injury, but it was never a question of whether he was coming back or not,” Milstein said. “He stayed up through the night, and we took care of business.”

 Milstein has a tight working relationship with general manager Kyle Dubas and the Maple Leafs.

The agent is quick to note that 12 of his players have been welcomed into the Toronto system over the past three years, including winger Egor Korshkov (currently on loan to Yaroslav Lokomotiv of the KHL), 2020 first-round pick Rodion Amirov, and recent import Alexnader Barbanov

 

“While we were negotiating (Mikheyev’s contract) and perhaps disagreeing a little bit, I had to stop and talk to (the Leafs) about another player,” Milstein said.

“We try to have good relationships with everybody, but a client comes first.”

Barabanov, 26, will join Mikheyev in trying to secure ice time from coach Sheldon Keefe in a competitive forward group that has added Wayne Simmonds, Joe Thornton, Jimmy Vesey, Joey Anderson and Travis Boyd since free agency opened.

Barabanov flew to Toronto in early September and is preparing for his first North American campaign on this side of the pond.

Make no mistake: Like Mikheyev before him, Barabanov has his sights in the NHL, not the AHL.

“I feel good about his prospects. He's a world-class player,” Milstein said. “I'm not a coach. I'm not going to make any predictions. But I feel good about it. You can quote me on that. I feel good about it. Barabanov is an Olympic champion.

“He is a phenomenal player, and I expect him to do well here in North America.”

With Mikheyev signed, the Maple Leafs only need to reach agreements with RFAs Travis Dermott and Anderson.

 I am partial to Clam Chowder myself.  Bring on Souperman, he make us proud.

Leafs future European Imports

With the OHL and AHL currently shut down, hockey fans – and the Toronto Maple Leafs – have to go overseas for their hockey fix.

While most Leafs players and prospects are currently not playing, there are two players who are:Egor Korshgov, a second round pick from 2016 who has played one NHL game so far,  and  Mikko Lehtonen who the Leafs signed as a free-agent last summer.  Let’s take a look at how each player is doing so far in the KHL.

 

Egor Korshkov – KHL – Lokomotiv

Due to the NHL season not starting until January 1st at the earliest, Korshkov is making the most out of the delay, by playing over in the KHL. The 24-year-old native of Novosibirsk, Russia is currently playing for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

So far, this season he has recorded six goals and six assists for 12 points in 15 games. Being able to play right now should be beneficial to Korshkov when the Toronto Maple Leafs  training camp starts. The 6’4, 181 Lbs right-winger will try to land a spot in the NHL, although with the recent depth the Leafs added, he is a long shot to make the team.

Korshkov will have plenty of competition in training camp as the Maple Leafs have a lot of players vying for roles in the lineup. he will have to hope that by playing right now and being in game shape when camp starts, gives him the edge.

 

 

Mikko Lehtonen – KHL – Jokerit

Lehtonen was a highly coveted free agent defenseman from the KHL when he chose to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Prior to becoming a free agent, Lehtonen had a very good season with Jokerit in the KHL where he was named defenseman of the year. He recorded 17 goals and 32 assists for 49 points in 60 games.

The thought is that he will be able to challenge for lineup spot on the Maple Leafs blue line. He can play both the left and right side effectively, which will come in handy if and when injuries arise.

Just like Korshkov, Lehtonen is using the NHL season delay to get playing time in the KHL to start this season. So far this season he has six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 12 games. He is hoping that by playing meaningful hockey right now, he will have an advantage when the Toronto Maple Leafs open up training camp.

I have watched Korshkov play with the Marlies and I like his game. I would love to see him make it on to the Maple Leafs this season. As for Lehtonen, I don’t know if he will be in the top four, but he should for sure make the team. whether that is as the 5th, 6th or 7th defenseman remains to be seen for now.

 Now we wait for the Commissionier to formally announce the beginning of the new season.

Thornton comes home

 

 

Joe Thornton was probably sound asleep under the Swiss Alps, resting up to open up his 24th professional hockey season, when the CN Tower alit in teal.

The colour long associated with the heart and soul of the San Jose Sharks— all their hopes and disappointments, fun times and funky beards — reflected across his brand-new NHL stomping ground, the one closest to his boyhood house in St. Thomas, Ont.

A Jumbo homecoming signalling Jumbo expectations. And it only required a minimum-wage salary. One year, $700,000 (free of 35-plus performance bonuses), and one more shot at the Stanley Cup dream Thornton has been hunting down for 41 years, 106 days and counting.

His ardent pursuers, the Toronto Maple Leafs, have been chasing the thing for 53 years, 164 days and counting.

Their mutual but separate quest, painfully futile for so long, will unite in 2020-21.

The NHL’s active leader in assists (1,089) and points (1,509) signed on to join the NHL’s active leader in heartbreak and hype.

Whether this whole thing ends in a parade or in shambles, who knows?

Either way, it’s a helluva story. And one singed with historical symmetry.

On Sept. 17, 1997, the same day Thornton registered his first-ever point in an NHL uniform (during a Bruins pre-season game), Auston Matthews was born.

Then there’s this: Thornton just happens to be the last active player to have scored a goal at Maple Leaf Gardens.

 Financially, the Thornton contract is a small swing, on par with the organization’s Travis Boyd and Denis Malgin signings. (Fun fact: Calle Rosen can strut Ford Performance Centre this season knowing his paycheques are larger than that of a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.)

Emotionally, it’s a big deal — and one long in the works.

The Maple Leafs first pitched a UFA Thornton to sign alongside close friend Patrick Marleau back in the summer of 2017, with Mike Babcock and Lou Lamoriello pushing the upside of guiding their young, hyper-talented core.

Loyal Thornton instead stuck around San Jose until it became plain the Cup would no longer be within reach if he stayed put.

So, when Thornton expressed disappointment after being left untraded to a contender at the 2019 deadline, pulling him out of teal was worth another attempt.

GM Kyle Dubas called a week ago, when free agency opened last Friday. Coach Sheldon Keefe, too. Then the players encouraged one of hockey’s all-time most beloved characters and deftest passers to join the cause. Jake Muzzin. John Tavares. Matthews. Maybe more.

Thornton mulled it over. He texted back and forth with Marleau.

And when he decided to jump the Sharks, he called his longtime teammates — Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture, Brent Burns, probably more — and explained his decision. All class.

“Somebody that inspires everybody around him,” Dan Rusanowsky, San Jose’s play-by-play voice on KFOX 98.5 FM told Sportsnet 590 The Fan Friday.

“He’s going to help the Maple Leafs quite a lot, and he’ll be at the best when it matters the most.”

 

“He loves bringing everybody together,” Marleau told Good Show Friday.

“He does keep himself in great shape, and I think one thing that's always a constant in his game is the size and reach, the way he can protect pucks and obviously his vision, and none of that has changed over his career.”

What has changed with Thornton is what changes with everyone who lives as long and tries as hard.

He has slowed down, considerably.

Which is to be expected after 1,636 regular-season NHL games and another 179 playoff contests; 73 games and counting in the Swiss League with HC Davos because he never takes a lockout or a pandemic to vacation; plus dozens more representing Team Canada on the national stage.

Thornton’s 2019-20 stat line — seven goals, 31 points, minus-19 rating, 49.4-per cent faceoff wins in 70 games — provides ammo to those who believe this could be last-legs Jaromir Jagr in Calgary all over again (one goal, six assists, 22 games, flight to Kladno).

If Zdeno Chara, currently undecided, doesn't play, Thornton will become the oldest guy in the NHL.

But the Thornton-to-Leafs signing isn’t so much about him swiping a few more draws or popping a few more apples on the second power-play unit than Alexander Kerfoot.

 

It’s about character and culture. A room that needed shaking up, lightening up, perhaps smartening up.

And Dubas’s aggressive approach to crib from the Tampa Bay Lightning blueprint and surround his superstars with the right attitude on the fringes. Experienced yet hungry.

Guys who know what it takes to win playoff rounds 1, 2 and 3 — and how it feels to lose Round 4.

We remember Keefe revealing something very telling about the Maple Leafs’ dynamic amidst the roller-coaster 2019-20 when the coach was asked about Jason Spezza, and it had nothing to do with on-ice action.

“He’s been a great voice in the locker room and on the bench. You know, we don’t have a lot of guys that are overly vocal on the bench and talk a lot,” Keefe said. “He’s got a great rapport with the referees and linesmen. Those things make a difference for a young team like ours.”

Like Spezza, Wayne Simmonds and Zach Bogosian before him, Thornton is coming here to calm the nerves, steel the fragile, and read the room.

Leadership without letters.

“I like helping out the younger guys. I was born to play hockey, and I’ll play as long as I can, as long as I’m healthy,” Thornton told My Channel this week between tune-up sessions with HC Davos.

“I just love playing hockey. I really do. I have a passion for the sport.”

Joe Thornton has come home,

 

Where's Hockey ?

 

 

So here we are in mid-October and nobody’s playing hockey.

Actually, that’s not entirely true. Joe Thornton is voting with his feet and is off to skate with Davos in the Swiss league. It’s really here in North America where the days of fall seem pretty empty without the beginning of a new hockey season. No NHL. Major junior hockey is shut down. U Sports hockey isn’t happening.

The Greater Toronto Hockey League, the largest minor hockey operation on the planet, is dormant. Some girls’ hockey teams are practising, but plans to play in four-on-four bubbles have been put on hold. My Friday morning game with the Lorne Park crew has been cancelled for the year.

Everything seems a little backward. The leaves are falling, hockey is on the shelf, there’s no Grey Cup on the horizon, but yet The Masters is coming up in four weeks.

 

When it comes to the world of hockey, the optimism of seeing the bubbled Stanley Cup playoffs succeed is now subsiding, and the understanding is setting in that the entire industry is staggering under the unrelenting pressure of Covid 19. 

 The honest-to-Bill-Gadsby belief that the good ol’ NHL could conquer all because hockey is wonderful has now run headlong into reality. It’s like a giant cosmic payback for taking the game from the great outdoors where it was born and moving it almost entirely indoors. You know. Where the virus is most comfortable.

Interestingly, some of the strongest indicators about the fearful way in which the NHL is imagining its future emanated from Las Vegas over the past week. The Golden Knights signed the top free agent on the market, defenceman Alex Pietrangelo, to a seven-year contract worth $8.8 million (U.S.) per season.

 In normal times, this would have been a healthy sign for the league. Teams pursuing talent. Stars getting paid. An indication business was good.

But because of the flat salary cap created by the coronavirus, the Knights had to dump two good veterans. Pietrangelo was one of a very limited group of players who did particularly well in free agency. He was probably the only player to truly hit a home run.

 

 By comparison, this year has been mostly a free-agent fizzle. Jakob Markstrom and Kevin Shattenkirk did fairly well, as did Torey Krug. Players like T.J. Brodie and Tyler Toffoli got new deals, but for pretty much the same money. Significant names like Braden Holtby, Henrik Lundqvist, Corey Crawford and Justin Schultz took sizable pay cuts.

Tyson Barrie, a $5.5-million player two years ago, is now on a one-year contract at $3.75 million. Bobby Ryan has gone from being a $7-million player in Ottawa to a $1-million player in Detroit. Kyle Turris was making $6 million per in Nashville; now he’s making $1.65 million in Edmonton. Many well-known players don’t have new contracts at all.

Compare that with the previous free agency “frenzy” in July, 2019. Players like Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky and Matt Duchene hit the jackpot, all with seven-year contracts. Mats Zuccarello and Tyler Myers, neither an all-star, both got $30 million over five years.

This is not normal for the NHL. This isn’t the market. This is something else.

The other news out of Vegas, meanwhile, was an honest assessment by owner Bill Foley on the immediate future of the league. This was particularly useful since we rarely hear from actual owners these days other than Eugene Melnyk.

While NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been talking confidently of starting up again Jan. 1, Foley says he can’t see it happening before February. Even then, Foley says, it would have to be a reduced schedule that must be finished by the end of June, playoffs and all, because rightsholder NBC has the Summer Olympics in July. Foley said NHL owners are “very nervous” about the future.

 

The Leafs add some new buds

 

 

Though many people thought that the Toronto Maple Leafs would be inactive in free agency due to salary cap pressures, the exact opposite has proven to be true.

On Friday the Leafs signed top pairing defenseman T.J Brodie, as well as veteran Wayne Simmonds to replace Kyle Clifford on the fourth line.  On Saturday the Leafs sent Andreas Johnsson to the New Jersey Devils in order to clear salary to help pay for Brodie.  In return for Andersen the Leafs got a decent prospect in Joey Anderson.

 Also on the Saturday the Leafs signed depth options Zach Bogosian and Travis Boyd. As if that wasn’t enough, the Leafs signed UFA Jimmy Vesey on Sunday.

Drafted in the third round of the 2012 draft by Nashville, Vesey never ended up signing with them and became a free agent after four years at Harvard.  He signed with the Rangers, where he played three years.

Last year he went to Buffalo and now the Leafs have signed him.  He’s a big winger who consistently put up either 16 or 17 goals in each of his first three NHL seasons, until this last year when he scored nine in the shortened season.

 Vesey doesn’t seem to have very good on-ice stats, but he has always played on lousy teams.  The Toronto Maple Leafs must see something in him, and the depth scoring is always an asset.

For 900 K you can’t really go wrong.

 As you can see from the chart, Vesey can score but can’t really defend.  No big deal, as a fourth line winger, you usually don’t get both.  The Leafs can now put Vesey into a mix that includes Robertson, Barabanov, Engvall, Spezza, Simmonds, Anderson,  Boyd, Agostino, Korshkev, Petan, Hallander, Malgin and Brooks and maybe a few rookies for ice time this year.

That is excellant depth  as it is 13 players, all of whom are more than likely perfectly fine on any 4th line in the NHL, competing for five jobs.  In reality, those five jobs will most likely go to Robertson, Barabanov, Engvall, Spezza and Simmonds, but the other guys will serve important functions as injury replacements and job competition.

 

 

The NHL is likely going to play some for of insanely condensed schedule next season and all these players will come in handy.  The important thing is that he Leafs are set to have one player in the bottom half of their forward group making over $1.5 million.

To have the kind of depth they do – 13 NHL players for five spots – at the price they’ve paid for it is exactly why they had the confidence to spend most of their money on a core group of elite players.  If you look around the NHL, you’ll see that most teams don’t have anywhere near this kind of depth or skill in their bottom six, and they are almost all paying more for it.

The draft should have held in Europe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just over a week after the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup, the first major step of the offseason came to an end with the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft on Tuesday. The New York Rangers won the NHL Draft Lottery earlier this summer and used the pick to select Quebec Major Junior Hockey League star Alexis Lafreniere.

 

Lafreniere has spent the last three seasons starring for Rimouski Océanic. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2017 QMJHL Draft and burst onto the scene with 42 goals in 60 games. To put that into perspective, Lafreniere had the highest number of goals in a rookie season since Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby scored 54 for Rimouski Oceanic in 2004. In his three seasons in the QMJHL, Lafreniere has accumulated 297 points (114 goals & 183 assists) and blossomed into one of the most dangerous young players in the world.

 

Many believe that Lafreniere is a generational talent that will become one of the NHL's biggest stars sooner rather than later. The Rangers will look to pair Lafreniere with a nucleus that already includes the likes of Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad.

 

Rounding out the top five was Quinton Byfield, who became the highest drafted black player in NHL history when the Los Angeles Kings selected him No. 2 overall, German international Tim Stutzle, who got drafted by the Senators, Lucas Raymond (Detroit Red Wings) and top American prospect Jake Sanderson (Senators).

 

 

Here are the complete results of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft

Round 1

 

1. New York Rangers: Alexis Lafrenière, LW 
2. Los Angeles Kings: Quinton Byfield, C
3. Ottawa Senators (from Sharks): Tim Stutzle, LW
4. Detroit Red Wings: Lucas Raymond, LW
5. Ottawa Senators: Jake Sanderson, D
6. Anaheim Ducks: Jamie Drysdale, D
7. New Jersey Devils: Alexander Holtz, RW
8. Buffalo Sabres: Jack Quinn, RW
9. Minnesota Wild: Marco Rossi, C
10. Winnipeg Jets: Cole Perfetti, C
11. Nashville Predators: Yaroslav Askarov, G
12. Florida Panthers: Anton Lundell, C
13. Carolina Hurricanes (from Leafs): Seth Jarvis, C
14. Edmonton Oilers: Dylan Holloway, C
15. Toronto Maple Leafs (from Penguins): Rodion Amirov, LW
16. Montreal Canadiens: Kaiden Guhle, D
17. Chicago Blackhawks: Lukas Reichel, LW
18. New Jersey Devils (from Coyotes): Dawson Mercer, C
19. New York Rangers (from Flames): Braden Schneider, D
20. New Jersey Devils (from Lightning via Canucks): Shakir Mukhamadullin, D
21. Columbus Blue Jackets: Yegor Chinakhov, RW
22. Washington Capitals (from Flames via Rangers via Hurricanes): Hendrix Lapierre, C
23. Philadelphia Flyers: Tyson Foerster, RW
24. Calgary Flames (from Capitals): Connor Zary, C
25. Colorado Avalanche: Justin Barron, D
26. St. Louis Blues: Jake Neighbours, LW
27. Anaheim Ducks (from Bruins): Jacob Perreault, RW
28. Ottawa Senators (from Islanders): Ridly Greig, C
29. Vegas Golden Knights: Brendan Brisson, C
30. Dallas Stars: Mavrik Bourque, C
31. San Jose Sharks (from Lightning): Ozzy Wiesblatt, RW

 So many non OHL players were taken, you would think that they they all have the virus, no, they just could have the virus. 

I am not Don Cherry, not even Brian Burke, but you'd think more GM's would have stopped and thought about the talent right under their noses.

The Leafs top ten list

 

The last two offseasons have been dominated by the signing of one big contract for the Leafs. 

This year is more complex, and more likely to be filled with a series of minor moves as the puzzle pieces get shifted around to create whatever final form Kyle Dubas has in mind for the team.

Dubas got an early start with the Kasperi Kapanen trade landing very early in the playoffs, but there’s a lot more to be done. GMs don’t always get to decide what order things happen in, however; deadlines always shape their thinking to some extent.

October 9 is the likely date for free agency to begin, and that’s the big deadline. The other is October 6 when Qualifying Offers to RFAs are due, with a lot needing to happen in those three day, the to-do list goes something list:

1. With Kapanen gone, his replacement on the PK and on the wing, Ilya Mikheyev, needs a contract. He’s an RFA with arbitration rights, so if he wants to push it, that could delay the final number on his deal until November. Brendan Shanahan sent a message in his post-season presser when he talked about how it’s not fair, but a poor playoffs will affect his contract. Dubas will want this sorted out more quickly and with a team friendly result. The QO is only $874,125, but the final deal seems likely to be one million - something. The tricky part is the something. I expect this signing any day now, but you never know.
   
2. Newly acquired Evan Rodrigues needs a deal done before the QO is due because the Leafs aren’t going to get trapped into paying him either $2 million or an arbitration award. They didn’t take him in trade with the plan to just dump him, however. His deal might be the very next thing resolved, too, because if he wants to play on his hometown team, he has to know he needs to make a deal now that will let him prove that arbitrator’s award of $2 million wasn’t grossly inflated by ice time on a bad team. One year takes him to UFA status, so a cheap show-me contract could pay off for him next year. His alternative is to become a UFA one year early coming off a very bad season, so I think he’ll play ball.
3. Travis Dermott could get signed before the QO goes out too. His salary amount is the same as Mikheyev’s, it’s just one-way instead of two-way.I think its in his inetrests just to takethat one-yrqualifing offer, but he might want the security of a two-year deal now. It’s also not going to be large, and he has to decide how much he wants to play for the Leafs for the next couple of years. I don’t believe there’s any good reason for the Leafs to set out to trade him, but they aren’t likely to say no to a deal that includes him if it’s in their interests.
4. There’s other RFAs to sign, notably Denis Malgin and Frederik Gauthier. Gauthier is likely to sign a two-year minimum salary deal, which would make his AAV less than his salary in year two, something cap-strapped teams like. (Teemu Kivihalme’s deal is exactly this.) Malgin didn’t stick very well in the lineup after arriving in trade, and while he has arbitration rights, you can’t take a record like his to arbitration and come out the winner like Rodrigues did. He has had some good results in very limited usage in the past, and some fans like him because he’s the type of player they want to see on the ice, but he couldn’t take a lineup spot from Nic Petan, and that’s pretty much the recipe for a cheap depth deal or a flight back to Switzerland.
5. Jason Spezza is likely to be re-signed, but there’s not a lot of time pressure to do that right away.
6. Dubas has to decide if he wants Kyle Clifford or not. He should. He would likely announce ahead of the free agent date if the answer is no so Clifford can get other teams interested.
7. There are a host of NHL-contracted AHLers expiring as UFAs, and with Dubas on the AHL’s Return to Play committee, he will know how much effort he and Laurence Gilman need to put into sorting out the AHL roster. Normally that happens in the spring as college and junior players graduate off of teams, and then heats up just as training camp starts. This year, it feels like this might be a very last minute job.
8. Two AHLers are RFAs. One is Max Veronneau, whose arbitration rights coming off his ELC at 24 and his skill in the AHL make him worth signing early for something, maybe even his Qualifying Offer amount of $874,125. The other is Jeremy Bracco, who is at a crossroads in his career, and I can’t predict what will happen to him.
9. You may have heard that Dubas needs to find a defenceman. I’m not sure if that should be number one here or the last thing on the list, but it’s really what all the rest of this list is about. All of these peripheral players need to be squeezed, to be blunt, to make room for someone who matters a lot more. Someone who is at least better than Holl and approaching Jake Muzzin’s ability if not even better.
10. Dubas does not need to find more depth third pairing guys. There are at least nine NHL-probable defenders on the roster. That’s plenty at the bottom end. He doesn’t need to morph Dermott into a right-shooter of the same ability, either, because it’s just not enough of a difference to matter. If there are borderline top-four defenders out there like Dermott who can be had for low cap hits, that’s worth pursuing, but cheap depth is not the job here. A difference-maker is.

 

I am hopelessly optimistic about our chances, but I've been wrong more than I've been right. But with th right moves, we stand a better chance.

Canuckle Heads beat the Golden Knights

 

 

Thatcher Demko made 42 saves in his first Stanley Cup Playoff start, and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 in Game 5 to extend their Western Conference Second Round series at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Tuesday.

"It's special ... it's my first time being in the playoffs," Demko said. "It's a unique circumstance (with goalie Jacob Markstrom being unfit to play), but playoffs nonetheless, and this is what I've wanted to be a part of since I was a kid, so being able to get this opportunity is super special. I want to just keep helping any way I can."

Brock Boeser and Elias Peterson scored, and J.T. Miller had two assists for the Canucks, the No. 5 seed in the West.

Shea Theodore scored, and Robin Lehner made 15 saves for the Golden Knights, the No. 1 seed.

"We just have to take a look at some video," Theodore said. "There were some mistakes that ended up in the back of our net, and those can't happen this time of year. We just kind of have to refocus and get ready for the next one."

Pettersson, who was the center on a line with Miller and Boeser in the third period, gave the Canucks a 2-1 lead on a deflection in front of Lehner at 3:19 of the third period.

Pettersson has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in his past 14 games.

"We're been playing with each other all season, we have good chemistry, and I think it was good that we switched up the lines because the first two periods weren't good from our side," Pettersson said. "The coach made some changes, and it worked out."

 

Demko, a rookie, is the 15th goalie in NHL history, and second in two nights, to make his first NHL playoff start and win when his team was facing elimination. Michael Hutchinson did the same for the Colorado Avalanche in Game 5 against the Dallas Stars on Monday.

 

"I think at this point you rely on the work you put in," Demko said. "I've been doing my thing in practice, making sure my details were where they needed to be. It's different than a game, but everything you see in a game, you've seen at some point in practice, and you just have to rely on that."

Markstrom (8-6-0) started the first 14 postseason games for Vancouver. As part of the NHL Return to Play Plan, a team is not permitted to disclose player injury or illness information.

Canucks coach Travis Green did not have an update on Markstrom's availability for Game 6.

"We'll see where he's at tomorrow," he said.

Lehner was back in net for Vegas afterMarc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves in a 5-3 win in Game 4 on Sunday, the second of a back-to-back.

"Demko had a good game," Lehner said. "I thought Vancouver played a little bit better defensively to limit our odd-man rushes against them. I think they played five guys pretty tight and kept us to the outside. We had our moments where we really pushed and got some good opportunities, and [Demko] was there to save them. We just have to go to the next game, and we'll be fine."

 Theodore went backhand to forehand down the slot before scoring on a wrist shot at 15:12 of the second period to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead. It was the 25th shot against Demko.

Boeser tied the game 1-1 on a deflection in the slot off a pass from Miller at 15:36.

It was Boeser's first goal of the series and fourth of the postseason.

"I know I haven't been scoring and I know I need to score goals, but I've been trying to bring my work ethic each and every game and contribute something to the team," Boeser said. "It was nice to get one, it'll definitely help the confidence."

Defenseman Quinn Hughes had an assist on the goal to set the NHL record for assists by a rookie defenseman in a single postseason (13).

"I think we got a really good team, we know that," Hughes said. "The coaching staff believes in us, and most importantly we believe in ourselves. We have good leadership, we knew we didn't play well in the first two periods, knew we had to push a little bit.

"The next game, it'll be important to do that for 60 minutes. But there's a lot of faith in the group. We know they're a good team, but we know we're a good team too."

 The Golden Knights lost for the first time when scoring first in the postseason (8-1-0).

The Leafs are constructed poorly, and the fault is Kyle Dubas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uncle.

Enough.

It’s time.

The Toronto Maple Leafs need defencemen.

Plural.

And, God bless Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren, but they need some defencemen who are proven.

Yes, that means they might cost more than $700,000. Yes, that means subtracting some cap-allotted dollars from the most expensive forward brigade in the sport.

Do you know what the NHL’s top nine defensive teams in 2019-20 all have in common?

They’re all alive and well in the playoffs. The real ones that start Tuesday. That group includes the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Do you know what the bottom 10 defensive teams in 2019-20 all have in common?

They’re all eliminated. That group includes the Maple Leafs, who lost Sunday’s decisive Game 5 by a score of 3-0.

They were also up 3-0 in a pivotal Game 3 and could not lock it down.

 

We’ve beat this drum before, like on the night Mitch Marner signed a contract rich enough to give Kyle Dubas’s lottery-bound squad the top three highest-salaried forwards in hockey. But circumstances have changed.

First and foremost, Dubas’s hefty financial commitments to John Tavares, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Marner were all made on the (very reasonable) assumption that the salary cap would not only continue to rise with each passing Canada Day but that it could take a dramatic spike when the next U.S. broadcast deal kicked in.

That, of course, is no longer the case. The cap will remain flat until the virus decides otherwise.

Second, instead of taking a step forward, the Leafs — as a whole — have stumbled back. More than half the NHL is still bubbled up and battling for the Stanley Cup. They are not.

The Nazem Kadri trade, though explainable at the time, was a whiff. When push came to shove, rookie coach Sheldon Keefe took Tyson Barrie off the No. 1 power-play unit and replaced him with Morgan Rielly. Alexander Kerfoot’s third line wasn’t awful, but he and Kasperi Kapanen were both handed nice raises last summer. Neither scored a playoff goal, despite Keefe’s proclamation that he expected production throughout the lineup.

During the regular season, Toronto has been one of the most dangerous clubs at even strength that money can buy.

The post-season is a different beast. One that has gnawed on this core for four years in a row, no matter who’s behind the bench or how much ice time the stars are handed.

As the buzzer sounded in their hollow home Sunday night and Toronto joined the budget-conscious, punchline Florida Panthers as the only two franchises of the salary-cap era yet to survive a single playoff series, a few snapshots spoke volumes:

• A white-knuckle sequence in the D-zone where both Tavares and Matthews were scrambling around without sticks in their hands, trying to get into shot lanes.

• Matthews, Marner and Tavares bent over their sticks, gasping for breath after playing 21-plus minutes apiece and still failing to score a fourth even-strength goal for Toronto over five games.

• A dour Matthews — arguably the series MVP in a losing cause — bluntly saying he didn’t have an answer for the trend he saw in the core’s 0-for-4 performance in elimination series.

• And Keefe praising the Blue Jackets’ forwards for being so good. The coach also brought up luck, which is seldom a good look. 

A little more luck, and it might be a different result,” Keefe said, noting his team scored on fewer than two per cent of its shots 5-on-5.

 

Because Dubas built his roster as the counter argument to “defence wins championships,” Keefe spent three months of quarantine and the entirety of reset camp tweaking his system and urging his players to buy into improved own-zone play by all five guys.

For the most part, it worked. The Leafs did a decent job keeping Columbus out of the danger areas and shut the Jackets out in Game 2. Yet it came at the expense of their identity, their strength.

The roster isn’t balanced, so it has fallen to two coaches and some ill-equipped personnel to mask that imbalance.

“I’ll be thinking about this one for a while,” a sombre Keefe said post-game.

The Leafs will pack their Louis bags and carry a 5-on-5 goal drought of 182:46 worth of game clock into 2020-21.

With no Plan B when the sticks go cold, a desperate Keefe tried to make William Nylander a centre. He bumped one of the game’s best forecheckers, Zach Hyman, to Line 2, and stacked his top line. He threw surprise Andreas Johnsson into the mix, even though the winger hadn’t played since before Valentine’s Day.

The coach second-guessed his own decisions and deviated from the centre depth that was supposed to attack in unrelenting waves.

That’s what solid, committed defences do to their opponents. They frustrate them. Make ’em blink.

“We can’t lose sight of who we are as a team,” Keefe said prior to Game 1, prophetically. “We need to be really good

Conversely, John Tortorella’s group rolled out a trusted game plan night after night.

No secrets to the recipe: Hard work. Heart. Two good goalies. And plenty of quality defencemen who couldn’t care less about their point totals.

“We’re not changing,” Tortorella said of Game 4’s epic collapse. “We pissed it away on a couple of bad plays and just within a couple of minutes, [but] we thought we played a good game. We’re going to go play the same way.”

“May the best team win,” Jackets captain Nick Foligno wished pre-game.

It did.

Not only did Toronto’s regular-season deficiencies on the blueline have Keefe and the Leafs second-guessing their own game plan, but the loss of Jake Muzzin — the club’s best pure defender — for Games 3, 4 and 5 underscored an organizational crisis.

If you truly have Stanley Cup expectations, one injured defenceman should not be a critical blow against a middle-of-the-pack opponent.

For 2020-21, Dubas has already committed $52 million to NHL forwards. On defence? Just $15 million.

That gap has to close. The books need a little balance. The Maple Leafs’ blue line is crying for more depth.

It’s time.

Enough.

Uncle.

Somewhere Mike Babock is smiling.

 

 

Maricin in for Muzzin, oh now

Martin Marincin will replace Jake Muzzin in the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup for Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Qualifiers series against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.

Muzzin is out for the rest of the best-of-5 series after the defenseman was hospitalized following an injury late in the third period of Game 2.

"Marincin is going to go in for sure and take on some of that responsibility that Muzzin had for us and we'll make a further decision from there," Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said Wednesday.

The No. 8 seed Maple Leafs evened the series with a 3-0 win against the No. 9 seed Blue Jackets. The series winner advances to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Marincin skated on a pair with Tyson Barrie at practice Wednesday, and Travis Dermott was paired with Justin Holl, Muzzin's usual partner. Dermott played with Holl during the regular season when Muzzin was out of the lineup with a broken hand, sustained against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 25.

Keefe said he is considering whether to use seven defensemen in Game 3. If so, rookie Rasmus Sandin would make his NHL postseason debut.

"We're still talking about it, haven't made any final decision on what we are going to do there," Keefe said. "We've tried different things when we'd lost Muzzin before and went with seven defensemen. We're going to discuss it throughout the day and make the decision we think is best."

Muzzin was released from the hospital overnight and is at a hotel in Toronto, the Eastern Conference hub city. He was taken from the ice on a stretcher with 1:52 remaining in the third period at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday. The Maple Leafs said he will quarantine in the hotel and try to rejoin them when he recovers from the injury. As part of the NHL Return to Play Plan, a team is not permitted to disclose player injury or illness information.

Muzzin fell chest-first onto the legs of Blue Jackets forward Oliver Bjorkstrand to the right behind the Toronto goal. Muzzin was down for more than 10 minutes lying on his back before being immobilized and taken from the ice, with stick taps from each team.

Marincin has played six NHL postseason games, for Toronto in 2017. The 28-year-old had four points (one goal, three assists) in 26 games this season.

"We think that Marty brings some of the elements that Muzzin brings," Keefe said. "Obviously he doesn't replace Muzzin in the intangibles he brings; he's a very important player for us.

But there are some elements in particular, the penalty killing and the size (6-foot-5, 217 pounds), there are some similarities in terms of what he can provide us and we think that is important."

Muzzin was second among Toronto defensemen in shorthanded ice time at 3:00 per game through Games 1 and 2 against Columbus (Holl, 3:47), and was second during the regular season at 2:31 per game (Cody Ceci, 2:50).

Defenseman Morgan Rielly said Muzzin, who won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014, is a difficult player to replace.

"It starts with the off-ice aspect in terms of what he brings to our group being a leader and his playoff mentality," Rielly said. "He has experience and he's played in these types of games before, so that'll be missed. On the ice, he plays tough minutes against the opponent's top line, playing penalty-kill minutes, he's a big, tough guy out there (6-foot-3, 217) that blocks shots and leads by example. We're going to miss him. You can't really replace Jake; you just hope to have guys rise to the occasion."

Prayers for the Leafs chances accepted gratefully. 🙏

Release The Kraken

The NHL’s Seattle franchise has chosen “Kraken” as its long-awaited team name.

As part of Thursday’s announcement, the Kraken revealed two logos, a wordmark and uniforms. The primary logo features a green tentacle shaped like an S, while the secondary logo puts Seattle’s iconic Space Needle inside an anchor.

The home uniforms feature four different colours of blue – deep sea, ice, shadow and boundless – as well as a red stripe along the edge. The road uniforms feature the same coloured trims while swapping the deep sea blue for white.

The NHL’s Seattle franchise has chosen “Kraken” as its long-awaited team name.

As part of Thursday’s announcement, the Kraken revealed two logos, a wordmark and uniforms. The primary logo features a green tentacle shaped like an S, while the secondary logo puts Seattle’s iconic Space Needle inside an anchor.

The home uniforms feature four different colours of blue – deep sea, ice, shadow and boundless – as well as a red stripe along the edge. The road uniforms feature the same coloured trims while swapping the deep sea blue for white.

According to the team website, the name originated from the Giant Pacific Octopus which lives in the waters of Puget Sound near Seattle.

“The Kraken represents the fiercest beast in all the world,” the team’s website reads. “Too large and indomitable to be contained by man (or finned mammal). It instills one message in all opponents whether in our waters, or theirs… Abandon all hope.”

The “S” shaped logo pays tribute to Seattle’s hockey history, specifically the Seattle Metropolitans, who in 1917 became the first team based in the United States to win the Stanley Cup.

Seattle will play in the Pacific Division starting in the 2021-22 season, meaning the Arizona Coyotes will move to the Central. The league’s most recent addition will give the NHL an even 16 franchises in the Eastern and Western conferences.

The Oak View Group, which includes sports executive Tim Leiweke, billionaire David Bonderman and filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer, was granted the franchise on Dec. 4, 2018 paying a US$650 million expansion fee.

As part of the application, the ownership group is financing a $660-million arena renovation, with the goal being to have the building ready for the 2021-22 season.

A leaf falls to Covid -19

Sorry Leaf fans, the news is not good.

Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews has tested positive for the coronavirus COVID-19, two National Hockey League sources outside Toronto have confirmed to the Toronto Sun.

Matthews, 22, has apparently gone into quarantine at his home in Arizona, hoping to be healthy enough and eligible to travel to Toronto and participate in the opening of Leafs camp on July 10.

Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen, who was spending much of the break from NHL play with Matthews’ at his Scottsdale home, did not test positive for COVID-19, the same sources indicate. Andersen is no longer living with Matthews – and is no longer in Arizona.

To date, the Maple Leafs have not commented on Matthews’ status and may have some kind of response later today or tomorrow. Apparently, the Leafs were seeking more “clarity” on the private matter before considering releasing a statement of any kind.

“There’s no blueprint for this,” one source said. “This is not an ankle injury.”

Matthews was not available for comment Friday and his agent, Judd Moldaver, did not return messages left by the Sun. Andersen was not available for comment but a source close to the goaltender confirmed he had not tested positive.

Matthews, who is in the first year of a five-year $58 million deal with the Leafs, is by no means alone in contracting the virus in Arizona, where cases have spiked in recent days. According to sources, a numbers of unidentified Arizona Coyotes players, who were training alongside Matthews, also tested positive recently. Players on other NHL teams have tested positive over the past few months. None have been identified publicly.

The breaking news of the positive test of the 47-goal scorer on his way to 50 before the regular season was called off, comes in the wake of the Tampa Bay Lightning closing its practice facilities and at about the same time the Philadelphia Phillies have had an outbreak of COVID-19 in their Florida training facility.

Matthews is alongside Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys as the highest profile professional athletes in North America known to test positive for COVID-19. Former NBA star Patrick Ewing has tested positive, as well, as has current NBA coach Mike Malone with the Denver Nuggets.

Eugene, what did you step in ??

Eugene Melnyk is stepping in manure, at every step he takes. Every single step.

He makes it worse by picking fights with his own organisation's Charitable Foundation, also at a time when there's no hockey , a global pandemic, and literally no sports on to watch. It's like a "look at me moment" in the making.

Eugene Melnyk's charity previously directed a small fraction of the money it generated toward its intended cause.

The Ottawa Senators owner created  The Organ Project - a private, Toronto-based not-for-profit foundation - in 2016, with the goal of ending the organ transplant waiting list and "changing the current environment so that, in the near future, nobody in Canada will die while waiting for an organ transplant."

However, while it gained $991,708 in revenues during 2018, it contributed barely $5,000 of that to organ donor awareness, according to Richard Gibbons, who cited filings from the Canada Revenue Agency.

Melnyk's charity is separate from the Senators Foundation - the team's charitable arm - which announced its intent to sever ties with the club last week.

The Senators Foundation donated $100,000 to The Organ Project at a charity gala in 2018.

Of the roughly $1 million taken in by Melnyk's charity, it spent $779,464 on fundraising costs and another $238,118 on management and administration, according to the filings obtained by Gibbons, who was informed that these types of figures are "almost certain" to be scrutinized by tax officials.

Unlike the Senators Foundation, the Organ Project doesn't require a board of directors to oversee operations, and according to Gibbons, the latter entity appeared to be directed solely by Melnyk. However, it shut down in 2019 and didn't fulfill a promise to reopen this spring.

The Senators and their foundation will formally part ways if they're unable to resolve their dispute by July 31.

In the meantime, Melnyk has 2 picks in the first 6 of the upcoming NHL draft, let's see if he's going to step in manure again.

It's going to be a close series

So incredibly close. So vastly different.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets awake Thursday as would-be Round 1 opponents under the NHL’s proposed (but not yet approved) 24-team playoff format, and the matchup pits two clubs operating with opposite styles but similar results.

Toronto (36-25-9) and Columbus (33-22-15) both finished an incomplete 2019-20 regular season with 81 points and a .579 points percentage. They also split their head-to-head games with one win apiece, but both of those tilts were held way back in October — when jogging pants and band T-shirts were a treat, not my work uniform.

They both battled through tumultuous campaigns ravaged by injuries to key players, and both had frights with unstable goaltending that appeared to be sorted out by the pause.

That, however, is where the similarities end and the differences begin in what is arguably the most compelling of the eight proposed play-in brackets.

Why the Maple Leafs would totally win the series

Goals, goals and more goals.

How’s this for a stat? The Maple Leafs have four stars with a minimum of 59 points. The highest-scoring Blue Jacket, Pierre-Luc Dubois, is stuck at 49.

The Leafs wield the third-best offence in the league, while Columbus’s is the fourth worst overall and the least frightening of all 24 teams that will be invited back to play. Toronto also boasts one of the best power plays in hockey, at 23.1 per cent; Columbus’s 16.4 per cent power play is the least effective of all 12 Eastern Conference teams standing.

There is no wondering about identity here. This is a classic offence-versus-defence showdown.

And Toronto’s firepower will only be jolted by the healthy returns of Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin and Ilya Mikheyev. (Winger Andreas Johnsson will not be ready to play this summer.)

“Everyone is going to be sloppy,” said Brad Marchand, whose Bruins could face the winner of this series. “I honestly think the teams that are going to come back and look good are the really young teams, teams like Toronto or Tampa, really high-end skilled teams.”

Besides offensive skill, the other advantage the Leafs should have is in net. Columbus goaltenders Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins each enjoyed breakout seasons and earned juicy pay raises as a result, but that tandem has a combined zero games of NHL playoff experience.

Meanwhile, a happy and rested Frederik Andersen has zero load-management worries.

“I’m pretty open to pretty much anything that could be done to salvage the season, finish the season and get a Stanley Cup champion,” Andersen said.

Why the Blue Jackets would totally win the series

They’re finally (mostly) healthy, and they will structure and grind you to death.

Who cares if the Blue Jackets only had a 27.6 per cent chance of making the post-season on March 12 (to the Leafs’ 78 per cent chance)? That was the old reality.

The new reality is No. 1 defenceman Seth Jones healthy and eager, top goal scorer Oliver Bjorkstrand fully recovered from his March 3 ankle surgery and back skating, Cam Atkinson ready to roll, and possibly Josh Anderson, too. (Anderson was given a rehab timeline of four to six months after undergoing shoulder surgery March 2.)

In addition to rolling out the league’s fourth-stingiest defence and a better penalty-killing unit than Toronto’s, the Blue Jackets are built and conditioned to play a traditional playoff brand of hockey.

Block shots. Churn away relentlessly below the dots. Finish checks. Squeak out wins in low-scoring affairs. Just ask the 2019 Presidents’ Trophy–winning Tampa Bay Lightning.

With Sheldon Keefe still unproven, we’ll also give Columbus the edge behind the bench. Stanley Cup ring aside, few coaches milked more out of less in 2019-20 than John Tortorella, with his roster ravaged by free agency and injuries, and his goalies still feeling their way into the NHL spotlight.So incredibly close. So vastly different.

The  Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets awake Thursday as would-be Round 1 opponents under the NHL’s proposed (but not yet approved) 24-team playoff format, and the matchup pits two clubs operating with opposite styles but similar results.

Toronto (36-25-9) and Columbus (33-22-15) both finished an incomplete 2019-20 regular season with 81 points and a .579 points percentage. They also split their head-to-head games with one win apiece, but both of those tilts were held way back in October — when jogging pants and band T-shirts were a treat, not my work uniform.

They both battled through tumultuous campaigns ravaged by injuries to key players, and both had frights with unstable goaltending that appeared to be sorted out by the pause.

That, however, is where the similarities end and the differences begin in what is arguably the most compelling of the eight proposed play-in brackets.

Why the Maple Leafs would totally win the series

Goals, goals and more goals.

How’s this for a stat? The Maple Leafs have four stars with a minimum of 59 points. The highest-scoring Blue Jacket, Pierre-Luc Dubois, is stuck at 49.

The Leafs wield the third-best offence in the league, while Columbus’s is the fourth worst overall and the least frightening of all 24 teams that will be invited back to play. Toronto also boasts one of the best power plays in hockey, at 23.1 per cent; Columbus’s 16.4 per cent power play is the least effective of all 12 Eastern Conference teams standing.

There is no wondering about identity here. This is a classic offence-versus-defence showdown.

And Toronto’s firepower will only be jolted by the healthy returns of Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin and Ilya Mikheyev. (Winger Andreas Johnsson will not be ready to play this summer.)

“Everyone is going to be sloppy,” said Brad Marchand, whose Bruins could face the winner of this series. “I honestly think the teams that are going to come back and look good are the really young teams, teams like Toronto or Tampa, really high-end skilled teams.”

Besides offensive skill, the other advantage the Leafs should have is in net. Columbus goaltenders Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins each enjoyed breakout seasons and earned juicy pay raises as a result, but that tandem has a combined zero games of NHL playoff experience.

Meanwhile, a happy and rested Frederik Andersen has zero load-management worries.

“I’m pretty open to pretty much anything that could be done to salvage the season, finish the season and get a Stanley Cup champion,” Andersen said.

Why the Blue Jackets would totally win the series

They’re finally (mostly) healthy, and they will structure and grind you to death.

Who cares if the Blue Jackets only had a 27.6 per cent chance of making the post-season on March 12 (to the Leafs’ 78 per cent chance)? That was the old reality.

The new reality is No. 1 defenceman Seth Jones healthy and eager, top goal scorer Oliver Bjorkstrand fully recovered from his March 3 ankle surgery and back skating, Cam Atkinson ready to roll, and possibly Josh Anderson, too. (Anderson was given a rehab timeline of four to six months after undergoing shoulder surgery March 2.)

In addition to rolling out the league’s fourth-stingiest defence and a better penalty-killing unit than Toronto’s, the Blue Jackets are built and conditioned to play a traditional playoff brand of hockey.

Block shots. Churn away relentlessly below the dots. Finish checks. Squeak out wins in low-scoring affairs. Just ask the 2019 Presidents’ Trophy–winning Tampa Bay Lightning.

With Sheldon Keefe still unproven, we’ll also give Columbus the edge behind the bench. Stanley Cup ring aside, few coaches milked more out of less in 2019-20 than John Tortorella, with his roster ravaged by free agency and injuries, and his goalies still feeling their way into the NHL spotlight.

Further, since their Round 1 upset last spring, Columbus now has the mental edge of knowing it can knock off a team that looks more talented on paper. The Jackets love being the scrappy underdog with nothing to lose. Between the ears, the pressure will be much greater on Toronto.

“[We’re] really focused on being above the puck, winning our battles, having good roles,” Jones said.

“If we’re all healthy hopefully we can just bring that to another level, surprise people again.”

My pick

The Blue Jackets would push this thing to the limit, but offence and skill wins out. The Maple Leafs survive in five, win their first playoff series in more than 16 years… and only have four more rounds to go.

Put the biscuit in the basket

Hockey is coming back, playoff style match ups analized just for you.

The NHL and NHLPA are pushing aggressively this week to finalize their 24 team plan, giving us some insight into the exact structure. The format – which gives the top four teams in each conference a bye and then brackets the next 16 teams by conference seed – has a March Madness feel to it, and most of the matchups are quite compelling.

As a quick refresher, I pulled out the key underlying numbers for those 16 potential play-in teams and calculated net advantage off a few key performance measures. Seventy games of regular-season data – whether you are looking at goal measures or shot measures – is more than enough to understand the competency of a team, but we are in unprecedented times, and no one is quite sure if these teams will be as effective as they were two months ago.

Outside of the Pittsburgh versus Montreal matchup, most of these teams are separated by relatively small goal differentials, which is encouraging if you are looking for a competitive series. In three of the eight matchups, the lower-seeded team actually carried a better goal differential than their respective opponent – that would include the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, and Florida Panthers.

So what are the questions surrounding each matchup? I’ve gone through all eight – let’s start in the Eastern Conference:

8) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (9) Columbus Blue Jackets

This is a grim match-up for a Columbus team that was right on the playoff cutline. Toronto is probably one of the best teams playing in the play-in round, and has the type of offensive potency to pick apart Columbus’ respectable defence. The question I’m most curious about: what do the Blue Jackets do in goal? The Joonas Korpisalo/Elvis Merzlikins tandem was fantastic to have in theregular season when starts can be rotated in and out, but John Torterella just needs one of the two right now. Who plays game 1 ?

(5) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (12) Montreal Canadiens

This is probably the most lopsided of the eight potential first-round matchups. Pittsburgh has a distinct advantage just about everywhere on the ice, with one exception – they’d be facing one of the most puck-dominant teams in the league in Montreal, who actually carried shot differentials equivalent to the Vegas Golden Knights. That’s not insignificant, because Montreal was actually a goal-positive team (+7) at even strength. But in all other game states they were -16, and that’s bad news against a now-healthy Penguins team that tends to burn opponents on special teams.  

(7) New York Islanders vs. (10) Florida Panthers

Sergei Bobrovsky had a disastrous first season in Florida, but if you think that he can be competitive enough in a short series, you have to like the Panthers as a possible upset pick. This Panthers team – with capable offensive weaponry in , Alex Barkov, , and – are a much more puck-dominant squad that converts on a higher percentage of their scoring opportunities.

(6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (11) New York Rangers

The Hurricanes love playing the offensive zone cycle game, generating multi-shot shifts and applying regular pressure to opposing goaltenders. The Rangers live off the counterattack, and have a capable top-six anchored by

and . Much like Columbus, I’m fascinated to see what New York does in net – whether it’s , , or even

, the Rangers are going to be rather busy against a Hurricanes team that took nearly 300 more shots this season.  

In the Western Conference:

(8) Calgary Flames vs. (9) Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg is a very flawed team with serious, albeit shorter-term concerns over how to deploy their young blueline. But you do have to love this matchup for the Jets. Despite being the lower seed, the Jets were 18 goals better than the Flames this season, and a lot of that has to do with having a soon-to-be Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender in

. Even conceding this Jets lineup has structural problems in the skater ranks, the star talent on the Jets roster is obvious, and Hellebuyck carries a significant advantage over or

.

(5) Edmonton Oilers vs. (12) Chicago Blackhawks

I hope this matchup comes to fruition, because the offence will be electric and the defence will be non-existent. The three head-to-head matchups this regular season saw 19 goals scored, and both Edmonton (23^rd) and Chicago (29^th) finished near the bottom of the league in expected goals against. Between the likes of

, we are going to see some absolute offensive wizardry.

(7) Vancouver Canucks vs. (10) Minnesota Wild

Vancouver is the better team – that much is obvious. They have an elite first line anchored by, a very capable pairing behind them anchored by , and a goaltender in who will get serious Vezina consideration behind the aforementioned Hellebuyck. Minnesota’s roster is, in one word, transitioning But I noted last week that the Wild are really the most curious outlier of sorts – a team where we think their defensive capabilities are much better than what they have shown this season, with some of their work submarined by a woeful (.890 save percentage) campaign. But I always come back to this chart, one that shows just how fantastic Minnesota is at keeping shooters away from dangerous areas. Might this be enough to give Vancouver’s young talent some problems in the opening round?

(6) Nashville Predators vs. (11) Arizona Coyotes

This is another instance in which the lower-seeded team actually outperformed the higher-seeded team this season, with the Coyotes 10 goals clear of a Predators club that really was stuck in mud for most of the regular season. The proposed 24-team format would give Arizona a second opportunity to see what they have in the recently acquired, who gives the Coyotes some ample star power to compete with the likes of , and . Quiet as it was kept, Hall was quite productive (10 goals, 17 assists) in 35 games with Arizona, playing alongside and . Remember, Hall’s contract expires at season’s end, and Arizona paid a hefty price for the winger.