The Maple Leafs are back at work after a messy night, and the conversation around them is already shifting from the chaos on the ice to the roster squeeze that comes with getting healthy again.
Vinni Lettieri is right in the middle of it. He was brought up because he can help on the power play, but his hold on a lineup spot looks fragile once Kirill Marchenko returns.
The sense here is that Lettieri has done enough to be useful, but not enough to force the Leafs into keeping him when the numbers tighten. If the club wanted to create cap flexibility by moving a depth player on a two-year deal, that could change things, though there’s no sign they’re eager to do that.
There’s also the waiver-exemption clock to consider, and it doesn’t sound like the Leafs want to let that run out without a plan.
Last night’s game against the Canadiens gave the internet plenty to chew on. Gavin McKenna had a rough one, turning pucks over again and again before being sat for two shifts.
He came back and scored, which at least gave the night a cleaner ending for him. He was hardly alone in struggling to control the puck, either.
The Leafs did get the first goal from William Nylander, but Montréal answered with a sequence that kept the pressure on and turned the game into a mess of swings, scrums and questionable moments. In one scrum, Xhekaj - the source doesn’t specify which one - did or said something that earned an unsportsmanlike penalty, while the Leafs were able to get away with plenty of other stuff.
Nylander’s goal was followed by McKenna’s redemption moment, but Montréal later got a power play and cashed in. From there, the Leafs couldn’t recover. The game ended 4-2 for the bad guys, with a mix of flukes, poor play, good fortune, odd officiating and a little goaltending all feeding into the final result.
There’s also a different hockey note on the schedule today: Team Canada plays Japan at worlds at 1 pm Toronto time. Japan comes in off a loss to host Denmark, which leaves them in a difficult spot in what the source describes as a tougher division than they have ever played in before.
And later today, the game in Montréal comes with some ceremony attached, with Carey Price, Patrice Bergeron and Tkachuk senior, along with Pekka Rinne, Cindy Curley and Brian Burke, being inducted.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Loss To Montreal Came With An Even Bigger Concern
The Maple Leafs left Montreal with more than a loss to sort through after a 4-2 defeat that featured a strong night from the Canadiens and an unwelcome injury scare for Toronto. Alex Newhook drove the offense for Montreal, Zachary Bolduc added a power-play goal and Jacob Fowler turned aside 26 shots as the Canadiens controlled enough of the game to hand Toronto another frustrating result.
Morgan Riellys exit in the second period with a lower-body injury quickly became the bigger concern for the Leafs, especially with the team already trying to steady itself after the loss. Toronto will want clarity on Riellys status soon, because the blue line takes on a different look when one of its most important defensemen is forced out early. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Loss To Montreal Brought One Big Concern Into Focus
The Maple Leafs came out of a 4-2 loss to Montreal with more than just two points left on the table, as Jim Hillers postgame update centered on Morgan Riellys injury status and the lack of any fresh information beyond the fact that it remains a serious concern. Hiller also touched on the broader picture, pointing to the teams effort and game management while trying to sort through a night that exposed a few different issues at once.
There was at least one bright spot in John Tavares return, which Hiller said had a positive effect on William Nylanders play, but the mood around the room was still shaped by the injuries and mistakes that piled up. Hiller also addressed Gavin McKennas turnovers as part of the conversation, a reminder that Torontos margin for error is getting thinner as it tries to steady itself after another uneven outing. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face One Huge Question As Superstar Fit Emerges
A fan-driven trade idea making the rounds this week put Toronto in the middle of another big-name defense discussion, and the reaction was about as lopsided as it gets. The proposed deal would have brought Detroits Simon Edvinsson into the Maple Leafs orbit, but voters overwhelmingly shot it down, with 92% disapproving the concept.
The interest in Edvinsson still says something about where Torontos attention is right now, especially with the market for impact players never far from the conversation. Even as other teams sort out their own lineup situations, the Leafs are left weighing whether a move like that ever makes sense for their roster, cap picture and long-term blue-line plans, which is exactly why this kind of chatter keeps hanging around. [Read more 🡒]