Article content
Before we head off for a summer break and into the dry months on the National Hockey League calendar, we offer a few thoughts on the Maple Leafs and where things stand:
Advertisement 2
Article content
MARNER MUSINGS
The word coming out of the NHL draft at the end of June in Las Vegas was that if — a big if — Mitch Marner was going to be traded, it would take some time to consummate and probably wouldn’t happen for a couple of weeks.
We’re heading into that territory on the calendar now, but there has been nothing to lead anyone to believe that a Marner trade actually will happen.
The line from Marner’s camp all along is that the star winger will be in camp in September with the Leafs as he heads into the final year of his contract. As we say, there has been nothing concrete to expect anything otherwise.
Still, there’s no doubt that the Marner issue remains delicate.
A year ago, Leafs general manager Brad Treliving made it clear that re-signing Auston Matthews and William Nylander to an extension occupied the top of his to-do list. And those signings happened, as Matthews was extended for four years in August and Nylander for eight years in January.
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
As far as Treliving has been willing to go in discussing Marner with the media is to remind everyone that he thinks Marner is a great player and “we’re lucky to have him.” Little has been said, at least publicly, about extending Marner beyond 2024-25.
And then in the past few days, Marner’s PR team made it clear he would not be taking Leafs-related questions as he spoke about his charity, the Marner Assist Foundation, and its annual summer events. That edict wasn’t issued prior to Marner charity events in the past.
As for people upset that the Leafs are going to “run it back” with the core, keep in mind that neither Marner nor captain John Tavares has had any interest in waiving his no-move clause. On that, Treliving’s hands have been tied.
Advertisement 4
Article content
CAPTAINCY CHAOS
A topic that needed no discussion in the summer of 2024, but recently got some anyway, was whether the Leafs will take the captain’s ‘C’ from Tavares and give it to Matthews.
There’s no need to do that now. For those who haven’t been paying overly close attention, the Leafs have become Matthews’ team. A change of letter on his sweater now from the alternate captain’s ‘A’ to the ‘C’ won’t make much difference in Craig Berube’s first season as Leafs head coach.
Taking the ‘C’ from Tavares now could be an embarrassing step that the veteran wouldn’t deserve.
Looking ahead a year, when Tavares’ contract finishes, by all means, make the change to Matthews at that time.
By then, the debate as to whether the Leafs should re-sign Tavares — something we would do only on a contract reduced by at least 50% from his current AAV of $11 million, and not for more than a couple of years —will be into full swing.
Advertisement 5
Article content
HAKANPAA IN OR OUT?
Going into the middle of July, there has been no official announcement from the Leafs regarding defenceman Jani Hakanpaa.
The 32-year-old has not played since mid-March after he suffered a knee injury with the Dallas Stars. Though it was reported on July 1 that Hakanpaa was joining the Leafs on a two-year deal, he has not been added to the official roster.
When it initially was reported that Hakanpaa was headed to the Leafs, the Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons subsequently wrote that the 32-year-old’s playing career could be in jeopardy because of the knee injury.
If you’re putting together a Leafs depth chart, it would be best to leave Hakanpaa to the side. The longer it goes without anything official from Toronto, the greater the chance, presumably, is that Hakanpaa won’t be a Leaf.
Advertisement 6
Article content
If it comes to pass that the Leafs figure they have no choice but to pass on Hakanpaa, it would be a blow to what the they thought he could bring to the penalty-kill.
With the Stars last season, Hakanpaa was second among Dallas players in ice time on the kill, averaging three minutes 16 seconds a game (a minute more than what Chris Tanev averaged with the Stars short-handed). The Stars were eighth in the NHL in that department at 82%.
Tanev will become part of the Leafs’ kill, but the fact remains that four defencemen — TJ Brodie, Mark Giordano, Joel Edmundson and Ilya Lyubushkin — who were penalty-killers in varying degrees for the Leafs, no longer are with the team.
New Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson killed penalties with the Florida Panthers, but he certainly was not one of the Stanley Cup champion’s primary options.
Advertisement 7
Article content
Recommended from Editorial
-
LEAFS NOTES: Kyle Dubas delves into his ‘biggest mistake’ in new book
-
Maple Leafs fans third most miserable in NHL, survey says
STILL TO COME
If the Leafs and forward Connor Dewar don’t get a contract done first, the forward will have his arbitration case heard soon, as hearings across the NHL will take place July 20-Aug. 6. Dewar, who was qualified by the Leafs at $892,500 US, was one of 14 NHL players to elect salary arbitration … Trade proposals regarding Nick Robertson have become a thing since it became public knowledge that the winger wants to be traded. Our take? The best-case scenario for the Leafs is that Robertson has a change of heart, signs his qualifier and arrives at camp ready to claim a full-time job on the left side. The Leafs need the scoring punch that Robertson can provide and, under Berube, he could get an opportunity with greater consistency than he had with former coach Sheldon Keefe.
tkoshan@postmedia.com
Article content