Time is ripe for Leafs to push for Stanley Cup
If you had told Brendan Shanahan seven years ago that you could see the future and he would have no playoff series victories by now in his time as president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he probably would have told you that you were crazy.
He knew what he wanted to do when he took over the Leafs at the end of the 2014 season. He knew what he needed to establish. And in so many ways, intentionally staying out the public eye, he has brought sense and conscience and stability to this longtime tire fire of a sporting franchise
He has brought just about everything but a playoff run — a playoff series win, even. And this year, as training camp opened on Sunday in a shortened irregular NHL season, the possibilities are greater than they’ve ever been.
This season shouldn’t be about winning a round for the Maple Leafs. This season should be about winning the All- Canadian North Division. It is right there for the taking, for all the Canadian teams.
And if you win the division, then you might as well win one more round and get to the Stanley Cup Final.
One Canadian team will be in the Final Four. One will be that close.
Why not the Leafs, who are favoured by bookmakers and even by some hockey people?
Thi s is Year 7 for Shanahan as club president. This is Year 5 for Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Zach Hyman. This is Year 3 for GM Kyle Dubas and for the captain, John Tavares. There’s no excuses for failure anymore.
In the words of both former Leafs president Ken Dryden and UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer, “it’s time.”
Really, it’s overtime for Shanahan and Dubas and the $40-million four.
The Bruins messed up with Zdeno Chara. He was their captain, their leader, a remarkable player and a man of quality on so many levels. They already lost defenceman Torey Krug to free agency. They didn’t handle Chara properly, not assuring him playing time and a decent role for the coming season. There’s still a place for Chara in the NHL, before he heads to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Boston will regret losing him to the Washington Capitals ... A lot of Leaf fans have asked: If the club paid US$ 1 million for Zach Bogosian, why didn’t they pay less and sign Chara? Well, for starters, Chara’s contract is full of bonuses, which could bring him up to $2 million in salary. Second, the Leafs couldn’t afford to wait, not certain he was going to be available ... Can’t think of any team Chara wouldn’t help, just by being around, using his size, leading, killing penalties ... This is the challenge of following the world juniors. Nothing happens. Then nothing happens. Then more nothing happens. Then everything happens at once and it’s amazing and just a touch exhausting ... This will be a confusing training camp for NHL teams. Not just who to keep, but who is on your extended roster and who plays for your AHL team. Not sure you want prospects sitting around, practising but not playing with your NHL team when they could be playing in something of a watered- down AHL ... You get the impression, listening to Tom Renney, head of Hockey Canada, that someone other than Mike Babcock will coach Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics and apparently that is what the NHL prefers. “We have a good deep coaching pool to choose from,” said Renney. “Great work is being done by a good number of coaches in the NHL.” ... I’m figuring the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings will battle it out for first draft pick possibilities this coming season.
There are four terrific free agents available in the baseball marketplace and the Blue Jays have been in and around all four of them — pitcher Trevor Bauer, centre- fielder George Springer, infielder DJ Lemahieu and catcher J.T Realmuto, all of whom could be franchise altering if signed. The problem right now is price. And possibly a season without ticket sales. And possibly another season in Buffalo. And all that uncertainty. And also the Mets seemingly bidding on everybody ... If I choose by order, I’d want Bauer first ( he wants way too much money); Realmuto second; Springer third; Lemahieu fourth. But if they could ever get two of them, they become serious contenders for everything.
What’s changed in the NBA without fans in most buildings? Home court advantage. So far, the home team is 37- 40 in a league that has historically favoured the home side. The last three seasons, the Raptors have won 92 games at home, losing just 26. That’s .779 ball at home. Now, with a displaced home and a lesser team, there isn’t any advantage other than medical and weather to playing in Tampa Bay ... Canadian rookie Chase Claypool’s first NFL season: seven touchdowns in his first nine games; two in his last seven. What Claypool leads the NFL in: pass interference yardage on balls thrown to him.
Half of the coaches in the NFL can’t seem to figure out how to wear their masks properly but six- touchdown man Alvin Kamara gets fined by the league for wearing red and green cleats on Christmas Day. The six touchdowns Kamara scored were the most since Gale Sayers scored six just two versions of Brian’s Song and 55 years ago.