As expected, Brad Treliving’s summer signings have not yielded positive results for the Toronto Maple Leafs so far.
Over the past seven years, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been a strong franchise. Originally led by Kyle Dubas briefly, then Lou Lamoriello, then Kyle Dubas again, and now Brad Treliving, the recent moves made by the most recent GM have been some of the worst in recent history.
When the Leafs fired Dubas during the summer, it wasn’t surprising to see him sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins just one week later because of the high regard he is held in as an executive.
Although the franchise never won a Stanley Cup and only managed to win one playoff round, Dubas set the team up not only for success over the last few years but also for many years to come. Consequently, it has been disappointing to observe how Treliving has spent the team’s cap space so unwisely.
We’ve discussed this issue extensively on this website, but it cannot be emphasized enough. Treliving spent $15 million as unwisely as one possibly could:
Tyler Bertuzzi: $5 million
John Klingberg: $4 million
Max Domi: $3 million
David Kampf: $2.4 million
Ryan Reaves: $1.35 million
Let’s begin with Bertuzzi. He is certainly an enjoyable player to support, but in his four games, he hasn’t really clicked with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
Matthews and Marner are two of the best 5v5 players in the NHL, yet Bertuzzi has failed to record an even-strength point, which is highly disappointing. As a result, Bertuzzi has been relegated to the bottom-six at times, in favor of Calle Jarnkrok, who has outperformed him on occasion.
Treliving Signings Have Been Huge Dissapointment for Toronto Maple Leafs
We all knew he could contribute on the power-play, but we were also aware of his significant defensive shortcomings. He is a poor defender, and whenever he is on the ice, the opponent seems to create scoring opportunities. He should not be playing top-four minutes.
I won’t delve into Kampf and Reaves extensively because they have fulfilled their roles adequately, but they are still earning far too much money. Treliving probably shouldn’t have invested this much in them, considering they have had a negative impact on the team so far.
Lastly, we need to discuss Domi, whose performance could have gone in one of two directions. There was a possibility that he would return to the player he was with the Montreal Canadiens, where he scored 28 goals and was close to a point-per-game. However, instead, we have witnessed a player who is trying to live up to his father’s legacy.
Although his father, Tie Domi, wasn’t known for his goal-scoring, he was a fan favorite, adored in the city. It seems the spotlight has been too much for Max so far. He’s gripping the stick too tightly and is trying too hard when he needs to relax and let the game come to him. He appears lost, and like the four signings made by Treliving, has been a significant disappointment.
It’s only been four games, and the team is at a 2-2 record for the season, so it’s not as if the entire year is a write-off. However, there is significant concern that the Toronto Maple Leafs may have hired the wrong GM.
Perhaps all these players will perform better when the playoffs begin, but the team needs to reach that stage first. Based on the performance in the initial few games, there hasn’t been enough to assume that this team will automatically make the playoffs.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
