Two things have been made abundantly clear for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are sitting ever-so pretty at the moment with the best record in the NHL through the first seven weeks of the season.
Insiders on both sides of the Canadian media tug-o-war have kicked around the idea of the Leafs bolstering their roster before the deadline in the last few days. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has been discussing the possibility of a splash for some time, most recently suggesting that they could swing for the fences as the seas part in the North Division. And the latest came from TSN’s Darren Dreger, who identified Mikael Granlund as a potential candidate in an ongoing search for forward help, also mentioning that general manager Kyle Dubas has the hockey capital — prospects and picks — to make that sort of deal happen, even with salary cap concerns.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard Granlund’s name linked to Toronto. This is a player whose reputation precedes him as a strong defensive and versatile forward. Historically, he’s offered the sort of utility that falls in line with exactly what the Leafs have been aiming to accumulate as they continue to work toward building a strong defensive foundation behind their incredibly dynamic top six.
The numbers continue to bear out those facts this season. Granlund has managed to remain a positive influence on a bad Nashville Predators team, even if the goals have been hard to come by from an even-strength perspective. If there is a concern, it’s that Granlund has been buoyed, at least in recent games, by the fact he’s been elevated into a role that probably doesn’t befit his skillset. Performing on the top line with Filip Forsberg and Eeli Tolvanen is more of a showcase than an impact that would be considered easily transferable.
Even so, it’s possible, perhaps even highly likely, that Granlund is a superior option compared to what the Leafs have in house to anchor that third-line checking and energy unit that head coach Sheldon Keefe has been trying to implement from the start of the season. Alexander Kerfoot has been that default as the return asset in the Nazem Kadri trade, but the Leafs seem to prefer him as a winger. And while Pierre Engvall has impressed of late, this is an inexperienced player who could quickly find himself in over his head against stiffer competition and big games.
So case closed then? Is Granlund the guy?
The Leafs could certainly do worse than adding Granlund in their efforts to achieve optimization. But with Friedman floating the idea that the Leafs could aim higher, we should at least explore what that could entail.
What the Maple Leafs don’t need at trade deadline
The best way to do that might be to eliminate the things that they don’t need.
Let’s tackle the easy stuff first. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander are the differentiators for this team, and unearthing an upgrade on any of them would be darn-near impossible. As skeptical as many were, Joe Thornton has established himself as a brilliant complement for Matthews and Marner, and will digest a significant portion of the top-six minutes as long as he’s healthy.
That leaves one position in the top six, for which the Leafs already have several candidates but perhaps not the one they see as the best fit. Zach Hyman is probably the superior option, but the Leafs seem to really want him to drive the third line. Kerfoot has been the preferred top-six forward lately, but his inclusion could potentially “take” from the third line in the long run, or at least potentially leave it exposed. And finally, Wayne Simmonds had some success with Tavares and Nylander before suffering an injury, and could potentially be the answer in the long term.
If the Leafs were to truly sell out on the prospects of this season, they could target an impact top six player, or a winger who could perform on either the right or left side with Tavares and Nylander, allowing Hyman, Kerfoot and Simmonds to create mismatches in the bottom six.
The rich man’s Jimmy Vesey, if you will.
Sounds fantastic, right? But what kind of winger would that be? Is there any more room on the power play, where that player could be most valuable? Is it more important than building the ideal third line?
As tempting as it might be to add, say, Filip Forsberg instead of Mikael Granlund, the Leafs seem focused on balance, and therefore the creation and maintenance of that third line.
The Leafs should be looking for an upgrade on Alexander Kerfoot down the middle. (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Who fits the mould?
It’s important, then, to identify exactly what they Leafs need from the position, and in some respects, what Kerfoot hasn’t been able to provide.
Most importantly out of a third line centre, the Leafs need someone who can limit the opposition and carve into the damage that elite players often do. In Kerfoot’s minutes without either Tavares or Nylander, or in other words, when he’s forced to drive a line, the Leafs have been mostly caved in at even strength this season, performing at 40.6 percent expected goals.
Fo his part, Granlund’s numbers do not fall off the cliff in time spent separated from other top players on the Predators. But while a lot of that could come down to coaching style and usage, the most important thing is that the Leafs have performed better when Kerfoot isn’t asked to shoulder major defensive responsibilities down the middle.
There are aspects, though, that neither Kerfoot nor Granlund provide, most notably physicality. Toronto didn’t need to knock around Connor McDavid to be the first team to shut him down in consecutive games this past week, but another injection of physicality wouldn’t hurt this team, provided that it doesn’t come at the expense of defensive performance.
Chandler Stephenson, Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman are examples of tough, defensively reliable players who plugged third-line holes for Stanley Cup contenders last season, and who might better fit the mould of exactly what the Leafs should look for in a third-line centre replacement. Team toughness hasn’t been the priority that team defence has been for Keefe in Toronto, but killing two birds with one stone would be nice.
The last consideration should be penalty killing. As excited as the market became when it was revealed that Matthews would see time on the kill this season, the sight of the NHL’s leading goal scorer hobbling off the ice after blocking a shot should be enough to make fans think twice. In the best-case scenario, the Leafs’ third-line centre kills penalties, and kills them well, while being reliable in the faceoff dot when dealing with man power disadvantages.
With the exception of one more reliable veteran defender to slot in behind Travis Dermott and Zach Bogosian, the Leafs only have one clear need.
And with the league semifinals being a distinct possibility, if not probability, the Leafs have every reason to stomach the cost, and the quarantine, and not just chase that third-line difference maker, but to be highly selective with their approach.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said Thursday the forfeitures that volleyball teams are willing to take to avoid playing San Jose State is “not what we celebrate in college athletics” and that she is heartbroken over what has transpired this season surrounding the Spartans and their opponents.
Four teams have canceled games against San Jose State: Boise State, Southern Utah, Utah State and Wyoming, with none of the schools explicitly saying why they were forfeiting.
A group of Nevada players issued a statement saying they will not take the floor when the Wolf Pack are scheduled to host the Spartans on Oct. 26. They cited their “right to safety and fair competition,” though their school reaffirmed Thursday that the match is still planned and that state law bars forfeiture “for reasons related to gender identity or expression.”
All those schools, except Southern Utah, are in the Mountain West. New Mexico, also in the MWC, went ahead with its home match on Thursday night, which was won by the Spartans, 3-1, the team’s first victory since Sept. 24.
“It breaks my heart because they’re human beings, young people, student-athletes on both sides of this issue that are getting a lot of national negative attention,” Nevarez said in an interview with The Associated Press at Mountain West basketball media days. “It just doesn’t feel right to me.”
Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the cancellations, citing a need for fairness in women’s sports. Former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee in this year’s presidential race, this week referenced an unidentified volleyball match when he was asked during a Fox News town hall about transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“I saw the slam, it was a slam. I never saw a ball hit so hard, hit the girl in the head,” Trump replied before he was asked what can be done. “You just ban it. The president bans it. You just don’t let it happen.”
After Trump’s comment, San Diego State issued a statement that said “it has been incorrectly reported that an San Diego State University student-athlete was hit in the face with a volleyball during match play with San Jose State University. The ball bounced off the shoulder of the student-athlete, and the athlete was uninjured and did not miss a play.”
San Jose State has not made any direct comments about the politicians’ “fairness” references, and Nevarez did not go into details.
“I’m learning a lot about the issue,” Nevarez said. “I don’t know a lot of the language yet or the science or the understanding nationally of how this issue plays out. The external influences are so far on either side. We have an election year. It’s political, so, yeah, it feels like a no-win based on all the external pressure.”
The cancellations could mean some teams will not qualify for the conference tournament Nov. 27-30 in Las Vegas, where the top six schools are slated to compete for the league championship.
“The student-athlete (in question) meets the eligibility standard, so if a team does not play them, it’s a forfeit, meaning they take a loss,” Nevarez said.
Ahead of the Oct. 26 match in Reno. Nevada released a statement acknowledging that “a majority of the Wolf Pack women’s volleyball team” had decided to forfeit against San Jose State. The school said only the university can take that step but any player who decides not to play would face no punishment.
OTTAWA – Travis Green might not have liked the end result, but he’s counting on his team learning from the effort.
Green’s Ottawa Senators were handed a 3-1 loss by the New Jersey Devils Thursday night in a game that highlighted the importance of sticking with things.
“I thought both teams played pretty well,” said Green. “I thought we had a lot of the game that I liked, but I thought there’s a few moments where it got away. We got away from our game, and they stuck with their game a little longer.
“There’s always momentum back and forth for one team to create some chances. It’s a fine line between winning and losing in the league, especially when you’re playing, two good teams are playing.”
Jacob Markstrom’s 30 saves also played a part, with the Devils goaltender only getting beat with 65 seconds left in regulation as the Senators were on the power play with an empty net.
Brady Tkachuk tipped a Claude Giroux shot to spoil Markstrom’s shutout bid.
“Outstanding,” said Devils coach Sheldon Keefe of his goaltender. “Just terrible that he doesn’t get the shutout that he deserves in this one here.
“You feel for him when they make that (penalty) call. You can just kind of feel like it’s going to give them a little extra life. But he was outstanding for us, no question.”
The two teams were scoreless after the first period, where each had to fight for every opportunity. Noah Gregor rang a shot off the crossbar for the Senators, but otherwise, neither team was able to generate much offensively.
The Devils capitalized in the second as a power play expired with Erik Haula redirecting a Johnathan Kovacevic shot past Anton Forsberg, who made 32 saves.
Less than four minutes later, Nathan Bastian took advantage of a Giroux giveaway and beat Forsberg low blocker for his first of the season with the Devils short-handed.
“I liked our second period a lot,” Keefe said. “We took hold of the game and didn’t give up much, and when we did, I thought it was really from the perimeter, only a couple there.”
The Devils tightened up defensively in the third and were able to make it 3-0 when Paul Cotter was left alone in the slot.
“I think for stretches of the game we played the right way and kind of get in on the forecheck and play that way,” said Senators centre Nick Cousins. “It seems like when we get down a couple goals, we kind of change our game, which isn’t a recipe for success in this league.
“I think we’ve just got to keep doing the right things over and over again, even when it’s 2-0.”
With the Senators just four games in and still learning and adjusting to a new system, Green understands there will be growing pains along the way.
“We’re also trying to define our game,” he said. “I think we’re getting there. Both teams play fast. It was a fast skating game. There wasn’t a lot of room to move out there for either team.”
In his short tenure behind the Senators bench, Green has seen his team play very different styles of games and knows there will be nights like this along the way, but learning from them will be key.
“There’s going to be a lot of nights where you kind of got to earn everything you get,” admitted Green. “It’s not going to be freewheeling. Good teams don’t play freewheeling hockey.
“You learn when you win, you learn when you lose games that you don’t play well. You learn when you lose games that you had a pretty good game but you still lose and you’ve got to find a way. Good teams find a way to win those games.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens fell 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. They also lost their top minute-muncher in the process.
Matheson logged 7:35 in ice time during the first period but did not return for the second because of an upper-body injury. When or how Matheson sustained the injury was not clear. The Canadiens said he would be re-evaluated on Friday.
The game was tied at 1 before he exited, forcing the Canadiens to play with five defencemen for 40 minutes.
“Mike is one of the biggest parts of our D core, and I think losing him — he’s playing against top line, playing power play and we want him on the ice — definitely losing him was a big loss,” teammate David Savard said. “We got to figure out a way to get the two points, even if a player goes out.”
The 30-year-old Matheson of Pointe-Claire, Que., led all Canadiens defencemen with 62 points and a 25:33 average ice time last season.
With his absence, rookie sensation Lane Hutson played a whopping 30:05 in only his seventh NHL game. The next closest player? Kaiden Guhle at 23:09.
Head coach Martin St. Louis was impressed with how the 20-year-old Hutson handled the challenge.
“Lane doesn’t take a shift off,” head coach Martin St. Louis said. “I love the consistency of his compete level, and he drives possession. For a guy who played 30 minutes, I think he gave everything he could to try and help the team.
“I’m not surprised. I know it’s challenging at this level, losing Mike definitely made him play many minutes, chasing the game made him play many minutes, but I just love his compete level.”
Canadiens fans have been clamouring for Hutson — a five-foot-nine, 162-pound defenceman with world-class skill — to take Matheson’s spot on the No. 1 power play.
The Canadiens, however, went 0-for-3 with Hutson running the show after Matheson went down. In the first instance, Kirby Dach took a hooking penalty early in the man-advantage to end it. On the second, the Canadiens failed to generate any zone time.
The third came in the final minutes, but the Kings buried an empty-netter.
“It wasn’t a lack of opportunity, lots of ice time, lots of shifts,” Hutson said. “It was good, it was fun, but obviously you want to be on the other side of it, winning.
“Means a lot (to get that opportunity), but obviously, you want to get more out of that opportunity. It’s a lot of ice, and you want to keep taking steps in the right direction.”
‘IMMATURE EFFORT’
The Canadiens fell to a Kings team that had lost three straight games and was coming off a 6-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
Under those circumstances, the Canadiens were brutally honest with themselves after the game.
“Definitely disappointed,” captain Nick Suzuki said. “It was an immature effort from us, especially with them playing yesterday and getting in late, so I think we gave them too much life, and let them feel comfortable in the game. It’s on us to be a lot better than that.”
Before the game, St. Louis stressed the need for a good first period against a fatigued Los Angeles side. That’s not what he saw Thursday night.
“I think we had 14 turnovers in the first period. It’s unacceptable. It gives them life,” he said. “Then you’re chasing the game for the second half of it — we didn’t play to our standard.
“I’m really disappointed. Really disappointed.”
BIG SAVE DAVE
Kings goalie David Rittich played his second game in two nights — an unusual occurrence in this day and age of the NHL. He made 25 saves after allowing four goals on 14 shots in Toronto.
“We always believe in him anyway, but he performed today pretty well and bounced back,” defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov said. “It’s probably like most important for himself, that’s huge, and for the team. He played outstanding today.”
LONG ROAD
The Kings are opening the season on a seven-game road trip because of renovations at Crypto.com Arena. They’ve collected six of a possible 10 points so far.
“Pretty much worse (than expected),” forward Phillip Danault said. “We’ve been on the road for three weeks … It’s good team-bonding, whether we should do it again I’m not sure, but it has turned out well let’s say with six points out of 10.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
