Leafs

Fans won't need to show proof of vaccination to get in to the Heritage Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres in Hamilton, Ont., ...

Previously, fans were expected to show a vaccination card or passport in order to gain admission to the game. Toronto will play its fourth outdoor game, while Buffalo makes its third appearance. The Leafs-Sabres matchup will be the NHL’s 35th outdoor game, and the third this season.

In today's Leafs Links, the latest on JT Miller, the Canucks' intentions at the deadline, and where Kyle Dubas' priorities lie heading into the trade ...

It is something to keep tabs on as we wait to see what the future holds for Domi. It is looking more and more like he is going to be dealt to a contender by the deadline. A couple of teams: The Leafs are always looking for help at the deadline, and the Devils are looking at a long-term process with respect to building their roster. He is a fantastic player in the middle-six category; he is not a top-line player in Vancouver, obviously. There is a better chance he will be moved ahead of the deadline. I think he thinks about how he can win, and he is not afraid to make a move in order to win, but I don’t think he worries about self-preservation. But I don’t think he is afraid, and I don’t think he is thinking he has to do it to save himself. I think he is going to be very careful about what he decides to move, particularly for a rental. The Leafs are looking for options on that second line. They are a team that the Leafs have kept an eye on. They are not going to rush him back, but if he is healthy enough to play, they are going to play him. I don’t think he is afraid to make a big move. The Canucks are on the fringes of playoff positioning but are getting close to making some decisions.

I'm going to bring up a comparison a lot of people won't like, but then I'll fix my mistake by explaining why they're different. Remember when the Edmonton ...

He made his return at the end of January and has played five AHL games for Bakersfield. The other piece of news is that James Reimer is hurt for the Sharks and they probably need a backup goalie right now, so Stalock was the one they got. Could this be a special jersey the Leafs have lined up for March? It looks to be a black jersey with a very dark blue logo with what could be gold or yellow trim. Some background on this trade: Stalock was initially out for the season due to a heart condition caused by COVID-19. That was in September of last year. The CHL has paused their original plan to ban Russian and Belarusian junior players from their import draft, instead postponing it to an unknown date. The proportions don’t exactly match the “Drew House” design the Leafs and Bieber collaborated on, but it could be one for the ice. At 3pm EST the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CHL) will announce that Russian and Belorussian 16 & 17 year old children would be banned from the upcoming draft. In those games he has accumulated 10 assists, which is pretty good, but with Nylander, Kerfoot, and the power play all struggling to a lesser extent than he is, things are just not going well for the captain. The Leafs have clearly tried to get Kerfoot away from Tavares in an attempt to bring some more options into the offensive zone, if Ondřej Kaše can come back from his illness I think he would do the trick. Lucky for him, there’s nowhere to go but up, and he has plenty of time left in this 82 game season to turn things around. And going back to Tavares, here’s an unfortunate graph of his shooting percentage over the past several seasons. A lot had been written, but I think the result came from a combination of bad goaltending, no primary scoring, no secondary scoring, and the team structure in the defensive end just gave up yet again (and the coach was fired). As for the coach getting fired, I don’t think we’re anywhere near that time with Sheldon Keefe, but ask me again in three months.

A day off for the Maple Leafs on Thursday, we would hazard a guess, couldn't have been relaxing.

A bulk of that starts with the blue-line group. He doesn’t want to overtax Rielly and TJ Brodie before the playoffs, and hopes that Justin Holl can rebound from a mostly difficult season. The Sabres, a mere 34 points behind the Leafs in the standings, had lost six games in a row — all by at least two goals — and nine of their previous 11. More recently, a 5-2 loss in Montreal on Feb. 21 got the negative attention it deserved. A 7-1 loss on Oct. 23 in Pittsburgh against an undermanned Penguins team that didn’t have Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin or Kris Letang might get some votes. A couple might come close.

They're short on draft picks this year, but they have a first-rounder to offer. And there are depth players and prospects that could go into a package.

Toronto’s cap space at the deadline could be just under $4.5 million (U.S.), according to Cap Friendly. Much of that revolves around defenceman Jake Muzzin, sidelined by a second concussion, whose $5.6-million cap hit is hidden on long-term injured reserve. The Leafs are currently weighing the performances of several defencemen — Justin Holl, Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren and Travis Dermott — and could include one in any trade package. Toronto acquired Nick Foligno from Columbus for the Leafs’ first-round pick last summer and a fourth-rounder this year. Pierre Engvall will be a restricted free agent after this season. Despite inconsistent defensive play and questionable goaltending of late, they were just two points out of first place in the Atlantic Division heading into Thursday’s games. Dubas has said he is not afraid to trade picks, even if it didn’t work out so well last year.

It's safe to say that fans in attendance expected to see a much different performance than the one they got. The Buffalo Sabres beat Toronto 5-1 as a +330 ...

But they hit a wall against the Sabres on Wednesday night. The Buffalo Sabres beat the Maple Leafs 5-1 as a +330 underdog. Tonight's loss to Buffalo is the biggest upset regulation loss in the NHL this season. Toronto has been a favourite of -320 or longer four times since Jan. 12. NHL underdogs went 2-1 on Wednesday with the Seattle Kraken pulling off the other upset in a 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators as a +160 underdog. The New York Rangers closing as a pick’em in a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. Last night’s win by Buffalo was the biggest upset in regulation this NHL season. The Maple Leafs had scored three or more goals in four straight games heading into Wednesday night, including a season-high 10 goals in a win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. Last night’s win by Buffalo was the biggest upset in regulation this NHL season. The Buffalo Sabres beat Toronto 5-1 as a +330 underdog. The Toronto Maple Leafs played in front of a capacity crowd at home for the first time since early December on Wednesday night. They’ve lost three of those four games.