Leafs

One of the last things the Maple Leafs have yet to check off on their post-season to-do list is Morgan Rielly. The most likeable Leaf is having a weird year ...

In their current iteration, the Leafs have never looked better than they do right now. The players have all been here before. The other team doesn’t have it any longer, whatever it is. But this is the Leafs we’re talking about. The players have never been here before. The pressure to perform on the gulf coast of Florida is less than nothing. More important, how likely does that seem to the Lightning? No team in the NHL has played more hockey in the past four years. The Leafs aren’t great right now, but they have that sleeping-giant feel. The best they’ll usually do is toss off a “Sure” that’s meant to read as a “Maybe.” Late in every season, there is still always the sense that either the team isn’t ready or the opposition is. A couple of minutes later, he scored the Leafs’ only goal of the game.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and their 11-7 lineup have been debated a lot since the NHL trade deadline. Is it working? Mike Stephens finds out.

Matt Murray's crease cross with his former Ottawa Senators might be rerouted again.

The St. “That’s what you want, all the eyes looking at you like that. “It gets to a point where maybe it’s too much, especially when you pile on the games that are coming after it. I’m going to be fired up.” Patrick’s Day gear — but will finally get to play back at Scotiabank Arena for Toronto on Friday. Article content

On Friday, Schenn will play his first game as a Maple Leaf in Scotiabank Arena since 2012 when the place was called the Air Canada Centre.

[Mitch Marner](https://www.thestar.com/topic.mitch_marner.html) and [Auston Matthews](https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/auston-matthews.html) were given the day off after playing 29 and 27 minutes respectively in Wednesday’s game. I never got the chance to play meaningful hockey here. “My career definitely hasn’t been a straight arrow to the top,” said Schenn. We’ve never played together, but we’re going for dinner and we’re getting to know one another a little better. “I’m thrilled to be back here. “It’s going to be crazy. He went on waivers, he went to minors, he started playing for close to minimum NHL salary. “It’s going to be … He’s shown what a valuable player he is, what a piece he can be for any team and obviously a team in a position like ours. He was traded to Philadelphia for James van Riemsdyk, and things started to go sideways. “I’ve often thought about getting the chance to come back, not thinking it would actually be a reality,” said Schenn. And now I do feel that the timing obviously is right, and I feel more prepared and ready for this opportunity.”

The trade deadline is long gone, there's few prospects likely to join the team's roster, and there's just 15 contests remaining before the games begin to count ...

Unlike the two other Leafs on this list, Ryan O’Reilly doesn’t exactly have years of history in Toronto for the team to judge his performance on. With Toronto having six other regular defencemen already signed under contract for next season, this could finally be the year Holl is the odd man out. Could he sign a team-friendly deal in order to stick around with his childhood team? With Kerfoot set to hit free agency this summer, it’ll be interesting to see if the Leafs have any interesting in bringing him back into the fold next year. Acquired back on Canada Day (along with Tyson Barrie) in 2019 as part of a high-profile trade for Nazem Kadri, Alex Kerfoot’s time in Toronto has been the true definition of an up-and-down tenure. He’s currently third on the team in minutes played per game, trailing only TJ Brodie and Morgan Rielly amongst Leafs defenders.

Toronto Maple Leafs fans are finally going to get a chance to watch Luke Schenn play at home for the club once again.

Schenn is expected to skate alongside Jake McCabe tomorrow against the Carolina Hurricanes, his first home game for the Leafs since April 5, 2012, a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. “He is just so strong around our net pushing people around.” “Just coming in this building, it’s surreal,” Schenn said Wednesday prior to yesterday’s game against Colorado, where he was a healthy scratch.

After that, we touched on Toronto's 2-1 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche. The two big stories from the Leafs perspective: Ilya Samsonov was great, so was ...

Last night the Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Colorado Avalanche. What player news is emerging from the team? Is Matthew Knies coming soon?

[signed a three-year entry-level contract](https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/maple-leafs-sign-forward-tverberg-to-three-year-entry-level-deal/) with the Maple Leafs on Wednesday. Schenn noted that it was surreal to come back to the Maple Leafs dressing room and that he appreciates now more than ever what it means to play in Toronto. He was selected fifth overall by the organization in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Before joining the Maple Leafs next season, he’ll play for the American Hockey Leagues (AHL) Toronto Marlies on a tryout agreement. During his final season with the UConn Huskies, he scored 15 goals and added 15 assists (for 30 points) in 35 games. His play helped his University of Minnesota Golden Gophers gain a spot in the B1G 10 Conference Finals next weekend. Samsonov was the star for Toronto, with 28 saves in the losing effort. Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs couldn’t take advantage of Samsonov’s solid play. Even in overtime, the Maple Leafs failed to generate a single shot on net, while Colorado outshot them 4-0. The Avalanche came into the game having won three of their last four games, averaging almost five goals a night. Samsonov got the start on Wednesday. That was the game.

The Maple Leafs will be wearing St. Patrick's Day green on Friday, but Sheldon Keefe's lineup has some grey areas.

The St. “That’s what you want, all the eyes looking at you like that. “It gets to a point where maybe it’s too much, especially when you pile on the games that are coming after it. I’m going to be fired up.” Patrick’s Day gear — but will finally get to play back at Scotiabank Arena for Toronto on Friday. Article content