TORONTO (Feb. 14) — There are growing indications, during this schedule break for the Winter Olympic Games, that the Toronto Maple Leafs will have an opportunity — before the Mar. 6 National Hockey League deadline — to trade a pair of their most–significant players. This is quite apart from the likely efforts made to “sell off” components of the roster for draft picks and prospects. Instead, trading Anthony Stolarz and Morgan Rielly would deprive the Leafs of their longest–serving (and “best”) defenseman… and the club’s No. 1 goalie heading into the season.
Other than involving Auston Matthews in trade dialogue — and there’s been no–such suspicion — dealing Rielly and/or Stolarz would prove the Leafs are looking beyond this largely wretched season. Several teams, most–notably Philadelphia, have called the Leafs about Stolarz while the San Jose Sharks have expressed keen interest in Rielly. For either trade to occur, contract restrictions must be met. Rielly has a full no–move and would need to waive that protection. Stolarz can present the Maple Leafs a list of 16 teams to which he’d not accept a trade.
Though Rielly and the Leafs would benefit from the veteran blue–liner skating elsewhere, dealing Stolarz would imperil a clearly delicate situation among Toronto goaltenders. Neither he nor Joseph Woll have remained healthy and in the line–up for a prolonged stretch. And, Dennis Hildeby has no experience in the Stanley Cup hunt. So, I repeat, letting go of Stolarz (or Woll) would be another sign of capitulation by Leafs management. More importantly, it would offer evidence that ownership at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment — a.k.a. Rogers — has granted permission for the roster to be generally overhauled. In most years, MLSE budgets for a minimum one round (and three home dates) of playoff revenue. But, this is the first season since 2015–16 that the Leafs are almost certain to miss the Stanley Cup pursuit. As such, MLSE needs to rearrange its priorities for the hockey club.
The only strategy that makes sense for the long–term future of the team is to acquire draft picks — as many as possible, in exchange for the short–term, interchangeable components of the roster. Can Max Domi, Scott Laughton, Bobby McMann or Oliver Ekman-Larsson help recoup draft capital lost in recent years? What type of return would the Leafs anticipate for Rielly and/or Stolarz, understanding, again, the contract restrictions in place?
Though Stolarz, compared to last season, has been injured and largely ineffective, he seems healthy at the moment. There were times a year ago when Anthony was the best stopper in the NHL. Long stretches, in fact. Of the three Maple Leaf goalies, he stands the best chance of catching lightning in a bottle. Could the Leafs wrangle a first–round pick for him at the deadline? Rielly is a different story. The overall decline in his game has been alarming the past two seasons. The Leafs would do very well to get out from under his ironclad, $7.5 million contract for the next four years. In a trade, Toronto would need to retain about $3 million of salary but would open up $4.5 million of cap space per year and likely obtain a second or third–round pick. Though Rielly has been de facto captain and a terrific soldier for the Leafs, his time here is up. But, he has the final say on whether to move or stay put.
A buyout, for which the Leafs are now eligible, would cost the team $16 million over the next eight years; hardly crippling with the rising cap figure. But, still, a long time to keep a former player on the books. Given no return.
A team trading for Stolarz will inherit his $3.75 million salary for the next four years; the term a bit lengthy considering injury woes. But, again, he’s the lone stopper with the Leafs that could get hot and carry a contending team through four playoff rounds. Woll (on the books two more years at $3.67 million) is a very good back–up, yet, in my opinion, not capable of such a run. And, we don’t know enough about Hildeby, Artur Akhtyamov or Ken Appleby, the other netminders in the organization. So, there is some risk in trading Stolarz, yet it’s rather minimal given that the Maple Leafs aren’t likely to challenge for the Stanley Cup in the remaining years of his contract.
Perhaps Woll and Hildeby could grow into a reliable NHL tandem for the next couple of seasons.
Will the Maple Leafs pull the trigger? There isn’t reason to hold back much longer.
MORE CYNICAL EYES FOLLOW AUSTON
Most fans of the Maple Leafs are rooting, this week, for red and white, not blue and white.
Rather gleefully after a pair of routs by Team Canada (over Czechia and Switzerland) to open the men’s hockey tournament in Milan. At the last Winter Olympics involving players from the NHL — Sochi, Russia in 2014 — the Canadian team laid waste to the world. It was such a lop–sided event that head coach Mike Babcock left the Detroit Red Wings, a year later, and signed with the Maple Leafs for $50 million. We know how that turned out… but, it was clear sailing for Team Canada in Sochi. From a Leafs’ perspective, there lacked a side show. Management had chosen to bottom out and reap the draft lottery rewards, which were plentiful: William Nylander that summer; Mitch Marner the following year and Matthews, first overall, in 2016. During the Sochi Games, however, all TV eyes in Toronto and southern Ontario were focused on the overwhelming Canadian entry.
It is not so, this week, in Italy. The enigma and complexity of Matthews is on full display, as he captains a strong United States team: 5–1 victors over Latvia in its Olympic opener. Fans of the Maple Leafs are watching Matthews more intently than any player on Team Canada. Perhaps fearing that he’ll rise up for his country (a goal and two assists vs. Latvia), only to flatten out, again, for the Maple Leafs in Stanley Cup toil. It happened last winter during the 4Nations Faceoff event. Had Matthews scored the tournament winner in overtime against Canada — and he came within a hair — the Most Valuable Player trophy would have been his. Instead, Auston zigged when he should have zagged, allowing then–teammate Marner to feed an open Connor McDavid for the clincher. Still, hockey fans in the Toronto area were amazed how Matthews valiantly brushed aside his season–long “upper–body” ailment to dominate on so many shifts. Only to fall back (with shameful assistance from the media) on the “tough year” of injuries after completely disappearing in Games 5 and 7 of the Florida playoff series. So, yes, fans of the Maple Leafs have eyes on No. 34 — still wondering why he answers the call internationally, not locally.
The columnists haven’t been writing about McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar. Not even Marner, whose departure (to Vegas) the Leafs have not overcome. The scribes know that the aforementioned players routinely excel in big games… at both levels. Instead, Cathal Kelly (in Milan for the Globe and Mail), Steve Simmons (Toronto Sun) and Nick Kypreos (Toronto Star) have filed opinion pieces about Matthews. Wondering, it seems, for the hundredth time, if a big international performance can translate into playoff success with the Leafs.
The bigger question being: Why is this still considered a mystery? Matthews is a different player and person, it seems, when wearing U.S. colors. Kelly, with Matthews in Italy, noticed how the American captain smiled and was at ease among Olympic reporters. The polar opposite of his solemn, gloomy comportment amid media covering the Leafs. Another fairly clear indication that he’d benefit — as would the team — from a change of NHL scenery.
27 YEARS AGO?! BOY, DOES TIME FLY…
The press box seating chart for the final NHL game at Maple Leaf Gardens on Feb. 13, 1999.
How many media names do you recall?
NEWSPAPER FRONT AND SPORTS PAGES
Rummaging through part of my newspaper collection unearthed these memorable Leafs (and sports) moments:
THE “ROOSKIES”…
IN THE MID–1970’s, RUSSIAN TEAMS WOULD TRAVEL TO NORTH AMERICA FOR EXHIBITION GAMES, OVER THE HOLIDAYS, AGAINST NHL CLUBS. SPORTS PAGES OF THE TORONTO STAR (ABOVE) COMMEMORATE THE MOST–SIGNIFICANT OF THESE ENCOUNTERS. FIRST (AT TOP), THE FAMOUS MATCH BETWEEN THE SOVIET RED ARMY AND THE MONTREAL CANADIENS, AT THE FORUM, ON DEC. 31, 1975. A 3–3 DRAW IN WHAT MANY STILL CONTEND IS THE BEST HOCKEY GAME THEY’VE EVER SEEN. FOUR DAYS LATER (MIDDLE) CAME A 12–6 ROMP BY THE BUFFALO SABRES, AT THE OLD MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM, OVER THE SOVIET WINGS. THEN, ON JAN. 11, 1976, THE INFAMOUS CLASH (BOTTOM) BETWEEN THE FLYERS (TWO–TIME DEFENDING STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS) AND THE RED ARMY AT THE PHILADELPHIA SPECTRUM. WHEN THE SOVIET PLAYERS LEFT THE ICE AFTER ROUGH TREATMENT BY ED VAN IMPE THE BROAD STREET BULLIES. PROMPTING BOB COLE’S LEGENDARY “THEY’RE GOING HOME!” COMMENT ON THE CBC TELECAST. PHILADELPHIA PREVAILED, 4–1.
IT SEEMED, ON JAN. 9, 1976 (ABOVE), THAT TORONTO HAD LANDED A NATIONAL LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM WITH SALE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS. BUT, IT WAS NOT TO BE. LITIGATION KEPT THE GIANTS OUT WEST, BUT TORONTO AND SEATTLE WERE SOON AWARDED AMERICAN LEAGUE EXPANSION TEAMS, BEGINNING IN 1977.
LEAFS vs. BULLIES, 1976 and 1977…
APR. 15–17, 1976. FOR THOSE OF VINTAGE, IT’S EASY TO RECALL THE TORONTO–PHILADELPHIA PLAYOFF WARS OF THE MID–70’s. IN GAME 3 OF THE 1976 QUARTERFINAL (ABOVE), COWARDLY MEL BRIDGMAN ATTACKED DOCILE LEAFS DEFENSEMAN BORJE SALMING. IT LED TO NUMEROUS ALTERCATIONS, ON THE ICE AND IN THE PENALTY BOX, FOR WHICH SEVERAL FLYERS WERE CHARGED WITH ASSAULT. IN GAME 4, TWO NIGHTS LATER, SALMING SCORED THE GREATEST GOAL (BELOW) OF HIS CAREER, BEATING BERNIE PARENT ON A BREAKAWAY AND UNLEASHING THE BIGGEST EXPLOSION OF NOISE I EVER HEARD AT MAPLE LEAF GARDENS. THE LEAFS WON BOTH HOME MATCHES TO EVEN THE SERIES, 2–2.
FACING ELIMINATION IN GAME 6, THE LEAFS FOUGHT BACK AND EVENED THE SERIES, 3–3, WHEN DARRYL SITTLER SCORED FIVE GOALS AT MAPLE LEAF GARDENS (TYING A PLAYOFF RECORD). BUT, THE PARTY ENDED THREE NIGHTS LATER (ABOVE) AT THE SPECTRUM, IN THE DECISIVE GAME 7, AS PHILADELPHIA SCORED IN BUNCHES FOR A 7–3 TRIUMPH.
TORONTO HOCKEY FANS COULD BARELY BELIEVE THEIR EYES WHEN THE TEAM MARCHED INTO THE SPECTRUM AND STOLE GAMES 1 AND 2 OF THE 1977 STANLEY CUP QUARTERFINALS (ABOVE AND BELOW). THE LEAFS HAD NOT PREVAILED IN PHILADELPHIA DURING THE “BROAD STREET BULLIES ERA”, LAST WINNING AT THE SPECTRUM ON DEC. 11, 1971. SUDDENLY, TORONTO WAS UP 2–0 IN THE SERIES, HEADING BACK FOR GAMES 3 AND 4 AT MAPLE LEAF GARDENS.
ALAS, AND AS PER USUAL, IT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE FOR THE LEAFS, WHO LOST GAMES 3 AND 4 IN OVERTIME AT THE GARDENS (ABOVE) AND DID NOT RECOVER. WHILE PHILADELPHIA ROLLED TO FOUR CONSECUTIVE WINS, THE TORONTO STAR DISPLAYED THE COLOR SEPARATION OF THE ERA (BELOW), IN WHICH STROBES WERE USED TO “ILLUMINATE” SUBJECTS. THE BACKGROUND WAS MOSTLY DARK. THIS COLLAPSE COST RED KELLY HIS JOB AS MAPLE LEAFS COACH.
BACK WHEN THE TORONTO SUN WAS A FULL, THICK NEWSPAPER; NOT THE COMPARATIVE PAMPHLET OF TODAY, I HAVE THESE EDITIONS: FROM OCT. 6, 1985 (LEFT), WHEN THE BLUE JAYS ELIMINATED THE NEW YORK YANKEES AND WON THEIR FIRST AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST DIVISION TITLE. AND, FROM NEARLY TWO YEARS LATER, THE SEP. 16, 1987 ISSUE AFTER CANADA DEFEATED RUSSIA (AT COPPS COLISEUM IN HAMILTON) TO WIN THE 1987 CANADA CUP. WAYNE GRETZKY LIFTING THE TROPHY. NEVER HAS HOCKEY BEEN PLAYED AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN DURING THAT TOURNAMENT.
SPEAKING OF GRETZKY, THERE WAS THE SHOCK OF AUG. 9, 1988, WHEN THE OILERS TRADED THE GREAT ONE TO LOS ANGELES. THE GLOBE AND MAIL FRONT PAGE (ABOVE); FRONT AND INSIDE PAGE OF THE EDMONTON SUN (BELOW).
AND… AMONG MY MOST–COVETED NEWSPAPER ITEMS: THE FULL TORONTO TELEGRAM OF JULY 21, 1969, HOURS AFTER APOLLO 11 ASTRONAUTS NEIL ARMSTRONG AND BUZZ ALDRIN HAD MADE THE FIRST MOONWALK. THE TELEGRAM FOLDED ON OCT. 30, 1971 — TO BE “REPLACED” (ON NOV. 1) BY THE TABLOID TORONTO SUN.
EMAIL: HOWARDLBERGER@GMAIL.COM
Keep good players OEL McMann, lose the bad ones, Rielly Domi Carlo and Tavares. Trade Laughton because he’s UFA. Keep Benoit with his nice contract and usefulness as a sixth dman. Get some future assets and make cap space. Then have a good summer. But Brad Treliving can’t be trusted to make wise moves. Only bad ones. Count on it. Grebenkin Dewar Minten Marner Holmberg Steeves Kampf all gone for in return. Plus the draft picks. How can one be this bad at management and call himself a pro? Hard to be worse than Treliving in the past year. I only trust him to this mess a lot worse by the trade deadline.
so in other words this team and management is given a free pass again , by the fans and the wonderful media, no accountability! the rebuild should start from the top, oh shoot! I forgot! they are making money and that”s all that matters you poor followers
Rielly is pretty level headed and based in reality. He must know he’s a detriment to the team at 7.5 mil/y. He’s well loved and it doesn’t serve anyone including himself well to start getting boo’d but it will happen if this keeps up. 13 years and he still hasn’t learned a thing about defense unfortunately! 2 mil/y less cap sets the team at a disadvantage to other teams that don’t lose 2 mil, period. It doesn’t matter how much the cap rises. If the Leafs intend to compete next year, trading OEL would be absolutely foolish! He will be extremely difficult to replace.
Right on about OEL.
If the Leafs’ plan is still win over the next 2 years, they can’t be thinking long term. They need to keep OEL because they will probably not be able to replace all he can do for next year and especially for his cheap cap!! They should trade their UFAs unless they will sign an advantageous contract before the deadline. They should also not be trading very many players because the team needs to gel next year. The Leafs have 2 backups as main goalies and they get injured often. They need a decent 3rd who is cheap and must be waiver exempt next year. I believe Hildeby is all of that. They’ve had trouble getting that, they shouldn’t trade it! Domi is hugely inconsistent and is too poor at any position he plays. The Leafs need someone better with Matthews. Rielly seriously needs to go because he’s a big detriment to the team including his substantially overpriced 7.5 mil. Nobody including fans and Rielly want to have it get to booing. 2 mil cap hit a year is 2 mil less than other teams no matter how much the cap rises! All agreed about Matthews but still, watch him coast around most of the time compared to McDavid hustling his you know what constantly. One of them is a leader and winner and it sure isn’t Matthews.
It’s a shame that it’s come to this with Reilly. As you note Howard he’s a good guy who seems at ease with the media and has embraced life as a leaf. He’s been the ONLY one who actually seemed to notice that the team faceplanted in the playoffs while the exalted core 4 muttered and mumbled their way through excuses. He’s also been the most likeable player on the team by leaps and bounds. As usual, I’m going to dump (no pun intended) a huge load of manure/blame on team management, particularly all of the failed GM’s (and they’re ALL failures to this point) that have been in place during Reilly’s tenure. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM failed spectacularly to adequately build a competent top-tier NHL defence, starting with a true #1 defenceman or a reasonable facsimile that could have been deployed in the role with a good, complementary partner. All those GM’s looked at Reilly and essentially said, “Meh, he’s good enough.”, and went on their merry way trading nearly every draft pick or prospect in search of “truculence”, “snot”, or some other empty description of competitive fire. Reilly is pretty much the only player that I hope goes on to better results after he’s traded…sorry (at best), given away for nothing, and at worst given away with a high draft pick to facilitate a salary dump.
The only answer when it comes to this pathetic incarnation of the franchise is to burn it down. From the empty suite in glasses in the executive suite, to the career underwhelming GM, through the crappy scouting department and onto the soulless point collector “star” players on the ice.
do not blame the scouts when the gms keep trading their picks away
Except the pro scouting department advises the GM about who to sign as a free agent or which player to trade all those picks for. Given the results, they might as well use a magic 8 ball or ouiji board. I half expect that they already are. Fire them all into the sun and start over.
Trade Reilly
Trade Stolarz
Trade McMann
Help other contenders by retaining salary in three team trades. (I.e Leafs be the middle man/ retain salary for a pick). Assuming of course Tanev is out they should have lots of cap space to do this. X 3
Apparently this years draft is pretty deep so picks 20-40 could contain a hidden gem. Draft only D and hope to get lucky like Montreal did with getting Hutson in the 2nd round. Until they get a top tier D players like Matthews and Nylander will spin their tires.
So you think those drafts will be ready to compete for a Stanley Cup next year and the year after because that’s their competitive window that’s left?!
No I don’t think the window is necessarily the next 2 years. I’d be restocking picks with an eye on 3-4 years. This of course would be dependent on what #34 is planing to do with his next contract.
If he stays then the prospects will had some time to develop and if he leaves then you hopefully get his agreement to accept a trade.
If he leaves you then trade #88 as well and the rebuild would be starting with lots of assets, some of which could be drafted this summer.
Add to the scribes currently writing about Matthews- Mark Lazerus of the Athletic ( NYTimes owned)- recent piece online. However- our friend here Howard B has been making many of these comments and observations- from 3-4 or more years ago- and a lone wolf at the time . Regrettably Matthews will join a team ( likely Western Conference) such as San Jose or Los Angeles- and will probably flourish better than in Toronto presently. My own guess is that it will be San Jose that Leafs will trade Matthews to-or Matthews actually heads to in free agency. I’m uncertain that the Leafs have the stones to trade Matthews before his contract is up and as I recall he has a no trade contract and holds the power there. San Jose has draft picks, some decent prospects already playing- and Matthews can live a life of anonymity, and be “covered” by the excellence of young determined lad Macklin Celebrini, hang out with some former Leafs with roots in San Jose, and enjoy California weather and lifestyle.
Maybe I’m wrong- and Matthews will have some further success in these Winter Olympics. A nice shoulder check by any one of the top Canadian players ( even Connor McDavid throwing weight) will help us figure out what version of Matthews that we will see in a Canada / USA- if indeed this occurs. If USA ends up playing Finland at anytime in these Olympics- Matthews will be seeing a greasy heavy playing team- maybe not quite his style.
Thanks for your insightful commentary Howard.
HOWARD if the LEAFS will do a rebuild on the back end WOLL and THE BEAST will be good enough. trade STOLARZ and get something of value
Would be fantastic to trade away Morgan Rielly, the Leafs worst defenceman. No rush on the goaltenders, though. Dennis Hildeby can go up and down between the Leafs and Marlies the rest of this season and all of next without having to go through waivers. But if you want to see improvement with the Leafs, GM Brad Treliving must be shown the door and replaced with someone with at least half a brain.