#Nick Abruzzese

Depending on what insider or rumour you believe, the Maple Leafs are apparently thinking of prioritizing a bigger (but not too big) forward acquisition, or two small acquisitions - one at forward, one at defense. Either way, a forward may be involved. We also have heard that they really, really want to sign Matthew Knies once his NCAA season is…

A team that's halfway through the NHL schedule with less than 10 regulation losses should feel good about itself and provide fans ample positives ahead of playoffs. But these are the Maple Leafs, whose string of six first-round defeats in the Shanaplan era keep clouding such semi-annual midway mirth. You can sense the pessimism in Leafs Nation.…

It sounds more like the name of a movie or a book - Waiting for Godot, Waiting for Guffman, Waiting to Begin - but for now, it remains central to this impressive, fascinating and oddly puzzling Blue Jays season. The Jays have found themselves in the standings right about where they were expected to be - among the best teams in baseball. And they've…

After losing 6-4 in Belleville on Friday evening, Crunch head coach Ben Groulx demanded a response from his team, and he got one. Syracuse dominated possession and offensive-zone time for long stretches of their 3-1 win over the Marlies on Saturday. The opening frame was a low-event 20 minutes as neither team asserted dominance over the game.…

Right from the opening faceoff, the odds were stacked against the Leafs' lineup in this game as it primarily featured players who will be sent down to the Marlies in the next few days. They were up against a Red Wings lineup that included the majority of the established NHL talent that will be playing prominent roles in Detroit this season. Despite…

GRAVENHURST - Morgan Rielly wouldn't mind speeding up the clock. His Maple Leafs teammates might agree. A lengthy, intense practice at the Centennial Centre on Thursday afternoon brought an end to the Leafs' trip to Muskoka, and if only the start of the regular season was next up. But there's a pair of pre-season games against the Detroit Red Wings…

How you feel about the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2021-22 is a matter of perspective. Sunny side up: it was the best, most memorable regular season in team history. Toronto smashed its single-season bests for wins (54) and points (115), and superstar center Auston Matthews rewrote the franchise record books. His 60 goals leapfrogged Rick Vaive's…

Day 1 of camp commences in a few hours. Over the next couple of weeks, battles will ensue, and the roster will take shape. The vast majority of Maple Leafs fans could accurately predict most of the top 6 forwards for opening night, and there are some familiar names that should help round out the top 9. The 4th line however, is not nearly as…

This week marks the first steps towards the 2022-23 NHL season and it starts with NHL teams assessing the future assets of their organization. Across the league, NHL clubs will fan out across the continent for rookie tournaments or series, mostly running from Sept. 15-19. Shortly thereafter, NHL players will convene at their respective training…