The Toronto Maple Leafs have big expectations once again this season as they enter the 2021-22 campaign in a win-now mode. The team has already stripped out most of their 2022 draft capital, meaning they can’t afford to go down early this time around.
One of the keys to their potential success, Auston Matthews, underwent wrist surgery this offseason after attempting to rehabilitate the injury. That surgery could have potentially forced Matthews to miss the early part of the season, but he is making strong progress and rejoined the team for nearly an entire practice according to Jonas Siegal of The Athletic. The Maple Leafs kick off their season in ten days.
- The Detroit Red Wings will be without Michael Rasmussen for the next few days, head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters including Max Bultman of The Athletic. It’s just a “little tweak” for the young forward, but he won’t be playing in the next few preseason games for the Red Wings. Rasmussen signed a new three-year, $4.38MM deal with Detroit this offseason after playing in 40 games during the 2020-21 campaign.
- The Vancouver Canucks finally have their best two players joining camp after signing Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson, but they won’t be playing tonight or Tuesday at the team’s next preseason matches. Travis Green told reporters including Harman Dayal of The Athletic that the plan currently is for Hughes and Pettersson to play in the team’s final two games, Thursday and Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.
I’m a pretty prolific Dubas basher, but…I really like the bargain shopping he did at forward this year. Really good mix of players who could help them.
I tend to dismiss teams that don’t have a number one goalie from Cup contention, but…how many true 1A’s are left? Vaz, Hellebuyck, maybe Binnington? Maybe Gibson if he weren’t a Duck? Marc if he weren’t a Hawk? As far as tandems go, Mrazek and Campbell have upside.
Is the D good enough? Probably not, but you can make a trade.
Without a clear Cup favorite, I think TOR’s chances are better this year than any of the Kid Corsi era so far.
Tell me you never watched Carey Price without telling me you never watched Carey Price
Carey Price is averaging about a .908 save percentage over the past four years…. It ain’t 2015 anymore.
Hurt.
And Cinderella doesn’t go to the ball two years in a row. I say that as a guy who said the Habs were a Cup contender before last season…to much skepticism.
Tell me you haven’t watched hockey in roughly 4 years without telling me you haven’t watched in hockey in roughly 4 years