Page 41 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 113

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Congratulations! You have just been named Top Dog of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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What are you going to do in response to yet another 1st round playoff exit?
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Jake Lapierre - Conditioning Coach - Winning the Stanley Cup is one of the toughest and most grueling sporting competitions
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in the world; to be the best you must beat the best. Expectations were high for the Toronto Maple Leafs this year. The team was
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comprised of a group of extremely talented and elite hockey players; however, despite playing well throughout the playoffs, it
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was evident there was something missing. Toronto was outmuscled and lacked the fortitude, tenacity, and strength needed to
crash corners, free up pucks, to get into their opponents’ faces and under their skin, to play a tough and gritty game, the type
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of game it takes to open up the ice for skaters and snipers to go to work.
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Toronto has brought several useful veterans into the lineup such as Kyle Clifford, Mark Giordano, Ron Hainsey, Wayne Simmonds, Jason
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Spezza, and Joe Thornton to lead the younger players, but Toronto was lacking one or two experienced gritty players who could play top-
six forward minutes alongside the core four goal scorers. Players who fit that bill are in huge demand and are hard to find but they’re out
there. Toronto just has to find them! Stories And More About The People In Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry
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Peter Collins - Sports Enthusiast - Being named Top Dog of the Leafs may have never been so appropriate. That’s because
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when it comes to their playoff performance results, they have a “dog” of a record.
On one level, the Shanahan/Dubas/Keefe triumvirate has been very successful - they have a good mix of veterans and youth,
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and they have a few players who have the star power to invigorate fans. Those qualities have led them to some top-tier regular
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season accomplishments.
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Unfortunately for the Leafs, the world of sports is a “What have you done for me lately?” business, and the business’s bottom-line states that
the Leafs are bleeding red. Six first-round exits in a row is not good business, and even the most ardent Toronto fans are losing faith. Patience
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may be a virtue, but there have been no hockey parades in Toronto since 1967 and that would even test those of Mother Teresa.
During a recent end-of-year press conference, Leafs President Brendan Shanahan preached stability and not making changes for the sake of
making changes. My guess is that the Leafs brass doesn’t want to tip their hand and that there will be major player personnel changes during
this year’s off-season. Their mix of players isn’t the right mix and it’s time to shake things up. Even the now lowly Habs gave their fans a
taste of a playoff run last year. When the Canadiens got off to a terrible start this year, they pulled the plug on the manager, head coach, and
many of the top brass, but the Leafs recent failures have caused no such reaction in Toronto. One must wonder if it remains status quo next
year and the playoff disappointments continue, it’s see you later to all three leaders!
Jim Riddell - Seaway Karate Club -After failing to win a single round in the Stanley Cup playoffs in five consecutive seasons,
many people feel that it’s time to make some major changes, but I would like to put that thought on hold for one more year. If
the 2022-23 TML fail to take the next step, it will then be time to explore that option.
Matthew’s and Nylander each have two years remaining on their contracts with Mariner and Tavares due the following year.
These “faces of the franchise” players led the Leafs to a team record 115 points this season and came extremely close to
defeating the two-time Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning in a seven-game series.
Due to the above-mentioned players earning more than 40 million dollars of an 82.5 million salary cap, several changes will be necessary to
remain cap compliant. The team has 4 RFAs in Lilijegren, Sandin, Kate, and Engvail that will need new contracts and pay raises. There are 5
UFAs remaining now that 39-year-old Mark Giordano just re-signed to a team friendly $800,000 contract and some of the savings there will
help retain fellow defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin. It looks like forward Ilya Mikheyev will be a cap causality and will sign elsewhere. A cost-
effective goalie tandem is a necessity and that will either require the trading of Petr Mrazek or the signing of a cheaper backup. Depending
on who may be available and what the expected return is, there could be a few other trades as well as some free agent signings to compliment
the core.