Chapter 1: What are the Maple Leafs' current challenges and roster concerns?
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All right, here we go. Overdrive off and running. TSN 1050 on the TSN app. Your home smart speaker up on TSN 4. Brian Hayes, Jamie Noodles, McLennan. And there's our main man, Jonas Siegel of The Athletic.
What's going on, guys?
What's happening? How are we feeling this afternoon?
I don't know. I need to ask both of you how you're feeling. I mean, Hayes, you're the pulse of Leaf Nation. Jonas, you report Leaf Nation and you stir up trouble sometimes. And I just kind of sit here in the middle and I try to be the voice of reason and be unbiased or maybe unemotional. But, man, oh, man, it's getting harder. I'm getting phone calls every day.
From people here in Toronto, my friends that are Leaf fans going, it's over. Where are we at? So I will leave the floor. Brian, you lead. And then Jonas, you follow up.
Go ahead. All right. Well, yeah, you might have to respond to those accusations, Jonas. I absolutely will. You will be given the floor.
Jonas gets the floor today.
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Chapter 2: How did the Maple Leafs perform against the Kraken?
But ultimately, the details of the game, unfortunately... don't really matter right now. It's the bigger picture of what's going on with the team and the direction they're going to take this in. With every loss... you get closer and closer to looking backwards and thinking, can you drop far enough where you keep your draft pick this year? That's really at the forefront of it.
It's true, though, Noodles. It's not out of the realm of possibility that they could drop so far down the standings because they're like 24th in the league right now. They're already in the bottom third. But... It might have to happen, Noodles. Yes, it might be the best plan for them is to just tank and pray you find a way to get into the top five and keep your pick.
Because if not, you're handing a pick over to Boston. And Fraser Mitten had a goal and two assists last night. The problem, again, with the Leafs is just adding insult to injury. Everything is coming up against the Leafs. Fraser Mitten... I believe promoted to the top line last night. Three points. He looks great. Boston's rolling. Dubas and Pittsburgh are on fire. They did it again last night.
They're well into the playoffs. What's next? Honestly, what's next?
It's Keefe making a run.
Keefe will make a run. Here's what's going to happen. Keefe will make a run. Shanahan's going to be hired to negotiate Kuzma, and he's going to hit a grand slam for Canada. And we're like, everything's going against the Leafs here. Although that would actually be positive for Toronto, and the country for that matter. But...
Everything outside of Toronto appears to be positive in terms of the long-standing window here, and it's just not for anything Leafs right now.
I was thinking in the last few days, I can't remember a week like the last week here where you think of all the crazy you-know-what that's happened since Marner comes back. the Nylander thing, the Matthews thing. The Berube face. The Berube is suddenly bruised and has stitches, 50 stitches. It's crazy. And then they keep losing, and they're losing in all these.
This reminded me of before this era. That's what it felt like. Yes, it's a throwback.
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Chapter 3: What does Bo Horvat think about the Olympic experience?
Right. Yeah, so they're going to have to wear that if this continues, and it feels very likely, again, it's going to possibly even get worse. Berube, Tree Living, the players, they've got to own that.
Well, the thing is, though, if there was a chance to even just kind of change the temperature a little bit, it's Seattle into Vancouver into Calgary.
Yes, that's three straight wins potentially.
Should have. Now, Seattle's a better team than we're given credit for. Vancouver and Calgary are at different spots right now just based on, I think, where they believe they're headed. Vancouver's in a retool, rebuild, and I think Calgary hasn't done that, but they're doing it. They're going to do it by osmosis.
Chapter 4: How has Bo Horvat's season with the Islanders been so far?
So last night was the swing game for me. I was like, you beat Seattle and then get some momentum, go into Vancouver, go into Calgary, and then you take your chances with Edmonton, who just wants to mess with people, and here's a lead, and then we'll bring it back. Unreal last night. We'll play for 15 minutes. But that's what that team does right now is they're not playing 60 minutes.
They try and play structure, and the other team gets some goals, and it's like, oh, to hell with that. Let's just go and score. Same four guys, Hyman, McDavid, Dreissel, Bouchard. Same guys every night. 94 points.
I know. He's going to win the heart. We're in trouble. Last night, I'm sitting in bed. I'm like, he's winning the heart. He's just going to do it because, like you said, Noodles, they need him so much to do what he's doing because they're down 3-0. I don't know what the hell they're doing early in the game, just like early in the season. And then McDavid decides that's enough.
In conjunction with the other guys who are great players. You know, dry saddle.
Chapter 5: What impact does the Olympic break have on team dynamics?
Hyman's on an all-time heater right now. Bouchard's on an all-time heater right now. But he is just at a level that is absurd. And I'm... I'm fairly convinced he's going to win the heart. I think he's going to win the heart, which would be well earned.
Jonas, do you vote? I'm a voter.
I do. You guys are going to vote for him out of spite to me. I know what's coming. Both of you are going to give him the vote, even though maybe he won't deserve it, out of spite to me. I know what's coming.
Not out of spite, but I do believe if McKinnon had such a massive lead, If McDavid is very close now, that would be my rationale because McKinnon's cooled off. This road trip, Colorado's come. I wouldn't say they're come back down to earth, but again, Montreal handed it to him last night.
Only the Leafs. Only the Leafs is where they get wins, right? Like only the Leafs. That's the truth. Vegas came through. Minnesota had challenges. That's another example of these quality teams. They're running to Montreal. Montreal scores goals, man. They're an entertaining team. They put seven on the board, like you said last night. They came ready to play and quick.
Suzuki scored shorthanded, then on the power play, like bing, bang, boom. And Ottawa's putting it together. And the Leafs are the odd man out. They're the odd man out right now.
The one thing I've noticed, guys, and I don't know how you feel, but teams that have speed are giving the Leafs trouble. And especially in the regular season. And this is just very generalization when I was thinking about it last night. The team that is built for the Toronto Maple Leafs is built for heavier playoff hockey.
But then I kept thinking, you've got to get to the playoffs to be able to play that style. And in the regular season on a Tuesday night, it's just all run and gun speed, no hitting, no nothing. And they are having trouble with that. Seattle skated them into the ground in the first 10 minutes yesterday. And that was one thing I noticed.
Teams that are quick, they do have a tough time getting back and making plays and getting out of the zone. And then some of their forwards, which is weird because they're big in that, some of their forwards are shy. They don't want to get hit. And they don't want to... And the goaltender wasn't making saves, too. I didn't think Stolarz played very well.
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Chapter 6: What are the implications of trade deadlines for the Maple Leafs?
I think it was Montreal, too. It's like, this is how they used to look. You remember, like, the early years where it was like, oh, my God. They're just so young and skilled and fast.
And they're ready to play, and they can't wait to play. And now it's different.
They try to play that style like the top line does for sure. If you watch when, let's say, Riley and, you know, who was Riley's partner last night? Carlo. Yeah. So Carlo notwithstanding, I don't think he moves the puck very well. But when you watch that top line start to move the puck around offensively, They can do it because they've got speed. Max has speed and good vision.
Austin, I still think Austin has pop. You're watching him. I'm like, this guy, using his hands, he's using his body. He's just on an island, though. He's literally on an island.
Matthews is not the issue. You can speak to leadership and all that, and he's had to own that in games like Game 7 against Florida. You've got to own that. I'm not holding... No, you made the point. Last night in Seattle against Austin Matthews.
I think I heard you make the point earlier in the week. Great point by you, by the way. Thank you. Where they kind of became like a two-headed star team, right? For years, it was four of them. And now it's two. And one of them is not here. He's still leading the team in scoring. He hasn't played in weeks. You know what I mean? Yeah. So it's just him.
And he's supposed to play. Is he supposed to play tomorrow? Did we not say that?
Well, that's the report. Yeah, that's the report.
Is this concerning for you that he's gearing up the Russians coming back to go to the Olympics? Other than to get back. It must be eating at him. I hope it eats at him when he's sitting in the stands in Seattle watching his team that could use him. Yeah. He's a difference maker. Regardless of what you feel about William Nylander, he's a difference maker.
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Chapter 7: How do injuries affect team performance and strategies?
I think that's a big part of the conversation where I could reason with, hey, you want Ekman Larson to, if you're retooling and you want to get back into the dance next year, he'd be helpful in that. Sure, but you're risking the wheels falling off, and hey, you could have got really good value at the trade deadline last year. How much value do you think he had?
I think he had a very good, like very good is relative, but...
A little dubious. Two more years. For who? Ekman-Larsen. I've heard everyone say they can just get first-round picks for all you guys. Are you sure?
I don't think so. I think Ekman-Larsen would be close to a first-round pick. I think that's got to be the ask, for sure.
Depends on... Go ahead, Brian.
He's a cup winner. Again, he's got term. It's not a rental. But that could be good or bad, right? Sure. But again, it could be, hey, this guy, we're bringing him in. Maybe the Leafs eat... Some of it, I doubt they would.
His contract's fine.
But his contract's really good. He's a guy that plays pretty tough, plays pretty chippy. He's very comfortable in the playoffs. If you're not thinking you can get that, then how are you selling it? Because, again, I look at Brandon Carlo, which the Leafs got fleeced. There's no other way to put it. The trade's going to look worse and worse and worse. I get he's a right shot and he was younger.
And they ate some of the money. But Carlo is not a better player than Ekman-Larsen. No, but they... And they got Minton in a first. They overpaid, though, clearly. Then you got... That's what I'm saying. The Leafs have to find the next team that is desperate. Because in the moment, teams are desperate. Like, the Leafs in the moment... We're not thinking of the future. You're right.
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Chapter 8: What insights does Bo Horvat share about his teammates and their growth?
Or it could be the best plan is scorched earth, which that's a crazy one. That's really hard too. That could be five, six, seven years.
Wow. And you've got, there's so many players on a contract.
I know. And that's the other thing. That's, that's what makes it complicated. Like everyone's thrown out. Just get rid of this guy. Get rid of that guy. I think not that easy.
People can forget what it was like before this era. Not fun to be a crappy team.
No, it's not.
And it doesn't just automatically get better. You have to do a lot of smart things.
But it's also not good to be just in the middle with going nowhere.
But it's really hard to get it right.
Yeah, that's it. It's a tough gig right now. They don't have their pick this year or next year, first round. They don't have a ton of prospects. Yeah, it's tough. It's a grind.
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