The party rages on in South Florida as the Panthers continue to celebrate their second straight Stanley Cup.
Don’t worry, Leafs Nation, it’s okay to be jealous.
That’s where the conversation started on the Thursday edition of Leafs Morning Take. Frankly, it would be awesome one day to feel what that fan base feels seemingly on a yearly basis. They’re hyped up, and rightfully so. The worst part about this is that the Panthers are not going anywhere anytime soon. They’ve won twice in a row, and still, they’re already being billed as co-betting favourites to win again in 2025-26.
After that, we got into some news and notes. The NHL’s first offseason buyout window is set to open tomorrow. With that in mind, we debated the idea of the Leafs possibly using one to free up some cap space. At this point, it seems unlikely, but without question, they’ve looked into the idea for the likes of David Kampf, Calle Jarnkrok, and Ryan Reaves. They could also look to trade those guys, too.
Meantime, we gave our thoughts on some of the recent signings around the NHL. Dallas extended Matt Duchene for four years, Chicago re-upped with Ryan Donato, and it sounds like Trent Frederic and Edmonton are inching towards the finish line on an eight-year pact. Furthermore, the list of potential options is dwindling by the day. Bottom day: Brad Treliving will need to get creative in his bid to better the Maple Leafs.
Next, brought to you by GRETA BAR YYZ, Sportsnet’s Anna Dua joined us to talk about her beloved Maple Leafs. Anna dished on Florida repeating as Cup champs and how close the Leafs truly were to persevering. Additionally, she gave her thoughts on covering Mitch Marner and how his entire situation is playing out. Lastly, she broke down some of the big names and who she would like to see join the Maple Leafs this summer.
At any rate, make sure to join us for the Friday edition of Leafs Morning Take. We’ll tackle the very latest with Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos. Talk then!
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