Nine days removed from the ugly Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers, it still doesn’t feel real that Toronto’s done for the year.
Furthermore, it hurts even more watching the Panthers dismantle the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Meantime, here in Leafs Nation, we’re discussing the offseason ahead and what the Maple Leafs should do.
We kicked off the Tuesday edition of Leafs Morning Take by addressing Brad Marchand’s fondness for Dairy Queen ice cream. Maybe that’s the key to him joining the Leafs on July 1st? Unlikely. At any rate, we did have a serious conversation about Sam Bennett. Even though he seems like the perfect fit, maybe it’s best for Toronto to sit this one out. According to multiple reports from over the weekend, the pending UFA could fetch as much as $10 million per season —if he elects to go to market. He’s a great player, but that’s wild stuff. Can anyone say David Clarkson?
Additionally, we spent a lot of time discussing Craig Berube’s elevated role with the team. What does it all mean? At the very least, it’s clear Berube and MLSE CEO Keith Pelley have really hit it off. Cohesion is good. Speaking of which, we dissected what Berube had to say when he appeared recently on the Nasty Knuckles podcast. Most importantly, he pushed back on the notion that the Leafs have a “country club” atmosphere. Of course, a lot of the conversation right now is about what Pelley had to say during Friday’s press conference. He clearly has a plan of action, so we’ll just have to wait and see what it all means.
Courtesy of GRETA BAR YYZ, TSN’s Mark Masters stopped by the show. We touched on Pelley’s presser, Berube’s added workload, and what it’s like covering the Maple Leafs on a daily basis. On top of that, we got his thoughts on Mitch Marner, what it’s been like covering him over the years, and what he anticipates happening with that situation. All in all, it really feels like Marner’s played his last game with his hometown team.
For the CRISPI HOT TAKE OF THE DAY, presented by the Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer, Producer Vick envisions a scenario where Easton Cowan finishes top-3 in Calder voting next season. When you think about it, that’s not a crazy prognostication. There’s definitely opportunity in the top-six—that’s for sure.
Big things planned for the Wednesday edition of Leafs Morning Take. All Elite Wrestling’s Adam Copeland will fill in as co-host for Jay Rosehill. Also, big wrestling fan Bruce Boudreau will drop by the show.
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