Mark Masters believes Mats Sundin could help unlock Nylander’s next level: Leafs Morning Take
After a nine-year run, there will be no playoff hockey this spring for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
And honestly, it feels strange.
That’s where the conversation began on Monday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take. While most teams are beginning their quest for the Stanley Cup, in Toronto, the focus has shifted to one thing: waiting to find out who the next general manager will be.
At any rate, in these parts, it will be fascinating to see how some of the former Leafs do. For example, Mitch Marner picked up an assist in Vegas’ 4-2 Game 1 victory over Utah. Over in the Colorado/Los Angeles series, Nicolas Roy and Scott Laughton, who Toronto dealt at the deadline, are going head-to-head. Fraser Minten’s Bruins collapsed in their series opener in Buffalo. That building was rocking!
The Leafs’ season may be over, but they’re still making some noise off the ice. In the NHL’s annual players’ poll, William Nylander was voted both the league’s best social media presence and its most fashionable player by his peers. Predictably, Rosie had a field day with that.
So, it sounds like there could be a culmination to Toronto’s GM search as early as this week. According to NHL Insider Frank Seravalli, the Leafs are advancing to the “finalist” stage of their interview process this week. Mike Gillis’ name has been at the forefront of all this since pretty much the beginning of it all. Other names worth monitoring include John Chayka and Chris Pronger.
Meantime, on Friday, the Leafs sent the Toronto Marlies some much-needed reinforcements ahead of Wednesday’s start to the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. Easton Cowan picked up his first career AHL goal this weekend, and the Marlies are set to face Rochester in a best-of-three series. Naturally, we dove into the players who were sent down, what it all means for their futures, and just how important this playoff run is to cap off their seasons.
After that, TSN Leafs reporter Mark Masters stopped by to unpack a disappointing season in Toronto and what comes next. Masters offered his evaluation of Easton Cowan’s rookie campaign before diving into the strange reality of the Toronto Maple Leafs missing the playoffs, detailing the mood at locker clean-out day and how the vibe shifted over the course of the year. He also discussed whether the organization views this season as a one-off and stressed the urgency for whoever takes over to quickly change the team’s trajectory. Masters weighed in on Mats Sundin potentially joining the front office and the impact he could have on players like William Nylander, before closing with the latest buzz on the GM search, including what Mike Gillis could bring to the table.
Lots of playoff reaction coming on the Tuesday edition of Leafs Morning Take. Plus, we’ll discuss the latest on the GM search with the decision getting closer and closer.