Leafs Notebook

Since 2011, Anthony Petrielli has been providing his weekly long-form breakdown of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ games and the big storylines surrounding the team.

Leafs Notebook – December 8

There is a well-known saying among hockey executives that goes, “Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don’t make.” When Brendan Shanahan was hired...

Leafs Notebook – December 2

There isn't an elephant in the room when it comes to the Leafs defense, but the question of what to do is bubbling below...

Leafs Notebook – November 25

The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially played a quarter of their season, and we are still no closer to figuring out where this team...

Leafs Notebook – November 17

This past weekend, Pat Burns was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame despite no longer being with us. It served as a stark...

Leafs Notebook – November 11

The 2013-14 season marked the first time since the 1989-90 campaign that no goalie played more than 65 games. https://twitter.com/cmasisak22/status/456305105310986241 That was, of course, an Olympic...

Leafs Notebook – November 3

A 3-0 week quieted the “blow it up” talk in Toronto, but it will inevitably rear its ugly head again. Rebuilding the team entirely would be...

Leafs Notebook – October 28

When Kyle Dubas was named GM of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, one of the first things he did was buy every member of the...

Leafs Notebook – October 20

Since the 2014-2015 season began, I have been tracking my own internal metrics on Leafs games. I thought I’d take the time to explain what...

Leafs Notebook – October 14

The Maple Leafs were faced with a unique opportunity to keep their top prospect in Toronto playing in the AHL, yet they elected to...

Leafs Notebook – Season Finale – April 14

When the media asked who has final say on roster decisions at today's introductory press conference for Brendan Shanahan, there was a pause followed...
Toronto Maple Leafs vs St. Louis Blues

Leafs Notebook – April 7

With the rest of the Leafs season boiling down to a formality, the offseason speculation is about to ramp up to (my guess) unprecedented...
Randy Carlyle

Leafs Notebook – March 31

There is an old saying that a good coach might only help you win an extra handful games over the course of a season,...

Leafs Notebook – March 24

When Tim Leiweke officially took over as President of MLSE on April 2013, the Maple Leafs finally made the playoffs after a long drought,...

Leafs Notebook – March 19

Just when things were looking comfortable for the Leafs, they had to go and make it interesting again. Really, is there any other way this team...

Leafs Notebook – March 13

Alec and I took in the Rotman Sports Industry Conference yesterday, which is of note because the Leafs VP of scouting, Reid Mitchell, was...
David Clarkson

Leafs Notebook – March 4

It's not time to sound the alarm, but the sense of urgency is heightened across Toronto. The Leafs are still firmly in a playoff spot...

AP’s Mailbag: Deadline targets, bottom 6, “impact” prospects, PK and shots against

Thanks again for all the questions. My apologies if I didn't get to yours. Part 1 can be found here. - wendelsfist: "What one personnel upgrade or...

AP’s Mailbag: Defensive question marks, playoffs, Kulemin, Franson and expiring deals

Thanks for all the questions. Part 2 will follow a little later on in the day. - @BrianHuddle: "Where does management need to advance this roster to...

Leafs Notebook – February 11

With the hockey world’s attention firmly fixed on the Olympics, it’s easy to forget that the NHL is quickly approaching a significant date: Trade...

Leafs Notebook – February 3

The sentiment "Thank you Boston" has been never been more prevalent in Leafs Nation as Phil Kessel continues to rip apart the NHL. I'm...

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