Weekly Takes - Monday, February 20th Edition

Weekly Takes - Monday, February 20th Edition

1. My thoughts on the Maple Leafs-Blues late-night bombshell trade on Friday…

• In Ryan O’Reilly, the Leafs get a high-end, two-way centre who checks off every box that you are looking for in a rental.

He is great defensively, tough, physical, great at faceoffs, has won a Cup, has been a captain, and can more than chip in offensively with his playmaking ability, quick release, and savvy ability to get open.

He instantly becomes the best third-line centre in the league and gives the Leafs a centre trio that has not been seen since the Penguins had Crosby-Malkin-Staal.

His addition will also give Sheldon Keefe the opportunity to run an O-Reilly-Mitch Marner penalty kill unit followed by a David Kampf-Pierre Engvall one.

That is a lot of offence on the first unit and a lot of length on the second one.

An all-in addition, with the only noteworthy piece going out being a late first-round pick.

It is these types of moves that should get your juices going as a fan. Your favourite team, assuming you are a Leafs fan, is all in for a playoff run. The biggest deadline splash this team has made since they went out and got Brian Leetch.

• The addition of Noel Acciari should not be overlooked either.

The Leafs needed to upgrade over the likes of Joey Anderson on the fourth line and they have done so in a significant way. Acciari is fast and hits everything that moves, while not being a blackhole offensively.

• The physical element that both O’Reilly and Acciari provide cannot be understated. Michael Bunting engages physically, Matthew Knies when he arrives can hit like a truck, and Alex Kerfoot can show some pushback here and there, but the Leafs were otherwise lacking a mean element upfront.

Not anymore.

2. With that, here are what my lines would be moving forward…

Forwards…

Bunting - Auston Matthews - William Nylander

Knies (once he arrives) - John Tavares - Marner

Kerfoot - O’Reilly - Calle Jarnkrok

Pierre Engvall - David Kampf - Acciari

13th Forward: Zach Aston-Reese

Worthy Call-Up Options: Pontus Holmberg, Alex Steeves, Bobby McMann, Dryden Hunt, and Joey Anderson (if they can sneak him through waivers)

Defence…

Morgan Rielly - T.J. Brodie

Mark Giordano - Timothy Liljegren

Rasmus Sandin - Justin Holl

Extras: Connor Timmins and Jordie Benn

Goaltending…

Ilya Samsonov

Matt Murray

The goaltending situation, which was the biggest concern heading into the season, is set with Samsonov and Murray. Murray will likely be dealt in the summer to direct his salary to Samsonov and to make room for Joseph Woll, who will need waivers next season, but for now, it is one of the best tandems in the league, with Samsonov running away with the starting job.

As for the defence, I just do not see the need to trade for one, both in terms of acquiring a player to play in the top six or acquiring a depth defenceman. Timmins and Benn have played so well to the point where they deserve to play regularly, yet they rarely play because of how great the top six have been. You only trade for a defenceman if it is an impact one and likely move out Holl to make it work cap-wise.

It seemed as though trading for a defenceman once Jake Muzzin went down was going to be a must, but Giordano showing he can handle top-four minutes has changed everything.

That leaves the forward group. Once Nick Roberston went down, it was clear they were going to need a top-six forward and they went out and acquired a significant one. Finding someone to play third-line centre automatically slots everyone into proper positions.

It addresses the biggest concern I had, which was secondary scoring. The Big Four will score, and you knew Bunting, Jarnkrok, Engvall, and Kerfoot will chip in, but they could not dress three forwards nightly that were very likely to provide you nothing.

I expect the Leafs to be done adding at forward, outside of trading Kerfoot in a deal to make it work cap-wise.

3. My three stars from the Leafs dominant win over the Blackhawks on Wednesday…

1. Nylander

2. Matthews

3. Marner

That may have been the worst hockey game I have watched in my life.

4. My three stars from the Leafs blowout win over the Habs on Saturday…

1. Matthews

2. Bunting

3. Acciari

I did not think Tavares had much of a night, but otherwise, their top players were their top players and their bottom six was outstanding, as was Woll in net.

5. My three stars from the Leafs losing another “have to have” game against a bottom-feeder, this time the Blackhawks on Sunday…

1. Tavares

2. Kerfoot

3. Acciari

If you ask any athlete, they would tell you the key to “flipping the switch come playoff time” is not having to flip one.

The Leafs will certainly have to, because unlike the Bruins and Lightning, who have yet to lose in regulation to a bottom eight team in a combined 26 games, the Leafs are incapable of taking care of business.

Truly mind-blowing. In a series as close as Lightning-Leafs is expected to be, you want as many advantages as possible. That includes home ice.

The Leafs are looking to make things as difficult as possible for themselves, for whatever reason.

6. When you win a championship, it is easy to get complacent, but throughout the opening week of free agency, the Argos have shown no signs of that.

Moving on from Ja’Gared Davis, Chris Edwards, and Henoc Muamba – three massive members of the 2022 defence — is not easy, but they replaced them with a trio of younger, more explosive players in Folarin Orimolade, Jordan Williams, and Adarius Pickett, all of whom raise the Argos ceiling for 2023.

Combined with re-signing Wynton McManis, Royce Metchie, and Deshaun Amos, the Argos are primed to have an elite defence this upcoming season, as long as they can find a defensive back to replace Shaq Richardson.

They did the same on offence too, assuming McLeod Bethel-Thompson walks so that Chad Kelly can take the reigns at quarterback, as well as Brandon Banks.

They then brought back their two top running backs in AJ Ouelette and Andrew Harris, while bringing back their top two wide receivers in Kurleigh Gittens Jr. and DaVaris Daniels.

Their only notable loss was Justin Lawerence, but even then, they replaced him with Darius Ciraco, who started at centre with Ottawa last season.

A very solid offseason by Pinball Clemons and ‘co, who truly only need a defensive back, starting calibre slotback, and a backup quarterback to complete their winter.

7. I thought Netflix’s “Full Swing” series was well produced and interesting enough for what it was but I would have liked to have seen it be more along the lines of “let’s follow a handful of golfers throughout the entire season” rather than “let’s profile different golfers in each episode.”