Weekly Takes - Monday, July 6th Edition

Weekly Takes - Monday, July 6th Edition 

1. The Maple Leafs were right to part ways with Matias Maccelli and Nick Robertson. 

I like both players, but they are not better at left wing than Gavin McKenna, Matthew Knies, or Easton Cowan.

They had no top-nine role on the team and neither is obviously not a fourth line calibre player.

2. I like the Leafs re-signing Troy Stecher.

His shot side, speed, puck-moving skills, and passable defence makes him the perfect number seven defenceman.

Toronto had a lot of issues a season ago, but giving Simon Benoit and Phillipe Meyers so many minutes was a major one.

Those days are gone.

3. I love what the Leafs did in free agency.

In net, Segeri Bobrovsky is a risk worth taking, given the upside. The upside is he can be a true number one goalie, something Toronto has not had since Frederik Andersen, all while mentoring Artur Akhtyamov in the process.

Up front, they got faster, better defensively, and better on the penalty kill, their three biggest struggles a season ago.

Doing so allows them to free Auston Matthews up for easier offensive minutes too, including not having to play the penalty kill.

4. With that being said, the Leafs are a little too top-six, bottom-six for my liking. I would love it if they can go get one more right-handed shot…

Gavin McKenna - Matthews - Jack Roslovic (Primary Scoring Line)

Easton Cowan - John Tavares - William Nylander (Secondary Scoring Line)

Matthew Knies - Nick Paul - Vacant (Primary Shutdown Line)

Teddy Blueger - Colton Sissons - Brandon Duhaime (Secondary Shutdown Line)

13th Forward: Dakota Joshua/Steven Lorentz (Keep one, trade one)

That is a great forward lineup if they can land one more forward. Six true top-six forwards, highlighted by their three stars (Matthews, McKenna, Nylander) and two top-nine forwards in Roslovic and Paul.

Never mind the fact they have a proper fourth line for the first time in the Matthews era.

Just need one more forward to give them a true Cup contending forward core. Knies and Paul on the third line is no joke.

5. What I like most about the forward lineup is not even the names, but how they fit.

McKenna has two shooters to play with on line one, with Matthews being the third best skater on the line. Tavares has two faster skaters on his line, while Knies-Paul could be a nasty duo to face, more so if you pair them with a speedster. 

The fourth line plays off each other perfectly, with Blueger also capable of playing centre.

Half the bottom-six (Knies, Paul, Duhaime) are also very physical. 

6. So, I am glad the Leafs have revamped their forward group and goaltending, but their defensive core still needs work.

I like their bottom four of Jake McCabe-Chris Tanev and Emil Andre-Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but John Chayka needs to find someone to replace Morgan Rielly on the top pairing and it needs to be someone who can play the penalty kill, because outside of McCabe, Tanev, and OEL, they have no one.

By far their biggest need in the rest of the offseason. Another winger can wait until midseason, but another D cannot.

7. I do love that Chayka did not hold any spots for any of the Marlies.

If some of those players are good enough, they will push through at training camp. They can always be called up when injuries occur as well.

Saving spots for them would have been malpractice as you try to contend for a Stanley Cup.

8. The Kawhi Leonard trade is the ultimate home run for the Raptors.

Trading Brandon Ingram on its own is a win, a net negative player who did not fit at all with Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. Likewise with trading Gradey Dick, who is a bust in every sense of the word.

Trading both bis a home run of all home runs by Bobby Webster, who desperately needed to launch the Raptors into title contention after a painfully slow rebuild.

And make no mistake about it, the Raptors are as good as any team in the NBA now. Leonard is a top-five player in the league and helps form the best defensive trio in the league between him, Barnes, and Collin Murray-Boyles.

A dream fit.

9. The Leonard trade is also a special moment for everyone involved.

With Leonard, he can retire in the city that has always adored him and never faulted him for going home. 

In Toronto, it gives the city the ultimate approval that the city does not need to chase American stars. The right one will want to come here.

10. Basketball wise, the Raptors still need a starting centre, but there is no mistaking that they are a title contender.

Starting Lineup: Immanuel Quickley - Barrett - Leonard - Barnes - Vacant

Bench: Jamal Shead - Ja’ Kobe Walter - Jamison Battle - Allen Graves - Murray-Boyles

11. The Celtics trading Jaylen Brown for a washed up Paul George helps the Raptors championship odds even more.

You still have to respect Boston, Orlando and Charlotte could take a step, and New York and Philly are legit, but I love where the Raptors are positioned in the Eastern Conference. 

12. One thing is clear from Canada’s Round of 16 loss to Morocco: They need to develop a striker.

The hope will be Promise David can develop into “the guy” but whether it is him or someone else, someone needs to step up. Jonathan David is not the guy.

They are a striker away from being able to stun the world and beat a world power.

Without their best player in Alphonso Davies and their most important player in Ismael Kone, they held their own for the first 30 or so minutes against Morocco.

They are on the doorstep, led by Jesse Marsch.