Weekly Takes - Monday, March 28 Edition

Weekly Takes - Monday, March 28 Edition

1. The trade deadline came and went with the Maple Leafs top-five in the NHL while icing the best roster they have iced since the early 2000s.

I think Kyle Dubas failed greatly by not adding a goalie and it may very well cost him his job, but offensively and defensively, he did what he needed to do. Outside of the goaltending absolutely collapsing in the spring, it is all on the players if they do not, at the very least, win a round this postseason.

It is now or never.

2. My winners and losers of the trade deadline, in no order…

Winners…

• Panthers (Claude Giroux)

• Habs (Loading up on draft picks in exchange for rentals)

• Lightning (Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul)

• Avs (Josh Manson, Artturi Lehkonen, and Andrew Cogliano)

• Kraken (See: the Habs)

Losers…

• Bruins (They will regret the Hampus Lindhom contract)

• Senators (The Travis Hamonic trade is an embarrassment and a massive indictment on the organization and how they operate)

• Stars (I think they should have traded John Klingberg)

• Oilers (I like the Brett Kulak trade but they needed a top-nine forward and at least one more defenceman, never mind a goalie)

• Canucks (I think they made a massive mistake by not trading JT Miller. His value will never be as high as it was this past deadline)

• Golden Knights (I mean… obviously)

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

1. Mitch Marner

2. Mark Giordano

3. Jason Spezza

I was impressed with Colin Blackwell’s game. Between his high-end speed and tenacious play, he sure looks like a useful player to me.

4. My three stars from the Leafs loss to the Habs (again) on Saturday…

1. Justin Holl

2. Auston Matthews

3. Marner

They dominated the Habs in every way but Jake Allen was brilliant, while the referees once again were a massive part of the end result due to the non-call on the Matthews trip late in the third.

Not much you can do.

5. My three stars from the Leafs terrific win over the Panthers on Sunday…

1. John Tavares

2. Marner

3. Petr Mrazek

It helped that the Leafs played their best defensive game of the season but this was the best Mrazek has looked all season.

The only negative about this loss was the fourth line… again.

If I am Sheldon Keefe, this is the lineup I am trotting out come playoff time once everyone is available…

Michael Bunting - Matthews - Marner

Matthew Knies - Tavares - William Nylander

Ilya Mikheyev - David Kampf - Pierre Engvall

Alexander Kerfoot - Blackwell - Ondrej Kase

That is a lot better than what they are currently trotting out.

6. The Blue Jays getting out of the Randal Grichuk contract (for the most part) is some tidy business by Ross Atkins.

Getting a left-handed bat with plus speed and plus fielding ability and a prospect who has intriguing upside just makes it all that much more better.

7. As was the case when the Packers traded Devante Adams, the return Kansas City got for Tyreek Hill is fine, but you cannot trade him. Full stop.

You cannot take a step back in a division where everyone else has taken massive steps forward.

8. It is hard, truly, to put into words how amazing this run has been by the Canadian Men’s National Soccer team.

They are going to the World Cup, they are (very likely) going to finish in first place, and they did so without having their best player in the last two windows.

They are the best team in CONCACAF and they are a top 12 team in the world.

The best part? This core is going to be around for the next two-to-three World Cup windows.

The best is yet to come.