#toronto-maple-leafs

#toronto-maple-leafs

In comments to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun on Monday, Crosby's agent Pat Brisson didn't just acknowledge the "reality" of trade speculation. Brisson admitted a trade is a "possibility." "I mean, I'm answering something that ... let's put it this way, it's always a possibility, you know?" Brisson said. "It's been three years they haven't made the playoffs. It all depends on how Sid is going to be and how the team is going to do.

Berube: Well, there is familiarity, right? You spend a year here, so you know the guys, and you know the organization and how things work. For sure, there is a little bit of familiarity, which helps. I am excited and ready to go. That feeling hasn't changed for me over the years. You come into camp, and you see all of the guys skating and preparing. It is a really exciting time for me.

I mean, it's hard to replace a guy like that. He's kind of a big player for us, with production, the way he played, special teams,

While we don't particularly enjoy thinking about the Leafs parting ways with someone who has been a joy to watch hit unsuspecting forwards as hard as possible, it might just come down to a numbers game. As The Athletic's James Mirtle wrote in a recent mailbag, the Leafs are looking for more of a puck-moving presence on the blue line and that should then result in them moving on from one of the more defensively minded defensemen.

"I would say this -- the manager's job is to look after both today and tomorrow. Historically, a lot of pending free agents, even 10 months out, end up getting deals done. You've got to manage not just for right now or for next summer, but always with the bigger picture in mind," said Treliving. "We're trying to put the best possible team on the ice for 2025-26, but it has to make sense.

The additions of Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua have seemingly precluded Robertson from earning a spot in the Leafs' middle six. But then again, there's a chance the one spot may open up. For instance, Robertson could outplay Bobby McMann for a bottom-six spot. Similarly, veterans like Calle Jarnkrok and Steven Lorentz aren't precisely carved in stone. So, there's a chance that Robertson could wow the pants off Craig Berube

While other teams around the NHL will have a couple spots to fill and have a mix of veteran skaters and young and hungry prospects fighting for that roster spot and to not suffer the heartbreak of a cut before opening night; the Leafs don't. If anything, they have more than the actual skaters they should have. With the re-signing of Nick Robertson earlier this month, the Maple Leafs have 14 forwards and seven defensemen on the NHL roster.

In a somewhat surprising result, the Tampa Bay Lightning are projected to be the division winners; even after they are seen on a slight decline to make way for the Florida Panthers as the dominant force in the Sunshine State. This would be the Lightning's first division title since the 2018-19 season when they finished one of the best seasons in modern NHL history. A wild record of 62-16-4 -- which is not what JFresh is projecting for this year with just 102 points earned.

Matthew Knies received a substantial long-term commitment from the Leafs and is a prized player in the organization. He will need to take another step forward to help offset the loss of Mitch Marner, and he'll need to prove his 29-goal season while shooting 19 percent was not an aberration. Knies is one of the better young power forwards in the league, has already established himself as a viable linemate for 1C Auston Matthews, and still contains untapped potential.