As we approach the draft and free agency, we are breaking down options of potential interest to the Maple Leafs. We have already worked through the top-six winger market, which represents a real path toward meaningful improvement. There are legitimate producers in that group who are capable of contributing near the top of the Leafs’ […]
The post Free Agents Targets for the Maple Leafs: Centermen of Interest appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
about 6 hours ago
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“It’s awesome. It’s special. We couldn’t have done it without everyone who’s in this building right now. It’s something I’ll never forget. I’m going to soak this one in. We just had a bunch of guys with good character who wanted to work hard and win for each other. It’s just a special group.” – […]
The post Three points for Easton Cowan, more Artur Akhtyamov excellence completes the destiny: Toronto Marlies are Calder Cup champions! appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
about 24 hours ago
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While the NHL Draft is still between us and the opening of free agency, the offseason is already moving fast and furious in Toronto, where new GM John Chayka has already completed two significant transactions at the defense and goaltending positions. Before the ground shifts further, let’s jump into some free agent forward targets I […]
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GM John Chayka discusses the sign-and-trade acquisition of defenseman Darren Raddysh (eight years, $8.5 million AAV) from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a fifth-round draft selection in 2026. Darren Raddysh took a little longer to develop, then broke out last year at age 30. What makes you comfortable that he will be able […]
The post John Chayka on the Darren Raddysh acquisition by the Maple Leafs: “He is the type of defenseman we haven’t had in this organization for a long time” a...
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made their first major splash of the offseason. According to Elliotte Friedman, the Leafs are completing a sign-and-trade deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning to acquire defenseman Darren Raddysh. The acquisition cost will be a fifth-round pick in 2026, and the contract is expected to come in at eight years, […]
The post Instant Analysis: Maple Leafs take big swing with Darren Raddysh sign-and-trade appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
Toronto Marlies head coach John Gruden discusses his team’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Wolves in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals. On where the game flipped after entering the third period with a 3-1 lead: It turned in the first five minutes of the third period. We were on our heels. That […]
The post John Gruden on the Chicago head coach’s comment that his players might have a read on Artur Akhtyamov after Game 4: “Artie doesn’t understand English anyway, so it doesn’t matter… He has ...
In the latest MLHS Podcast, Nick Ashbourne and Anthony Petrielli discuss the Leafs’ trade with Philadelphia, the hiring of Jim Hiller as head coach, the first-overall debate (or if it’s a debate at all), and their takeaways from the Marlies’ playoff run. Episode Topics The well-kept-secret hiring of Jim Hiller as the Maple Leafs’ next […]
The post Digesting John Chayka’s first trade and the hiring of Jim Hiller as Leafs head coach – MLHS Podcast Ep. 121 appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
“We know what playoff hockey is all about. We’ve done a really good job of putting ourselves in this position. We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. We know how we need to play moving forward, like we did in the second and third period.” – John Gruden Five straight playoff victories have catapulted […]
The post Easton Cowan’s game-winner, Artur Akhtyamov’s shutout has Toronto Marlies one win away from glory appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
After his introduction as the 41st head coach in Maple Leafs franchise history, Jim Hiller discussed rejoining the organization, his past experience in the market, coaching the Leafs’ star players, the opportunity to draft first overall later this month, and the style of play he’s looking to implement. Opening Statement from Jim Hiller Hiller: First […]
The post Jim Hiller on the Maple Leafs’ style of play under his leadership as head coach: “We’ll have a style of play that the players will...
GM John Chayka discusses his process for arriving at the decision to announce Jim Hiller as the 41st head coach in Maple Leafs history. Opening Statement on the Hiring of Jim Hiller as Head Coach Chayka: First, I’d like to welcome Jim, his wife, and their family back to Toronto. This is a city that […]
The post John Chayka on the hiring of Jim Hiller as Leafs head coach: “It starts with alignment… We want no space between the coaches and the front office… We think Jim gives us the best chanc...
After a lengthy coaching search, the Maple Leafs landed on Jim Hiller as their 41st head coach in franchise history. “Jim is an experienced coach with a strong understanding of what it takes to win in today’s NHL. He has worked with successful teams throughout his career, connects well with players and brings a clear […]
The post Instant Analysis: John Chayka makes surprise hire in Jim Hiller as Maple Leafs’ next head coach appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
Toronto Marlies head coach John Gruden discusses his team’s 1-0 win over the Chicago Wolves in Game 3 of the Calder Cup Final. On taking a 3-0 series lead: We know what playoff hockey is all about. We’ve done a really good job of putting ourselves in this position. And we know what is at […]
The post John Gruden on the city of Toronto supporting the Marlies in the Calder Cup Final: “The energy in that building was the most I’ve ever seen… It is definitely helping big time” appeared first on...
After completing a trade with the Maple Leafs for Simon Benoit and Joseph Woll, Philadelphia Flyers GM Danny Briere discussed his motivations for the deal on TSN Overdrive. Were you working on this deal with the Leafs for a while, or did you put it together after the Cup was handed out? Briere: It was […]
The post Flyers GM Danny Briere on new Leaf Emil Andrae: “He’s smaller in stature, but he competes… He doesn’t care if you’re 6’8 on the other side; he’ll go right through you” appeared fir...
After trading Joe Woll and Simon Benoit to the Flyers in exchange for Emil Andrae, Samuel Ersson, and a third-round pick, GM John Chayka discussed his motivations for the move, the timeline for a head-coaching decision, and signing promising prospect Tinus-Luc Koblar to a three-year entry-level contract. What do you like about the trade, and […]
The post John Chayka on the Joseph Woll trade to Philadelphia: “It sets us up very well for future moves… This allows us to be in a better spot as w...
John Chayka has executed his first trade as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, sending goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for goaltender Samuel Ersson, left-shot defenseman Emil Andrae, and a third-round pick in 2026. Well, the Leafs’ goalie domino has dropped. Following a season in which Dennis […]
The post Instant Analysis: John Chayka begins to change Leafs’ blue-line mix, swaps goalies, opens more cap space in five-piece trade with Phill...
“He is our leader. He is our pulse. He is the heartbeat of this team. He leads on and off the ice. I can’t say enough good things about him as a leader. He has been outstanding throughout these playoffs, and he continues to not only score big goals in big moments but also kill […]
The post Logan Shaw and Bo Groulx lead the way, Toronto Marlies return home with 2-0 series lead appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
Toronto Marlies head coach John Gruden discusses his team’s 5-4 overtime win over the Chicago Wolves in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Final. On the team overcoming a slow start: Obviously, on the first two shifts, they came out ready to go. It is not like we weren’t ready; it’s just a team with […]
The post John Gruden on Marlies captain Logan Shaw scoring the OT winner in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Final: “He is our pulse. He is the heartbeat of this team.” appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
The NHL Combine is over, the Stanley Cup Final is reaching its conclusion, and the 2026-27 calendar is set to begin with the NHL Draft and free agency. It has been 10 years since the Maple Leafs last missed the playoffs, the same year they drafted Auston Matthews first overall. While the Leafs had been […]
The post Weighing the Maple Leafs’ first-overall pick debate: Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and the wildcards appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
“We made a few mistakes which ended up biting us. We’ll clean a few things up, but it’s all about wins right now. I thought we did a lot of good things, had some opportunistic scoring, and obviously our goaltender was pretty big when he needed to be. I expect us to be even better […]
The post Vinni Lettieri comes up clutch again, Ben Danford scores first pro goal as Toronto Marlies take Game 1 in Chicago appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
Toronto Marlies head coach John Gruden discusses his team’s 4-2 win over the Chicago Wolves in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Final. On the “feeling out” process in Game 1: There were times when we did a really good job of it, and then there were times when we made a few mistakes that […]
The post John Gruden on Ben Danford bouncing back from a mistake to score a big goal in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Final: “If you’re going to play hockey at this level and the next level, you need a short memory…...
The Toronto Marlies have qualified for the Calder Cup Final for the third time in franchise history. Despite some Jekyll-and-Hyde performances in the postseason, the Marlies have come out on top in three winner-takes-all encounters. The Marlies have also won seven of 10 road games, including three consecutive wins in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to eliminate a very […]
The post Toronto Marlies vs. Chicago Wolves: Calder Cup Final Preview & Schedule appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
The 2026 NHL Draft is two weeks away, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have been blessed with the opportunity to select a franchise player with the first overall pick. According to most scouts, the best available player is winger Gavin McKenna, a native of Whitehorse who most recently played at Penn State University in the […]
The post A college hockey expert’s breakdown of Gavin McKenna, the first-overall debate, and his fit with the Maple Leafs appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
Ahead of the start of the Calder Cup Final on Friday, Toronto Marlies GM Ryan Hardy discussed the team’s playoff success, John Gruden’s coaching work, Artur Akhtyamov’s superb postseason play, Easton Cowan and Ben Danford’s development, and working with the Leafs’ new management group. How fun has this run been for you? Hardy: Oh, it’s […]
The post Marlies GM Ryan Hardy on Easton Cowan’s continued development in the AHL playoffs: “He is going to have a massive impact on this organization ove...
With the Maple Leafs’ head coach search well underway, we are starting to hear certain names emerge or recede with more clarity, one way or another. As the search continues, I wanted to explore coaches I would be interested in for various reasons. While it’s stating the obvious, we should note that all we can […]
The post A shortlist of head-coaching candidates for the Maple Leafs as the hiring process continues appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
The Toronto Marlies just keep finding ways to win, and now they’re off to the Calder Cup Finals. Two overtime wins, an entertaining 5-1 victory, and a win in which they were outshot 36-16 helped them take their best-of-seven series against the WBS Penguins and capture the conference title. This was, for my money, the […]
The post What have we learned from the Toronto Marlies’ Eastern Conference championship playoff run? appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .