Overtime thoughts

By the time most fans had the time to get a beer and find their seat, the Leafs found themselves in a 2-0 deficit. The news that Captain Auston Matthews reaggravated a previous injury and will miss some time might have had something to do with the late start, since adjustments throughout the lineup had to be made. One positive that came out of this game is William Nylander, as he keeps on scoring, adding two more to his season total of 23. He is 1 goal shy of the league lead, breathing down Leon Draisaitl’s neck.

Having David Kampf Center Mitch Marner on the second line is like having an F1 driver racing a golf cart in the Monaco Grand Prix; it never made sense. Losing Matthews highlights the Leafs’ lack of depth at center, which worries me in the long run. For a team to have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup, they need depth at every position of their lineup, and the Leafs don’t have much at center. 

Here’s one thing that would fix that. If I were Brad Treliving, the team’s General Manager, I would find a way to bring Nazem Kadri back to Toronto. At 34 years old, Kadri is more mature than he was when he last played for the Leafs back in 2019 before getting traded to Colorado. He has changed the way he plays and seems to have better control over his emotions, which was one of the reasons the Leafs traded him in the first place. He’s currently in year three of a seven-year, 7 million contract, which the Flames would have to retain some salary if the trade were to happen.

The Leafs have a chance to go on break on a high note, playing the Winnipeg Jets at home Monday night before getting a four-day break for the holidays. Hopefully, Matthews’s injury will get better over the break, but for now, his injury is a big problem for the whole team.