Cleveland is apparently seeking three MLB (or close to debuting) players for Francisco Lindor

Even when times are tough, Francisco Lindor speculation keeps the content wheel turning.

Everybody knows at this point that Cleveland is going to trade Lindor. They don’t want to pay him the ~$300 million it’ll take to keep him around long-term and they don’t even want to pay him the ~$20 million salary he’s going to command for the 2021 season.
The Blue Jays are expected to be one of the teams in on Lindor this winter. There’s an obvious connection there because Lindor was drafted back when Mark Shapiro was with the organization so he’s a player that Toronto’s President and CEO knows well.
On Wednesday, Jon Morosi listed the Blue Jays as one of the five teams who are believed to be the strongest candidates to land Lindor. He lists the Blue Jays, Mets (who are looking to make a big splash under new owner Steve Cohen), Yankees, Phillies, and Cardinals.
We’ve heard a million times that the Blue Jays are probably going to try to acquire Lindor so this isn’t really anything new. But Morosi provides an interesting nugget later on in his article that sheds some light on what a …

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Author: Cam Lewis / Blue Jays Nation

It looks like the Canadian Division could happen, and the Leafs (Canada’s team) will own it

There are few things the NHL does or even considers that could benefit the Leafs. In fact things like revenue sharing, salary caps, putting the Leafs in the same division as the Lightning are signs that the NHL has no interest in doing right by the team that props it up the most. Canada’s Team has been done dirty, but there are signs that could be changing.

Golden Knights owner Bill Foley to @BrianBlessing on Vegas Hockey Hotline on facing Nate Schmidt/Canucks: “Yeah, but they’re going to be in the Canadian division.”
Oh.
— David Schoen (@DavidSchoenLVRJ) October 14, 2020

Buried at the bottom of that quote about two teams that no one cares about is something that directly impacts the Leafs. The assertion by an NHL owner that there will in fact be a Canadian division next season.
You might need a refresher on what teams those are because they either suck or don’t matter, but here is how those teams finished last season:

W
L
OL
PTS
RW
RgRec
RgPt%

EDM
37
25
9
83
31
31-25-15
0.542

TOR
36
25
9
81
28
28-25-17
0.521

WPG
37
28
6
80
30
30-28-13
0.514

VAN
36
27
6
78
27
27-27-15
0.5

CGY
36
27
7
79
25
25-27-18
0.486

MTL
31
31
9
71
19
19-31-21
0.415

OTT
25
34
12
62
18
18-34-19
0.387

At first glance it might be appalling …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation

Leafs sign Travis Boyd to a 1 year deal

Okay, so maybe it’s not the big splash of T.J. Brodie, or even the ripple in the pool of Wayne Simmonds, but Travis Boyd is definitely in or around the water in some way.

We’ve signed Travis Boyd to a one-year contract. #LeafsForever
Details: https://t.co/0ymvrLxhBB pic.twitter.com/EoqpU2wvRE
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 10, 2020

From the press release:

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that the hockey club has signed forward Travis Boyd to a one-year contract valued at $700,000.

Boyd, 27, split his 2019-20 season between the Washington Capitals and Hershey Bears (AHL). In 24 games with the Capitals, Boyd recorded three goals and seven assists before adding a goal in four Stanley Cup playoff games. The Edina, Minn., native has registered 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists) in 85 NHL regular season games and has appeared in six career Stanley Cup playoff games, recording a goal. He has skated in 221 career AHL regular season games, all with Hershey, and registered 172 points (57 goals, 115 assists). He has three goals and 14 assists in 33 career Calder Cup playoff games.
Boyd was originally selected by the Washington Capitals in the sixth round (177th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft.
At $700k, it’s easy …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation

The Toronto Raptors should be buyers, not sellers at the trade deadline

Even though the Toronto Raptors are defending NBA champions, no one expected them to compete for a title again this year. Now, they’re proving everyone wrong and might be one trade away from seriously contending. Before the season began, many thought the Toronto Raptors would take a significant step back after their championship run last […]
The Toronto Raptors should be buyers, not sellers at the trade deadline – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Jordan Fleguel / Raptors HQ

Takeaways from Toronto Raptors overtime loss to the Miami Heat

The Toronto Raptors played even for 48 minutes but eventually lost to the Miami Heat in overtime. What were the game’s biggest takeaways? A dog fight broke out in Scotiabank Arena last night. In a matchup between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, we saw defense, scrappiness, and a bit of sloppiness. […]
Takeaways from Toronto Raptors overtime loss to the Miami Heat – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Bossetti / Raptors HQ

Blues at Maple Leafs 10/07/19 – Odds and NHL Betting Trends

by OddsShark (@OddsShark) – Sponsored Post
Auston Matthews was not even part of the Toronto Maple Leafs the last time they defeated the St. Louis Blues, but they have the good omen that is a big number on their side of the scoreboard during their last outing.

The Maple Leafs are a -130 home favourite (wager $130 to win $100) on the NHL odds against the +110 underdog St. Louis (wager $100 to win $110) with a 6.5-goal total for Monday at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Leafs are 0-6 in their last six games against the Blues, whom they see only twice per season. But they are 12-8 in their last 20 regular-season home games as a -120 to -150 moneyline favourite, with the total going UNDER in eight of the 10 most recent games in that sample. The Blues are 7-2 in their last nine away games as an underdog of +110 to +150 on the moneyline.
Blues at Maple Leafs | OddsShark Matchup Report
The reigning Stanley Cup champion Blues went 1-0-1 during a season-opening two-game homestand, including a 3-2 win against the Dallas Stars on Saturday in a rematch from the 2019 playoffs. The total has gone UNDER in 12 of St. Louis’s last 20 away games …

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Author: Nation World HQ / The Leafs Nation

Embracing the ambiguity in hockey analysis

Person 1: “Cody Ceci is bad. He shouldn’t even be in the NHL.”
Person 2: “I don’t know. I mean, maybe you’re right. He has been on some really poor Sens teams though.”
Person 1: “Nope, he’s terrible. The numbers say he’s always been getting crushed in shot-attempt share, and he’s 26 now. He is what he is, a sub-replacement-level.”
Person 2: “It’ll be interesting to see if he can turn it around in a different role in Toronto. He’s not a bad skater and offensive skills seem okay. They must see something in him.”
Person 1: “Yeah, no.”
I’ll admit I’m being a bit of an ass in my portrayal of a hockey argument here, but this is more or less the type of conversation that happens almost-daily on social channels and it obviously isn’t limited to the NHL. But hockey is what we’re going to focus on, because this is a hockey site.
People pay lip service to the idea that there is no real “analytics vs eye test” war still ongoing, and that’s probably mostly true. But I do think it’s taken on a different form, and one thing …

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Author: Ryan Fancey / The Leafs Nation

Doerrie: The Pressure to Perform Has Officially Arrived For the Leafs

After what seemed like an eternity, even though it was only ~16 months, each of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ young stars is signed until the end of the 2024 season. So, please, for the sake of your own sanity (and mine), do not start hollering about Morgan Rielly yet.
For the first time in over a decade, this should be a season in which Leafs fans can comfortably sit back and say, “My team has young stars who are fun to watch, with no looming negotiations.” I guarantee a portion of this fan base will still find something to complain about, but I strongly recommend you avoid that portion, whether on Twitter, or in some underground bar.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, full disclosure: I was preparing to write a “Is it time to discuss whether Ferris is negotiating in bad faith,” article. There were a litany of signs and leaks that this was the case, but holy hallelujah, we have a contract! So, let’s discuss it.
Dom Luszczyszyn and Justin Bourne of the Athletic both had great pieces on the Marner contract, and I highly recommend you read those. Do I think this is a …

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Author: Rachel Doerrie / The Leafs Nation

How many bridges has Marner potentially burned?

Does anybody even like Marner anymore? Like Red Bull tastes bad now because I associate it with this negotiation. I’m probably gonna have to change my insurance provider.
— Todd (@Totally_Offside) September 10, 2019
I’m willing to bet there’s a little hyperbole from ol’ Todd in this tweet, but nevertheless, here I am pondering its meaning.
Up until recently Mitch Marner was the happy go lucky, goofy hockey loving kid who has been adopted by Matt Martin then had his custody transferred to Patrick Marleau. He’s got the high energy smile off the ice, and the equally fun playing style on the ice. And he was a local kid to boot. What wasn’t to love about Mitch Marner?
Well…there have always been plenty of tales of highly involved father dating back to a CBC story on hockey parents that cast him in unappealing light.

It’s been speculated that he’s highly involved in the contract/financial goings on of Mitch, and that he might be the driving force behind some of the decisions we don’t agree with.
That doesn’t really change that the situation is one of Mitch Marner’s making and while …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation

Blue Jays stay cold, drop all four to Rays in Tampa

Even if it was, for a while, denied, it now appears possible, even probable, that the Blue Jays will lose 100 games this season, with this weekend’s four-game slaughtering in Tampa Bay illustrating that almost to perfection.
Due in large part to a lack of pitching, non-existent offence, and occasionally sloppy defence, the Blue Jays were left senseless and were handed their fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth straight losses.
Still, here’s a look at the good, the bad, and the weird from a disappointing series in Tampa:
The Good
Jonathan Davis (3-for-11, 2B, RBI, SB) was solid at the plate, while Reese McGuire (4-for-8, R, 2B, RBI) was also productive in his pair of appearances.
On the hill, Wilmer Font (0.2 IP, H, 0 R/ER, SO), Ken Giles (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER), and Derek Law (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, SO) were effective, while Anthony Kay (5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 8 SO) was dominant in his major-league debut.
The Bad
Jason Adam (1.1 IP, 3 H, R/ER), Buddy Boshers (0.0 IP, H, R/ER, HR, L), Sam Gaviglio (2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R/ER, HB), and Tim Mayza (0.1 IP, H, R/ER) struggled in relief, with Jordan Romano (0.0 IP, 0 H, R/ER, BB) picking up a …

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Author: Hayden Godfrey / Blue Jays Nation