Raptors’ all-time starting 5: Players who never made playoffs in Toronto

Raptors’ all-time starting 5: Players who never made playoffs in Toronto

The Toronto Raptors qualified for the playoffs in 13 of their first 27 seasons. They have been a fixture in the postseason for the last decade, but that was not always the case. Before Kyle Lowry started the run in 2014, the Raptors were in the lottery for five straight years and nine of 11 […]
Raptors’ all-time starting 5: Players who never made playoffs in Toronto – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Tyler Watts / Raptors HQ

Five NCAA free agent targets for the Toronto Maple Leafs

Five NCAA free agent targets for the Toronto Maple Leafs

The NCAA playoffs are still a while away, but things are starting to really ramp up in hockey’s top college ranks.
And that includes looking towards the future. Some of the top college players each year sign entry-level deals with NHL teams as an inexpensive way of adding depth. We don’t typically see many high-quality players go the free-agent route, but Tyler Bozak is a notable one that comes to mind as one that worked out for the Blue and White. Last year, the Toronto Marlies added Dryden McKay, who was coming off of one of the best statistical careers by a goaltender in recent NCAA history.
There aren’t any must-have prospects this year, but we know Kyle Dubas and Co. love scouring the United States for quality, developed talent. They’ll have options this year, depending on need. The theme this year, like most years, is depth, but there’s also a chance to add some skill and size to the lineup, too.
Here’s a look at five NCAA free agents the Toronto Maple Leafs could look to target this spring:
Jason Polin, RW (Western Michigan)
Polin is the big kahuna right now. The 23-year-old Western Michigan captain is having a dominant season, scoring 23 goals and 35 points in his first 28 games as a seni …

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Author: Steven Ellis / The Leafs Nation

Looking way ahead to the 2023 draft: The Blue Jays will pick 20th, an early look at draft prospects and more!

With the Jays out of the playoffs, it’s time to look ahead to the 2023 season. More specifically, the 2023 draft.

As you know, the Jays were eliminated from the playoffs last Saturday, swept by the lower-seed Seattle Mariners. It was a bitter pill to swallow, as they were considered to be World Series contenders in 2022. 
I’ll eventually write my thoughts on what exactly went wrong, and what needs to be changed, but we’ll just focus on some good that came out of being bounced so quickly.
The Jays will select 20th overall:
Unlike last season, the draft ranking isn’t determined by where teams finish in the standings, but by a lottery. While the Jays won’t partake in that, they’ll be affected by the changes regarding the playoffs.
Teams that are bounced in the wildcard round, will pick after the 18 teams that didn’t make it. These four teams are the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York lolMets.
The 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd overall picks have been determined by record, meaning that the Rays will pick 19th, the Jays 20th, and the St. Louis Cardinals 21st. While the Mets would usually get the 22nd, they pick drops ten spots due to being way over the luxury tax. Have fun signing all your free agents, lolMets.
If you’re wondering, yes, the fact that the Jays picked a few spots below the World Series winning Atlanta Braves in the 2022 draft absolutely irks me to t …

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Author: Brennan Delaney / Blue Jays Nation

The 3 Marlies who need to have a breakout season in 2022-23

After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2011, the Toronto Marlies are looking for a different outcome this year.
Last season saw an inexperienced team, as a number of players made their true AHL debuts. (The COVID season skewed stats and wasn’t as competitive due to the NHL’s taxi squad.)
This year is a completely different story, though. While there were no excuses from players or management for a missed playoffs, it was clear that experience played a massive part in the result.
With a majority of the team now having at least one year of experience in professional hockey, the real work to become a playoff team begins. As does the road to developing players so that they can one day play for the Maple Leafs.
There are a few players who need to have big seasons — three of which who’ve gotten one full year of the AHL under their belts.
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev
With one more year remaining on his entry-level contract, the 21-year-old sits atop the list of players who need to have a breakout season.
Just one year ago, Assistant General Manager and head of Player Development for the Maple Leafs, Hayley Wickenheiser, said that Der-Arguchintsev’s route to success would begin with gaining muscle in the weight room.
He had plenty of success early on in …

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Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation

Meet the Sellers (sort of): Miami Marlins

Fun fact: The Miami Marlins have made the playoffs three times in their 30-year  existence. The first two times, they won the World Series.

Is it fair to call the Marlins sellers? I’d argue they still have a shot as they’re only four games back for the final wild card spot, but they have a lot of high ceiling players on their team.
Sure, the Jays only have four more wins than the team from Florida. Regardless, we’ll look at expiring players as well as a position where they have a surplus of talented players.
Joey Wendle:
We’ll start with the position player. Did you know that Joey Wendle has been to an all-star game, representing the 2021 AL East winning Tampa Bay Rays?
Statistics:
Joey Wendle’s 2022 season can be characterized as a contact hitter. This season, he’s slashing .267/.326/.338 with two homers (Miami does have a pitcher’s ballpark) in 129 plate appearances. His BB% sits at a solid 7%, but he rarely strikes out, as he only has a K% of 10.1%. His 2022 wRC+ sits at 105.
In his all star season, he posted a .265/.319/.422 slash line with 11 homers in 501 plate appearances. His wRC+ sat at 106 and he had a low BB% of 5.6% while his K% skyrocketed to a career high 22.6%. After this season, Wendle was traded for former first rounder, Kameron Misner, who’s ranked as the Rays thirteenth best prospect.

Joey Wendle – Miami Marlins (2) pic.twitter.com/0YBiPn8ZYu
— MLB …

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Author: Brennan Delaney / Blue Jays Nation