‘This is what you play for’: Marlies embark on postseason climb with Calder Cup at peak

On Thursday night while the Maple Leafs try to slay the dragon that is the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Marlies will be embarking on that same mission just down the street at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
It’s been 1432 days since Toronto last step foot in a Calder Cup Playoff game. Two pandemic seasons and a missed opportunity last year were the reasons for such a long layover.
Not a single player from Toronto’s 2019 playoff roster is on this team, though the Marlies are still riddled with veterans. Logan Shaw, Kyle Clifford, Joseph Blandisi, Jordie Benn, Carl Dahlstrom, and Radim Zohorna each have experience in the AHL or NHL postseason, which’ll help a younger team.
Clifford, as we all know, has won two Stanley Cups to his name, Zohorna has won two championships in the Czech Extraliga, and Pontus Holmberg was the SHL Playoff MVP back in 2021 with the Växjö Lakers when they won the SHL Championship.
Although the Marlies aren’t full of players who’ve experienced AHL playoff hockey, they are filled with players that kn …

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Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation

Analyzing Trevor Richards’ season, and why the Blue Jays mop-up reliver may not be as bad as you think

While Trevor Richards hasn’t been good this season, he also hasn’t been bad.

That may sound like an odd take considering that he’s been pulled from three games of the seven he’s appeared in, but hear me out.
We’ll discuss the two “bad” games he’s had, while expanding on why it may not be the case with added context. We’ll also look at what he has also done well, because there has been quite a lot of good in Richards’ season so far.
Let’s start with the only game he’s allowed an earned run in, a game against the Kansas City Royals.
April 6th against Kansas City:
With the Blue Jays up 6-0 in the bottom of the eighth, manager John Schneider called upon Trevor Richards, who is essentially their mop-up guy at the moment.
You know the story, Bobby Witt Jr hits a homer, MJ Melendez walks, Salvador Pérez hits a single, and Schneider replaces Richards with Tim Mayza, who proceeds to allow two hits before being pulled himself.
After two scoreless innings during his season debut on April 2nd, Richards’ ERA and FIP ballooned to 13.50 and 11.32 respectively after the Kansas game.
However, let’s add some context to this outing, because it’s important. First, let’s look at the home run by Witt Jr.

Bobby Whit JrOpponent- Toronto Blue JaysPitcher- Trevor RichardsDate- 04/06/2023 pic.twitter.com/7mk3ZuUzVI
— KCR Home Runs (@KCRoyals_HR) April 11, 2023

As you can see here, the ball is literally hit off the outside of the foul pole and …

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Author: Brennan Delaney / Blue Jays Nation

Raptors rumors: Suns to pursue Fred VanVleet during free agency

Raptors rumors: Suns to pursue Fred VanVleet during free agency

While Fred VanVleet and the Toronto Raptors twiddled their thumbs following the trade deadline acquisition of Jakob Poeltl, the Phoenix Suns decided to shake the entire sports world to its core when they acquired superstar Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets. The Suns’ desire to compete for multiple championships and the uncertainty surrounding VanVleet’s potential […]
Raptors rumors: Suns to pursue Fred VanVleet during free agency – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

3 reasons Raptors clearly won Jakob Poeltl trade with Spurs

3 reasons Raptors clearly won Jakob Poeltl trade with Spurs

While the Toronto Raptors didn’t make as bombastic a trade as shipping Kevin Durant over to the Phoenix Suns, they did manage to make a noteworthy move by acquiring Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Khem Birch, a protected first-round pick, and two second-round picks. San Antonio, who is right in […]
3 reasons Raptors clearly won Jakob Poeltl trade with Spurs – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / 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

Rosie’s back + Recapping Toronto’s beatdown of the New York Islanders: Leafs Morning Take

Rosie’s back + Recapping Toronto’s beatdown of the New York Islanders: Leafs Morning Take

Back on track.
John Tavares had one and one while Willy Nylander notched four points (two goals, two assists) as the Leafs kicked off their five game homestand with an impressive 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders.
The big story from the game was Sheldon Keefe reuniting the Tavares/Nylander and Matthews/Marner combos. Furthermore, it must be an amazing feeling for Sheldon Keefe to have two lethal duos in his back pocket at his disposal whenever the well runs dry. And that was not the first time his line juggling ignited the offence this season.
Speaking of reunions, after a weekend trip to Vegas, Jay Rosehill was back in the mix today for the Tuesday edition of Leafs Morning Take. After getting back up to speed – including a brief breakdown of Saturday night’s loss in Montreal – we recapped another impressive victory for the Maple Leafs.

“I can’t say enough about Nylander & Tavares this year, it just seems like they’re like brothers out there.”
– @Jay_D_Rosehill
Leafs Morning Take – Jan. 24 @TLNdc
Full Show: https://t.co/yuM6y85WbL@PointsBetCanada | @MontanasBBQ #LeafsForever 5 #Isles 2 pic.twitter.com/yrSvMBDKPQ
— Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) January 24, 2023

 
Before a well-deserved nine-day break (All-Star + Bye Week), Toronto has four games left —all at home.
As per usual, we wrapped with the PointsBet Canada bet of the day. We’re looking for Vancouver to make some noise in their first game under Rick Tocchet.

.@thegoldenmuzzy & @Jay_D_Rosehill are feeling Vancouver tonight in Rick Tocchet’s debut behind the bench. 👀
💰💰💰@PointsBetCanada is live in Ontario!
Details -> https://t.co/uvEnShfFwr#ad #pointsbetcanada
Full Show📱: https://t.co/MQHdN6VNxQ pic.twitter.com/ZLL3CZ9ykP
— TheLeafsNation (@TLNdc) January 24, 2023

 
Join us at 11 AM ET on Wednesday as we preview Leafs and Rangers from Scotiabank Arena.
Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and leave us a review wherever you’re checking us out. …

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Author: Nick Alberga / The Leafs Nation

Blue Jays Nation’s 2023 Preseason Top 50: #15 Josh Kasevich

It’s been a while since a 2022 draftee was ranked on Blue Jays Nation’s Top 50, but that changes with this article.

Josh Kasevich is an intriguing prospect, as he has a great hit tool and will be able to stick at shortstop as he’s a great defender.
However, we’ll look at the criteria before taking a deep dive.
Brennan’s criteria:
Instead of writing this out every time I did for the mid-season Top 60, I’ll copy and paste my criteria for how I rank and scout these players.
There are many factors that determine a top prospect. The eye test is the biggest driver in determining a top prospect, but proximity to the majors, ceiling, and floor is also important. Moreover, statistics are another key ingredient, as everything works together to give you numbers.
As for the grades, it’s important to remember that they are relative to the league in which they play. A kid from Dunedin is not going to have a 50-grade hit tool if he were placed in the big leagues. But relative to the league in which he plays, a .300 hitter is eligible for that grade.
For these prospects, I’ll review their background, numbers in the minors, pitch mix (if they’re a pitcher), and give a scouting report (if feasible, rookie league guys are difficult).
Let’s jump in!
Josh Kasevich’s career so far:
The 21-year-old (who’ll turn 22 a day after this article is published) was drafted in the second round of the 2022 dr …

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Author: Brennan Delaney / Blue Jays Nation

Donovan Mitchell has lame excuse for Raptors beating Cavs three times

Donovan Mitchell has lame excuse for Raptors beating Cavs three times

While the Toronto Raptors may be a measly 12-18 against every team in the league not named the Cleveland Cavaliers, they are a perfect 3-0 against a squad that can legitimately be considered one of the best in the Eastern Conference. Who could have figured? After breaking out of their shooting slump, the Raptors had […]
Donovan Mitchell has lame excuse for Raptors beating Cavs three times – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

Could Raptors reunite with DeMar DeRozan amid Bulls drama?

Could Raptors reunite with DeMar DeRozan amid Bulls drama?

While the Toronto Raptors have won a championship and made the playoffs three times since the departure of DeMar DeRozan in the Kawhi Leonard trade, some fans have spent the last few years wondering about what it would take to bring No. 10 back to Toronto and further add to his legacy. While DeRozan signed […]
Could Raptors reunite with DeMar DeRozan amid Bulls drama? – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

5 trade targets Raptors can add due to Victor Wembanyama tank

5 trade targets Raptors can add due to Victor Wembanyama tank

While the Toronto Raptors can take comfort in the fact that they have everything at their disposal needed for a deep postseason run, not every team is gunning for championship glory. In actuality, we may witness a historic tank job thanks to the performance of consensus No. 1 draft prospect Victor Wembanyama. The hype around […]
5 trade targets Raptors can add due to Victor Wembanyama tank – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ