Mitch White to start for Blue Jays on Friday, Alek Manoah lined up for Game 162

Mitch White will get the start for the Blue Jays on Friday in Tampa, a move that the team’s coaching staff has made in order to give Alek Manoah some extra rest and to line him up for the final day of the season.

Manager John Schneider said that the team’s priority is finishing as the top wild-card team so that they can host the first round of the playoffs. If that comes down to the final day of the season, Manoah will start. If not, he’ll get more extra rest before the Blue Jays head into the playoffs.
Here’s how the pitching rotation will look the rest of the way, based on the Blue Jays’ plans…
Friday, Sept. 23 vs. Rays: Mitch White
Saturday, Sept. 24 vs. Rays: Alek Manoah
Sunday, Sept. 25 vs. Rays: Ross Stripling
Monday, Sept. 26 vs. Yankees: Kevin Gausman
Tuesday, Sept. 27 vs. Yankees: Jose Berrios
Wednesday, Sept. 28 vs. Yankees: Mitch White/Bullpen Day
Thursday, Sept. 29 – OFF
Friday, Sept. 30 vs. Red Sox: Alek Manoah
Saturday, Oct. 1 vs. Red Sox: Ross Stripling
Sunday, Oct. 2 vs. Red Sox: Kevin Gausman
Monday, Oct. 3 vs. Orioles: Jose Berrios
Tuesday, Oct. 4 vs. Orioles: Mitch White/Bullpen Day
Wednesday, Oct. 5 vs. Orioles: Alek Manoah
Thursday, Oct. 6 – OFF
Friday, Oct. 7 – Wild Card Game 1
Saturday, Oct. 8 – Wild Card Game 2
Sunday, Oct. 9 – Wild Card Game 3
The ideal situation here, of course, is that the Blue Jays have the top wild-card spot locked up before the end of the season and those games against Baltimore in October don’t matter. As it stands right now, the Blue Jays are one game up on Tampa Bay and they play the Rays three more times while t …

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Author: Cam Lewis / Blue Jays Nation

William Villeneuve shows offensive prowl in third day of Maple Leafs development camp

A quick day three was on the books for Tuesday as Team White took on Team Blue for the first of two scrimmages this week at Maple Leafs development camp.
The first faceoff had the top forwards from each team lining up — Matthew Knies, Fraser Minten, and Max Ellis wearing Blue — Brandon Lisowsky, Nick Moldenhauer, and Ryan Tverberg sporting White.
A scrimmage halfway through development camp will allow the Maple Leafs’ brass to get a more firm look at who’s distancing themselves further from others.
3 Players who’ve distanced themselves early at Leafs development camp
Period one started with goaltenders Dennis Hildeby in Team Blue’s net and Keith Petruzzelli in net for Team White. The game began with a lot of pace and physicality and players weren’t afraid of leaning into hits or going into corners.
Rayan Bettahar was one player who didn’t seem afraid to throw big hits throughout Tuesday’s scrimmage.
A few minutes into the first period, Michael Renwick, who spent last season with the Windsor Spitfires, slid into the boards pretty hard. The 20-year-old looked to be in some considerable pain and was clearly frustrated that he had to leave the game. He didn’t return.
The line of Knies, Minten, and Ellis looked very good early, but seemed to taper off in the back-half of the scrimmage. The first period saw no goals, in part from there being not many strong chances, but also because of the strong play from Petruzzelli and Hil …

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Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation

Colin White could make for a great centre option on the Maple Leafs next season

The Ottawa Senators are waiving Colin White for the purpose of a buyout and it’s time for the Maple Leafs to go out and get him on July 13th.
At 25-years-old, White provides something that Toronto needed last season — a full-time fourth line centre. Jason Spezza played a key role there for most of last season, but with his age and the fact that he’s now retired, there’s now room for someone new.
This is literally the perfect fit for both sides. White can come in on a one or two-year deal to prove that he can still provide some wealth in the NHL and the Maple Leafs get him on a cheap contract. If it works out, great, if not, well, the contract could be buried.
One of the many reasons why I think the 25-year-old would be a great fit is because of his defensive game. While he doesn’t bring much offense to the table, his statistics in his own team’s zone are fantastic.

Comparing White to a player alike such as Toronto’s own, David Kampf, you can see that they both share similar underlying numbers. The offense isn’t there, but they shine in their own end, defending the opposition.
Going more on point-production, White has 98 points in 224 games while Kampf has only produced 84 points in 317 games. With more points and a possible healthy season, White could come out as good or even better than Kampf. Big if there.
It’s possible, though, because back in the 2019-19 season, White had 41 points in 71 games. If he finds the right team, like Toronto, who can help rebuild him, there’s always a chance he can return to that form.
The only problem with this signing is the 25-year-old’s injury history. Once he signed his six-year deal in Ottawa with a $4.792 AAV, everything …

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Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation