In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumors, I’ll examine the Atlantic Division and point out that it is the toughest division in the NHL, given that the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup last night.
Second, I’ll look at rumours that the Maple Leafs are preparing to sign goalie Joseph Woll to a three-year contract extension. If so, it suggests that the team will not be seeking a veteran high-cost goalie and would offer fans an insight into the organization’s thoughts about its future in the crease.
Third, I have been thinking and writing about Mitch Marner for the past few weeks. As readers know, I dismiss all the “landing places” writing I’ve seen as clickbait. I also believe it’s likely Marner will once again be in a Maple Leafs uniform come October. Still, I don’t fully believe it’s out of the question that Marner wouldn’t waive his no-move clause. I think there’s one reason he would waive it.
Item 1: Maple Leafs Play in NHL’s Toughest Division
This morning my often co-writer Stan Smith emailed me with his thoughts about the last night’s Game 7. He reminded me that, during five of the last six NHL seasons, a team from the Atlantic Division has made it to the Stanley Cup Final. Even more impressively, they’ve clinched the Cup three times during that span. The only exception was in 2021 when the divisional structure was disrupted due to COVID-19, yet both finalists were Atlantic Division teams—Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.
These statistics paint a clear picture: the Atlantic Division is undoubtedly one of the toughest in the NHL. With such consistent performances on the biggest stage, it’s no surprise that teams like the Maple Leafs face fierce competition year after year. He suggested that there should be a deeper discussion about what makes a division challenging and how it affects teams’ playoff runs. He makes a good point.
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