Three spicy hot takes involving Nick Robertson, Matt Murray and the power play ahead of the 2024-25 season
With Maple Leafs training camp fast approaching, here are three hot takes involving Nick Robertson, Matt Murray and the inconsistent Leafs power play that would be extremely cool to see come to fruition.
A hot take, for those who are unaware, is basically just something with extremely long odds of actually panning out -- and we've got some spicy ones for you today.
NICK ROBERTSON RESCINDS HIS TRADE REQUEST AND ENJOYS A BREAKOUT SEASON, ESTABLISHING HIMSELF AS A LEGITIMATE TOP-6 FORWARD
Nick Robertson has to be one of the most intriguing stories coming into training camp. Robertson requested a trade just before free agency opened in hopes of getting a fresh start in a new NHL city.
Leafs GM Brad Treliving doesn't seem too pressed to move the 22-year-old and believes he has a great opportunity ahead of him. With a new coach and a spot in the top-six available now that Tyler Bertuzzi is in Chicago, hot take number one is that Robertson will shock everyone by signing a team-friendly bridge deal, and then proceed to establish himself as a legitimate top-6 forward producing 25 goals and 65 points at minimum.
Robertson finished with 14 goals in 56 games last season while averaging just over 11 minutes per game, so with consistend top-6 minutes, 25 goals may actually be attainable.
LEAFS POWER PLAY STRUGGLES TO BEGIN THE REGULAR SEASON, BUT EVENTUALLY BECOMES THE BEST POWER PLAY IN THE REGULAR SEASON AND THROUGHOUT THE PLAYOFFS
Next up, is the Leafs' power play. Last season, the Leafs ranked seventh best in the NHL operating at 24%. Unfortunately, but once again, it went dry during the playoffs, scoring just once on 21 opportunities in their seven-game series against the Boston Bruins.
New assistant coach Marc Savard will be taking over the power play, which may not seem like a good thing on paper as he led the Calgary Flames' power play to a dismal 17.9% last season. The hot take here is that the Leafs will struggle on the power play as Savard makes a number of changes to try to find some consistency, but in a complete reversal of fortunes, the PP in Toronto will be the Leafs' lifeline in the second half of the season and throughout the playoffs, guiding them to at least the Eastern Conference Finals.
MATT MURRAY FORCED TO PLAY A LARGER ROLE THAN ANYONE ANTICIPATES AND ACTUALLY OUTPERFORMS HIS TWO COUNTERPARTS IN TORONTO
The Leafs brought in Stanley Cup Champion Anthony Stolarz on a 2-year deal to compete with Joseph Woll for starts. While Stolarz should provide some stability in net after producing some of the best numbers in the entire NHL last season, neither he nor Woll have played more than 30 games in a season.
Woll has a history of injuries and Stolarz may not have the stamina to go on a prolonged run, which is where a healthy Matt Murray comes in. Murray missed all of last season after undergoing a double-hip surgery. On a recent episode of "Slangin' the Bizkit", Murray revealed that he is healthier than he has ever been. With Stolarz battling consistency issues with a larger workload and Woll out with injury, the Leafs will call upon Murray, who ends up stealing the starting job and earns himself a mid-season extension in the process.
With training camp just a month away, which one of these hot takes do you think is the most likely to occur? Let us know in the poll below.
| POLL | ||
22 AOUT | 1094 ANSWERS Three spicy hot takes involving Nick Robertson, Matt Murray and the power play ahead of the 2024-25 season Which hot take is most likely to happen? | ||
| Robertson scores 25 and becomes a top-6 staple | 231 | 21.1 % |
| Leafs power play leads them to playoff success | 265 | 24.2 % |
| Murray steals the show and earns a new deal | 170 | 15.5 % |
| None of the above | 428 | 39.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
