A photo posted by Phil Kessel (@phil_kessel_81_) on

A photo posted by Phil Kessel (@phil_kessel_81_) on

What a time to be alive.

Suck it, Simmons!

Marlies/Solar Bears News

Some stuff happened with the Leafs roster and the Marlies roster yesterday, and Katya covered both. Here are Leafs roster changes / Marlies roster changes.

Don Money (thanks, Don) sent along his best guess as to the Solar Bears' roster:

Forwards:
Marlies guys (6): Findlay, Foster, Faille, Witala, Cameranesi, Hohmann
OSB guys (pick 7): Brace, Moore, Manderson, Watling, Sylvestre, Sanderson, Block, McInnis, Montgomery, Gaarder, Perry, Johnson (plus try-outs of Turner and Hollweg)
Defense:
Marlies guys (3): Miller, Corrin, Stanton
OSB guys (pick 5): Ludwig, Bradley, Baier, Doherty, Nicastro, Danford (plus try-out of Brooks)My first reaction was, why in God's name would you send down those six forwards? They are all playmakers and high scorers who did well in both leagues. But the happy answer is, the Marlies are stacked.

Todd Crocker wrote his Marlies season wrap over here, and said, "13 players were sent to Orlando and many will make the trip back more than a few times this season." He gives props to one of the Solar Bears, Eric Faille, in particular:

In the first game they asked for the captains to come to centre ice for a ceremonial face off. After a second or two of the starting lineup looking around, Eric Faille stepped forward and took the draw. This isn’t really a bad way to pick a captain. You have one second…pick.Faille volunteering for that job also meant he accepted the Colemans Cup. Yes, there is a trophy, at tournaments end. He took the photo op well, no word if he ended up on the front page.

Interestingly enough, the Marlies are going to run with four goaltenders for a while, leaving Orlando with Ryan Massa and Jay Williams. I like this -- it helps keep Orlando's goal situation stable, which is important given the level of competition in this ECHL division. And it also gives the Leafs and Marlies a little more room to play musical goalies without impacting Orlando much.

Thank you for those good decisions, Kyle Dubas. We down here in the south appreciate it.

Leafs News

Should we be Concerned About Frederik Andersen and Leafs Goaltending? | Tip of the Tower
"Since the days of Ed Belfour and Curtis Joseph, nothing has caused Leafs fans more consternation than the inconsistency of goaltending. How do you feel about the preseason performances we have just witnessed from five different goalies?"

Youth movement underway for Maple Leafs | TSN
"Two days removed from opening night, the Toronto Maple Leafs are primed to start the season with as many as six NHL rookies on the roster."

Scouting The Atlantic Division: Toronto Maple Leafs | The Rat Trick
"It may be some time before anything bears fruits, especially expecting anything this year might be too much, but there is no doubting that Toronto should be a fun team to watch this year – for better or worse."

Toronto Maple Leafs: The Waiver Wire Is Ripe For Picking | Editor in Leaf
"The Toronto Maple Leafs have the highest waiver priority thanks to their last place finish last season, and they should use it on a player who was waived today."

Toronto Maple Leafs fans can go ahead and buy that Mitch Marner jersey: ‘He has made the team’ | National Post
Both Leafs coach Mike Babcock and general manager Lou Lamoriello on Monday spoke glowingly of the 19-year-old forward.

WATCH: Jeremy Bracco’s five-point night versus Guelph | MLHS
"Jeremy Bracco currently resides atop the OHL’s points-per-game rankings with nine points in three games following a five-point game versus Guelph on Thanksgiving Monday."

Other hockey news

Nikita Kucherov returns from Russia as Lightning deal nears | Joe
Glory be, Kucherwatch is nearly over!

Members of Congress Ask N.H.L. for More Concussion Information | N.Y.T.
"Four members of Congress want more answers from Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the N.H.L., about what the league is doing, or not doing, about concussions in hockey."

NHL: Sidney Crosby out with a concussion | North Jersey Record
"Sidney Crosby was playing the best hockey of his life. Now his extraordinary year is on hold and no one is sure when he will be back on the ice."

Meet the hockey star making transgender sports history | NY Post
"The National Women’s Hockey League’s first transgender player scored a goal in his debut, and finally got an opportunity to hear his name announced over the PA system how he always felt it should."

Speaking of rings:

From The Branches