Good morning.

Following the frenzy that was yesterday’s Toronto Raptors parade, there are likely many lessons the city learned. It was an amazing celebration with lots of people sharing in the moment with love, it would just be better if there were some more water fountains, shade, and fencing. But, you know, live and learn.

Hopefully in 12 months time the Raptors can repeat and share a championship party with the Maple Leafs!

Monday wasn’t all about the Raptors and Masai Ujiri ethering Doug Ford, there was some hockey news as well. Let’s get into it.

The big news of the day came from Winnipeg when the Jets traded RFA defenseman Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers for RFA defenseman Neal Pionk and a 2019 first-round pick (20th overall). Trouba has asked for a trade out of Winnipeg for years and he finally got it before his second contract negotiation.

In return for the top-pairing, right-shooting defenseman, the Jets acquired a 23-year-old right-shot defenseman out of college, who despite playing on the bottom-feeding Rangers’ top pair, did not play like a top-pairing defenseman.

The Rangers also threw in their second 2019 first-round pick that they had gotten from... the Winnipeg Jets in the Kevin Hayes trade. Hayes was initially traded along with problem child Brendan Lemieux and a fourth-round pick and ended up only playing six playoff games (all of them) for the Jets. I guess you could say the trade was really Trouba for Pionk and Lemieux, which is thoroughly a steal in every sense of the world. Heck, the Leafs could’ve beaten that deal handily with Connor Brown and Nikita Zaitsev alone.

So, yeah, what does this mean for the Leafs? Well...

From the Puppets

Katya gives a summer salary cap crash course with everything you need to come up with fantasy moves in the comments and on Twitter, Reddit, and HF Boards. - Katya

Bob McKenzie of TSN revealed his top-93 draft-eligible prospects for the 2019 NHL Draft. The Leafs don’t pick until #53 meaning there are lots of ways this can go. - Katya

And ICYMI from the weekend: the Back to Excited boys are back.

Other Leafs Branches

Leafs Legend Borje Salming stood up and gave his support to Swedish hockey team Kiruna IF after they received backlash and threats for their Pride Month rainbow jerseys. The article linked here is in Swedish, but google translate provides the jist of it. - Expressen

Maple Leafs Hot Stove released their Top-31 Draft prospects before the big weekend. The Leafs don’t pick in the range but it’s always good to scout your opponents and cross your fingers for one of those later picks to fall. - Maple Leafs Hot Stove

From the Other Branches

Oh, did I mention Erik Karlsson signed a massive eight-year, $11.5 million contract with the San Jose Sharks? That news definitely went under the radar in my world. Quick question to Sharks fans in the comments (if you exist), where are you putting all these damn contracts??? - Fear the Fin

Okay, I think that’s everything. Be kind to one another when you argue Spurgeon for Zaitsev trade proposals. Don’t make me come down there.

From The Branches