By now the Maple Leafs are playing the back nine of historic golf courses, or on sandy beaches in the Bahamas, or doing something much more fun than thinking about that last game. Though you can bet this is one bye week where there won’t be any photos posted on Instagram of partying.

Time to let that game go and think instead about the fun we’ll have through the rest of this season with a 50-plus goal scorer like Auston Matthews, or a fashion-challenged but slick scorer like William Nylander, or a top pairing defenceman lik... err... we’ll put that thought on hold until Morgan Rielly is back.

We’ve got all the fun you need right here to help you get through the bye week blues. It all kicks off this morning at 8:00 a.m. with a return—by popular demand—of David St. Louis who takes a close look at Auston Matthews’ scoring. Later, Katya will have a heart-to-heart chat with you all about Frederik Andersen.

There’s much more to come over the next few days as well, including a look at whatever happened to all those development camp invitees, like Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (who was his coach in the USHL at the start of this season?), a review of our 2019 Top 25 Under 25 selections and where we goofed, and Fulemin has a brief 7,000 word post about a few random Leafs things he has been thinking about.

Other News

This Nazem Kadri kid looks good. Maybe a deadline acquisition for the Leafs? Send them Tyson Barrie?

Should the Flyers trade for Jeff Carter? - Broad Street Hockey
[SPECIES: Yes!]

P.E.I. fans turn on Golden Knights after firing - The Journal Pioneer
Dwayne McNeill is the owner/operator of Source for Sports in Summerside and as soon as he heard the news, took action. “Yeah, actually I canceled all my (Golden Knights) orders. I won't sell it,” said McNeill.

Would the NHL standings change with a different points system?
It's a seemingly endless debate: Should the league alter its standings strategy? We ran the numbers, and one side will be pleased.

Why is the NHL so different defensively this season? - TSN
"I went back and looked at every goal and scoring chance, and I certainly felt as if the expected goals were being understated relative to the danger Andersen faced. It was another data point in what has become a common theme – teams seeing a higher rate of goals against relative to expected goals against during the 2019-20 season. - Travis Yost"

From The Branches