Good morning.

The Marlies played last night, and so did Canada’s World Junior team, but the big story is Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner participating in the National Ballet. This begs the question: Could they both retire from the NHL and further pursue this new endeavour? Leafs fans everywhere are incredibly concerned.

Here are today’s links:

In Case You Missed It

Recap: Maple Leafs grind the Devils with machine-like precision- Katya Knappe

The Leafs brought their A game on Tuesday night, and you can read Katya’s recap here. This team looked awfully deep up-front, and they should only improve once William Nylander gets back to playing like his old self.

Wayne Simmonds isn’t who you remember him as- Arvind and Baseball Annie

I have plenty of potential targets for the Leafs at the trade deadline, but Wayne Simmonds isn’t on this list. I don’t want to pay a first round pick for a rental, unless it’s for a star.

CWHL cap crunch: How does Toronto handle reserve players?- nafio

It sounds like the Leafs aren’t the only Toronto team that has to worry about a cap crunch.

Back to Excited Episode 42 - Reviewing the fully formed Leafs- Arvind and Acting the Fulemin

This podcast is always worth a listen. Just try not to listen to all 42 episodes at once.

From the Branches

Leafs Notebook: What do Kyle Dubas’ past teams tell us about his view on “toughness”?- Anthony Petrielli, Maple Leafs Hot Stove

There’s plenty of good quotes in this article, and it sure doesn’t sound like Dubas will be targeting toughness at the deadline.

World Junior Championship preview: Team Canada- Corey Pronman, The Athletic

I’m predicting a Canada-USA final. Canada looks to have a better roster than last year, but anything can happen in such a short tournament. Let’s hope Ian Scott plays well!

The Monday Marlie: Jeremy Bracco Taking Game to Next Level- Jacob Stoller, The Leafs Nation

Bracco continues to create high-danger scoring chances for his linemates. It looks like he might have a chance to compete for a NHL job at some point next year. He could also carry some value at the trade deadline.

CWHL All-Star Game and Clarkson Cup Final Tickets
Nafio snuck this link in here because both games go onsale today at noon! The All-Star Game takes place at Scotiabank Arena on January 20th and the Clarkson Cup Final takes place March 24th at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

That’s it for today’s links. Have a good day!

From The Branches