With the Stanley Cup playoffs over, and the AHL finals just wrapping up this week, that means there will be about two weeks before the draft where there won’t really be much news or anything new to talk about. Worse than that, it’s also when hot takes and wild speculation run rampant as people seek to get their hockey fix any way they can. We can expect to hear all kinds of rumours of how any player in the league is about to be signed by or traded to  every team in the league, every coach will be fired then hired by your favourite team, and your team will absolutely draft that hot young prospect you have your eye on.

Why does this happen? Well, it all comes back to Hockey Twitter.

Hock-ey twi-tter

Noun

Origin: 5th Century BCE Greece, after the meeting places where ancient philosophers would engage in a daily contest about who could do the best Diogenes impression.

1. A cesspit of hatred and lies

2. An online community where people can discuss hockey news and opinions in the most passive aggressive manner possible

Example: “That journalist I hate said a hot take on hockey twitter the other day so I subtweeted about them with a meme of a pop culture icon rolling their eyes.”

Synonyms: sewer, garbage dump, toilet, Burtch, septic tank, kaibo, outhouse, port-o-potty

On the other hand, the Leafs have already apparently communicated with Edmonton with the Vesey trade, which should have all of us Leaf fans VERY excited.

If there’s one thing that will unite us this offseason, it will be that the warm fuzzy feeling that Ovechkin and the Caps finally won a Cup can replaced by the cold burning hatred and jealousy that our teams did NOT win the Cup and we totally deserved it more, screw those guys!

Also, fuck the Bruins.

ONTO THE LINKS!

5 Things the Maple Leafs brass are really confused about | by Katya

Rosen to the Occasion: Toronto Marlies beat Texas Stars 6-2 in Game 5 of Calder Cup Final | by Hardev

Get to know the top goalies in the 2018 NHL Draft | by Katya

SBNation NHL Mock Draft Day 5 | by Katya

June dates to remember for the NHL off-season | by Katya

On the value of draft picks and a look at reasonable trades the Canadian teams could make | by Tyler Dellow at The Athletic

Have a happy Monday everyone!

From The Branches