With the playoff bracket set, the picture for what teams will have to go through to claim Lord Stanley’s Cup becomes a bit more clear. There are no easy paths in the playoffs, so trying to figure out an ideal gauntlet of opponents for the best odds at winning it all would be a losing battle. Instead we ask, what’s the most entertaining playoff run possible for Toronto and its fans?
“The most entertaining run is the one where they win it!”
Yes. Obviously. We’re all well aware of that being the end goal. But not all wins are created equal, some are a bit more fun, others a bit more chaotic.
The Revenge Tour
The Path: Ottawa – Florida – Montreal – Los Angeles
Starting it off with one that would certainly cause the Maple Leafs’ fanbase to make all the previous times they were called obnoxious look like a humble debate in comparison. The Revenge Tour sees Toronto knock off its provincial rival, then take down the three franchises not named Boston who have caused it the most pain in both recent and long-term memory.
The second round loss to Florida from two seasons ago gets its rematch, followed by slaying the demons of blowing a 3-1 lead against Montreal. Last, Toronto gets to finally face the ghosts of the 1993 Conference Finals when Wayne Gretzky’s missed high-stick on Doug Gilmour helped Los Angeles defeat Toronto.
The Journey Through Canada
The Path: Ottawa – Tampa Bay – Montreal – Edmonton
A playoff run that seems designed to sell those Toronto vs. Everybody shirts, and make the rest of the country hate its largest city even more.
After knocking off the nation’s capital, Toronto gets to face Tampa Bay, which is less of a city and more of a haven for retirees who are sick of shoveling driveways and pretending Tim Hortons has produced anything edible since 2014. The third round sees them take on Montreal in the sport’s most historic rivalry before giving Gary Bettman a brain aneurysm with an all-Canadian final against Edmonton.
The “Hey Coach!”
The Path: Ottawa – Florida – New Jersey – St Louis
A weird thing about pro sports is your teammates one day and your most hated rivals the next. This playoff run would see Toronto go through some familiar faces behind the opponent’s benches.
We start off with Ottawa, coached by former Maple Leaf Travis Green before going against Paul Maurice’s Florida Panthers. Maurice spent two years coaching Toronto before being released despite a winning record while having Andrew Raycroft and Vesa Toskala in net. Up next is New Jersey, where Sheldon Keefe now calls the shots after being fired by Toronto last offseason.
The script flips in the finals where Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube gets to face off against the St Louis Blues, his former team where he won a Stanley Cup in 2019.
The Southern Hospitality
The Path: Ottawa – Florida – Carolina – Dallas
The recent political climate seems to have united Canadians more than ever before. But is it enough to make people from outside of Toronto cheer for the Maple Leafs?
After moving past Ottawa, this path sees the Maple Leafs go through three of America’s red states, largely responsible for voting in the man who threatened to annex Canada and inspired countless acts of booing the American anthem from across the NHL. Should fanbases in Florida, North Carolina, or Texas start booing the Canadian anthem in return, will it be enough to get even fans in Quebec or Alberta cheering for the team that wears a Maple Leaf on their crest?
Only one way to find out.
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The Boston Bruins continue to go through the motions of the offseason, trying to build a better team for next season. Boston has made a few moves, but nothing has stood out in a big way so far. The front office has made some questionable decisions, and it has left this team in a weird spot. Boston has some talent on the team, but they may not be contenders in the Eastern Conference at this time. NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report put together grades for every NHL team's offseason, and the Bruins were given a poor rating. Gretz gave the Bruins a letter grade of "C" for the summer. "Boston's offseason got off to a fantastic start when it acquired Viktor Arvidsson from the Edmonton Oilers, giving it a solid middle-six forward at a relatively low cost. "Everything after that was a big whiff, with none being bigger than the five-year contract for Tanner Jeannot. The Bruins still have a glaring hole at the No. 1 center spot and have accumulated some questionable contracts all over the roster," Gretz wrote. Adding Arvidsson helps the Bruins' cause for next season, but this team still needs more to contend. Boston has been stuck in mediocrity for a few years now, and this team remains far from contention. The Bruins may be trying to save cap space for next offseason when multiple stars hit the market, but the fans still want to compete this year. However, if the team is planning to be aggressive next summer, most fans may be alright staying patient. It remains to be seen how the Bruins are playing this, but this team remains very strangely put together as the offseason continues.
Following the shocking news of Hulk Hogan’s passing, wrestling legend Dustin Rhodes, known to millions as Goldust in WWE, took to social media to share a deeply personal and provocative reaction: “Hospitals truly kill people. I really do mean that.” Rhodes’ blunt statement stunned many fans, but those who know his story saw the pain behind the words. His father, the iconic Dusty Rhodes, passed away in 2015, aged 69, after a fall at home led to hospitalization for kidney failure. After his father's passing, Dustin shared a contemplative response on WWE's YouTube channel to discuss the legacy his father left behind. The news of Hogan's death comes just a month after reports suggested he was on his "deathbed" after undergoing a neck procedure back in May. Hogan's reps denied that was the case. In June, US Weekly reported that Hogan had also undergone a "pretty serious heart surgery and was doing well afterward." Dustin’s connection to his brother Cody Rhodes, now a top WWE superstar and face of the company’s next generation, is unbreakable. The Rhodes family legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of pro wrestling history, and seeing another legend like Hogan pass has clearly hit close to home. While Goldust and Hulk Hogan never had a headline-grabbing rivalry, they did share the ring once. It occurred in WCW in 2000 when Dustin Rhodes matched up against Hogan. Although their paths didn’t often cross in the squared circle, Hogan and the Rhodes family were part of the same larger-than-life era that helped define pro wrestling for decades and catapult the sport into society's zeitgeist. Rhodes’ comment about hospitals might not sit well with everyone, but it speaks to a raw and honest pain felt by someone who has seen too many legends, both personal and professional, fade away in similar fashion. The sport of wrestling has endured more than its fair share of lives cut short. As tributes continue to pour in for Hogan, Rhodes’ reaction serves as a powerful, if somber, reminder of the real human emotions behind the wrestling personas.
Aaron Rodgers made his practice debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, and it was not necessarily a moment he will want to remember. Rodgers’ very first pass was intercepted by linebacker Patrick Queen. The quarterback was trying to find top target DK Metcalf on a curl route, but was not quite accurate enough. Rodgers will not lose any sleep over this. It is not the first interception he has thrown in a practice session and it will not be the last. It did make for some amusing viewing for critics, though, and even some Steelers fans got a chuckle out of it. The Steelers are hoping Rodgers can lift them to at least a playoff win in 2025. If he succeeds, he is in line for a pretty big payday, and might even be able to go out on a high note if this is in fact his final NFL season. The other bright side to Rodgers’ inauspicious start to his Pittsburgh career? It will probably make Giants rookie Jaxson Dart feel a little bit better about his own first pass.
The Washington Commanders should pay Terry McLaurin. That much goes without saying. He's a second-team All-Pro. He caught 13 touchdowns last year and has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his past five seasons. McLaurin is a top 10 receiver in the NFL, perhaps even bordering on top five. More important than any of those things? He's one of Washington's most trusted leaders on and off the field. McLaurin is also, as it currently stands, not acting like it. The two-time Pro Bowler is creating a distraction that is officially more trouble than it's worth for the Commanders, and it's time for him to suck it up and end this standoff. Like it or not, the Commanders aren't responsible for Terry McLaurin's availability Let's make this clear: McLaurin isn't holding out of camp because he has to. He is choosing to leverage his position for a new deal. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last, that an NFL player resorts to such a negotiating tactic. It's also a move that rightfully doesn't sit well with many fans, especially for a member of a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. McLaurin's teammates and coaching staff are all counting on him being a major part of this Commanders squad. Washington traded for Deebo Samuel Sr. this offseason in large part specifically to make his life easier. For the first time in his career, the former third-round pick has a true No. 2 option on the opposite side of the field who can draw defenses away. Missing OTAs and mandatory minicamp is one thing for a player in McLaurin's position, but training camp is the unofficial start of the new school year. It's time to get to work. There's still a full eight months between now and when McLaurin is set to hit free agency. An extension can be worked out at any point before next March. If he builds upon last year's success, he could even raise his value. Regardless, the bottom line is that McLaurin is under contract to play football for the Commanders during the 2025 season. And plenty of other Washington stars over the years have had no problem suiting up on expiring deals. Kirk Cousins infamously played through two franchise tags after negotiations were botched on a long-term extension. He never once threatened to sit out. There is a certain duty any player owes not to let his demands come at the cost of the team, and it's disappointing to see this approach taken by someone who all of Washington thought was well aware of that. McLaurin deserves his money. He deserves at least $30 million per year. But the Commanders deserve for him to start showing up to work, with or without a new contract. More Commanders news and analysis