Screen Shots: Toronto Maple Leafs, Sidney Crosby, Women's Hockey
Adam Proteau discusses the increasingly pressing goaltending issues affecting the Maple Leafs, Sidney Crosby's gift to Tyson Barrie's agent and the upcoming PWHL debut.
Welcome back to Screen Shots, a regular THN.com feature in which we tackle a few hockey topics and break them down in a few short paragraphs. This is the last Screen Shots of 2023, but we’re moving happily into a new year and wish all of our readers the best in 2024. Let’s get to it:
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ goaltending is a major problem at the moment, with veteran Ilya Samsonov having a severe case of the yips, allowing six goals on 21 shots in the Buds’ 6-5 loss to Columbus Friday. Samsonov clearly is lost right now, and the Leafs can’t afford to keep sending him out to game action to let him “find” his 'A' game. Journeyman Martin Jones has been good for Toronto after being recalled from the AHL, but the Leafs can’t wait until youngster Joseph Woll comes back from injury.
With that in mind, would a trade work between Toronto and San Jose? We’ve already stated that the Sharks are likely to deal netminder Kappo Kahkonen by the league’s March 8 trade deadline, but Buds GM Jim Treliving doesn’t have to wait until then to acquire Kahkonen. Instead, a package including Samsonov and either a draft pick or decent prospect to San Jose in exchange for Kahkonen makes a lot of sense for both teams. The Sharks would get a player not in their long-term plans, while the Leafs would get a goalie and a pure rental player.
Both teams are tight against the salary cap, so Toronto may need to include another NHL-level player to make a Kahkonen deal work, but so long as it’s someone such as forward Bobby McMann, we’d make that move in a heartbeat. In any case, the status quo for Leafs goalies is no longer an option. Samsonov has underwhelmed his way out of a job, and the only question now is what new team he’s playing for – either in the NHL or the minors.
Crosby never seeks out publicity for his on-and-off-ice decisions, but his heart is always in the right place, and supporting underrepresented communities in the hockey world is a wonderful comment on the quality of Crosby’s character.
Crosby’s legacy as one of the sport’s best-ever athletes was solidified years ago, but like most all-time greats, he’s constantly being looked to for leadership qualities. This story demonstrates exactly the type of leadership you want to see from your icons. It would be easy for Crosby to sit back, collect his paycheck and leave it at that. Instead, he’s making an impact on the LGTBQ+ community, and he ought to be applauded for it.
Finally, we wish the Professional Women’s Hockey League the best of luck as it kicks off its inaugural season with games on Jan. 1. This writer has covered the women's game for years, and this is the most optimism we’ve seen from people involved. There are sellouts for all the Canadian teams’ opening games, and that’s terrific.
That said, the real test for the PWHL is going to happen once the hype dies down and fans are asked to support all of their favorite team's games. There is no guarantee that the sellout crowds will continue, but if the games are as entertaining as expected, fans almost certainly will support the league as it attempts to get a foothold in the sports marketplace. Here’s hoping they do, as the sport will be much better for it.
