First Quarter Team MVPs

Want to know who I think the 31 NHL teams MVPs have been through the first quarter of the 2019/20 NHL season? Of course you do.

Some choices were clear cut, others less so – as teams share the load, or suck equally.

Disagree with any of them? Hey, we all have opinions – drop a comment in the section at the bottom of the article and we can all discuss this like adults.

In alphabetical order (by team):

Maple Leafs Need To Be Better For Their Backups

Spare a minute for Kasimir Kaskisuo this morning.

The 26-year-old had waited his whole life to make his NHL debut, before being unceremoniously thrown in at the deep end against Pittsburgh on Saturday.

The Finn is the latest puck stopper to be marched into the inner sanctuary of the Temple of the Sun and told to select a cup by the Maple Leafs – “choose wisely” is the advice from the Guardian Knight, here played by the spirit of Curtis McElhinney, for the wrong chalice will proven poisonous (to a your career).

It might help if the team in front hadn’t laid out so many traps in the first place…

Will Short Deals Become The New Norm?

In signing Auston Matthews to a five-year, $58 million contract extension the Toronto Maple Leafs have locked up their most talented player, given themselves a more defined window during which they aim to ‘win’, and avoided any of the dramas that might have come this summer had an extension not been agreed.

No offer sheets, no bogus holdout talk. Matthews is already one of the games best players, continues to evolve his game to stay ahead, and is now a Maple Leaf until at least 2024.

But by being a star player that has agreed to a ‘shorter’ deal, has Matthews also signalled the start of a different kind of trend?

One Puck Short Podcast – Episode 92

Sean Leahy of NBC Sports is in the guest seat for Episode 92 of the One Puck Short Podcast, discussing Chuck Fletcher’s appointment in Philadelphia and William Nylander’s new 6-year deal.

The recent Maple Leafs-Canucks and Penguins-Ducks trades also come under the microscope, while the Ottawa Senators soap opera continues.

Listen now on Spreaker or YouTube

You can also subscribe to the One Puck Short Podcast on iTunes, Spotify and find the most recent episodes on SoundCloud.

Want to get in touch? Find me on Twitter @RobMcGregor35 or email onepuckshort@gmail.com

Goaltending Question Continues in Toronto

As William Nylander, Morgan Reilly et al give Toronto fans hope of success in years to come, questions remain between the pipes.

With James Reimer gone (at least for the moment), Jonathan Bernier struggling and Garret Spark’s NHL career in its infancy, the Maple Leafs have no clear number one goaltender right now. And while that isn’t a major issue this season, it’s a situation that would benefit from some degree of resolution in the near future, to ensure the rebuilding process is effective.