Kent Hughes says: The Maple Leafs got lucky

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Kent Hughes says: The Maple Leafs got lucky
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

It's been over a month since the Maple Leafs' season ended. The team didn't make the playoffs this season, which means summer started early in Toronto.

Detractors will say it doesn't usually start much later, but I digress.

Except that doesn't change the fact that the team is still making headlines. John Chayka's arrival as general manager, the team's draft lottery win, and Mitch Marner's deep playoff run have put Toronto at the center of springtime discussions.

And it's interesting to note that even this morning, Kent Hughes himself spoke about the Leafs. The Habs' GM mentioned that one must be cautious before saying that players aren't capable of performing in the playoffs… citing Marner's years in Toronto as an example.

Did Hughes do this because the Habs didn't appreciate Keith Pelley mentioning Michael Hage in a press conference a few weeks ago? The question arises.

We know that Marner, who has long been criticized in Toronto for his playoff performances, is having a red-hot spring in his first year in Vegas. The change of scenery has clearly helped him perform in the playoffs.

And Hughes is right that we need to be cautious when evaluating star players' playoff performances… even if he did so with a little dig at the Toronto market.

Except that Hughes might not be the last one to take a jab: Mitch Marner, who recently spoke about having experienced “dark moments” during his NHL career, was asked about it by the media.

His response? He doesn't want to talk about it further today… but he will if Vegas wins the Stanley Cup.

And since Marner spent his entire career in Toronto prior to this season, it makes sense to assume that the “dark times” are linked to his years in a Maple Leafs uniform.

Imagine a scenario where he decides to take on the Leafs right after winning the Conn Smythe: that would be something.


In a nutshell

– Hehe.

– Interesting.

– Details of the blockbuster trade in the NFL.

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