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I saw a couple of t-shirts with tape that said, "Yes, yes." Keep the SEA and change the one to an eight. My first thought was, "I've never seen Matthew Knies skate like that." He is earning more per year than Mitch Marner. What do you think about this But when you keep playing like Gavin McKenna and you get taken out of the line for a turn. I think he's one of those guys who 's on the bench and thinks, " Well, next time I'm going to step up and prove you wrong." The Toronto Maple Leafs have played two games this season. The first team with two games this year, so a round of applause for them. We are here to react. We are here to overreact.
I think someone has to overreact after two games. This team has many pieces to analyze, and the one I want to start with, from the beginning, is Kirill Marchenko, because we haven't had a program since that transfer happened. I didn't really see it coming, although Matthew Knies was sort of a bargaining chip. He was the player the Leafs were considering. But anyway, before you give me your opinion on the player and how Marchenko has looked so far, I'd like to show you this video because I went out on the street and talked to the fans and boy, did they have some things to say about this. Marchenko has some skill.
Knies was big. He was a fighter, but I think his skill will pay off in the long run, to be honest with you. He's going to get some points. He's going to score some goals and that's what will pay off. Yes, do you agree? Marchenko is a replacement for Marner. 100%. The best MAR jersey the Leafs will ever sell. 100%. I also like how it's sold. He's not even just the best player. I saw that it was the best seller. I saw a couple of t-shirts with tape, like keeping the SEA and changing the one to an eight.
I agree with that. I appreciate him because it's like he, you know, has no ties whatsoever. As if nobody. I don't know how many Leafs fans actually knew Kirill Marchenko, and yet I saw probably not many people wearing Marchenko jerseys. You know, I'd say hockey fans know a lot about their game. So yes, two matches. What do we think of Marchenko? What do we think of how this exchange is unfolding? We'll start with you, Kyle. What do you think? I think she looked amazing. Especially considering the circumstances, such as arriving in Toronto at 1:00 a.m. m. the day he was going to make his debut. For a guy who. And hasn't even practiced yet.
Yes, no.Yes, nothing. The first time he was on the ice was to warm up for the game. Yes, given the circumstances, given everything, I think it has shown glimpses of why that exchange is being made, right? He has demonstrated his ability to carry the disc, his speed, his size, he has had a couple of good hits and has made some players bounce off him. And there have also been some hints of what appears to be early chemistry with Matthews. I think that, given the circumstances, again , of how it has come about, there have been many opportunities for danger. Like in that first game, he had like four career opportunities or something like that.
Again, it shows why the Leafs made the trade for a talent like him, who brings something the Leafs needed, right? They have Nylander, they have Matthews. They needed another player who could carry the puck and create after the run and do those kinds of things that the Knies don't do much. He does great things near the net, he works and that kind of thing, he brings the physical side of the game . But Marchenko brings a lot in that kind of transition element, that element of speed, that the Leafs really needed, and I think we've seen some glimpses of that early on I think what impressed me is that he's a guy who's played right wing for most
of his career and suddenly, without any practice or anything, they just tell him: "Hey, you're going to play left wing." And he seems right at home. I think it really suits her. He had that opportunity against Montreal where he got into the net and put the puck between the posts and almost scored. And then against the Islanders he has that opportunity where Roslavic goes over the ice and gets a short shot. He doesn't make all the short shots, but you can see that he has that skill. Yes, I think, as you said, the chemistry has been impressive so far. We just have to wait for them to practice a little and get to know each other a little better. I think that duo has no limits. And there's a lot of talk about lateral movement on
the wings and things like that. I still prefer him on the right wing in the long term, especially considering some of the players the Leafs have in terms of top-six prospects. There is much more balance between right-handed and left-handed people. Now, in the long term, if you think of Gavin McKenna and Easton Cowan as potential left-handers in the top six, and then the two right-handers, Nylander and Marchenko, the possibility of putting them in the front row and doing whatever you want with them is very important, because sometimes they have tried Nylander on the left and it works to a certain extent, but perhaps it is not his preferred position or anything like that It seems dangerous to go down that right flank.
Exactly. But you can have a specific threat on your opposite wing like Marchenko. It's a truly intriguing threat, especially with Matthews at its center. Exactly. He 's simply a player on another level, and I know he mentioned it, but a lot of Leafs fans don't watch the Blue Jackets play. I'm barely watching the Blue Jackets games, and I'm covering hockey here. And yet, the way he jumped out at me , like I'd seen this guy play before, but instantly, I thought, I've never seen Matthew Knies skate like that and handle the stick like that. And as good as Knies is, it's true, they need more skill, they need more talent. It was from start to finish. I don't
think I've ever seen Matthew Knies go from end to end with. No, it's not his game. No. And it doesn't have to be their game. You don't have to be like that. Not everyone has to be that player. But, in that sense, I think people's immediate reaction to a trade like that is to look for the hockey DB or the elite prospects or whatever. And Marchenko has about a couple more points than Knies this season. Obviously, he has a season of 74 points and 31 goals. So that's a bit of a differentiator, but people see that difference and then they see this trade and think that Knies is younger and has a long- term contract. And people who may not be
so familiar with Marchenko's game wonder, "Why are the Leafs doing this?" They're getting older, even if it's just a couple of years, they're becoming more expensive, and they're leaving behind that type of physical power forward they've always wanted. Why would you do that? And then you see these first two matches. And without needing to make any adjustments, it becomes very clear why you're carrying out such a transfer. Yes. That's the last thing I need to ask, because when I asked the fans about this, I mentioned it a couple of times. Obviously, the salary cap implications are completely different, but he's signed for.
He's earning more per year than Mitch Marner. What do you think about it And how much is it? 12 to 12 and a half? I think it's just a situation where the ceiling is rising, and it's kind of funny. I saw it highlighted on Twitter. For example, if Marner, from his ELC, signs for 7 or 8 years instead of six, he is now a free agent and receives 15 million instead of 12 million. So how come we always come back to this? My God. I'm sure Paul Marner is shaking with fear seeing all these guys outperform Mitch. That? It's an interesting point because, if people aren't that aware of where the cap is headed, they'll see that number as: "Wow!" That number, as it stands
next season, is going to be among the top 15 in the NHL. But again, we're talking about the salary cap increasing by another 14 million in 2 years compared to next season, up to 127 and a half million. It's a salary cap that's skyrocketing, and I think Marchenko is clearly going to be worth it. For example, the statistics you saw in Columbus with players like Sean Monahan, Adam Fantilli, and Dmitri Voronkov. And there's something to be said about the chemistry I had with those players. But there's also something to be said about the caliber of players he's now playing with on the Leafs. I believe that, based on the talent he has shown, both in Columbus and in these first two games, he is a
player with the potential to score 40 goals and accumulate 90 points. And that's why you go and make this transfer, because Matthew Knies, as good as he is, is a complementary winger who I don't think is going to be that 40- goal, 90-point playmaker. Perhaps, under certain circumstances, I could have a season where I do something like that. But it's not going to be that game-changer. He's going to be the complementary piece in the lineup, and it's clear the Leafs wanted another driving force. Yes. Well, aside from Marchenko, about whom there are obviously many good things to say, we have a couple of players who debuted with the Leafs two games ago and about whom we may not have such good things
to say. Let's start with the boy, the first 18-year-old general election pick, Gavin McKenna. He certainly didn't stand out, I think that's the best way to put it; When you observe it out there, if it is even noticeable, I highly doubt it's for the right reasons. He had some turnovers in that first game, especially, and that made me think, what is he doing? Obviously, I don't want to exaggerate. The first overall selections have looked different in their debut. Obviously, we saw one a decade ago where another player from our team scored four goals, but it's really difficult to judge, especially in a lineup like this. I think that's the key point, where it's like I'm playing between two or with Tavares and Nylander. These are players
who have always done this. It's going to stand out a bit. What do we think of what McKenna has shown so far? We'll start with you again, Kyle. Yes, regarding McKenna, I think you've seen some glimpses. As if he could easily get his first assist in that game against the Islanders if Nylander literally gets any pass. I also think that, as Tavares moves out of the area, McKenna makes a two- line pass, from one side of the box to the other, and it's a good defensive play against a slower player who isn't up to the task. That's another possibility. There have been glimpses of his passing ability that have particularly caught my
attention. The weight of his passes is always perfect. But we've also seen him try things that haven't worked, or try things that simply can't be tried, or attempt area passes that are easily intercepted, things like that. And it's the mix that I think we could expect at the start of the season and the growth problems we're going to have. When you look at McKenna, especially last season, when he had that adjustment from the WHL to the NCAA, the first three months of the season were like, is McKenna still the first overall pick? And then he went to the Junior World Cup and had a great second half. There's going to be an adjustment period here. If going from the W WHL to the NCAA was like that, it's been
quite a different leap. We're talking about everything from the Big 10 to the NHL. It's a completely different leap. So yes, expectations are there because of the lineup of teammates he has. You have to expect a mix, and I think that's what we've seen so far And this isn't like Austin Matthews arriving in the NHL, where you're already 1.90 m tall and weigh 90 kg. It's like this is 100-versus-men season in Switzerland, you know? An 18-year-old weighing 77 kg who is not the fastest skater either. He is known for his evasive skills and playmaking abilities. Yes, this is going to take some time. I believe these growth problems are predictable. Leafs fans will need to be
patient here. I think the Leafs' coaching staff also needs to be patient. It's difficult for a team trying to win, isn't it? That's why this is such a unique situation. For example, "Okay, do you start limiting his minutes if he doesn't start producing? Do you lower him in the lineup?" I think you have to try and endure things for as long as possible. It's going to take some time. And what do you think about whether his confidence has already been affected a couple of times in the second row in some situations where Easton Cowan has come in, who has obviously looked great? I think he's a better player than McKenna right now. I don't hate him, but for a guy we talked about earlier, I was thinking, "
I'm really glad he's on this track because he's going to get his points. He's going to see some stats pop up and that'll help him gain confidence." Do you think this is something that will really affect him? I don't think that's the case, but it's obvious that in your first game they're already taking you out of your lane. It can't help. So, what do you think about that? I do n't think he will because they've kept going back to him. It hasn't been a permanent situation. As a one-shift thing. Yes, so I don't think it's a big deal in that sense. For me, the real question is how you deal with all of that as a player, right?
Yes. And I think McKenna, the self-assured, almost not at all arrogant player that he is, is what you need to be that kind of player. Yes. I think that should cheer you up too. There is a debate about whether that actually weakens someone's confidence or makes them genuinely nervous. But when you're a star player like Gavin McKenna and you get taken out of the line for a turn or something, I think he's the kind of person on the bench who thinks, "Okay, next turn I'm going to come up and prove you wrong." Instead of being the kind of guy who has something happen to him and falls apart, shuts himself off
in his own head, or something like that But this is a guy who has only played two games in his NHL career. He talked about how nervous he was about the first game. It's natural to feel nervous. We also have to look at the positive aspects: he was much better in his second game than in his first. And any progress is good progress for an 18-year-old. Yes, and that's the progress you're going to take into account, right? Because the Gavin McKenna of the first game is going to be extremely different from the McKenna of game 84. I almost said 82 there. And that's the progression you're
looking for, which makes starting in the second line so interesting because it's one thing for it to start like in the third line and then progress. But in the second line, if you downgrade it to a third line and make a third line with a different look, that's technically downgrading it. It's as if that's perceived in a certain way by the fans, the media, or whoever. So it's an interesting balance to see how they're going to approach that. I've liked what they've done so far in terms of giving Easton Cowan a couple of turns in that third line, or, sorry, in the second line. He totally deserved it. It looks fantastic to start the season. But keep McKenna at that 15-minute mark, right? In both games he's been in that 15-minute range and I think that's
ideal, right? As if he's not playing 18 to 20 like the best, but he's playing most of the turns with those guys, getting PP2. I think that's the right combination for him. Better than PP1 so far. Also. We'll see if anything changes for the power-up game, but for now I think it's a perfectly correct use for it and the expected start. It's as if some people had high expectations for him at the start of the season, but personally, for me, the most likely comparison was Jack Hughes' rookie season, where he went from NTDP to the NHL, which is crazy. I still can't believe I did it. But speaking of that leap, in terms of a player with a similar build, a
similar skill set, it took him a long time to figure out his game in the NHL, and that's why the Devils have him on the contract he currently has; But it took him some time to get things going. And obviously, the Leafs have more help , so one might expect that in that timeframe there might be a little more progress. But I think we should expect some back- and-forth with McCann early in the season. And again, if he has that assist on the scoreboard, perhaps we'll be talking about him differently. And I mean, what better situation to be in than having all the time in the world to work this out because they actually have other players around them instead of, you know, certain situations where you have a first
overall pick that you just rely on? Can you imagine if I were in Vancouver? Yes, exactly. Because the discussion about what I would have to do for that team is completely different. It's very different when you can bury it in the lineup and let it adapt to the game. A guy who isn't buried in the lineup and, you know, has already proven his worth once. Obviously, he was the key acquisition the Leafs made this offseason, Darren Raddysh. At least the first one. There were some who buried the advantage a little, but yes. Well, yes, it's Darren Raddysh. He's been working on PP1, you know, he's been out there a lot. It's funny to see him and Morgan Rielly watching games together. It's
like she's who we always wanted Morgan Rielly to be. I don't know if it has seemed that way until now. And I don't know if they agree or not. We'll start with you in this case, Josh. Darren Raddysh, after two matches, what are your takeaways from him? The first game was very tough. There's no way to sweeten it. But I think that was to be expected. He's a Toronto player who just signed a big contract and is coming back home. He also lost his father 6 months ago, who was a big Leafs fan. That's why he signed here. So, you know, I was playing with a heavy heart. I'm sure that in the first game. I thought he looked much more comfortable on the second night against the Islanders. And I think that's a great sign.
He started to pull more in the power game. They are preparing a little better. He and Rielly have a bit more chemistry. I'm still very skeptical about whether that pairing is going to last, because, you know, Rielly is a difficult guy to play with, just because he's very offensive and Raddysh also wants to be offensive. Yes, I think he looked much more comfortable on the second night. So I think it's a good sign. Yes, on the positive side, I really liked his activation in the offensive zone. As if he had become involved in the offensive zone. There have been times when he has been behind the goal line. Like, there will be people who see that and hate it on
a defenseman, but that's the modern NHL and you need that kind of fluidity in the offensive zone to really create different lanes. His offensive instincts are great. That's what I really like. Obviously, the first two matches have been unstable. Especially in the first game, where he completed simple passes and things like that which you expect or need from a guy like that and which didn't necessarily happen. He was also caught off guard and seemed exposed. I think Demidov saved it once on the first night. And those are the things to keep in mind, right? Because that's the part of the game that's a little more
uncertain. They've used it a lot in the attacking zone, as it should be. But the simplest thing is that if the Leafs are going to be a good team, they need Darren Raddysh to be much better than he has been in the first two games. He'll be better in the first two games. I almost guarantee it. But that's something to keep in mind, especially for the Riley couple, how long they can put up with it. I agree. I would prefer to see a different pairing because the McCabe-Tanev pairing has also faltered a bit at times, obviously with extreme defensive use; But I would like to see them given a little more time, but not to endure it like this for two months if it really doesn't work. I think you need to see a bit more from Raddysh as
you progress through matches five through ten, and I think you have that adjustment period for the first two matches. Okay, it's not that you necessarily burn the tape, but you learn from those experiences. You adapt. And then, as the weekend approaches and beyond, you really hope for a better Darren Raddysh. Yes. Yes, I totally agree. And just before we leave here, there are obviously a lot of new players. I mean, we could even be talking about 60% of the staff. I know. I know. It's not just Marchenko, McKenna and Raddysh. There are many more, you know, role players on this team. I'll give each of you 30 seconds to praise a player you think has stood out. He could be a new player. It could be a
returning player, which I know we already mentioned. We'll start with you, Josh. Who has been your standout player so far? I mean, it has to be Easton Cowan, right? I think this player has been the best on the team in two games. I think they're going to have a hard time keeping him in the third tier, even though the third tier is working well in part thanks to him, but I think he's going to break into the top six very soon. Four goals, three points. I mean, it's difficult to do it in a team that's scoring so little right now, but he's looked sick.
Kyle, who do you think he is? Regarding Easton Cowan and how well he's been, I think Nick Paul has fit in very well in the back row. I was nervous about that addition after how badly he did last season, he got injured last season and then he got hit in training camp. I was very nervous about how it was going to go. But it's good to see that he's healthy and that the third line formed by him and Cowan is working. I think there are a lot of interesting possibilities with that lineup because there's been a lot of talk about the Leafs lately about them being among the top six
scorers and nothing about them being among the bottom six. And if you have Easton Cowan and Nick Paul in the back row, I really like what that can mean for some scoring depth, or it can mean those guys have opportunities to move up in the lineup. Easton Cowan has definitely been the standout player in two games, but I think Nick Paul also deserves recognition for his role in making Easton Cowan look good. Yes. Yes, I love that. And then the last guy, I know you mentioned him before too, but Jack Roslovic. Well, he only brings speed, right? And he played in the top six in the front row with Matthews, and there was a lot of talk about that
signing and whether he was just going to be Max Domi 2.0. He's a better goalscorer than Domi, and I think he's performed his role effectively in the front line. Well, now that Kirill Marchenko is there, it's clear that he's number three in that line. But I think there have been some good moments. Like when you think about the first game, like the preparation I had for Matthews' one-shot, which could have been a point. Think about some of those Marchenko races. I think he's been a solid third man on a very offensive line that's trying to set the pace in terms of speed more than some of Matthews' lines have in the past, and I think he's played that role effectively in two games.
I think that, with Roslovic, he is also a player who has always had this kind of talent to consistently play a role among the top six. Can you stay consistently committed throughout the entire season? And does that happen in March and April instead of just October? Perhaps playing with his teammate Matthews, you know, they'll return to the USNDP. Perhaps that will help motivate him and keep him on track. So it 's funny. Imagine telling that guy a year ago, "Hey man, you're going to be on the front line with Austin
Matthews and Kirill Marchenko." Just like a year ago. Well, a year ago I was waiting for a contract first of all. And then he was doing the same thing with David. So yes, yes, it's true. But no, for a guy who's playing on the front line with those two players, you wouldn't believe how little that's been hidden with all these new additions. But when you have someone top-tier, they definitely haven't stood out for the wrong reasons. I think he's playing in that vein and it seems like he belongs there. Perfectly fine, which is what one expects, or what one hopes, or what one wants from Rostislavic in that specific role.
Exactly. Very well, there we have it. Again, with two games played, someone has to exaggerate the reaction. We're going to be the ones to do it. I'm excited about the direction this team is taking. Hopefully there will be more goals in the future because this two goals per game thing isn't going to be enough at this point, but they have a win, so it's not the worst- case scenario. There it is. Don't forget to let us know in the comments what you think of all these new players the Leafs have. We'll be covering them much more this season. That's all for now. Don't forget to like and subscribe, and we'll see you in the
next episode.
