Toronto drops series finale to the Yankees 4-2 as the offence sputters again

Aaron Judge homered once again and Toronto’s offence failed to generate much of any momentum throughout the game as the Blue Jays lost to the Yankees 4-2 tonight, thereby losing the four-game series. Toronto was without Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (knee) for much of the game until he pinch-hit in the 7th, as well as Kevin Kiermaier who was still out with an illness.

Blue Jays Nation’s Player of the Game: Bo Bichette
Bichette came into tonight’s matchup with good career numbers against Nestor Cortes. Albeit a relatively small sample size, Bo entered tonight’s game 5-for-10 against the southpaw with a home run and a double. He continued his successes with a 3-for-3 night against him, and a 3-for-4 outing for the game. This included his ninth home run of the season in the first inning, a solo shot off of a cutter from Cortes. Bo continues to tear it up at the plate, leading the team in batting average, home runs, and RBIs.
Things worth mentioning
I don’t mean to sound like I’m ducking the league’s best, but I’m ready to have a few days off from facing Aaron Judge. Judge smoked a two-r …

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Author: Evan Stack / Blue Jays Nation

Coming out of the break: The February Leafs Player Power Rankings

Once again it’s time to for the Leafs Player Power Rankings. This month I won’t muddy the waters by including an overall grade on how they’ve fared throughout the season in addition to where they are sitting for the season as the monthly ranking alongside the midterm grade seemed too much for our Twitter mentions.
This month we’ll go with the straightforward 1-20, but with the notable caveat of Auston Matthews missing five games in that window and with the notation of the rankings being written on Friday before the back-to-backs against the Blue Jackets. No recency bias this time, let’s do this.
1. William Nylander (steady at #1)
It’s a tough call on who to go with as the number one when three players are tied for the point lead since the last time I did these rankings, but Willy stands out because of his additional responsibilities. With Matthews out, Nylander has had to take ownership of the second line and help keep the Leafs competitive while not having Tavares or Matthews to work with. His production might have fallen off in those games, but he’s made Kerfoot and Holmberg second lines viable and that’s not an easy feat.
2. Mitch Marner (steady at #2)
Going to go real boring with the rankings and keep Marner in the second spot as well. The fact that he was the team’s All-Star gav …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation

Are Raptors interested in bringing back PF Reggie Perry?

Are Raptors interested in bringing back PF Reggie Perry?

The Toronto Raptors once again had one of the strongest G League teams in the NBA last season, with names like Dalano Banton and Reggie Perry contributing to that success. The Raptors want to make sure they have as many quality backups as possible, carving out a path for Perry to come back. Perry, who […]
Are Raptors interested in bringing back PF Reggie Perry? – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

3 teams who may tempt Gary Trent Jr. to bolt Raptors after 2023

3 teams who may tempt Gary Trent Jr. to bolt Raptors after 2023

The Toronto Raptors once again seemed to come out on the winning end of a trade after acquiring Gary Trent Jr. from the Portland Trail Blazers. While Norman Powell was traded to the Clippers after just one season, Trent has become one of the Raptors’ most integral pieces. Trent averaged 18.3 points per game while […]
3 teams who may tempt Gary Trent Jr. to bolt Raptors after 2023 – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

3 most likely Raptors to make final roster after latest transactions

3 most likely Raptors to make final roster after latest transactions

The Toronto Raptors will once again try to fill out the back end of the roster with a combination of promising young players and veterans looking for one last chance to make it in the pros. Toronto trimmed one last piece of fat after most of the free agency dust settled. The Raptors waived Armoni […]
3 most likely Raptors to make final roster after latest transactions – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

TLN Prospect Rankings begin: A look at the Leafs’ graduating prospects

It’s that time of year again, it’s blog summer filler content PROSPECT RANKING TIME!!! That magical time of year where we determine who is the best little buff boy the most promising Leafs prospect of the year.
This year is definitely starting off with a couple of unfortunate recognitions, the first being that Ian Scott has, unfortunately, had to call it a career due to ongoing injuries.

Leafs goalie prospect Ian Scott announces retirement https://t.co/ykV9Nu3yPr
— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) July 21, 2022

Ian Scott showed a lot of promise in his post draft year being a surprise addition to the Canadian World Junior Team and being part of leading Prince Albert to a WHL Championship. Once he went pro the injuries started and he was never able to even begin a proper run at an NHL job. It’s an unfortunate part of hockey and we wish all the best to Ian in what comes next for him.
The other unfortunate circumstance involving a Leafs prospect is Rodion Amirov’s fight with cancer. A highly touted prospect that many of us are excited to have come over and play in North America is dealing with a far more pressing health issue this year, and while we hope to have the privilege of seeing him in a Leafs camp someday soon, this year it seems inappropriate to include him in our prospect rankings.
The criteria for being included in the rankings
To be considered a prospect in the TLN rankings the player must be under the age of 24 and has to have played 41 or fewer games (no more than the equivalent of half a regular season.) It should also be clear the player has to be on the Maple Leafs re …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation

Actual picks, newfound cap space, and goalie woes headline day two of the draft for the Leafs

First the bad news, the Leafs once again end the first day of the draft without making a selection. The good news is the Leafs did end the first day without Petr Mrazek and freed up $3.8M in cap space. They’ll also still be picking 38th overall and have the opportunity to select a first round caliber player who just didn’t quite make the cut. It’s not a bad piece of business by Kyle Dubas and the Leafs, but the Petr Mrazek situation still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but that could just be from wanting the immediate payoff of a first round pick last night. 

Based on the pick value model I’ve been using for the last few years, the difference in value between pick 25 and 38 is equivalent to a late 7th.
So the Leafs paid roughly a 7th to offload Mrazek’s $3.8m cap hit with 2 years remaining. https://t.co/mNCbd2AMKq
— Earl Schwartz (@EarlSchwartz27) July 8, 2022

After trading Mrazek ($3.8M), #leafsforever have $10.2M Cap Space with 17 Players (10F/6D/1G) on Projected Roster.
RFA: Engvall, Kase, SandinUFA: Blackwell, Mikheyev, Lyubushkin, Campbellhttps://t.co/hB3guL96pk
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 8, 2022

The Leafs cap situation is now revised to see the Leafs sitting with about $12.6M in space (we won’t gift Kallgren, Abruzzese, or Clifford roster spots just yet) to fill 4-5 forward positions, including Pierre Engvall, one defensive position (Rasmus Sandin), and two NHL goaltenders. That is still pretty tight even if the Leafs primarily need bottom six forwards, a cheap backup, and two should be reasonably priced RFAs.
Despite that, the $5.5M of cap space represented by Justin Holl and Alex Kerfoot could be explored today. No specific mention of either player has co …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation