3 NBA Finals players Raptors should target in the offseason

3 NBA Finals players Raptors should target in the offseason

The Toronto Raptors, like every other NBA team except for the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat, are watching the NBA Finals on TV. While Nikola Jokic and Jimmy Butler are going to steal the show, Miami and Denver are here because they have two extremely deep rosters. While Denver features a collection of role players […]
3 NBA Finals players Raptors should target in the offseason – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

Kyle Dubas’ 5 worst moves during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs

Just like my previous article about Kyle Dubas’ five best moves during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t write a follow-up article on his five worst moves during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
As I’ve said plenty of times, Kyle Dubas wasn’t a perfect general manager, nobody is, but he did a lot of good things for this team while he was here, and yes, he even did some questionable things for this team that has hurt them at times.
When I was writing my five best moves from Dubas, I felt like that list could look different for other people, but as I was writing this piece, I thought to myself that my list probably looks similar to a lot of others because of how big these moves were at the time.
Honourable mention: Allowing Frederik Andersen to walk in free agency to sign a two-year, $9M contract ($4.5M AAV) with the Carolina Hurricanes
Although there was an argument about letting Frederik Andersen leave in free agency, it also sucked to see him leave and have a bounce-back season in 2021-22 with the Carolina Hurricanes. And, as we all know now, he has been great for them during the 2023 playoffs.
After being acquired by the Maple Leafs in the summer of 2016 and signing a five-ye …

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Author: Joseph Zita / The Leafs Nation

Blue Jays squander a chance to win in the eighth inning, as they fall 6-5 to the Baltimore Orioles

Well, that’s not what you like to see.

The Jays have now lost five of their last six games, as well as losing 12 of their last 19 games. Not what you want to see in the ultra competitive American League East.
With that being said, let’s look at the Blue Jays Nation’s Player of the Game, as well as things worth mentioning.
Blue Jays Nation’s Player of the Game: Santiago Espinal
As you may know, Santiago Espinal has had a rough start to the 2023 season. Coming into Saturday’s game, he was slashing .171/.237/.229 with one homer and a wRC+ of 31. He also had a -0.4 fWAR, down from a 2.3 fWAR in 2022.

Santiago Espinal’s double pic.twitter.com/lDZD31tD4f
— Brennan Delaney (@Brennan_L_D) May 20, 2023

Saturday’s game was a good start to righting his season, as he went three for three in the game, along with a stolen base. After the game, he raised his slash line to .205/.266/.274, along with a 52 wRC+.
Sadly, he was pulled from the game while stealing second due to right hamstring discomfort. It’s too be seen if Espinal will land on the injured list, but it sucks to see someone who was struggling to have a good game, just to end up injured.

UPDATE: INF Santiago Espinal left today’s game with right hamstring discomfort.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 20, 2023

Things worth mentioning:
Alek Manoah had his first good start in a while. The 25-year-old had a line of 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 K, 1 BB. However, both earned runs were rather lucky, as a line drive was hit to George Springer, who missed the ball, giving the batter a triple with no outs. The second earned run came on a wall scraping homer, which barely went out, as the Blue Jays …

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Author: Brennan Delaney / Blue Jays Nation

Does a pricier William Nylander still fit into the Toronto Maple Leafs’ plans?

It seems like only yesterday we were all arguing about whether Nylander’s $6.9M contract was an overpayment. The first year as he returned to the lineup midseason it seemed a little rough, but in the end, the $6.9M cap hit was just as nice as you’d expect it to be, even if it did mean he was costing the Leafs more than David Pastrnak was costing the Bruins.
Now here we are, with just one year left on Nylander’s deal before he hits free agency and there is a need to come to terms with what Nylander is going to cost and whether that cost can fit into the Leafs cap situation moving forward as his deal will coincide not only with Auston Matthews’ but come up at a time when the Leafs may need to replace TJ Brodie and hopefully have to deal with pay increases for Nick Robertson and Timothy Liljegren because they’ve been just that amazing.
Immediately following that there will be the contracts for Mitch Marner and John Tavares that need to be sorted out. I will go out on a limb and say that John Tavares isn’t going to cost $11M on his next deal, but his reduction isn’t likely …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation

The case for running it back with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ core

I feel like I have the luxury of fresh eyes on the Leafs situation. I’ve been away all weekend and didn’t witness the highs and lows of Game 5, I’ve been able to sit out the hastily crafted “this group can’t win together” diatribes, and now I get to come in fresh just as the locker room cleanout day sound clips will infuriate everyone listening to the point of wanting to blow up the team and put P.A. Parenteau back on the top line. The Leafs do frustration very well. Maybe we can make them a trophy for that.
Until that happens, I’m here to weigh-in on what will be one of the most insufferable debates of the summer, or at least up until the draft, and that is what the Leafs should do with their core.
For my purposes, I’m including Morgan Rielly in the core. He is in every way except not being a forward and he’s practically that too, so when talking about what the Leafs should or shouldn’t do here it’s about Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander, and Rielly. That’s not to be disrespectful to T.J. Brodie or Ilya Samsonov who clearly play major and important roles on the Leafs as well, but Bro …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation

4 best undrafted talents to suit up for the Toronto Raptors

4 best undrafted talents to suit up for the Toronto Raptors

The NBA Draft is the best way for teams like the Toronto Raptors to pick up young talent, and more often than not, that is where new franchise players are found. With the great number of prospects hoping to make the NBA every year, finding talent that will actually translate to the next level includes […]
4 best undrafted talents to suit up for the Toronto Raptors – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Elaine Blum / Raptors HQ

George Springer’s walk off single completes Toronto’s late-game rally in 4-3 win over Detroit

It wasn’t a blowout win in front of a sold out crowd like last night, but the end of the game tonight featured almost as much excitement. After trailing much of tonight’s game, the Blue Jays scored three runs between the 9th and 10th inning, including George Springer’s walk off single as Toronto defeated Detroit 4-3 in 10 innings.
The 10th inning went about as good as it could go, as Jordan Romano stranded two base runners in the top half of the frame. He had a runner on third with one out, but he got Spencer Torkelson to fly out to shallow right, not deep enough for Javier Baez to test out Springer’s arm.
Kevin Kiermaier led off the bottom of the 10th with a sacrifice bunt that moved Danny Jansen to third base, and Springer dribbled a ball up the middle the very next pitch for the game-winning hit.
Blue Jays Nation’s Player of the Game: Kevin Gausman
All of the excitement happened after Gausman left the game, but his efforts still deserve recognition, as he struck out eleven batters versus no walks in eight total innings. He did, unfortunately, surrender his first earned run(s) on the season, as the Tigers were able to tag him for three runs. Nick M …

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Author: Evan Stack / Blue Jays Nation

The Blue Jays use the long ball to defeat the Tigers 9-3 in the home opener

There’s not many atmospheres like a home opener, especially when said home has had some renovations done through the previous offseason.
The Blue Jays hit five home runs which backed a shaky start from Alek Manoah, as they defeated Detroit 9-3 in front of a sold out crowd on Tuesday night. It’s almost beating the same drum over and over now, but it was the first game with the new additions to the Rogers Center, and fans at the game or at home watching on TV had the chance to check it out. Let’s dive into who made this exciting night possible.
Blue Jays Nation’s Player of the Game: Kevin Kiermaier
Of all Blue Jays players – returning or new – who were excited to play at Rogers Center this year, Kevin Kiermaier’s exhilaration was visibly unmatched. During an interview with Hazel Mae before the game, Kiermaier went as far as to say that he loves the Canadian National Anthem so much that he might even consider performing it one day. Well, all of that culminated to a storybook-like play to lead off the second inning, as he robbed Kerry Carpenter of a home run with a sensational leaping catch at the center field wall. It was the literal …

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Author: Evan Stack / Blue Jays Nation

Realistic expectations for Knies, fixing the Leafs’ top six, and playing Gustafsson: Leaflets

It’s Leaflet time and I feel like I’d be doing a disservice to myself if I didn’t immediately start off by complaining about the lack of NHL hockey last night. The NHL not only had an empty evening but chose to miss the opportunity for some daytime hockey as well, which certainly would have been welcomed by most hockey fans. Thankfully the Women’s World Hockey Championship filled the primetime void and the debut of Dennis Hildeby for the Marlies gave us some Leafs content, but with less than a week to go and teams with five games left on their schedule, it was a wild decision.
Now Leaflets…
Going on record one last time about Matthew Knies
Today’s National Championship game is likely the last game Matthew Knies will play in the NCAA. That’s nothing new and honestly, Knies getting a chance to play out his goal of reaching the National Championship rather than getting him earlier in the spring is going to be better for both Knies and the Leafs long term.
It has been interesting to see how the Frozen Four tournament has played out for Knies and it certainly bares a resemblance to how he’s performed on the biggest stages previously, both at the Olympics and the World Jun …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation

Raptors news: Adrian Griffin linked to Pistons job, Pascal Siakam talks Joel Embiid

Raptors news: Adrian Griffin linked to Pistons job, Pascal Siakam talks Joel Embiid

The Toronto Raptors may not have seemed like a team that was a few bad months away from a coaching change earlier in the season, but Nick Nurse might be leaving Adrian Griffin and the rest of his assistants out to dry based on the rumors surrounding him and the Houston Rockets. Even Griffin staying […]
Raptors news: Adrian Griffin linked to Pistons job, Pascal Siakam talks Joel Embiid – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ