Can the Canucks Count on Chytil to Be the Next Play Driver?
The Vancouver Canucks head into next season with plenty to prove. After the regular season turmoil and not making the playoffs, the big question is how to raise the team’s…
All posts by The Old Prof
Maple Leafs’ Stanley Cup Window Is Closing
It’s time to admit what many Toronto Maple Leafs fans have been feeling in their bones: the window is closing. Not slammed shut yet—but it’s creaking, and the air coming…
How Long Does the Maple Leafs’ Next Leadership Group Get to Win a Stanley Cup?
Let me admit this from the start. I frustrate many Maple Leafs fans by being an apologist for players, coaches, and executives. I come by it honestly. My academic work…
Canucks’ Blueprint for Hope: Structure, Goaltending, and a Wild Card or Two
It’s the question making the rounds this offseason, and Halford & Brough put it plainly: Can the Vancouver Canucks ride their blue line and goaltending back to the playoffs—even if…
Maple Leafs Fans’ Biggest Concern: Is the Core Cracked Beyond Repair?
Despite a seven-game war with the Florida Panthers, the Toronto Maple Leafs once again ended their playoff run in familiar fashion—full of promise but ultimately falling short. Some fans insist…
From Questioned to Clutch: Oilers’ Superstars Answer the Bell in Game 3
The Edmonton Oilers came into Game 3 needing their stars to be their stars, and they delivered. After a quiet Game 2, Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins led…
Calling Shanahan a Maple Leafs Failure Misses the Point
Toronto Maple Leafs fans deserve more than lazy, uninformed journalism. While, fortunately, it is not the norm among Toronto hockey media, when it does happen, it’s glaring. The Maple Leafs,…
Dakota Joshua Is the Power Forward the Canucks Need
During a recent episode of Halford and Brough, the hosts shared a sentiment that’s becoming harder to ignore: if you want to win in the NHL playoffs, you need a…
The Maple Leafs Should Keep the Core Four (and Add Heart)
Another year, another playoff letdown. Just like that, the calls return: break up the Core Four—let Mitch Marner walk. Don’t re-sign John Tavares. Shift the direction. Start fresh. But what…
Dear Mitch: It’s Okay to Leave the Maple Leafs
I’ve been covering the Toronto Maple Leafs for the past eight seasons, and in that time, I’ve learned that following this team is about far more than hockey. It’s about…