Nick Lidstrom’s retirement just reinforces for me: don’t trade Carl Gunnarsson

I won’t even try to compete with the many outstanding writers who are penning thoughtful pieces and spinning fine prose about Nick Lidstrom ...

Let’s not throw James Reimer under the bus just yet: who was Mike Smith two years ago?

About a month ago, if you had asked serious NHL fans who was the best goaltender in hockey—at leas...

Would we care as much if the Marlies were located elsewhere?

I won't try to suggest that Leaf fans are as geared up about the Toronto Marlies advancing to the AHL Calder Cup finals as we would  be ...

Remembering what it was like when the Leafs were getting ready to play in the Cup finals

With the weather like it is, at least for a lot of us, we should probably be talking about summer va...

Yzerman, Modano and now Kovalchuk: is there hope for Phil Kessel??

One of the most fascinating examples of an athletic metamorphosis over the past few seasons has been that of none other than the uber-talent...

Is this where I say I was wrong about Kovalchuk and Lamoriello?

Those of you that drop by here fairly regularly may have heard me comment a few times in the past with regard to the Devils acquiring—and th...

Yes Mr. Dudley, we “average fans” do understand more than you seem to think…

I guess some people just can’t help being—or at least sounding—arrogant. It‘s no surprise that Rick Dudley has left the Leafs to join the H...

I’m likely in a minority, but here’s why, if I was the Leaf GM, I wouldn’t go after Roberto Luongo

It was only a matter of time before the Roberto Luongo "decision" would be made public.  That came on Thursday, when newly re-sign...

They don’t have to be Leafs—but what players do you have a good old-fashioned “rooting interest” in?

I was checking out a baseball game the other night, and while I don’t have any...

Are the Leafs better than they were a month ago?

Given the Leaf inactivity and the great weather a lot of us have been experiencing, it's likely you haven't been visiting VLM as reg...

Taking a step back: 12 highlights from the 2011-’12 Maple Leaf season

It is fashionable (and easy—I’ve certainly done it myself) to consider the 2011-’12 NHL season another unsuccessful year that was pretty muc...

Maple Leaf blog world filled with quality, respect—and companionship

One of the things that I’ve really enjoyed over the past now (almost) three years that I’ve been inv...