{"id":520873,"date":"2026-03-24T21:43:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T21:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/520873\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T21:43:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T21:43:11","slug":"disastrous-deadline-deal-looms-over-leafs-as-they-limp-into-boston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/520873\/","title":{"rendered":"Disastrous deadline deal looms over Leafs as they limp into Boston"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins<\/a> held optional skates at TD Garden on Tuesday. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s disastrous deadline deal is looming over the Leafs as they limp back into Boston for the final time during this nightmare season. <\/p>\n

It was last March that Toronto acquired defenceman Brandon Carlo<\/a> (under contract through 2026-27 with 15 per cent of his cap hit retained) from the Bruins in exchange for their 2026 first-round pick (top-five protected) and prized prospect Fraser Minten<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Leafs enter Tuesday\u2019s game in Boston with the sixth worst points percentage in the league. So, Toronto may be about to hand over a top-10 pick to their Atlantic Division rivals. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Minten is lining up as Boston\u2019s top-line centre. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fun,\u201d the 21-year-old said. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to be in really meaningful games every night right now and on a super fun team. Been a really fun year, so hopefully we can keep it going into the post-season.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bruins occupy the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but have just a two-point cushion over the ninth-place Detroit Red Wings<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Minten has produced 16 goals and 15 assists and leads all Bruins forwards at plus-22. He\u2019s currently slotting in beside David Pastrnak<\/a> and Marat Khusnutdinov<\/a>. <\/p>\n

How much room does Minten, who played a career-high 21 minutes and nine seconds in Saturday\u2019s win in Detroit, have to grow? <\/p>\n

\u201cProbably not too much vertically,\u201d the 6-foot-2, 204-pound pivot said with a grin. \u201cBut maybe a little more horizontally. We\u2019ll see.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cLook at him, he looks like a 15-year-old,\u201d coach Marco Sturm<\/a> said with a grin. \u201cSo that means, for me, there\u2019s a lot to fill even in his body and everything. I\u2019ve been working with young kids in the past and I just love being part of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minten is only getting better, which means the trade is only getting more painful for the Leafs. <\/p>\n

\u201cMints is a great kid,\u201d said Leafs forward Max Domi<\/a>. \u201cWorks hard. He\u2019s having a great year just like their whole team is, but happy for him. He was a good teammate, great hockey player, and obviously we all knew he was going to have a great future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally reliable player and his offensive instincts are very good,\u201d said Leafs rookie Easton Cowan<\/a>. \u201cI feel like he doesn\u2019t get credited for them enough. He\u2019s good in the D-zone, but as soon as he gets to that O-zone too, he\u2019s a very good player.\u201d<\/p>\n

Already playing with Pastrnak, former Leaf Minten still has plenty of room to grow Fraser Minten discusses his growth with the Bruins and what it’s like to have David Pastrnak on his wing. His head coach Marco Sturm enjoys Minten’s progress this year but still believes there’s lots of room to grow. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Cowan missed the first two games against Boston this season because he was in the American Hockey League, which means Tuesday will be his first game against Minten. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be cool,\u201d Cowan said. \u201cVery cool. Obviously a good player and one of my closest friends. I\u2019m excited to get out there. We\u2019re good friends, but on the ice we\u2019re competitors and we\u2019re excited to go to battle tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cowan, 20, scored a goal and added an assist on Saturday in Ottawa, which was the first two-point game in his career. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to come in as a young guy in this league,\u201d Minten said. \u201cI know he\u2019s had his ups and downs, but that\u2019s normal and he\u2019s stuck with it and nice to see him get rewarded with a good game the other night. Happy to see he\u2019s having success.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the last eight seasons (since 2018-19), only one other Leafs player had a multi-point game at age 20 or younger (Rasmus Sandin<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Leafs’ Cowan, Bruins’ Minten put friendship on hold in first NHL showdown Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten built quite the friendship while the two prospects were in Toronto’s system. Tonight will mark the first time they’ll face one another, after Minten was traded last year to Boston. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

After the game in Ottawa, Cowan said he felt the Leafs got \u201cdeflated\u201d after the Senators scored first. Craig Berube<\/a> made it clear he felt that type of talk was \u201ca cop out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Easton\u2019s handling everything fine,\u201d Berube stressed on Tuesday. \u201cHe makes mistakes and he understands them and wants to correct them, but that\u2019s not going to make him play a different game. He\u2019s the type of kid that\u2019s going to keep going out and doing what he does best. There\u2019s going to be mistakes and we all know that, but he\u2019s going to keep doing it because he knows he\u2019s good at it. He\u2019s just maturing. I thought he played a real good game in Ottawa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berube elevated Cowan to the top line with John Tavares<\/a> and William Nylander<\/a> on Saturday. <\/p>\n

\u201cI thought he was really going that game and he did a good job for us,\u201d the coach noted.<\/p>\n

How can the Leafs avoid any deflating moments moving forward? <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just going to stick together as a group,\u201d Cowan said. \u201cWhether we get the first one or not, just stay positive and keep going at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berube praises Leafs rookie Cowan’s maturity in wake of Deflate-Gate Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube had nothing but praise for rookie Easton Cowan after the two saw things differently in their lopsided loss to the Senators over the weekend. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Gritty winger Michael Pezzetta<\/a> will draw into the lineup on Tuesday and play his third game with the Leafs. <\/p>\n

\u201cBoston and what they bring here in this Boston, we\u2019re going to need some physicality,\u201d Berube explained. \u201cThat\u2019s why he\u2019s in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pezzetta already has one fight under his belt with the Leafs. He dropped the gloves off the opening faceoff in his first game with his hometown team on March 12. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a hard game,\u201d Berube predicted. \u201cWe all know that. It always is and especially in Boston, it\u2019s never easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Leafs are out of the playoff race, but Sturm believes his players will get a jolt from the Original Six rivalry. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe love these kind of games,\u201d said Sturm, \u201cespecially at home with the crowd behind us, that alone should be motivating for us. I shouldn\u2019t even come in and talk to them before the game because they should be ready to go.\u201d <\/p>\n

‘Going to need some physicality’: Berube puts Pezzetta in as Leafs brace for Boston Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube revealed that Michael Pezzetta will draw into the lineup tonight for Calle Jarnkrok when they visit the Bruins. Toronto is expecting a raucous crowd in Boston and say their history always makes for a great battle. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

The last time the Leafs visited Boston on Nov. 11 it was a feisty affair. Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov<\/a> knocked down Auston Matthews<\/a> with a big hit in the second period. The Leafs captain then sustained an injury while delivering a retaliatory hit. <\/p>\n

Domi (5-foot-10, 208 pounds) attempted to fight Zadorov (6-foot-7, 255 pounds) in the third period, but the burly blueliner did not feel comfortable fighting someone below his weight class. The pair are former teammates with the London Knights. <\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Z go way back,\u201d Domi said. \u201cHe\u2019s an unbelievable person, great teammate, and I love him to death. But playing against him at this level, you park that pretty quick. We\u2019ve had our battles over the years. He\u2019s a big, physical guy and I\u2019m so happy for him, the career he\u2019s had. He\u2019s a great person, great player. He\u2019s got a couple kids now. He\u2019s a dad, which is hilarious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Domi and Zadorov helped the Knights win an Ontario Hockey League title in 2013. <\/p>\n

\u201cI love playing against him,\u201d Domi said. \u201cI love playing against all my buddies from juniors. When you win you share a special connection for the rest of your career but you always have that much more urge to beat them. It\u2019s fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zadorov also injured then-Leaf Scott Laughton<\/a> with a big hit in the first meeting between the teams on Nov. 8. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

On Monday the Leafs held only their second full practice since games resumed following the Olympic break. Domi stayed out well after the end of the main session to put in extra work with player development staffer Patrick O\u2019Sullivan. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s probably the best development coach in the league as far as I\u2019m concerned,\u201d Domi declared. \u201cI learn so much from him and even an extra half an hour after practice, a few minutes before, it goes a long way. Practice time has been super limited, so just taking advantage of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

What makes O\u2019Sullivan, who retired as a player after the 2012-13, season, so good? <\/p>\n

\u201cHis way of communicating is amazing,\u201d Domi said. \u201cAnd he can back up the on-ice stuff with some video. Super fortunate to have a friendship with him and just be able to learn from him every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leafs Ice Chips: After extra practice time, Domi pumped for showdown with buddy Zadorov Max Domi put in some extra work after Monday’s Maple Leafs practice with skills coach Patrick O’Sullivan. Mark Masters has more on what Domi was working on and his excitement to face one of his former London teammates tonight. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

This is the annual Mentors Trip for the Leafs with the players all allowed to invite a guest with them to Boston. <\/p>\n

Domi brought his uncle. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s like a kid in the candy store,\u201d Domi said. \u201cHe\u2019s soaking it all in. It\u2019s good to see. He\u2019s really happy and I think everyone is. Everyone\u2019s got a lot of joy to be able to show how much that person or player means to them and it\u2019s great. That\u2019s what it\u2019s all about. That\u2019s what we play for so it\u2019s a fun trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morgan Rielly<\/a> invited former Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner<\/a>, who played for Toronto from 2011 to 2019. Rielly lived with Gardiner during his rookie season. <\/p>\n

There was a group dinner Monday night and the mentors have been included in the team meetings. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of fun for everybody,\u201d said Berube. \u201cThe mentors are excited to be around and see everything and the players are excited.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rielly brings Gardiner to Boston as Leafs Mentors Trip creates extra energy The Maple Leafs are holding their Mentors Trip while they visit Boston this week. Morgan Rielly had a familiar face with him, as he brought along former Maple Leaf Jake Gardiner. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Rielly will return to the Leafs lineup after missing Saturday\u2019s game with a lower-body injury. <\/p>\n

Defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson<\/a> will play after leaving Monday\u2019s practice early with an undisclosed issue. <\/p>\n

Philippe Myers<\/a> stayed out late at the skate and is projected to be a healthy scratch. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Anthony Stolarz<\/a> is set to start for the Leafs on Tuesday. <\/p>\n

Stolarz missed Saturday\u2019s scheduled start after taking a shot to the neck from William Nylander<\/a> in warm-up. <\/p>\n

Stolarz is returning to Boston for the first time since sustaining a nerve-related injury on Nov. 11, which kept him sidelined until Jan. 23. <\/p>\n

Boston will start Jeremy Swayman<\/a> instead of saving their No. 1 goalie for Wednesday\u2019s game in Buffalo against the surging Sabres. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s playing too well,\u201d Sturm explained. \u201cIt\u2019s a big game for us. Every game is big but today, facing a team out of the playoffs and they have nothing to lose, I think Sway gives us the best chance to win the hockey game. We have to go into games like that, it\u2019s just way too important.\u201d <\/p>\n

Swayman has allowed just one even-strength goal over his past two games.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Projected Leafs lineup for Tuesday\u2019s game: <\/p>\n

Cowan – Tavares – Nylander<\/p>\n

Knies – Domi – Robertson<\/p>\n

Maccelli – Groulx – Joshua<\/p>\n

Lorentz – Quillan – Pezzetta <\/p>\n

Rielly – Carlo<\/p>\n

McCabe – Ekman-Larsson<\/p>\n

Benoit – Stecher <\/p>\n

Stolarz starts<\/p>\n

Woll <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins held optional skates at TD Garden on Tuesday. — Last year\u2019s disastrous…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":520874,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5106],"tags":[4759,37050,53979,5,20,5172,35232,34386,4,66,31,32467,5171],"class_list":{"0":"post-520873","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-toronto-maple-leafs","8":"tag-apple-news","9":"tag-boston-bruins-sports-hockey-team-team-nhl-api-6","10":"tag-fraser-minten-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8483489","11":"tag-hockey","12":"tag-maple-leafs","13":"tag-mapleleafs","14":"tag-max-domi-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8477503","15":"tag-morgan-rielly-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8476853","16":"tag-nhl","17":"tag-toronto","18":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs","19":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs-sports-hockey-team-team-nhl-api-10","20":"tag-torontomapleleafs"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116286338229228228","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/520873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=520873"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/520873\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/520874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=520873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=520873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=520873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}