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Published on:

11th Sep 2025

2025 NHL Summer Cooler - Toronto Maple Leafs

In this Summer Coolers edition of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren turn their sights to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a franchise with sky-high expectations and one of the longest championship droughts in professional sports.

Despite finishing first in the Atlantic Division with 108 points, the Leafs fell in seven games to Florida—with especially disappointing efforts in Games 5 and 7. And this offseason, the biggest domino fell: Mitch Marner was traded to Vegas for center Nicolas Roy, ending his nine-year tenure with the team.

With Matthew Knies elevated to the new "Core Four", is this version of the Leafs any closer to a Cup? Or are we staring down another April collapse?

🧊 IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] 2025 recap: 108 points, 1st in Atlantic, early exit to Florida

[01:00] Mitch Marner traded to Vegas, signs 8 years, $12M AAV

[02:00] Leafs add forward depth: Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, Michael Pezzetta

[03:00] Re-signings: John Tavares (hometown discount), Matthew Knies (6 yrs, $7.75M AAV)

[04:00] Knies' breakout & new Core Four status

[05:00] Drops: Ryan Reaves to San Jose, Pontus Holmberg to Tampa

[06:00] Can this forward group replace Marner’s 100+ point production?

[07:00] Austin Matthews’ leadership under fire: Time to step up

[08:00] Craig Berube’s system: Can he mold this group into playoff warriors?

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Mitch Marner is gone—and he’s not coming back. He controlled the situation, didn’t want to stay in Toronto, and ultimately forced the Leafs’ hand.

Matthew Knies is officially a franchise cornerstone. With a six-year extension and a power-forward game built for the playoffs, he must carry more of the load.

John Tavares took a massive pay cut, re-signing at $4.389M per year. His leadership on and off the ice remains critical for a group chasing postseason credibility.

Craig Berube must transform Toronto’s identity, instilling grit, urgency, and resilience. Without it, history will repeat itself again.

Austin Matthews must finally own the playoffs. He’s already a Hall of Fame talent, but postseason success has to match regular season dominance.

🎯 FINAL WORD:

The Leafs still have elite talent. They still have the most media attention. And they still have the longest active Stanley Cup drought.

If Toronto can’t break through now—with Marner gone, Berube in charge, and a reshaped core—the conversation in 2026 will be exactly the same. Time is ticking.

🔗 RESOURCE LINKS:

📺 YouTube: NHL Wraparound Channel

🐦 X (Twitter): @NHLWraparound

🎤 Neil Smith: @NYCNeil

📘 Vic Morren: Vic on LinkedIn

📸 Instagram: @NHLWraparound

🎵 TikTok: @NHLWraparound

👍 Facebook: NHL Wraparound Facebook


🏒 HASHTAGS

#TorontoMapleLeafs #LeafsForever #NHLWraparound #SummerCoolers #MitchMarner #NickRoy #BradTreliving #KyleDubas #MatiasMaccelli #MichaelPezzetta #TravisBoyd #VinniLettieri #DakotaJoshua #CraigBerube #JohnTavares #StevenLorentz #NicolasRobertson #MatthewKnies #AustonMatthews #WilliamNylander #RyanReaves #HenryThrun #PontusHolmberg #CoreFour


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About the Podcast

NHL Wraparound Podcast
Neil Smith & Vic Morren
Breadth and depth.
Contemporary and historical.
Straight-forward and experienced.
The NHL Wraparound podcast features Neil Smith, President-General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers and longtime ESPN/NHL veteran Vic Morren sharing no-nonsense opinions on news and issues around the National Hockey League.

Bringing decades of experience from their respective fields, Smith and Morren create a unique partnership that examines the NHL from multiple perspectives. Additionally, as hockey historians, the pair can delve into any topic in today’s game and enlighten the audience with connections to events from previous years. To truly appreciate where hockey stands today, one needs to understand its past.

With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of the Rangers last championship season, a special five-part series is planned to commemorate that magical run. Expect fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and special guests with particular focus on the GM who pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table amidst the most pressurized environments – and came out on top.

Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned fan, each episode of NHL Wraparound will leave you entertained and informed.


Bio’s
Neil S. Smith, highly regarded NHL executive, served as the President and General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers. During his eleven years with the team, they achieved significant success, including three division titles, two Presidents’ Trophies, one Eastern Conference Championship, and a historic Stanley Cup victory—the franchise’s first in 54 years.

Known for his expertise in professional sports franchise economics, Smith played a pivotal role in management decisions under four different Rangers owners.. His tenure saw iconic trades and acquisitions, including Hall of Famers Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky, as well as successful drafts and free-agent signings.

Starting as a pro scout, Smith's career highlights include the impactful 1989 draft for the Detroit Red Wings and bold trades that shaped NHL history. He briefly served as GM for the New York Islanders in 2006, later working as a consultant for the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

A Toronto native, Smith's hockey journey began in junior leagues before a distinguished college career at Western Michigan University. He has received numerous awards and distinctions, including induction into the University's Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

Vic Morren: Born in New York City close to the Old Madison Square Garden, Vic Morren has had hockey in his blood his entire life as a fan, player and television production manager.

A graduate of William Paterson University, Morren skated for three seasons with the Pioneers hockey club and became the first statistical analyst to apply his craft to telecasts working New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils games from 1984-87. He co-authored two NHL-based statistics books within that span before moving to ESPN in 1987 and working the final season of the original deal the network had with the NHL.
After departing in 1990, Morren worked as a studio producer for SportsChannel America’s NHL coverage and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before returning to ESPN that fall where he worked all 12 seasons on the second ESPN/NHL deal and the first season of the most recent contract in 2021-22. Morren has also earned a Sports Emmy for his work on Sunday Night Football coverage in 2003.

His relationship with Neil Smith dates back 33 years through their mutual friendship with the late ESPN/ABC commentator John Saunders. Morren looks forward to NHL Wraparound and collaborating with Smith with the goal to provide an experience of contemporary viewpoints, historical spin and an overall enriching podcast experience.