What were the 10 biggest storylines in sports in April?
April is one of the busiest months and arguably the most eventful time of the year on the sports calendar. This past April was no different. Championships were determined in the first week of the month, while the NBA and NHL playoffs began shortly after.
Some of the top storylines in sports last month extended beyond on-field matters, too. The NFL and WNBA held their annual drafts in April, with each bringing plenty of surprises along the way.
So, which sports stories were the biggest in April? Let's take a look: 10 biggest storylines in sports in April 10. Austin Cindric wins at Talladega
The Team Penske driver picked up his first win of the 2025 season at Talladega Superspeedway in April, beating out Ryan Preece (who was disqualified following technical inspection) and Kyle Larson by a hair.
From FOX Motorsports Insider Bob Pockrass :
Cindric will just appreciate winning a race at a drafting track. At these tracks, he's often been in contention, but victories have seemed tough to come by (except in the 2022 Daytona 500).
He didn't have to survive a late-race caution. All he had to do was be out front and in position.
"For that to go green at the end, have a car capable, a team capable, have it all come together, it's really gratifying," Cindric said.
"It's definitely a relief, given how a lot of these have gone. It doesn't make me any special or different. These things go up in flames for most. I'm super grateful for the opportunity to be able to come through and win." 9. Kyle Kirkwood wins Long Beach Grand Prix
Alex Palou has dominated the 2025 INDYCAR season so far, winning three of the first four races ahead of the Indianapolis 500 later in May. But Kirkwood offered a reprieve from Palou's dominance at the Long Beach Grand Prix. He defeated Palou by a few seconds in that race, holding off this season's top driver to pick up his third career win.
From FOX Motorsports Insider Bob Pockrass :
Kirkwood made it look relatively easy. He won the pole and led 46 of the 90 laps. He didn't deviate from strategy, as other drivers tried to pit on different laps to potentially gain spots. On his final stop in the caution-free race, Kirkwood blended onto the track ahead of Palou and held him off — ending the Palou quest for three consecutive wins to open the season.
"We really didn't have that ultimate speed that the 27 car [of Kirkwood] had," Palou said. "They did an awesome job throughout the weekend, qualifying and the race.
"He was managing. Every time I was having a small chance, he just had a little bit more pace. Shame that we couldn't really make it more interesting for the fans, but I'm super happy to be here." 8. Nebraska wins the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament
Fred Hoiberg has had an impressive stint at Nebraska, and he added to it in April. He led the Cornhuskers to four straight wins in the first-ever College Basketball Crown tournament, notching three double-digit victories. 7. Joaquin Niemann wins fifth career LIV Golf Tournament, tying Brooks Koepka for most all-time
In the first-ever LIV Golf Mexico City event, Niemann continued his hot start to the season. He shot 6-under in the final round of the tournament to win by three strokes and get his third victory of the year. It also gave Niemann five career wins in LIV Golf, tying Koepka for the most. 6. Paige Bueckers is selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft
UConn women's basketball had a pretty eventful April. After capping off her historic college basketball career earlier in the month, Bueckers became the sixth player in program history to be selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, extending the Huskies' record for most ever. Bueckers was the consensus national player of the year in the 2020-21 season and regained her elite form after an ACL tear sidelined her for the 2022-23 season. The three-time first-team All-American joined a Wings team that finished with the second-worst record in the WNBA last season. 5. Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record
A record that many thought would never be broken did just that in April. Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal in the Washington Capitals' loss to the New York Islanders on April 6, breaking the longstanding all-time goals record set by the "Great One." The moment was accompanied by a pause in the game as Ovechkin's landmark achievement was celebrated. 4. Florida wins men's NCAA Tournament; UConn wins women's
Of course, the bulk of March Madness didn't take place in April, but the Final Four in the men's and women's tournaments did. In the women's tournament, Bueckers finally got over the hump, helping Geno Auriemma and UConn win their first national championship since 2016 with blowout wins over UCLA and South Carolina in the semifinal round and national championship, respectively.
The men's Final Four had a bit more drama. Florida edged out fellow SEC foe Auburn in the national semifinal, while Houston had a thrilling comeback to defeat Duke. In the championship game, it was Florida's turn to make a furious comeback. The Gators rallied from a 12-point deficit to win, making it the third-largest second-half comeback in NCAA national championship history. Houston had a chance to tie or win the game on the final possession, but Florida's defense prevented the Cougars from getting a shot off. 3. Cam Ward, Travis Hunter go Nos. 1 and 2 in the NFL Draft
The Tennessee Titans grabbed who they hope will be their quarterback of the future when they unsurprisingly selected Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There was a twist when the Cleveland Browns were on the clock with the No. 2 overall pick, though. The Jacksonville Jaguars moved up from the fifth overall pick to No. 2, trading a 2026 first-round pick, among other assets, in order to get two-way star Hunter. 2. Shedeur Sanders drops to the fifth round of the NFL Draft
Very rarely is there a non-first-round pick who winds up gripping the sports world, but Sanders drew unprecedented attention to the later rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Browns eventually took Sanders in the fifth round of the draft, but it came after they surprisingly picked Dillon Gabriel in the third round. Sanders was also the sixth quarterback off the board this year, which was a major shock considering most draft analysts ranked him as the second-best player at his position in the class. Many mock drafts projected Sanders as a first-round pick, too.
Sanders' slide brought in other subplots as well. He was one of the handful of prospects who received prank calls during the draft. Speculation also emerged over why he might have fallen as far as he did.
No matter what the theories are about Sanders, though, there's no denying that there was great interest surrounding where he got drafted as Day 3 of the draft set ratings records. 1. Rory McIlroy wins the Masters
McIlroy finally got the Augusta-sized monkey off his back to put on a green jacket in April, but it didn't come easily. After holding the lead for much of the final round, McIlroy struggled on the back nine and missed a putt to win the tournament on the 18th hole, forcing him to go to a playoff. He avenged his missed putt on the first hole of the playoff, sinking a short putt after an impressive second shot to defeat Justin Rose. The win made McIlroy the sixth golfer to have ever completed a career Grand Slam and the first one from Europe.
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NBC Sports
27 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
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New York Times
27 minutes ago
- New York Times
Ranking the Canucks' top 13 trade assets: What trade chips could be in play?
The Vancouver Canucks want to improve significantly in the wake of a wildly disappointing 2024-25 campaign, which went decisively off of the rails. Unfortunately for the Canucks, however, there are about 25-30 other NHL member clubs that will similarly enter this offseason with significant plans to rapidly improve, and several of those teams have more purchasing power — in terms of cap space — and valuable future assets with which to draw from in pursuing star-level contributors at the top of the lineup. Advertisement With the NHL's silly season about to grind into full gear in the weeks ahead, let's take an inventory of what sorts of assets the Canucks could potentially utilize on the trade market in pursuit of the significant offensive upgrades that the club requires in their top six. What follows is our ranking of Vancouver's 13 top trade assets, including our best-educated guess on the availability of those assets. Status: It's complicated Stats: 64 GP, 15 G – 30 A – 45 Pts Storyline: After a disappointing stretch run during the 2023-24 campaign, and a tough go of it during the club's 2024 Stanley Cup Playoff run, Elias Pettersson's form continued to deteriorate in the first year of his new maximum term, $11.6 million annual average value mega contract. Pettersson's pace was off, his shot velocity was down, his relationship with J.T. Miller was a distraction to the point that the team deemed their partnership unworkable and he played with little joy and even less juice. It wasn't the version of Pettersson that we've become accustomed too, or that the club committed to when they got his autograph on that fateful deal. At the start of the next league year on July 1, Pettersson will gain a full no-move clause. The club doesn't view that deadline as something altogether that meaningful — the club was able to get positive value for both Miller and Carson Soucy despite both players possessing full no-move or no-trade protection, respectively — but it's a factor to be mindful of. It will further limit Vancouver's options, if the decision is made in the future to part ways with the club's struggling superstar centre. Does the organization believe that Pettersson can find his game and bounce back? Can he lead this team to success in the Stanley Cup playoffs? Can the club really find a better option that hoping for the best, given that they already need at least one top-six centre? Advertisement Given that Vancouver's priority is returning to contention, and given the virtual impossibility of acquiring a centre with higher upside this summer, holding onto Pettersson feels like the most likely course of action. It's not an especially straightforward call, however, given just how concerning Pettersson's showing was last season. Status: Essentially untouchable Stats:39 GP (NCAA), 2 G – 22 A – 24 Pts Storyline: Willander is a high-pedigree, blue-chip prospect with the position and handedness that many teams would value at a premium. He looked a bit raw at times during his freshman campaign with Boston University but was significantly more polished and efficient as a shutdown, all-situations ace during his sophomore season. He also performed well for Team Sweden at the World Juniors, a prominent stage where prospects can leave a lasting impression on NHL evaluators. Of course, the reasons that rival teams would covet Willander are also the exact reasons why the Canucks would be deeply reluctant to trade Willander, especially now that he has signed an entry-level contract. Tyler Myers is 35; he won't be able to play top-four minutes on the right side forever — that's where Willander is a key long-term successor. It's also generally rare to see Grade-A prospects of Willander's calibre moved these days unless they're players like Rutger McGroarty or Cutter Gauthier, who weren't willing to sign with the teams that drafted them. It would probably take an opportunity to land a young superstar forward for the Canucks to even entertain the idea of including Willander in a trade. Status: Essentially untouchable Stats: 23 GP, 10-8-3 .889 sv% Storyline: Thatcher Demko endured a nightmare 2024-25 campaign injury-wise. The 29-year-old puck stopper didn't make his debut until December 10th, as a result of an unprecedented knee tear sustained during the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. He struggled on his return and looked out of rhythm, relative to his usual extremely lofty standard, and then sustained two additional injuries that resulted in long-term absences. Advertisement Entering the final year of his contract, Demko has indicated a willingness to sign an extension this summer. The club is open to that too, club sources indicate, provided that the risk on his next deal — which is significant — is shared between the player and the team. In other words, the Canucks are willing to roll the dice on a Demko extension. The organization still believes strongly in the 2024 Vezina Trophy nominee as a player and competitor, but the significance of the risk that his run of injuries now presents will have to be priced into his next deal. Vancouver wants to get back to contending with the big dog teams in the Pacific Division next season, and their potential edge in net with a tandem of Demko and Kevin Lankinen is viewed as a weapon internally towards that end. The club's preference, clearly, is to retain Demko and workout a favourable extension. If that proves to be untenable, however, the club did sign Lankinen to a five-year extension a few months ago, and goaltender Artūrs Šilovs has been a star performer in the Calder Cup playoffs after a difficult, inconsistent year at both the NHL and AHL levels. Depending how extension talks unfold and what Demko's market value is around the league, this could be a fascinating situation to monitor this off-season. Make no mistake though, the club knows that they're better off with Demko in the fold — provided that he stays healthy. Retaining him is clearly the club's top choice. Status: Essentially untouchable Stats: 24 GP, 3 G – 3 A – 6 Pts Storyline: The Canucks are starved for genuine top-six talent. Lekkerimäki may not hit that level immediately next season — it's unrealistic to think he can immediately replace all of pending free agent Brock Boeser's production — but it isn't farfetched to think that he could contribute 15-20 goals in a middle-six NHL role in 2025-26 if things break right. Lekkerimäki's first taste of North American hockey this season has been mostly successful, despite his inconsistent playoff performance with the Abbotsford Canucks. He scored more than half a goal per game in 36 AHL regular season games. He wasn't a big producer during his 24 NHL games, but he showed exciting flashes at times, and his defensive play was surprisingly reliable and risk-free. Advertisement Lekkerimäki needs to pack on extra weight this summer to withstand the physical rigours of the NHL, but he's close enough to the big leagues and has a high enough ceiling that Vancouver probably isn't willing to part ways with him, especially since smaller wingers often aren't rated as highly on the trade market by teams as they perhaps should be. Status: Available Storyline: It'd be pretty surprising if the Canucks held on to this year's No.15 pick. Jim Rutherford already stated that his front office is more likely to get its shopping done on the trade market rather than free agency. Vancouver would almost certainly prefer trading the No.15 pick to service the club's forward needs rather than its top prospects. Logically, it makes sense: Whoever you draft at No.15 probably won't be NHL-ready for 3-4 years, whereas the likes of Willander, Lekkerimäki, and Elias Pettersson the defenceman could help Vancouver as soon as next season. 2025 isn't considered to be the strongest draft class, but first-round picks aren't created equal — the Canucks' No.15 pick will be more valuable than some of the late first-round picks that other clubs may shop ahead of the draft. Status: Available for the right price Storyline: Vancouver intends to be aggressive this season. This is a management team that's keen to swing the bat, and add top-end talent to their lineup this summer. And that won't be easy to do without some level of pain. Could that include the club trading more than the 15th overall pick in 2025? Might they consider trading a conditional (lottery protected) 2026 first-round pick? It's definitely possible, but it would require a special, young star-level contributor to hit the market this summer. Think more Jason Robertson than Pavel Zacha, in terms of the quality of player we're talking about here. Advertisement This one seems like a far more remote possibility than the Canucks parting with their 2025 first-round pick. If a unique opportunity to add a truly elite young goal scoring forward this summer, however, the Canucks could plausibly be tempted to fire all available weapons. Status: Untouchable Stats: 28 GP, 1 G – 3 A – 4 Pts Storyline: The Canucks are sky-high on physical young defender Elias Pettersson and enter the offseason steadfast in their refusal to consider trading him. The club values the rare profile, in terms of his nasty physical play and combination of size and skating ability, but he's an untouchable because he combines all of that with a precocious brand of authority that he's brought to a locker room in need of character contributors. As much as Vancouver is willing to make some gut wrenching decisions in order to improve themselves this summer Pettersson, the defender, is off the table. Status: Available for the right price Stats: 72 GP, 8 G – 15 A – 23 Pts Höglander landed in Rick Tocchet's doghouse this season and slumped to just 25 points in 72 games, a far cry from his 24-goal breakout in 2023-24. The silver lining is that he was one of the Canucks' best wingers from January onward, especially from a play-driving perspective. The Canucks could really benefit from Höglander's combination of speedy play-driving, hard-nosed forechecking, and secondary offence, but the front office needs to have an honest conversation with new head coach Adam Foote to make sure they're on the same page. If Foote believes in Höglander and is willing to give him a longer leash, then the value of keeping Höglander would exceed his modest trade value. On the other hand, if Foote doesn't view Höglander as a top-nine fixture, then the club may be better off trading him and reallocating his $3 million cap hit. Small, non-elite wingers don't usually carry a lot of value on the trade market, but Höglander's sparkling underlying numbers and the fact that his $3 million AAV is more digestible with the spiking salary cap should make him a more valuable asset than he was six months ago. Advertisement Status: Available for the right price Stats: 31 GP, 2 G – 6 A – 8 Pts Storyline: Mancini is enjoying a stellar playoff run as Abbotsford's No.1 defenceman. The hype train is building for him locally, but that doesn't necessarily mean his stock is exploding around the league. He's already 23, which means teams likely wouldn't view him as having a lot of development runway left, nor does he have high-end draft pedigree or standout offensive statistics. Mancini's enticing combo of size and skating would still make him an appealing project, though, especially as a right-shot defender. And yes, his strong playoff run will help his value. But in trade talks, he's more likely to be viewed as an attractive secondary piece rather than the centrepiece in a package that lands an impact forward. We imagine that the Canucks would be open to including Mancini in a trade for the right player, given that they already have two exciting, up-and-coming defence prospects with higher potential than him in Willander and Pettersson. Status: Available Stats: 82 GP, 8 G – 18 A – 26 Pts Storyline: Blueger's availability this summer isn't so much about his performance as it is the club's roster and cap situation. Filip Chytil will slot in as the Canucks' third-line centre in the likely scenario that the club adds a 2C this summer. That leaves Blueger occupying the 4C role, which blocks Aatu Räty's path to a full-time centre job in the NHL. Trading Blueger would clear the path for Räty, plus open up an additional $1.8 million of cap space. In 2023, the Penguins received a third-round pick when trading Blueger as a rental to Vegas. He owns a modified no-trade clause with a 12-team no-trade list, according to PuckPedia, so that would be one hurdle to navigate. Status: Available for the right price Stats: 21 GP (AHL), 14-5-1 .908 Sv% Šilovs is on an incredible heater in Abbotsford, pitching a .930 save percentage through 16 playoff games. That's helping salvage what was otherwise a disappointing NHL showing and a decent but unspectacular AHL regular season in 2024-25. Advertisement In an ideal world, the Canucks would keep Šilovs as their third-string goaltender next season. He's an interesting project because of his raw athleticism and is still young enough to develop into an NHL netminder one day. The problem is that Šilovs will require waivers to be sent down next season. Šilovs may still be able to sneak through waivers because his overall professional resume has been inconsistent, but Vancouver's front office will have to weigh the risk of him getting claimed against the trade value he may have this summer. The Canucks went through a similar dilemma with Vasily Podkolzin last summer and opted to trade him to Edmonton for a fourth-round pick. Non-elite goaltending prospects, especially ones requiring waivers, aren't usually a hot commodity, so don't expect Silovs' trade value to be too high. With that said, it's conceivable that a goalie-starved organization may want to roll the dice on his raw talent if the acquisition cost this summer is relatively low. Status: Available for the right price Storyline: The Canucks have a host of younger players in the 23-to-26-year-old range who appear to be capable of challenging for a full-time job at the NHL level as soon as next season. These aren't players that are likely to have significant exchange value, although there are talent evaluators around the league that strongly admire some of Vancouver's younger organizational depth pieces. The Canucks won't give these sorts of players away, but could utilize them as part of a larger package to land the top-six contributor (or two) that Vancouver craves. Status: Available What's the value of a second-round pick, or a mid-round pick, or a late-round pick, given the Canucks' priorities and the organizational urgency to get back into the playoff mix next season? These less valuable picks are, surely, already squarely burning a hole in the pockets of Canucks management. (Top photo of Nils Höglander:)
New York Times
28 minutes ago
- New York Times
Can the Maple Leafs upgrade at centre without trading Easton Cowan?
The Toronto Maple Leafs have two paths to improvement at centre this offseason: free agency or trade (and maybe both). The free-agent pool isn't especially deep and the potential for costly missteps is high. The trade route, on the other hand, holds more appeal, with more options, potentially, and more fits for what the Leafs need: a No. 2 centre to play behind Auston Matthews — and likely a No. 3, as well. Advertisement There's just one teeny little problem for general manager Brad Treliving: The Leafs don't have much left to trade. Not after sending out two first-round picks, Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin this year in separate deals for Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton. The Leafs have one shiny asset left to dangle to rival teams and that's 20-year-old Memorial Cup MVP Easton Cowan. To trade Cowan or not is a thorny proposition for the Leafs front office. Cowan is the best prospect they've got and the one who's closest to helping the NHL team in some way in the not-so-distant future (if not the 2025-26 season, then the one after that). Trade him and there's little to nothing left on the immediate horizon. The Leafs aren't booming with youth at the forward position, either. Just about every forward save for 22-year-old Matthew Knies and 26-year-old Pontus Holmberg is approaching or already past age 30 — and that doesn't include John Tavares, a soon-to-be 35-year-old who may or may not be re-signed. Which is to say that a youthful boost would be helpful here, especially with only four forwards signed beyond the 2025-26 season. Incoming young talent isn't something the Leafs have had a lot of over the years, thanks in part to the plethora of draft picks traded in the name of Stanley Cup contention as well as not-so-great drafting. The list of forwards the Leafs have drafted and developed into NHL regulars since 2017 is short and sweet: Knies, Holmberg and Nick Robertson. Minten figures to join that bunch as a Boston Bruin and Grebenkin has an outside chance now with the Philadelphia Flyers. But that's it so far. Cowan is the next man up. It remains to be seen what he can be at the NHL level. Is he a feisty point-producing star? Or a Trevor Moore-like middle-six forward covered in grease who contributes 20 goals and 40-60 points annually? Both have value to the Leafs in the near and long term. The Leafs may be more likely to deal him if they believe he's destined to become a role player. They have to consider a move regardless, given the urgency to compete for the Stanley Cup ASAP. Advertisement If it's not Cowan, who else does the front office have at its disposal to get rival front offices excited? The kind of pieces that will entice said teams to part with a top-nine centre — and to not ask for one of the pieces the Leafs won't be inclined to deal (or can't because of no-trade protection). That off-limits group presumably includes Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Knies, Jake McCabe, Chris Tanev, Anthony Stolarz, Morgan Rielly and, likely, Joseph Woll — since goalies tend not to fetch much in trades with the obvious recent exception of Spencer Knight, who, along with a first-round pick, netted the Panthers Seth Jones this season. (Could any of those players get dealt this summer? It's not impossible, but it seems unlikely.) The Leafs don't have a first-round pick in the next three drafts, having dealt them away in trades for McCabe (2025), Carlo (2026) and Laughton (2027). What's left? Not a lot in terms of what opposing teams might find valuable, that is, and what the Leafs might consider moving. Cowan: Though he is undoubtedly the Leafs' top prospect, even Cowan may not have enough juice to headline a trade alone. The Athletic's prospect expert Scott Wheeler had Cowan ranked as the 45th drafted prospect back in February and told me this week that Cowan likely remains in that same neighbourhood for him (late 30s, high 40s). For context, the Colorado Avalanche had to deal Calum Ritchie, the 21st-ranked prospect on that same top 100, plus picks in the first and third rounds to land Brock Nelson, a rental, at the trade deadline. Cowan might just be a piece, the top piece for sure, among many in the kind of trade we're envisioning. Ben Danford: Now the Leafs' second-ranked prospect after Minten's exit, Danford is a relatively low-upside future NHL defenceman. Given that and how well-stocked the Leafs are at the NHL level with defencemen for the foreseeable future, moving Danford as part of a larger package might be palatable. Advertisement Bobby McMann: A middle-six power forward who just scored 20 goals and makes only $1.35 million cap dollars. What limits his value? He has only a year left on his contract and he'll be 29 later this month. Carlo: It's hard to see the Leafs moving Carlo after spending so much to get him, not to mention the need he fills on the right side. He's signed for two more seasons at just $3.48 million on the cap. Laughton: He fetched a first-round pick at the deadline. He still has another year left on his contract, with a cap number of $1.5 million. He also recently turned 31 and is coming off an uneven playoffs for the Leafs. Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Someone who likely has more value to the Leafs, given his competency and professionalism, than a rival team, given his age (he turns 34 in July) and three years remaining on his contract ($3.5 million cap hit). Second-round picks in 2025 and 2027: The best picks the Leafs have at the moment for the foreseeable future. Calle Järnkrok: This season wasn't a good one because of injuries. But he's still a useful middle-six forward, making only $2.1 million on the cap for one more season. Simon Benoit: The youngest player on the Leafs' defence has two more years left on his contract at $1.35 million on the cap. A helpful depth piece, potentially. David Kämpf: Overpaid for what he brings, but still a centre — in a market where centres are in short supply — signed for two more seasons. Holmberg: His versatility, age and likely low price tag (he's an RFA this summer) give him some value as a depth forward. Robertson: Definitely worth a flier for some rebuilding team with openings up front. But after a number of seasons in which he struggled to establish himself as an everyday NHLer, his value won't be high. So, Cowan? He is the player who figures to launch trade conversations for the kind of centres the Leafs need. Advertisement Before they get to that point, the Leafs need to determine, if they haven't already, who, if anyone, on the free-agent market a) appeals to their needs and b) has interest in coming to Toronto. The list of viable candidates for the 2C gig isn't long and might include only Tavares, a known commodity, Matt Duchene, who is 34 and seeking a long-term deal, and Sam Bennett, a terrific playoff performer turning 29 with a career high of 51 points in the regular season. (Nelson re-signed in Colorado on Wednesday, removing one possibility from the pool.) Outside of Tavares, an overpay is likely required. Which is what makes the trade market more appealing — but also less appealing in that it might take Cowan to bring said player in. Could the Leafs pry Brayden Schenn, as an example, out of St. Louis without including Cowan? Hard to see it. What else would entice the Blues to even consider moving their captain? The Leafs could try to piece together some of those other non-Cowan assets and upgrade the position as best as they can. Or pay for a more modest replacement or two (not any of the top candidates) in free agency. Or, maybe they simply re-sign Tavares and stick one of Max Domi or Holmberg in the 3C role yet again and try to upgrade at a later date (as unappealing as that seems). Do they have an ace up their sleeve, a creative swing that doesn't include Cowan but other pieces that feel more untouchable? The Leafs may simply be stuck choosing between their future or their present or making a big, risky bet in free agency. A tough spot, for sure. — Stats and research courtesy of Hockey Reference and PuckPedia
