I attended my first game at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1971. I covered my first game there for the Canadian Press in 1989. Now, I’ve been covering the Maple Leafs for the Star since 2006. As the playoffs get underway, ask me anything about the season that passed and what’s to come for the 2023 playoffs.
Proof: https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2023/04/18/want-to-talk-leafs-ahead-of-game-1-kevin-mcgran-takes-your-questions-in-a-reddit-ama-today.html
More proof: https://twitter.com/kevin_mcgran/status/1648324807925047296
by toronto_star
30 Comments
What’s your prediction for the Leafs series:)?
Does Shanahan and Dubas have a bit of a rift as Frank Seravalli alluded to?
Hi! Thanks for doing this. A lot of people have talked recently about the Leafs’ excellent support staff that work in the background to help players. Do you think there’s been any change in the level of investment in this area over your time covering the Leafs, and if so, where or when have the biggest shifts been in your opinion?
Thanks for the AMA! What do you think the Leafs have to accomplish this year, at the bare minimum, for Keefe and Dubas to stop being on the hot seat?
Thanks for doing this!
After all of this trade deadline acquisition and if the leafs get knocked out first round do you think it’s on Dubas and Keefe or on the players? And if you think it’s on Dubas/Keefe do you think it’s time to replace them?
Do you expect the League to revisit cap shenanigans at their next opportunity? The Stone recovery, and to an extent what we did with ATO’s (although part of that could be argued because of LTIR being unavailable at the end of the season).
Hi Kevin, do you have any Mogilny playoff stories?
Curious your thoughts on if the media feels they need to make an extra effort to present as unbiased or impartial with the Leafs compared to other Canadian markets?
Hi Kevin, thanks for taking the time on a crazy day!!
re: 6 straight playoff losses
I personally believe the true disappointment started in Montreal. Wash/Bos/Bos the team just felt too young, roster was still very flawed. CBus was pandemic weirdness.
But montreal should have been a W, and Tampa was disappointing.
My question… do you think MLSE thinks in a similar fashion? or do they look at this team as a six time disappointment. What exactly was the ‘shanaplan’ as far as timing…?
You’ve clearly seen a lot of Leafs playoff runs with varying rosters and results. What are your feelings heading into this one?
Besides social media, what has been the biggest change to sports media over your career?
How has legalized sports gambling changed hockey/Toronto sports, besides the ads and changes to the broadcast, and how do you feel about it?
What’s your favourite part of your job?
Hi Kevin, thanks for doing this! Is there any truth to the rumours that Matthews willingness to re-sign in the city is tied to playoff success this year? Seems kind of wild he would want to leave a team that’s going to pay him big money and a city where he gets to be a top celebrity.
What is a moment in your career that you will never forget?
Do you use hotel shampoo or do you bring your own shampoo?
What do you see a potential O’Reilly contract looking like if we were to resign him after this year? Would cheaper prospects such as Knies and Woll on the roster next year help this case? I realize that this is getting ahead of ourselves but I have just loved everything about ROR so far.
If Dubas is not re-signed, who is the next GM of the Leafs and why is it Bruce Boudreau?
What is the feeling you are getting from the team/players/coaches/management? Are they nervous, anxious, or are they locked in and in killer mode?
What do you think will define the series this year? What is the number #1 thing that will cause the leafs to lose or win?
Hey Kevin, love your work. Favourite leafs memory from this regular season?
Hey Kevin, thanks for doing this.
Obviously there’s a tonne of hype this year, and confidence, compared to cautious optimism last year or the year before.
What are some specific things you’ve noticed this year that have changed (outside the obvious lineup changes) Vs. say the last few years?
or even Vs the early/mid 2000s? (when we last made a run)
Hi Kevin, thanks for taking the time. Do you think Liljegren has a chance to switch into the lineup without any injuries happening, or are these pairs essentially locked in unless someone goes down?
This Leafs team looks much better suited for a playoff battle. They have some guys who have been there and that experience is very valuable!
Hey Kevin, thanks for doing this!
Is there anything different in the feel of the team this year around that’s different from past years?
Any players in specific that seem more dialled in than in the past?
GO LEAFS GO
Hey Kevin, how can we get MLSE to do something about the reporter audio levels from Leafs’ scrums? It sure would be nice to hear the questions 🙂
I feel confident if Woll is asked to stand between the pipes! The team plays much better defensively when he’s in goal. What do you think?
Hi everybody. Thanks for coming. Let’s get this Reddit AMA party started.
Has ownership potentially made a big error in not extending Dubas?
Hey Kevin,
Has there been any talk around the leafs room towards BrianBeLeafs?
Do they see his comics?
If not how do we get him into their crosshairs? If so, have there been any particular standouts for them?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/139123991/brianbeleafs-2022-23-season/description
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