Leafs quick takes

-The Leafs should be looking to extend Tyler Bertuzzi in the not-too-distant future. A casual fan taking a quick glance at his stats would be left wondering why the rush? I mean... five goals in 29 games is not exactly lighting the world on fire, but die hards who are watching this club each night know just how impactful he's become.

It wasn't the greatest start to the season for the 28-year-old left winger but it didn't take long for him to really establish his game. His feisty forechecking style reminds me of Zach Hyman and boy did we miss that guy when he left. Time for Tree to go to work. The Leafs have some contracts coming off the books in the offseason and a six year deal at six million for Bert doesn't feel ridiculous to me. Yes, he's had injury concerns over the years and he's only had one 60-plus point campaign in his career to date, but it's not just about the points with this guy. Hyman was your prototypical 'glue' guy who really helped provide a lot of the little things needed in the offensive zone - a good stick, hard along the boards, a great net front presence, willing to provide physicality, etc. Bertuzzi checks a lot of those boxes.

-Should the Leafs call up Alex Steeves? I mean... why not give him a bit of a run here as the 13th forward? The 24-year-old from Saint Paul, MN, formerly of the University of Notre Dame, is having a stellar season with the Marlies with 23 points in 18 games (as of this writing). After signing an entry-level deal with the Leafs back in March of '21, he's only appeared in six games with the Leafs over the past couple of seasons.

Yes, Pontus Holmberg is a centre but when this team is healthy, there's really no place for him as I've never liked his game on the wing. It would be nice to see the club reward Steeves for his solid play here over the next little while especially with Ryan Reaves currently on IR.

-Kurtis from Alberta, otherwise known as Leafguy403 on X, is a true gem. What an awesome Leafs fan. He's built up an awesome following and he's just one of the millions of die hards outside the GTA. I watch his vids and always crack a smile. I can relate to being in enemy territory and rooting for the buds. Keep up the great work Kurtis!