from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- ... In the six drafts since Matthews was selected first, the Leafs passed on Robert Thomas and selected Timothy Liljegren. The year later they took the now restricted free agent Rasmus Sandin and they’re not sure what he is at this point in time.

Now the cupboard is almost bare the way it was when Shanahan arrived. The only difference is the roster is top-heavy now. The roster ranks near the best in the NHL in names and talent. But the opportunity to get better and deeper was lost in bad contracts and ordinary selections. The plan was fine: The execution in recent years has been lacking.

- When the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups over six years — a semi-dynasty in these salary-capped times — the collective MVP of those three championship runs was Duncan Keith. He averaged 29 minutes a game, recorded 51 points when offence wasn’t really his gig, and did everything for Chicago. Next stop for the retired Keith, the two-time Norris Trophy winner and two-time first all-star and the Conn Smythe winner: The Hockey Hall of Fame.

more on the first topic plus a few more which are mostly related to the Leafs...