Craig Button thinks Noah Hanifin would be a really good fit in Toronto: Leafs Morning Take

How will the Leafs follow up Tuesday night’s performance against St. Louis?

That’s the big question as Sheldon Keefe and company prepare to entertain the Philadelphia Flyers for the second of three in a row at home on Thursday night.

Help is on the way. John Tavares and Mitch Marner, who both missed the game against the Blues due to the flu, were both present for the morning skate and are expected to play. Ditto for William Nylander, who missed practice on Wednesday, too.

Once again, Carter Hutton filled in for Jay Rosehill on the Thursday edition of Leafs Morning Take. We kicked off the show by discussing Morgan Rielly’s appeal of his five-game suspension. What’s his case? What are the chances he gets a couple games shaved off? Inquiring minds want to know.

Presented by Door Dash, The Appetizer focused on Toronto’s Valentine’s Day practice. We talked about the flu, how much it can impact a room, and long-term effect that it can have on a roster. Additionally, the Leafs had five goalie stalls set up (Samsonov, Woll, Jones, Hildeby, Murray), so naturally, Hutts spoke to that potential awkwardness. Spoiler: He said it’s like what training camp would feel like.

Meantime, courtesy of BATL Axe, TSN’s Craig Button made his first ever appearance on the show. The former NHL exec weighed in on the Morgan Rielly situation. Additionally, we discussed Toronto’s trade deadline wish list and Craig gave his honest opinion on the Leafs’ current prospect pool.

After that, thanks to the Wendy’s Daily Faceoff Survivor, we previewed the first of three meetings in the final 31 games between the Leafs and Flyers. Ilya Samsonov will get the call-in goal.

Anthony Stewart is slated to co-host the Friday edition of Leafs Morning Take. Join us at 11 AM ET as we recap Leafs/Flyers, plus look ahead to Leafs/Ducks this weekend.