Nick Paul spent his entire career beating the Maple Leafs. Now, he's coming home to join them. Acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday for goaltender Dennis Hildeby and draft picks, Paul spoke Thursday about the grief he caused Toronto, including scoring both goals in Tampa Bay's Game 7 elimination of the Leafs in 2022, and earlier battles with the Ottawa Senators.
From Fan to Foe to Teammate
Paul grew up in Mississauga with multiple Leaf sweaters in his closet, sporting names like Mats Sundin, Curtis Joseph, Darcy Tucker, and Tie Domi. He and his close friend Max Domi played together in the GTHL and attended games at Scotiabank Arena. "When we were old enough, we'd take the GO Train in and try to get some nose bleed seats," Paul recalled. "Best part of my day was waking up, eating cereal before school, watching Leaf highlights."
Despite his childhood allegiance, Paul had to divorce himself from that fandom while playing against Toronto. "Something about Toronto," he said. "You grow up in the Mecca, it just means a little more when you come back to play them." He added that the 2022 playoffs were his first, and he thrived in the pressure of Game 7.
New Additions Bring Depth and Experience
Paul is expected to centre Toronto's third line at training camp. He joins a wave of new acquisitions, including Jack Roslovic, Brandon Duhaime, and Colton Sissons, who aim to bolster the Leafs' depth.
Roslovic, who signed as a free agent, hopes to reunite with Auston Matthews after they were teammates on the U.S. National Development Program team in 2014-15. "I'm really familiar with his game, the person, who he is as a leader," Roslovic said. He recalled Matthews' determined recovery from a broken femur, calling it "admirable." Roslovic is coming off back-to-back 20-goal seasons with Columbus and Edmonton.
Brandon Duhaime, who signed a three-year UFA deal, brings grit and physicality. The winger has 440 career penalty minutes in the NHL, including 176 over the past two seasons without missing a game. "It's super important to play on the edge, while helping the team win," he said. Duhaime's father Trevor was born in Toronto and had a minor league career that included stints with John Brophy's Hampton Roads Admirals.
Colton Sissons, after 12 seasons in Nashville and a Stanley Cup final loss with Vegas, is excited to join a traditional hockey market. "Just being a Canadian kid watching Hockey Night in Canada, it's an honour to be part of the Leafs and see what Toronto has to offer," he said. Sissons noted the team's recent trades and free-agent signings, including goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, as reasons for optimism.
Looking Ahead
Paul admitted he hasn't fully processed the trade. "I don't think I've had time to process it, I'm completely overwhelmed. Everyone is fired up about me being back and me thinking back about having a Leaf jersey on, pretending to score." With the Leafs having lost six straight Game 7s, Paul's playoff experience could prove invaluable. "I like it when the pressure is on," he said.
