Over the holidays The Lead is featuring episodes from its first year about how sports changed in 2019 or signaled a major trend that’s shaking up a particular league or sport.

There’s a new youth movement this season in the NHL. The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the best young teams in professional hockey. The team is also led by a very young general manager who has placed a premium on locking in youthful talent with big contracts. It’s part of a wider movement in the NHL where young players are commanding the types of salaries that were once reserved for veterans. But while today’s young hockey stars are good, it’s the older teams who are winning Stanley Cups. The Athletic’s Craig Custance joins us to talk about Toronto’s baby-faced GM and whether or not young stars are worth the money.

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The 2019 Stories That Changed Sports: Hockey