Surprises out of Leafs Training Camp

As the Leafs prepare for training camp, the Gome takes a look at which players have the best chance to surprise people and make the opening night roster.

Leafs management has stated many times they will not debut players in the NHL before they are ready. From this we can rightfully assume most rookies, especially those who are new to the organization and without NHL experience, are not likely to be considered for the opening night roster.

This is likely to be true for all rookies without NHL experience not named Auston Matthews, Nikita Zaitsev or Mitch Marner this year and even these three should not be considered as a lock for an opening night roster spot. All of the Leafs management team, including Lou Lamoriello himself, has stated a variation of the sentiment that it is better to err on the side of caution concerning player development, versus rushing them into the NHL too soon.

The last time we witnessed a junior-aged rookie without NHL experience making the Leafs out of camp was during a previous regime. At the beginning of 2013-2014 season, the then 19-year old Morgan Rielly secured a roster spot by demonstrating his all round NHL readiness.

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The decision, even if viewed in hindsight, was by all measures the correct one. Rielly did not have NHL experience at that point but had suited up for 14 AHL games the previous season with the Marlies, so could not be described as new to the organization.

From this example and even more so from the somewhat guarded, yet still revealing statements made by coach Mike Babcock concerning Mathews, Zaitsev and Marner, we should learn to never say never in terms of highly regarded rookies making the team out of camp. Especially when those Leaf rookies are as good as this group.

This upcoming Leafs training camp promises to not only offer a number of surprises in terms of who makes the team out of camp, but they are bound to keep coming over the course of the season when players are granted their NHL debuts as call ups. The Leafs are after all, entering only the second year of a scorched earth rebuild where NHL debuts of worthy prospects will likely continue in earnest.

To make matters even more interesting, training camp for the Leafs this year will be influenced by a number of unusual dynamics as a result of the World Cup of Hockey taking place concurrently. The Leafs’ head coach will be absent for likely most of training camp, depending on how far Team Canada advances, while a number of team regulars will make their way back to camp as their respective teams are eliminated from the WCOH tournament.

They will be coming back to a training camp that features logjams at all positions except goaltending, with only a handful of highly contested roster spots up for grabs. Then to add even more intrigue to how this training camp will play out, there will be at least three players on PTO’s vying for only two remaining Standard Player Contracts.

Where most hockey pundits have dismissed the three PTO candidates as simply filling sweaters in training camp, I’m not so sure.

• Jeff Glass is one injury to Frederik Anderson or Jhonas Enroth away from possibly being a short term goaltending solution beyond camp.
• Brandon Prust still has a bit in the tank and if free from last season’s nagging ankle injury, could prove serviceable in a suitable role, if room can be found for him.
• Roman Hrabarenka has the coveted size for a defenceman and shoots right, two perceived advantages that should give him every opportunity to stick with the Marlies.

All of these plotlines will be juxtaposed against a backdrop of a veritable platoon of NHL debuted and arguably NHL-ready prospects, led by William Nylander. Many of these players such as Connor Carrick and Josh Leivo are now waiver-eligible and cannot be summarily demoted to the Marlies without clearing waivers.

What will happen here, what type of managerial sorcery will Lamoriello and crew use to alleviate this potential problem to stave off losing player assets to the Waiver wire? I cannot remember a Leafs training camp with so many captivating storylines.

Then, just like the sales barker at the local fair demonstrating the latest and greatest kitchen gadget, I cannot help myself when I say “But wait, there’s more”….because there is more, a lot more to consider as possibilities for surprises out of Leafs training camp and during the upcoming season simply pile on, layer upon layer.

There are at least three players coming to camp who are on incredible improvement trajectories. In other words, over the last couple of seasons they have outperformed and subsequently outdistanced their peers in their personal development, subsequently propelling themselves upwards in the organizational depth chart.

Admittedly I am wandering into the realm of making predictions and when doing so, I try to remove all emotions and personal bias from my Leaf crystal-gazing. An important aspect of attempting to tell the fortunes of up and coming players in the Leaf system is having something tangible to premise one’s case upon.

With all of this in mind, I feel that I have legitimate reasons to spotlight the three players that I am about to mention. First let’s look at Andrew Nielsen, a large, left shooting mobile defender from the 2015 draft class, who’s offensive output literally exploded during his draft plus one season.

As a 19-year old with a November 13th birthdate, he will turn 20 before December 31st, making him eligible to play in the AHL. He comes to Leafs camp with an ELC in hand and ready for it to be activated after sliding during what should have been his last year in junior last season.

Despite his having the option to return to junior for an overage season and another ELC slide, it is not likely. What is likely is his playing a few dozen games with the Marlies, before being called up for his NHL debut late in the season.

Next, I cannot help but be curious about Trevor Moore. More specifically, why were the Leafs so intent on signing this undrafted overage college player so quickly to one of the organization’s few remaining SPC’s?

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We witnessed Moore’s unusual chemistry with Marner at the early July prospects development camp and where these types of off season rookies get together quite often and feature an intensity level only marginally greater than public skating, it seems Leaf management saw something they liked with him. Look for the NHL debut of this versatile and mature young forward to take place sometime in the upcoming season.

Finally, the player I am most confident about making his NHL debut this season and who could even earn a roster spot out of camp, is Justin Holl. A second round Chicago draft pick,
this right-shooting defenceman has decent size, good mobility, maturity and his first 20 or so games with the Marlies notwithstanding, exhibits very good hockey sense.

This pick may seem like a proverbial dark horse to some, but it shouldn’t. Despite reading article after online article discussing and projecting the Leafs’ defensive corps for the 2016-17 season that all but ignored this player’s very existence, I don’t need the cacophony of herd opinions, or omissions for that matter, to tell me what my own eyes have witnessed.

It is not just my opinion – Leaf management obviously has seen what I see evidenced by how they upgraded Holl’s AHL contract to an NHL contract upon renewal a few months ago. Holl is a trade or an injury away from cracking the Leaf line up as a right-shooting defender, who could find a home on the blueline anywhere from the 2 to 7 slots.

Next: The giants of Leaf defence

Is there anyone in particular you will be keeping an eye on during training camp? In addition, who do you see as having the best chance to surprise people and make the Leafs’ opening night roster? Let us know in the comments section below.