Toronto Maple Leafs: Breathe, Fans…Breathe!

Toronto Maple Leaf fans, please repeat after me: Goosefraba…it is only the preseason. Goosefraba…it is only the preseason!

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened their preseason schedule on Tuesday night, at the Kraft Hockeyville celebration in Lucan, Ontario. And what a start it was…regardless of the score.

It’s hard…I know its hard.

I am sure I am not the only fan out there to get the feels when John Tavares buried that first one in his Blue and White duds. It was also the kind of goal we look forward to seeing many, many times from him. In a word, “Nifty”.

Let us take a look at the whole picture though and some of the very nice positives we saw in the game.

Now, I am going to exclude the guys who have their names in black Sharpie on the line up card,(Although, Nazem Kadri…get that beer league “dipsy doodle” out of your system now! I wish they had have shown Leafs coach Mike Babcock’s face after that cough up!) and look at the guys battling for the few remaining spots.

Side note, however; Curtis McElhinney looked in season form. Shout out to Garret Sparks, as well, although not as spectacular or busy.

Josh Leivo – Similar to my article a couple of days ago, the oft healthy scratched yet devoted Maple Leaf looked good. The winger showed strong puck pursuit and Babcock’s favourite, playing with some “jam”.

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He may have been playing on a line above his expectation as I would assume Kasperi Kapanen will take that spot on Nazem Kadri‘s line, but he played well enough for a look.

Leivo was the only forward who is battling for a spot who really looks ready to go out there, in my opinion. Special mention to ECHL/AHL journeyman Emerson Clark, who played a strong game but probably not enough to make it through the next cut.

This takes us to the defence. The scourge of the Maple Leaf dressing room from a lot of people’s viewpoint…going IN to Tuesday night anyway, in my belief.

General manager Kyle Dubas didn’t make any major moves this off-season to fill in a spot on the line up where a lot of prognosticators felt HAD to be addressed. Perhaps they were right.

I consider myself one who was a little surprised by nothing being done on that front. Perhaps it’s the salary cap crunch that is coming, due to trying to get William Nylander, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner all under contract.

Perhaps, Dubas just knows what he is doing and has an eye in the realm of former assistant GM Mark Hunter. Hunter was known for finding diamonds in the rough, à la, Ken Holland in the Detroit Red Wing organization.

“Dubas’ boys”, the Toronto Marlies, won the Calder Cup last year under his watchful eye. Maybe during that run, the rookie GM saw somethings that he liked with a few of the D-men

Justin Holl – A right side D with size and reach at 6 foot 5 and 205 pounds. He looked solid on the blue line and calm in his own zone, plus he jumped into the rush with Connor Brown in the third period, and added an assist on Tavares’ second of the game.

Perhaps it is time for the 26-year-old to get his shot. PLUS he is a point per game player right now! (Okay, two goals in two games but….hey, he is also a +5 in those games!)

Andreas Borgman – The way he jumped in to the play for his goal…AFTER making the initial pass on the breakout play…LOOK OUT!

If the Leafs can find a way to have support defensively, while their backend join rushes like this, it will tough for other teams to adjust. (Morgan Reilly‘s rush from the back end should also be given notice)

Igor Ozhiganov – Anytime a defenceman can go a game without his name being mentioned in a negative manner, he has done his job. The KHL prospect, albeit at 25, looked great out there, making smart passes and not forcing the issue.

Add to this the fact we haven’t even seen Timothy Liljegren play yet. He certainly has as good a shot as any of the above mentioned has, to make the line up.

I realize this is the first game of the pre-season against an Ottawa Senators squad that even GM Pierre Dorion has trouble finding positive things to talk about, but remember it is also that for these players. They will continue to get their feet under them and get back in the groove, as well.

However, gone are the days where, as a Leafs fan, we say, “Okay, we know what the top nine forwards and top three Defenceman look like…but what the hell do we do with the rest?”.

It seems that at last the Leafs have the chance to say, “Where are they all going to fit?”, for a team that seems overwrought with options for each spot on the roster.

Keep in mind that injuries happen and we can just keep rolling by the look of it.

I do digress and ask to reread the opening paragraph of this article. Take a deep breath, Leafs fans. But, take that breath through a REALLY big smile.