This will not be a rookie camp devoid of opportunity when the Maple Leafs trot out their freshmen crop on the ice Wednesday morning.
Last year, Fraser Minten went on from this prospect showcase to have a solid main camp and earned a place on Toronto’s opening night roster, with Easton Cowan not far behind.
The two first-round forwards, plus last June’s top selection, Oshawa Generals defenceman Ben Danford and three others from the class of 2024, will headline three days of workouts.
The team will conclude with two exhibition games against their young counterparts from the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday and Sunday at the Bell Centre.
The club’s recent off-ice developments, a new contract for RFA left winger Nick Robertson, at least one main camp PTO for Stanley Cup champion Steven Lorentz with another being talked about for veteran Max Pacioretty, might lessen the chance for one of these kids to go the distance to opening night next month.
But there is a new Leafs head coach in Craig Berube, who likes physicality, and second-year general manager Brad Treliving is looking for a more aggressive attitude in the system than predecessor Kyle Dubas.
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Six-foot-four defenceman Noah Chadwick was captain of WHL Lethbridge last year and got in a game with the farm team Marlies. Three free agents here this week from Westren Canada — winger Maxim Muranov, centre Marshall Finnie and defenceman Rhett Parsons — all are 6-foot-2 or taller.
The week’s focus will be on Cowan, who had a monster season with the OHL’s London Knights, and WHLer Minten and whether they can push Leafs incumbents next week. The duo were dominant at July development camp, had committed to busy summers of training and, as they could work under cheaper entry-level deals, would be welcome additions if they warrant a place.
Cowan capped his 96-point regular season with 34 playoff points and the OHL’s playoff MVP award, though the Knights lost the Memorial Cup final to Saginaw. Minten went back to Kamloops after getting no points in four NHL games and ended the year in Saskatoon with 52 points in as many regular and post-season games combined. He and Cowan have become close off-the-ice as well.
Former coach Sheldon Keefe was impressed with Minten from Day 1 of last year’s rookie camp when he arrived “faster, bigger and stronger … the foundation of his game, probably more importantly than anything, is rooted in competitiveness, intelligence, pro habits and detail.”
But both Minten and the younger Cowan will have to prove themselves defensively, too.
Three prospects under NHL contracts — forwards Braeden Kressler, Jacob Quillan and defenceman Cade Webber — also are at the camp, while Danford will be joined by ‘24 picks Miroslav Holinka, Sam McCue and defenceman Nathan Mayes. Danford was chosen 31st overall, Mayes the last off all picks at 225th in the seventh round, but the 6-foot-3 member of the Spokane Chiefs via his hometown of Salmon Arm, B.C., is using that as motivation.
As he is still fairly new assessing the Leafs and the cupboard was almost bare of depth when he arrived, Treliving will be taking a hard look at former Dubas picks Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemela, two Finns who were on the AHL Marlies last year, and three Russians still getting used to North America: Forward Nikita Grebenken and goalies Vyacheslav Peksa and Artur Akhtyamov. The latter two still are in the immense shadow of Dennis Hildeby, who will get the lion’s share of starts for the Marlies.
John Gruden, the Marlies coach, will run the camp with his staff of newcomer Steve Sullivan, Michael Dyck, Troy Paquette and Hannu Toivonen.
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