That summer construction noise around the Maple Leafs was not just expensive upgrades to Scotiabank Arena.
General manager Brad Treliving also put millions of dollars into renovations in goal, on defence and at forward.
The biggest changes are on the blueline, and while the blueprint wasn’t fully sketched until the signing of Jani Hakanpaa on Wednesday (a one-year contract worth $1.47 million US), Treliving now has three veteran additions following Chris Tanev (six years at $27 million) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (four years, $14 million). Gone are TJ Brodie and playoff additions Joel Edmundson and Ilya Lyubushkin, while Timothy Liljegren is once more fighting for ice time and Connor Timmins could be a salary cap casualty by opening night.
No question Tanev brings more bite in addition to a nice right-shot complement for Morgan Rielly, while Ekman-Larsson and Hakanpaa will figure somewhere in the top six behind the shutdown pairing of Jake McCabe and Simon Benoit. That would leave Timmins and Liljegren to earn a spot or sit, though the NHL schedule chews through defencemen very quickly.
“We’ve tried to change up our defence,” Treliving said Thursday in taking a few moments at Leaf rookie camp to update media on recent signings. “Tanny brings a lot to the table, he can strengthen us in checking and defending, but he can move pucks. Oliver’s the same way, you’ve got flexibility left and right side.
“Then Jani specializes as a penalty-killer and there’s other guys (farmhands). We might be nine or 10 deep. And we’ve also got the younger guys pushing. I’m excited to see how it all plays out. Craig (new coach Berube) and his staff have stuff up on the whiteboard, but until you get here and see who has chemistry with whom, it gives us flexibility with puck moving, guys on the power play, penalty killing, lefties, righties.
“It all feels good in September, but you have cap and a bunch of other considerations. We have lots of players, so add as much as you can now and it might be a guy who comes up one or two months in the season who gives you more depth.”
Up front, Treliving was most excited about landing 35-year-old Max Pacioretty for help on the left side. Though it’s a PTO contract like the one previously extended to forward Steven Lorentz of the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, Pacioretty has the better pedigree and most expect he will be in the opening night lineup once the Leafs correct their cap excess.
A twice-torn Achilles tendon has marred Pacioretty’s recent NHL stops with Carolina and Washington.
“We brought Max in about a month ago for a couple of days, where he was very open to a medical exam, but also got on the ice for us,” Treliving revealed “He feels he’s had two and a half years, where he really hasn’t had the opportunity to train, it’s been (mostly) re-habbing. He came back last year (in Washington), jumped in halfway through the season and at the end of the year, felt he wasn’t where he wanted to be physically.
“Now he was able to have a full summer of training. So we’ll see. Our expectation is that he gives us more depth. But all that will sort itself out at camp. We all get excited when we see guys added. We’re trying to make our roster as deep as possible. There will be lots of people pushing for jobs. Where everybody fits and who they fit with … Craig and the staff will figure out. I’m just trying to give them as many options as I possibly can.
“We’re excited to see Max, get him up to speed. Everyone is competing for a job, but my expectation is he’s going to be with us (for the full season). Camp is sometimes different for veterans than for (rookies).”
Treliving doesn’t see Pacioretty’s age as a detriment.
“Sometimes we write guys off when they’re 30. But the encouraging thing is Max keeps himself in really good condition and he’s had time to heal. Those are significant injuries. I don’t care what age you are, you need the summer to train versus rehabbing. He certainly looks (ready) now.”
Treliving also gave winger Nick Robertson a cap-friendly one-year deal to reset after he was pushing for a trade.
“To me there is depth on the left side. Nicky is pushing, we lost (Tyler Bertuzzi), but there are more steps for young guys to take. Bobby McMann, we missed him when he was out (in the playoffs). Then you add Max and (OHL playoff MVP) Easton Cowan, who I also think is going to be pushing.
“We don’t play for real for a month; usually the players are the ones to let you know where they all fit.”
Speaking of injuries, Treliving is convinced Hakanpaa’s right knee is ready for the rigours of camp.
“We had him in town during the summer for a little bit of time and our performance staff went out there (Finland) two or three times to the people he was rehabbing with. Then it was him going through his rehab to a point where he and us felt confident.
“There’s certainly risk with any person coming off an injury, but he’s put in a lot of work since the scope on his knee in March. Now we’ll have our hands on him on an everyday basis. It has been a whole summer project.”
Berube will have his own ideas on deployment and looking to get in the mix via this week’s rookie camp are defencemen Mikko Kokkonen and Topi Niemela, now with a full AHL season under their belts. Cade Webber, the 6-foot-7 Boston University grad who practiced with the Leafs last spring after signing as a UFA is here and of course, this year’s first round pick, Ben Danford, will get plenty of attention on the curiosity factor, just because the Leafs haven’t used a first-rounder on a blueliners since Rasmus Sandin in 2018.
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