Although it seems that hockey fans are going to have to endure another week of the negotiating roller coaster, most hockey insiders and reporters believe that an agreement will be reached just before the January 11th deadline imposed by Commissioner Gary Bettman to enable the league to play a 48 game season starting Saturday, January 19th.
There have been little bits of information, such as Josh Rimer’s tidbit last night:
Rumors like that are encouraging, but it is not a 100% guarantee that either side could do something to screw things up over the next seven days. The league’s “mistake” of trying to change the definition or penalties imposed for hiding hockey related revenue has increased the distrust of Bettman and their negotiators, while the player’s association reintroducing the disclaimer of interest and threatening to dissolve the union could be just the thing that make the talks grind to a standstill.
If the indicators are correct and the beginning of the NHL season is a mere two weeks away, then questions of who will be in the Leafs lineup on opening night are going to have to be decided on in a short week-long training camp. That fact could give players who have been playing with the Toronto Marlies since mid October an advantage in possibly making the club over a player who has been inactive during the lockout.
Four players are locks to play with the big club immediately; goaltender Ben Scrivens, defenseman Jake Gardiner and forwards Nazem Kadri and Matt Frattin, but there could be room for others as well. Defenseman Korbianian Holzer has played very well in a shutdown role and could have a place on Toronto’s bottom pairing with Luke Schenn traded to Philadelphia.
33 year old veteran center Keith Aucoin not only leads the Marlies in scoring with 35 points, but played 41 regular season and playoff games with Washington last season. Leo Komarov, who left the Marlies after 12 games to play for his old KHL club Moscow Dynamo is going to be given a chance to make the Leafs in a bottom six role.
One player who hardly ever gets mentioned is Marlies captain Ryan Hamilton, who is currently leading the club with 15 goals.
According to coach Dallas Eakins comments an interview with Kyle Cicerella of Canadian Press(http://kylethereporter.com/2013/01/03/ryan-hamilton-deserving-of-a-look-when-nhl-lockout-ends/#more-2212), the 27 year old forward has stepped up his game and thinks that should earn his some consideration.
“He’s a guy, I hope, will be in the mix when the conversations start as to who deserves a chance at the next level,” said Eakins. “He’s playing about as good a power-forward game as you can play at (the AHL) level.”
Acquired in a January 2009 deal with the Minnesota Wild for Robbie Earl, the undrafted Hamilton is in his seventh minor league season and has survived challenges such as a heart irregularity and severe knee injury to become an AHL All-Star, the team captain of a Calder Cup Finalist and earn a glimpse of the NHL, playing two games with Toronto late last season.
Eakins believes that the 6’2” 230 lb veteran can be an NHL player, in spite of his long tenure in the minors.
“I think it’s always a danger, and it’s an easy thing to do at this level, as soon as the guys done his second or third year pro he’s not a prospect anymore,” said Eakins. “Well I don’t see it that way. You’re a prospect and you can go help the big club as long as you’re still playing here.”
Do you think that anyone besides Kadri, Gardiner, Frattin and Scrivens will make the Leafs? Is there a spot for a experienced minor leaguer like Aucoin, Hamilton or Mike Kostka??
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