The Leafs were able to grab a fourth round pick in the 2017 draft and add both Eric Fehr and defenseman Steve Oleksy in exchange for Frank Corrado.
What the Fehr? Honestly..
Ok sure Fehr has a Stanley Cup with the Penguins and will be a veteran type player at camp and what not but I just don’t see him fitting in the lineup anywhere unless there is a hoard of injuries. Last season the Leafs were very lucky with very few injuries which resulted in a number of personal best seasons.
Josh Leivo got a taste and so did Kasperi Kapanen. I see both of these guys getting ice time before Fehr, and it makes a lot more sense for the Leafs to continue playing their young players to give them some experience in the National Hockey League before playing Fehr (who would realistically only slot into a fourth line role).
The Leafs also have Ben Smith on their roster…where will he fit in, if anywhere? Don’t forget about players like Kerby Rychel and Frederik Gauthier, even if they are trending down they are still in the mix and will both be RFA’s by seasons end.
Just wait until pre-season starts and some of the young ‘budding’ Leafs show off their skills. They will be much more mouth-watering than either Smith or Fehr, I assure you that.
Players like Carl Grundstrom, Jeremey Bracco, Adam Brooks, Andreas Johnson for example will all be looked at by the Leafs management. Some of them may be a year or two away, but others like Johnson could be ready and eager to get a shot by the Leafs brass.
Personally I liked what Soshnikov brought to the table and once he is healed 100% from his concussion he will be in the mix. He’s fast and plays an intense game and is a player who could likely fit into a bottom six role and make the team better (if there is an injury or someone like Martin needs a game off). Soshnikov has a serious shot; it’s certainly of NHL caliber.
Perhaps Babcock has a game plan of sorts to play certain players on the fourth line versus certain teams?
It does make sense that when the Leafs play a team like the Red Wings they could rest Matt Martin (since Detroit is not only going to be horrible, but are not exactly a tough team on the ice). Martin was protected and still has three seasons left on his contract. I wouldn’t expect management to short change Martin and his role on the team, plus the players feel safer on the ice and really like Matt as a person. It seems that Martin and Marner have become pretty tight, which is great since Marner isn’t exactly the most solid framed player. Having Martin on the bench really let’s guys like Marner play their game knowing that if someone gives him a shot , Martin or one of his teammates (Kadri, Komarov) will return the favor.
The good news is the Leafs have some players ripe and ready in the system. Depth is important for a team that is looking to make a deep run, but players like Fehr and Smith may spend a lot of the season in the press box sipping on ginger ales.
Thanks for reading, happy hump day!
Blogger •Atlantic Division Writer • 
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