The Maple Leafs are changing their approach with their young prospects this season, as they have lowered the number of invitees to 29 and will focus more on teaching and drills during the five day rookie camp.
“We’ve gone smaller than in previous years of having up to 40 kids,… Leafs director of player development Jim Hughes said to the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby . “We’ll have a combination of a lot of situational teaching this year, a lot of one-to-one, with our usual activities. It’s all to do with working the trade better.…
Unlike previous rookie camps, where the club would have a pair of scrimmages open to the public and media at the Mastercard Center in Etobicoke, ON, the group of three goalies, eight defensemen and 17 forwards will be put through their paces in view of those working for the organization, including new Team President Brendan Shanahan, GM Dave Nonis and management and coaching staff from the Leafs and Toronto Marlies.
“It’s a tweak this time, we want to have certain messages to the players,… Hughes said. “It’s so they can get to know each other, the staff and things we need to stress such as nutrition, conditioning and foot speed. For some of them, they’ll get a better idea of what to expect in September at rookie camp.
Players who will be have the spotlight focused on them will be 2012 second rounder Matt Finn, team captain of the Memorial Cup finalist Guelph Storm, SHL Rookie of the year Andreas Johnson, OHL leading scorer Connor Brown and first rounders Frederik Gauthier and William Nylander.
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The aborted trade for Montreal’s Josh Gorges was apparently not the only attempt that the Leafs made to acquire players who they faced in the Atlantic Division last season.
Toronto put out feelers on Sabres winger Matt Moulson, who was traded to the Minnesota Wild at the deadline and re-signed in Buffalo for five years, $25 Million on July 1.
"I did have a chance to talk to the Leafs. Obviously, growing up in Mississauga, you play a lot of attention to Toronto. I still do even now," Moulson said on Sportsnet Fan 590’s Brady & Walker show last week. "Unfortunately it didn't work out."
According to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, the Leafs are still in pursuit of free agent center Steve Ott, who was traded along with Ryan Miller to St. Louis just before the trade deadline.
There have been rumors that Buffalo is in the mix for Ott, who served as captain of the Sabres after Thomas Vanek was traded to the NY Islanders last November, but Buffalo has surpassed the cap floor with the additions of Gorges, Brian Gionta and Andrej Meszaros and are not expected to add any more players, as their focus appears to be getting a good chance to draft Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel next June instead of making the playoffs.
That fact may give Toronto or other teams in the mix for a playoff spot a better chance to sign the 31-year-old veteran.
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