A number of NHL teams chose the weekend to make their cuts to get down or closer to the 23-man roster limit to begin the regular season.
On the Maple Leafs front, Sunday is decision day for head coach Randy Carlyle, the coaching staff, GM Dave Nonis and the club's management team to make their choices. The decisions are expected to be announced Monday morning, with some determined by injury concerns or waiver considerations, but others due to unexpected impressive performances.
“Some of the younger players took the opportunity and challenges we gave them to heart,… Nonis said to the Toronto Sun’s Mike Zeisberger following the Leafs preseason victory over Detroit Friday night.
Nonis singled out forward Brandon Kozun and 2011 first rounder Stuart Percy for their play during training camp.
“Kozun has been a guy who, from the first scrimmage, has looked like a guy who wasn’t going to go away quietly,… Nonis said. “Some players are content having one good scrimmage, one good game. That’s enough for them. They feel they’ve accomplished something. But for him, it just fueled the fire to get another game and another game and another game and have a big impact. I’d have to say he’s done a great job - more than we expected.…
The 24-year-old winger was not expected to be in the mix for a spot on the Leafs roster, but has shown relentless effort in training camp and impressed to the point that if he were not to make the Leafs, it is a virtual certainty to be claimed by another NHL team.
“Percy has put himself in a very good position whether he’s ready right now or not, he’s clearly been one of our top six or seven defensemen over the course of camp. He looks more and more comfortable.… Nonis said. “Right now it’s not ‘if’ he’s going to play here, it’s ‘when’ And if he continues to improve at the rate he has in the past 12 months, we’ll have a pretty good defenseman.…
The 21-year-old Oakville native has not been a revelation throughout the exhibition season, but has simply made smart decisions and few mistakes, unlike competitors Petter Granberg and Korbinian Holzer.
The only thing that may prevent Percy from making the big club immediately is the status of injured Cody Franson. If Franson is able to recover from a bruised knee in time for the season opener, Leafs management would prefer to not have Percy sitting idly by in the press box instead of playing regularly with the Marlies.
It is possible that Holzer would be the final choice as the seventh defenseman, since he has NHL experience, has little to learn from another year in the AHL and would have to clear waivers to be demoted. It is also possible that with their first two games at home, they could start with six blueliners and recall Percy, Holzer or Granberg if an injury arises.
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A pair of Toronto’s Atlantic Division rivals made significant deals to clear up cap and roster problems this weekend. The Bruins moved defenseman Johnny Boychuk and his $3.6 Million salary to the Islanders for three draft picks, while Montreal moved backup goalie Peter Budaj and minor leaguer Patrick Holland to Winnipeg for forward Eric Tangradi.
The 30-year-old Boychuk is slated to be an unrestricted free agent next July and with Dougie Hamilton, Adam McQuaid, Torey Krug and Matt Bartkowski all free agents next summer, the Bruins were unlikely to sign the veteran blueliner.
Budaj’s departure from the Habs was expected after the veteran backup was shunned in favor of rookie Dustin Tokarski after Carey Price’s injury during the Eastern Conference Final last June.
The 32-year-old Budaj is making $1.4 Million in the final year of his contract and gives the Jets a veteran safety net in case starter Ondrej Pavelec struggles, while Tokarski nearly league-minimum salary saves the Habs $837,500 in cap space.
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