With training camp starting next week following this weekend’s rookie tournament in London, ON, Leafs GM Dave Nonis, head coach Randy Carlyle and their respective staffs will have a rather short evaluation period to narrow the club’s roster.
The club will narrow their roster in half based in part to their performance in practices, scrimmages and pre-season games. While some players are already penciled in for an NHL job, for others the two-week camp will determine whether they start the season flying first class or riding buses to venues in the American Hockey League.
“We probably have nine players for six spots and I think training camp will be very competitive. From that standpoint, we’ll see which players can grab jobs.… GM Dave Nonis said last week.
Toronto may decide to carry less than the maximum 23-man roster for salary cap reasons. According to Cap Geek, The Leafs are $360,000 under the $69 Million cap ceiling, but the site has the club carrying 15 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies.
The goaltending duo of Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer is set and barring the addition of a veteran blueliner on a tryout or a trade before the beginning of the regular season, the Leafs will recall youngsters Petter Granberg, Andrew MacWilliam, Matt Finn, Tom Nilsson or Stuart Percy freely, as they all are exempt from having to clear waivers. Waivers are more of a concern for the Leafs up front, as most players in the mix for NHL jobs would have to go through and clear to be sent to their AHL affiliate. That fact may affect how many forwards Nonis and Carlyle decide to keep.
Of the new additions, only Finnish import Petri Kontiola can be demoted and recalled without waiver consideration and according to most projections, the former KHLer is expected to be in the mix on the second or third line.
Young forwards with an offensive upside like Carter Ashton, Matt Frattin and Peter Holland may have a better chance at being kept because they would likely get claimed by a club willing to role the dice on an inexpensive contract, while veterans with one-way deals like Colton Orr, Troy Bodie, Frazer McLaren and Trevor Smith could be more likely to get through based on their age or limited abilities.
Spencer Abbott, signed to a one-year deal on Tuesday, has an NHL salary of 575,000 and an AHL amount of $300,000.
Once a player clears and is sent down, the Leafs could recall him free of any concern of being claimed until he has played 10 games or been up for 30 days.
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Reports of the Maple Leafs extending a tryout invitation to former NHL blueliner Brendan Mikkelson still have not been confirmed, according to Michael Traikos of the National Post.
The 27-year-old Regina, Saskatchewan native played last season with the Penguins AHL affiliate in Wilkes Barre/Scranton(38 points in 73 games) and has made NHL stops in Calgary, Tampa Bay and played 67 games from 2008-2011 in Anaheim under Randy Carlyle.
Mikkelson could be insurance if there are any unexpected delays in return of veteran defenseman Stephane Robidas, who has yet to be medically cleared after suffering two broken legs last season.
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