The popular chatter this week while the Toronto Maple Leafs took a brief respite from their exhibition schedule is whether 19-year-old William Nylander will make the club in his second professional season after playing for MODO, Team Sweden at the 2015 World Juniors and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.
The 8th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft has been impressive after a week of training camp, registering an assist on P.A. Parenteau’s power play goal against the Ottawa Senators on Monday and scoring a goal against the Canadiens in Montreal on Tuesday.
Head coach Mike Babcock believes the youngster will have to continue to perform well to have a legitimate chance of earning a spot on the 23-man roster, but it is unlikely that any exploits will outweigh the reasons for Nylander to be sent to the AHL.
Watch Friday’s edition of Leaf Buzz, as CTV London’s Norman James and myself discuss the All-American Prospects Game in Buffalo, William Nylander and the exodus of the Burke/Nonis draft picks
After being shifted between wing and center in the SHL, WJC and AHL last season, Nylander will play up the middle this season. Defensive concerns related to the position change and physical maturity is reason enough to be hesitant to promote the 19-year-old, but the Leafs have a full compliment of centers with Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri, Peter Holland and Nick Spaling, all of which have things to prove to their new head coach.
Nylander is projected as a first or second line center and unless he can unseat Bozak or Kadri, making the Leafs would be placing him in a bottom six role or on the wing during a year of transition, which could stunt his development.
Playing in the AHL would allow Nylander to play major minutes every night in a primary offensive role, in key situations like the power play and would increase the odds of the Leafs allowing the youngster to play for Team Sweden at the 2016 World Juniors in Helsinki this December.
Another reason for the young Swede not playing in the NHL this season is that it would start the clock on his three-year entry-level contract. The emphasis on patience in player development is primarily because it allows players to round out all the aspects of their game, but the fringe benefit is that the club will get a more complete player for three full years and determine their course of action when their contract expires.
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The Leafs have back-to-back games at Air Canada Center this weekend, facing the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Here is the lineup vs. Buffalo, courtesy of TSN’s Mark Masters (minus late scratches)
It is expected that the club will announce their next round of roster cuts before the next preseason game against the Sabres in Buffalo next Tuesday.
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After opening some eyes at the Rookie Tournament two weeks ago and at training camp, 2015 draft picks Martins Dzierkals and Dmytro Timashov were sent back to their respective junior clubs. The two forwards faced each other on Thursday, as the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies took on the Quebec Remparts.
Dzierkals scored a scintillating goal and added an assist in his debut QMJHL game. while Timashov(the league’s 2015 Rookie of the Year) had three points(1G, 2A), including a highlight reel spin-o-rama assist on Massimo Carozza’s fifth goal of the season.
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