This is a weird training camp in many ways. The Leafs are not unique in instantly splitting the team into an NHL roster and an AHL roster for camp and somewhat for preseason games. But the Leafs might be a little unique in that they have no decisions to make.

There has been some criticism of the new preseason format because AHLers and players on PTOs can't get noticed, but that's really more about finding stories in what ultimately ends up as a drama-free event. The "will he or won't he game" is a game, not serious. Usually the prospect goes down, if not immediately then before his 10 games are up, and when they don't it's obvious in advance. Usually the PTO guy doesn't get signed unless the team is just using the PTO to hold onto him while they precisely calibrate their salary cap. Usually that AHLer goes right back to the AHL.

The NHL group looks like this right now, and this is 24 players with only 23 healthy.

Player Cap Hit
Matthews, Auston $13,250,000
Nylander, William $11,500,000
Knies, Matthew $7,750,000
Tavares, John $4,389,280
Sissons, Colton $4,250,000
Roslovic, Jack $4,000,000
Domi, Max - LTIR $3,750,000
Joshua, Dakota $3,250,000
Paul, Nick $3,150,000
Duhaime, Brandon $2,600,000
Blueger, Teddy $2,500,000
Lorentz, Steven $1,350,000
McKenna, Gavin $1,075,000
Cowan, Easton $900,000
Raddysh, Darren $8,500,000
Rielly, Morgan $7,500,000
McCabe, Jake $4,513,102
Tanev, Christopher $4,500,000
Ekman-Larsson, Oliver $3,500,000
Andrae, Emil $1,550,000
Stecher, Troy $1,350,000
Blankenburg, Nick 0
Bobrovsky, Sergei $7,000,000
Stolarz, Anthony $3,750,000
Total $105,877,382
Space: -$1,877,382
LTIR $3,750,000
$1,872,618

What that means is they can sign Nick Blankenburg if they want or keep someone like Ben Danford on the NHL roster for a while if they don't. Or they can just run with 22 players for a time. Remember that summer conversation about cap space? Yes, it was a non-issue.

They could, of course, choose to sign someone else currently unsigned. And there is some talent still out there. I think there is a bit of a stasis in the NHL beyond the usual training camp trade dead zone, and it's Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin to blame. For teams trying to get those players, they need to stay static to maintain space and to have the players to trade, and then they will have some holes to fill, presumably.

Available forwards are: Vladimir Tarasenko, Michael Bunting, James van Riemsdyk, Evander Kane, Reilly Smith, Jonathan Drouin, and a host of occasional players, depth options and people already playing in Europe or retired. But that is a list of some viable talent. Oh, and one more: Patrik Laine.

The defence options are the Leafs' own choice of PTO guy Blankenburg, the Senators' PTO guy Ben Hutton and the Blue Jackets' choice for PTO in Carson Soucy. After that the pickings get slim.

There are no goalies anyone would likely want to sign which might be one of the reasons why the Hellebuyck deal is dragging on. The Jets will want a goalie back and more than one put Winnipeg on their no trade on July 1 according to Elliotte Friedman.

Back to the Leafs, who matter while these other teams don't. There is some line flexibility built into the roster, but nothing major needs to be decided. The Leafs came to play, not play around.

And speaking of playing, there were two games last night, and I watched the top-six, Raddysh and Bob/Stolie take on the Habs depth. The goalies split the game in half.

  • Matthews looked good
  • McKenna has now played an NHL game of sorts, and he can relax, but you can clearly see his fit with this team
  • Nylander did PK and I laughed (he was fine)
  • The Leafs PP was not exciting in any way and everyone should calm down about this because this new PP is very, very different to any these forwards have played before
  • Rifai took on Florian Xhekaj and I assume there's AHL beef there as well as beef about Xherkaj trying to harass Matthews
  • The third period was an exhibition of what Roslovic is there for on the Matthews line, carry the puck in and stir the defence up until Matthews arrives to do his thing
  • I was more than a little surprised by the play of grinder/tough guy Zack MacEwen, who will likely start in the AHL, but has some offensive jump
  • I enjoyed TLK's fearless play against NHLers and AHLers (Harry Nansi too) and Ben Danford looked comfortable in the game
  • Tanev is fine, totally himself
  • There are too many new numbers to learn

Good play from the Habs here, not so much from Roslovic:

This is just hilarious:

From the other game judging by the stats:

  • OEL needed a large gin after the first period as the only NHL defender on the roster (he had to defend a five on three)
  • Michael Pezzetta got in a fight so Brandon Duhaime didn't have to bother
  • The high, mid and low depth version of the Leafs did not give up and scored some lovely goals

First goal of the preseason:

The home game was won by the Canadiens 4-1 with equal parts of innocence for the two goalies until a late, post-ENG goal which got by Stolarz. The road game was won by the Canadiens in OT.

No, no I would not.

And you think your job is hard:

That's it for now, see you Monday, which is... urgh, tomorrow.

Oh... I like Raddysh a lot, which is funny because he's the sort of defender I've not been too fond of in the modern game.

From The Branches