Nearly eight weeks have passed since the Maple Leafs had news to impart, and that was little more than a rubber-stamp, when winger Pierre Engvall was signed to a one-year extension in mid-July.
An uneventful two months for Leafs Nation — or close to it — is about to come to an end. Perhaps that happened on Friday, when the club announced it had signed forward Zach Aston-Reese to a professional tryout.
At any rate, with the start of training camp less than two weeks away (media day Sept. 21, players on the ice Sept. 22), the hype train is about to hit full speed.
When the club has a lineup that boasts Auston Matthews, who further cemented his superstar status in the National Hockey League last season when he scored 60 goals and won the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award, and one of the top wingers in the NHL in Mitch Marner, there’s a one-two forward punch that is the envy of most teams in the NHL.
Overall, it’s a solid group that has been built by general manager Kyle Dubas, one that has the potential to make another run at the Atlantic Division title during the regular season. And yes, we know: What matters most is what happens in the Stanley Cup playoffs, where the Leafs have not won a series since 2004.
Nothing carries more importance for the Leafs than how the goaltending situation will play out. Dubas is tying the future of his job to Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov, two veteran netminders who have everything to prove. It’s a high-wire act on the part of the GM, no doubt, and more than a few observers will pine for the days of Jack Campbell until one, or both, of Murray and Samsonov can demonstrate he is able to carry the ball. The Leafs need at least one of them to bring that capability to the crease each time coach Sheldon Keefe gives him a start. Both would be a bonus.
There will be other areas of intrigue through camp and the pre-season games, but none will come close to approaching the attention that will be paid to Murray and Samsonov.
We’re curious to see to what extent, if any, that Keefe plays around with his top six forwards. Will Keefe give any thought to moving Marner to John Tavares’ wing and put William Nylander alongside Matthews and Michael Bunting? With the salary cap crunch being what it is — the Leafs are approximately $1.4 million over the cap — does the immediate future include Alex Kerfoot and his $3.5 million AAV? If Dubas had true designs on moving Kerfoot, you would think it would have happened by now.
The Leafs already will have to find a way to replace the 21 goals scored by Ilya Mikheyev, who departed for Vancouver in free agency. Kerfoot had 51 points in 82 games last season. Giving that away for future considerations to clear up space would hurt the on-ice product.
The addition of Calle Jarnkrok should make Leafs fans forget that Ondrej Kase was impactful when he was healthy. Jarnkrok, David Kampf and presumably Engvall give the Leafs a smart third line.
One forward question: Where does Nick Robertson fit in? After making a fine initial impression in the playoff bubble in the summer of 2020, Robertson has had to fight through various injuries. He was able to record 28 points in 28 games with the Toronto Marlies last season, but now must find a way to make a consistent impact in the NHL.
There will be little quibbling on the blue line. True, there is not a Norris Trophy candidate in the bunch, but it’s difficult to argue with the veteran nucleus of Morgan Rielly, TJ Brodie, Jake Muzzin and Mark Giordano. Does Justin Holl and his $2-million cap hit get moved? Perhaps. Timothy Liljegren appears capable of taking on a greater role. Dubas gave the team some insurance with the signings of veterans Victor Mete and Jordie Benn, who could step in and provide depth in the case of injuries. None of this is favourable for Rasmus Sandin, who remains without a contract and has no leverage in negotiations.
Fact is, the Leafs’ roster is set, more or less. It’s all about the goaltending. If Murray can regain the form that helped the Penguins win back-to-back Cups in 2016 and 2017, it’s a safe bet that the Leafs finally will have success in the postseason.
If not, well, best to buckle up.
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