Maple Leafs: Notable Prospects @Training Camp

The Toronto Maple Leafs started their Thursday morning off by announcing the roster of players set to attend their 2017 training camp.

With roughly a month remaining until the regular season begins, I’ve decided to do what any respectable hockey writer in Toronto would. That is, dissect this seemingly routine development in near-obsessive detail.

Fresh off covering the Leafs Rookie Tournament earlier this very month, this announcement peaked my interest. I found it particularly fascinating to see just how many of the participating prospects had earned invites to camp. So, I thought it would be beneficial to point out three of them in particular that fans should keep an eye on.

Unfortunately, I am not going to write about Roman Polak returning to camp on a PTO. I simply cannot handle that level of negativity in my life right now. With that said, enjoy.

Nikita Korostelev

With the Leafs declining to offer Nikita Korostelev a contract this summer, many people, myself included, wrote him off. However, he has since worked to build upon nearly every opportunity that’s been given to him.

Korostelev re-entered the NHL Entry Draft in 2017, passing through unselected. Despite the lack of interest in him from surrounding NHL teams, the Leafs decided to extend him an invitation to attend their Rookie Development Camp. Korostelev’s strong showing at said development camp then earned him an invite to participate in Toronto’s rookie tournament. From there, he parlayed a promising Rookie Tournament performance in to an invite to NHL camp.

The primary objective of Korostelev at the Rookie Tournament was to impress the myriad of NHL scouts in attendance. Participating in an NHL training camp will undoubtedly provide him with that opportunity once again. While Korostelev’s subtle, yet effective game did impress me, I simply do not believe he possesses the speed to earn a full time NHL job.

With that said, I, along with many others, refused to believe that he would ever be invited to Leafs training camp. And yet, here we are. Korostelev has proven his critics wrong before, and it would certainly be unwise to write him off completely now.

Martins Dzierkals

What jumped out at me regarding Martins Dzierkals was just how versatile his game is. Over the course of the tournament, he was given roles on both the power play and penalty kill. Despite his eclectic deployment, Dzierkals rarely seemed out of place. In fact, he actually excelled.

His work on the penalty kill served, to me, as his most impressive showing. Paired with fellow camp invitee J.J. Piccinich, Dzierkals hemmed opponents in their own zone with a combination of relentless fore checking and surprising speed. Prior to witnessing it for myself, I was completely oblivious to just how fast he actually was.

Possessing a versatile skillset seems to be something that Mike Babcock clearly covets in his players. He was quite transparent in his admission that it was Josh Leivo’s failure to play a needed role on the penalty kill last season that kept him out of the lineup.

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Dzierkals may not be elite in any single area. But, that is not a bad thing. Instead he provides value through seamlessly filling whichever role his team requires. Now, whether that future role will be on the Leafs, or another NHL team remains to be seen.

Timothy Liljegren

In normal circumstances, a team’s #1 prospect attending training camp is far from a noteworthy development. Well, Timothy Liljegren is not a normal prospect.

The defensive lapses in Liljegren’s game seem to be resulting from a distinct lack of positional awareness. Such a developmental hurdle was completely expected from Liljegren. He has played his entire life on the larger ice sheets in Europe, after all.

Liljegren is set to miss the beginning of the SHL season to attend Leafs training camp. This is quite significant, as the initial expectation was for him to play in the SHL this season, while making his transition to North America the following year. Now, writing is on the wall that Liljegren will likely be suiting up for the Toronto Marlies in 2017-18 instead.

Why is this Important?

It is absolutely crucial to Liljegren’s development as an NHL defenceman for him to experience a full season on North American ice. If he did return to Sweden this year for another season on European ice, it would leave his positional awareness deficiencies unaddressed. In fact, they may even get worse.

While Liljegren may very well experience great statistical success in the SHL, it would essentially leave him a year behind in his development. Instead, Liljegren should be spending the upcoming season educating himself on the various intricacies of the smaller ice surface. In doing so, he could then make the necessary strides to assimilate himself within Toronto’s organizational system.

If Liljegren remains in North America for the 2017-18 season, he will enter training camp in 2018 at a distinct advantage. Instead of having to make the difficult transition to North American ice a year later, he could alternatively firmly set his sights on cracking the Leafs NHL roster. Blessed with an offensive skillset that may already be NHL-ready, Liljegren is closer to being an NHL regular than most believe.

Next: Toronto Maple Leafs Top Ten Prospects

Hockey is Back

Thus, concludes my coverage of the Toronto Maple Leafs Rookie Tournament. I sincerely hope my deep dive into all things prospect-related did not annoy you. And if it did, then believe me when I say I am just as excited as you are for the return of NHL.

We’re less than a month away.

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