Toronto Maple Leafs: The Final Roster Spot

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Oct 17, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Stuart Percy (50) with the puck against the Detroit Red Wings at Air Canada Centre. The Red Wings beat the Maple Leafs 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Last week, I looked deep into the Leafs’ newfound organizational depth and the impending battle for jobs with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies next season. After Jonathan Bernier’s arbitration hearing on Friday, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have 22 NHL players signed leaving only one spot left on the 23-man roster.

Depending what way new coach Mike Babcock leans, at least one player on the Toronto Marlies roster will be skating in the NHL next season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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With that being said, let’s look at the roster as it stands now.

Forwards(13)- Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri, Peter Holland, Nick Spaling, Shawn Matthias, James Van Riemsdyk, Joffrey Lupul, P.A Parenteau, Daniel Winnik, Marc Arcobello, Leo Komarov, Richard Panik, Taylor Beck

Defencemen (7)- Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner, Roman Polak, Stephane Robidas, Matt Hunwick, Dion Phaneuf, Martin Marincin

Goaltenders (2)- Jonathan Bernier, James Reimer

It’s important to remember that the player who normally occupies the final spot on an NHL roster will usually get to know the wait staff in the press box very well. When looking at the Marlies, the roster is filled with very young players, most of them under 25, and the Leafs have repeatedly said that they will not rush them.

The chances of seeing key prospects like William Nylander, Kaspari Kapanen, Connor Brown, and even Viktor Loov are slim to none. Instead we must look to the older, more developed players as the leading candidates to grab an NHL job. Here are the ten players to watch in the battle for “the final roster spot!”

Next: Final Spot Players 1-3

Apr 15, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward matt Frattin (39) tries to control the puck without one glove as New Jersey Devils defenseman Mark Fayne (29) chases during the first period at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

1. Matt Frattin

This is a very important season for Matt Frattin. After returning to the organization last January in a trade for Jerry D’Amigo, Frattin showed up for training camp doing his best invisible man impression. He was rewarded with a trip to Ricoh Centre and a job with the Marlies. After a slow start, Frattin found his stride, eventually finding his way onto the team’s top scoring line along with William Nylander and Byron Froese.

The result was a decent season in which he had 26 goals and 48 points in 59 games. Frattin will turn 28 on January 3 and is no longer looked at as a “prospect.” He will have to come into camp with a chip on his shoulder and the drive that was missing last September. There really is no excuse if he doesn’t. Frattin must play every shift in the exhibition games like he’s playing for his NHL life because well, he probably is! If he does, then he may just impress Babcock enough to grab that final spot.

2. Rich Clune

The one thing against Clune in his quest to once again skate in the NHL is the fact that he was signed to an AHL contract. In order to make the Maple Leafs, he will have to impress Babcock enough to convince new general manager Lou Lamoriello to offer him an NHL deal. Clune is an “energy” guy who doesn’t shy away from contact or the odd fight.

It would be wise of him to bring everything he has in order to score a role as an agitator with Babcock’s new Leafs. Unfortunately, it sometimes comes down to a numbers game. The Leafs can only have a maximum of 50 players signed to NHL contracts. If the numbers don’t fit, Clune will remain a Marlie. If we do see Clune, it seems more likely to be towards the end of the season after the club starts dealing assets for picks.

3. Zach Hyman

The Hyman story is very intriguing. The Leafs picked him up in a trade with the Florida Panthers back on June 19 for Greg McKegg and a conditional 7th-round pick. Hyman spent the past 4 seasons playing at Michigan University where he played for coach Gordon “Red” Berenson, a veteran of 987 NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues.

Player to watch at #Leafs training camp in September: Zach Hyman. This kid has spent some time in the weight room! pic.twitter.com/rd6iMvLOVw
— Robb Ellis (@Robb_Ellis) July 28, 2015

Berenson taught Hyman to be a complete player by easing him into his Top 6 role at Michigan. Hyman responded by scoring 22 goals and 54 points in just 37 games this past season and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. An intriguing side note- Berenson and new Leaf coach Mike Babcock are very good friends.

“When I talk to Red, things just make sense to me,” Babcock said in a in a 2009 interview with the Ann Arbor News. “I don’t know what I offer him, if anything. The first thing is, we have a friendship. We’re two guys who love the outdoors and love hockey. He’s a man I have a ton of respect for, and love being around.”

You can bet that Babcock and Berenson have had more than one conversation about Hyman over the past month and he will surely get a good look at training camp. Hyman looked great at Leafs Prospects Camp up in Collingwood earlier this month and was carrying a noticeable amount of muscle on his 6’1 frame. He was also wearing his familiar number 11 which he wore at Michigan and also with the Hamilton Red Wings where he was named the CJHL Player of the Year back in 2011.

The only question is, will Toronto want him to spend at least one season with the AHL’s Marlies before making the jump to pro? I’m sure Hyman plans to make that decision a tough one.

Next: Final Spot Players 4-6

Mar 14, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman TJ Brennan (25) skates in warm up against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

4. Casey Bailey

Bailey was also a standout in the NCAA and was a Hobey Baker finalist this past season while playing with Penn State. The Leafs signed him to a 2-year entry-level contract back on March 21st of this year and through him right into the fire with the big club. Bailey played 6 games down the stretch of the Leafs lost season and managed to score his first NHL goal in the final game against the dreaded Habs.

Bailey is tall at 6’3 but could stand to add some bulk to his 195-pound frame. If he does that, he could become a very good NHL power forward. He possesses a big league shot and his skating stride had noticeably improved earlier this month while at the Leafs’ Prospects Camp. Bailey will stay in Toronto this summer to train and skate with Leafs staff at the Mastercard Centre. Like Hyman, the Leafs will have to decide whether to give Bailey a year with the Marlies before exposing him to the NHL full-time.

5. T.J Brennan

With a fanbase chomping at the bit for anything resembling success, Leafs Nation tends to sometimes overvalue anything good that happens to the team or any of its players. Such is the case of T.J Brennan, who by all accounts, is a “journeyman” defenceman.

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In fact, the 26-year old from Willingboro, New Jersey gets my vote as the player most overrated by Leaf fans. So what makes some people so high on a guy who is now in his second go around with the Toronto organization after stops in Buffalo, Florida, Nashville, Long Island, and Chicago?

In 2013/14, everything went right for Brennan when he managed to score 25 goals and 72 points in 76 games with the Marlies earning him the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s outstanding defenceman. That, according to many Leaf fans, meant that we had the next Paul Coffey sitting in the minors.

The fact is, that season was an anomaly and hides the fact that Brennan’s game is full of weaknesses. He’s an average skater who struggles in his own end. He is an offensive defenseman trying to make a team that already has Phaneuf, Rielly, and Gardiner on the roster.

My take; let’s try not to get too excited about him, especially if he’s awarded the Marlies’ captaincy next season, the “kiss of death” for a player’s NHL aspirations.

6. Sam Carrick

It will be tell-tale season for Sam Carrick after signing a 1-year, two-way contract with the Leafs this past May. At times during his 16-game stint last season, Carrick seemed to be one of the only bright spots on a Leafs team that had clearly given up. You would think that in an organization that is clearly heading into youth mode, it would be a good situation for a 23-year old player right? Not so fast.

In the past few months, the Leafs have stocked up at both the NHL and AHL levels and the fight for ice time will occur with both teams. New coach Mike Babcock has gone on record as saying that he “likes skilled players.” Sam Carrick is far from being a skilled player and gotten this far due to hard work and grit. The problem is, there a lot of other players who are now in the organization who are more skilled than Carrick. We tend to get excited each and every time that the Leafs draft, sign, or trade for another prospect but we sometimes forget that not all of them will find spots with the big club.

It’s hard to look at the depth in this organization and still see Sam Carrick as a part of its future. With that being said, Carrick will probably show up for training camp eager to impress the new coach. For that reason, he has to be considered as a candidate for the final spot at least for the coming season.

Next: Final Spot Players 7-10

Oct 17, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Josh Leivo (32) celebrates his first career goal in the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

7. Josh Leivo

Leivo is another one of those players that is still young but has now been around the organization for a few years. He’s had tastes (16 games) of big league action but has so far been unable to turn the heads of the people who matter. Leivo is a good skater with a nice touch around the net and has shown flashes of brilliance at times. He had an impressive 23 goals and 42 points in 59 games with the Marlies in his rookie season before falling off a bit last year. (11-21-32)

It will be a young Marlies team next season but a look at the roster shows that it’s going to be a dogfight for minutes down there. If Leivo is unable to win an NHL job it’s easy to say that he may not see many minutes in the AHL either. Leivo can look at this as a fresh new start after the organization changed all of its coaches but with the way the Leafs are stocking the cupboards, time may be running out.

This will be the final year of Leivo’s entry-level contract. It’s time for him to make a statement or he may end up fading away like the Jeremy Williams and Kris Newbury’s of the past.

8. Brendan Leipsic

Need a reason to instantly like Brendan Leipsic? How about the fact that he was described as the most annoying prospect in hockey by The Hockey News last year? Yes, Leipsic is an “agitator” often compared to players like Brad Marchand, Steve Ott, and Sean Avery, guys who found their way onto NHL rosters usually by getting under the skin of opposing teams.

9. Nikita Soshnikov

Little is known about the 21-year old forward from Nizhny Tagil, Russia. The Leafs signed him to a 3-year entry-level contract back on March 20 of this year. Soshnikov played 57 games with Moscow Oblast Atlant of the KHL last season scoring 14 goals and 32 points, the third highest total of all players under 23. His 14 goals were all even strength making you wonder what the kid might have done with a little power play time.

Eager Leaf fans were hoping to get their first look at Soshnikov earlier this month at the Prospects Camp in Collingwood but were disappointed when Soshnikov was unable to attend due to travel-related issues. That might be the case but I also wouldn’t be surprised if Soshnikov is now having second thoughts due to the recent influx of forwards the Leafs have signed at the NHL level.

1o. Stuart Percy

It was a great story last October when Stuart Percy made his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. It got even better when he was able to record an assist in his first three NHL contests. Nevertheless, the success was short-lived as the Leafs sent Percy down to the Toronto Marlies after just 8 games. Percy pretty much fits into the same category as Nylander and the other young prospects but made the final spot on this list (over Byron Froese) because of the fact that he made the team last season.

Unfortunately, like Leivo and Carrick, Percy was mentioned by name when assistant general manager Kyle Dubas recently described how moving young players back and forth between the AHL and NHL actually hurt their development. Expect him to see big minutes in the Marlies’ Top 4 along with Brennan, Viktor Loov, and Scott Harrington.

It’s important to remember that Shanny and Lou may not be finished with the roster as it stands today. It has been rumored for months that the Leafs have been trying to move Tyler Bozak, Joffrey Lupul, and possibly even Dion Phaneuf but so far there have been no takers. James Van Riemsdyk has also seen his name in the trade rumors recently. It’s also possible that the Leafs may be inclined to deal somebody like Roman Polak or recently acquired players like Matt Hunwick or Nick Spaling if more than one of the young players impress.

Next: Final Thoughts

Sam Carrick’s brief call up with the Leafs has proven he can handle a limited role full time with the Leafs next season.

Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

So Who Will It Be?

It makes the most sense that the 23rd man on the roster will be a forward as NHL teams rarely carry 8 defensemen. That eliminates Brennan and Percy. As mentioned above, Clune is on an AHL contract and may be a victim of the “numbers game.”

Leipsic and Leivo are still considered part of the “young prospect” group and I can’t see the organization rushing them into an NHL lineup next season. Soshnikov is also young but may need some time to become accustomed to the smaller North American ice surface. Even though he played 6 games last season, Bailey is hardly an NHL veteran and needs time to develop his body before taking on an NHL job.

Sep 24, 2014; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Sam Carrick (53) provides coverage following a shot on goalie Cal Heeter (33) in the third period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Senators defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

For those reasons, I see a battle between Frattin, Hyman, and Carrick. Frattin should come in hungry at what might me his last chance at an NHL job but will it be enough to hold off the youthful exuberance of the two younger players?

Carrick is riding high after a great showing in a short stint with the Leafs last season but it’s a brand new coaching staff this time around. What you did last year doesn’t really count when you’re still a relatively unproven player.

Hyman “bleeds blue and white” as his father told me up at the Prospects Camp in Collingwood a few weeks ago. You have to think that he will also come to camp ready to impress. Mike Babcock may have quite the decision on his hands in September but it’s a good problem to have. You can be sure that whoever doesn’t win the spot will head over to Ricoh where even more battles await.

If you have any questions, comments, hate mail, etc… then you can email me at: retoronto71@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter @robb_ellis

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