Toronto Maple Leafs: The Final Roster Spot

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