The Toronto Maple Leafs are back, baby!
With training camp in full swing, the Editor in Leaf staff has been working around the clock to bring you, our loyal readers, right into the middle of the action. Every angle has been covered, and every stone has been overturned.
As so many stories begin hitting the wall all at once, it’s easy to lose a few in the shuffle. So, please enjoy this roundup of a few of this week’s notable pieces.
SDA’s Future is Bright
It’s impossible not to fall in love with Semyon Der-Arguchintsev. From his lengthy surname, middle school demeanour, and silky smooth hands, the kid has done nothing but win fans over from the moment he set foot in the Leafs organization.
In his latest piece, Josh takes a look at just how bright the little guy’s future is.
“Der-Arguchintsev or SDA, as he is commonly referred to by Toronto Maple Leafs fans, has had an outstanding rookie camp preseason with the club. While he wasn’t able to register a point in his one preseason game, he’s shown a ton of promise. He isn’t afraid to control the puck and make strategic passes at the NHL level. You would expect most 18-year-olds to be very timid as they step on the ice surface of an NHL ice surface, but that’s not the case with Moscow, Russia native, SDA.
Even though he’s not ready to play with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he has shown a tremendous amount of promise. He’ll likely be sent back to the OHL’s Peterborough Petes, who own his Canadian Hockey League rights. While he’s not NHL ready, there shouldn’t have been any expectations that he would be ready to play. He’ll need some time in the OHL to develop and become a stronger and mature centreman.”
Preseason Statistical Analysis
It’s a risky business reading into preseason results.
Remember, the Cleveland Browns somehow went undefeated in their preseason only a year ago and then failed to even win a game once the regular season hit. Things change when the games matter.
Nevertheless, the Leafs have presented some interesting tidbits in their limited action, which James dives into. Give it a read.
“Auston Matthews and Jeremy Bracco have scored two 5v5 goals each in two games. Bracco is the kind of speedy winger who has a high ceiling but might not ever make the NHL that is available for free basically every draft in the second and third rounds. The Penguins have made an entire industry out of drafting these players and sticking them with Sidney Crosby. With Bracco, SDA and Andreas Johnsson, just to name a few possible Jake Guentzals on the roster, the Leafs appear to have learned this lesson.
Incredibly, Auston Matthews has ten shots in two games. That is an impossible pace to keep – its’s 410 shots over 82 games in a league where 300 leads the league – but it is incredibly impressive. Especially when you consider that it doesn’t include power-play shots.”
Tyler Ennis Could be a Huge Signing
Little guy, big impact. That’s been the Tyler Ennis story through his first few tastes of the preseason in blue and white.
Matthew takes a dip into just how impactful the former-Sabre can be. It could be pretty sweet, even when Ennis inevitably finds his way back to the fourth line upon Nylander’s return.
“Tyler Ennis has been through many ups and downs over the course of his career. In my piece on him from last month, I talked about how he was a promising young winger when he first entered the league. However, after a series of injuries, he couldn’t quite get back to the level he initially played at. But this doesn’t mean he turned into a bad player or his career fell off. The skill was always there, that’s for sure, he just needed to find the right fit.
Hopefully, the Toronto Maple Leafs can be just that. So far in his first game with the club, he looked excellent playing on Auston Matthews’ wing. Getting that chance to play with some elite linemates, which he didn’t have during his time in Minnesota and partially in Buffalo, really helped expose his solid skill level and ability to hold up in this fast-paced league.”
The Career Path of Justin Holl
You may be sensing a trend here, but it’s impossible not to root for Justin Holl. Considering his whirlwind career up to this point, seeing Holl even stand a chance at cracking an NHL lineup is a feat in of itself.
David takes this a step further, recounting all the hurdles of which the Minnesota native scaled to get this far.
“Holl played four years for Minnesota in the NCAA and is famously known for his dramatic shorthanded buzzer-beating game winner of the 2014 Frozen Four Semifinals. With less than 1 second left in the 3rd period and the Gophers shorthanded, Holl kicked a loose puck to his stick and managed to get one last quick shot away before OT. In one of the most thrilling college hockey moments of the last decade, Holl scored with .6 seconds left on the clock to send the Gophers to the Frozen Four Finals.
Justin graduated to the AHL with Rockford in 2014/2015, but his career in the Blackhawks organization would soon be short lived. Holl played in just two AHL games for the Rockford IceHogs and was sent to the Indy Fuel of the ECHL, where he scored 7 goals, 27 assists for 34 points in 66 games.”
Thanks for reading! Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more EIL content as we head into the regular season.