Toronto Maple Leafs: Justin Peters and the Long Road Back

The Toronto Maple Leafs are not the only team facing some tough decisions in the days ahead.

It’s been nearly two years since Justin Peters found himself inside an NHL crease.

His last appearance in the big leagues was a brief one; a 3 game stint with the 2016-17 Arizona Coyotes –  one of three different teams for whom Peters would don a jersey that year – culminating in totals of 134 minutes, 7 goals against, and a .900 save percentage.

In fact, Peters was lucky he even made it there at all.

A one-year deal signed with Arizona on the opening day of 2016 free agency had been completed under the assumption that Peters would serve as backstop for the Tuscon Roadrunners, providing a veteran presence to an AHL affiliate embarking upon their inaugural season.

His brief promotion came only as an unexpected bonus. It was a byproduct, mere collateral damage from the continued rivalry between Coyotes then-starter, Mike Smith, and his ever-present injury bug.

Smith eventually made his return prior to the trade deadline, which then allowed the Coyotes to ship Peters over to Dallas in February along with defenceman, Justin Hache.  The Stars immediately assigned the pair to AHL Texas.

It was Peters’ last taste of North American action.

The trade, a bottom-screen footnote on the late-night sports circuit, altered the course of Peters’ life in an instant, abruptly bookending his winless tenure in Arizona before careening him between three different teams in three separate leagues across two separate continents over a two- year span.

That three-game stretch in 2016, as it turns out, was the final remnant of stability for Peters at hockey’s highest level.

Once a sought-after insurance option who routinely garnered offers from various NHL organizations in need of net presence by early July, Peters now rests in the unique limbo of joblessness as the calendar quickly shifts into October.

His is a long road back, with Peters recently accepting an invite to Toronto Marlies training camp amidst a host of fellow veteran attendees. The invite likely stands to be the 32-year-old’s best, and final shot at prolonging his career.

A career, Peters reiterates, he desperately wants to see through.

Change of Scenery

It’s easy to lose sight of the human perspective in the world of sports, especially when situated on the other side of the curtain.

As fans anxiously await the annual flurry of movement brought forth by the trade deadline or free agent frenzy, players conversely dread it. A mid-season trade isn’t a simple depth injection for teams heading into their playoff push. For those who play the game, it’s a life uprooted. It’s moving company quotes, cross-country FaceTime calls underlined by the lack of a concrete future with loved ones, and a continued absence from important personal milestones.

Peters is all too familiar with either process.

Following a 31 game stint with the Texas Stars, he did what most players typically do when facing a dearth of local options and ventured overseas, signing a one-year pact with the KHL’s Dynamo Riga.

Suddenly, Peters’ hands were back on the controls.

Not only would the KHL serve as a brand new chapter for a career otherwise stuck in neutral, but Riga offered him a coveted opportunity to re-affirm his standing as a capable performer while facing legitimate competition.

It also meant relocating from his family home in the suburbs of Toronto all the way to Latvia, and the logistical nightmare which inevitably followed.

“It was an interesting year,” Peters told reporters on the second day of Marlies camp.

“My kids were born in September, I left July 9th. I left my wife here seven months pregnant. So it was a difficult year being away from them.”

Peters’ on-ice difficulties couldn’t match the trials which followed him off the ice, but they certainly came close. In his 14 games spent with Riga, his 2-11 record paired poorly with a 3.48 GAA and gaudy .869 save percentage.

On October 3rd, just over a month into the KHL season, Riga terminated his contract.

Once again, limbo awaited.

Two weeks later, an opportunity arose for Peters to enter the DEL, Germany’s top-tier league, and spend the remainder of 2017-18 with the Cologne Sharks. With his wife recovering from labour as he adapted to life as a new father, the literal sea of distance separating Peters from those who needed him had never felt more daunting with no end in sight.

“I missed their birth,” Peters recounted.

“Only got to go home for 48 hours. I missed them at Christmas. So, it was a tough year mentally, just for the family it was difficult and something I don’t really want to have to go through again.”

A 2.92 GAA and .895 save percentage in Cologne were each moderate improvements from Peters’ disastrous KHL cameo, and a commendable one at that, but ultimately failed to earn him renewed NHL interest.

So, back into limbo, he went.

“July 1st came and I didn’t really get a contract right away,” Peters explained, outlining the process which led to his arrival at the MasterCard Centre.

“I know there are some tough decisions to be made up top with the Leafs, so you never know. That obviously has a big effect on down here. I just thought it would be really cool to be able to be a part of this and be around in case there’s a decision to be made and my name’s in the hat. Try and put my best foot forward.” 

In line with his most recent narrative, Peters’ best foot is not the one he happened to begin Marlies camp on.

Perhaps the most crucial period of camp is when the players in attendance take part in a post-drill scrimmage to round out the day’s festivities. It’s a nice change of pace from the breakneck speed of skills work, primarily used as a means of showcasing individual talent in what ultimately amounts to simulated game action.

Peters hit the ice for the latter of the game’s two periods, finishing as part of a 9-4 losing effort for Team White.

“He had a rough go today,” said Sheldon Keefe of his veteran hopeful. An assessment not necessarily indicative of someone in line for a roster spot.

“He didn’t play the whole game, so I don’t know if he let in all 9 goals. But he had a rough game today. He’s a guy with a lot of experience in the league and we like that. Just in terms of having another guy in the camp, another guy that’s going to work closely with (Kasimir) Kaskisuo throughout the week in preparation”

If it’s any solace to Peters, Keefe has not yet forgotten the pair’s history with each other, laughing:

“We’re familiar with him, obviously, with him beating us not too long ago in the playoffs. So he’s just another guy looking to make the most of his opportunity”

Unfortunately, that opportunity may fail to come.

The Leafs’ currently boast four goaltenders signed to one-way contracts inside the organization. And even that’s without mention of Kasimir Kaskisuo and his ELC, and the recently-acquired Eamon McAdam who appears destined for the Growlers.

Sure, one of the aforementioned four may be lost to waivers once the parent club whittles down their final roster, but it nevertheless leaves five netminders who are each assumed to be sitting above Peters on the depth chart.

Which begs the question; in the event that he misses the cut, what happens next?

“That’s a good question,” answered Peters.

“I don’t really want to go overseas. This is my first option to be in North America. But I’ll cross that bridge when it happens.”

That bridge could emerge sooner rather than later. And after relenting control of his life for so many years, Peters is putting forth the image now of someone content with the path that lies ahead. His kids are mere minutes from the doors of MasterCard Centre, and the Marlies’ 3-game preseason stretch allows him one final showcase.

Peters is home. Exactly where he wants to be.

“Here I am now, just excited about the opportunity”

He’ll have three more before determining his fate.

All stats courtesy of hockeydb.com & eliteprospects.com