Toronto Maple Leafs Training Camp: Who’s Making the Team?

The Toronto Maple Leafs training camp is underway, but will there be any surprises that make the roster?

The 2021-22 season is the biggest campaign in recent memory. Although you could say the same thing for the past five years, this could be a make-or-break year for many Toronto Maple Leafs players, coaches and management.

If things go poorly and the team misses the playoffs, all bets are off. Mitch Marner could get traded, Sheldon Keefe and Kyle Dubas could get fired and the team could move in all different directions.

However, if they make strides and finally win a playoff round, it could buy everyone another two years. Toronto is good enough to win a round, and if things get lucky, it wouldn’t be a crazy thought to see them make it to the Conference Finals, but winning an actual Stanley Cup seems outrageous.

It’s not an impossible thought that Toronto could go on a magical run and finally win a championship, but their competition is going to be fierce this year. Instead of being stuck in the North Division with four guaranteed playoff spots, the team is now back in the Atlantic Division, with only three guaranteed spots.

Instead of talking about the regular season and playoffs, let’s start with training camp. We have a pretty good idea at who’s going to crack the opening night roster, but there could be a few surprises.

Let’s look at every player invited to training camp and try to pick the forwards, defenseman and goaltenders that will be making this roster.

No. 1: Forwards

Below is a list of the forwards invited to training camp:

• Mikhail Abramov, Michael Amadio, Joey Anderson, Adam Brooks, Michael Bunting, Rich Clune, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, Curtis Douglas, Pierre Engvall, Kurits Gabriel, Pavel Gogolev, Nikita Gusev, Josh Ho-Sang, David Kampf, Ondrej Kase, Alex Kerfoot, Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, Ilya Mikheyev, William Nylander, Nick Robertson, Nick Robertson, Kirill Semyonov, Brett Seney, Wayne Simmonds, Jason Spezza, Alex Steeves, John Tavares

If you look through the list of forwards, there are a few names you’re probably unfamiliar with, but the majority of the roster is well known.

Joey Anderson, Adam Brooks and Nick Robertson are three names to keep an eye on as we get set for opening night. Although Brooks is a few years older than the other two, all three are still considered prospects, but are on the verge of being full-time NHLers.

The one name that I’m most intrigued about is Josh Ho-Sang. Will the former high draft-pick be dominant in training camp and vie for a roster spot, or will he continue to disappoint and find himself on the outside looking in?

Prediction:

• Nick Ritchie – Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner
• Michael Bunting – John Tavares – William Nylander
• Alex Kerfoot – David Kampf – Ilya Miikheyev
• Pierre Engvall – Jason Spezza – Wayne Simmonds
• Ondrej Kase – Nikita Gusev

If healthy, Kase can be effective and although he’s terrible defensively, having Gusev as a rotation player is important, since he can add depth scoring.

Unfortunately, Ho-Sang, Robertson, Anderson and Brooks will all have to start with the Toronto Marlies, unless there’s an injury.

No. 2: Defenseman

Below is a list of the defenseman invited to training camp:

• Alex Biega, TJ Brodie, Carl Dahlstrom, Travis Dermott, Joseph Duszak, Matthew Hellickson, Justin Holl, Mac Hollowell, Teemu Kivihalme, Filip Kral, Timothy Liljegren, Brennan Menell, Jake Muzzin, Morgan Rielly, Kristians Rubins, Rasmus Sandin, William Villeneuve

The Leafs top-six defenseman are almost certainly set, with Rasmus Sandin set to replace Zach Bogosian.

Trying to win a job over Sandin, or possibly even Dermott, will be Timothy Liljegren, who Leafs fans are very familiar with, and then someone who fans may not know as well in Brennan Menell.

Menell, is a right-shot defenseman, who lit up the KHL last year, but after watching Mikko Lehtonen with the Leafs last season, we all know that KHL stats don’t mean much. However, the one positive with his game is that he put up a lot of points in the AHL as well, before leaving for Russia, so his game translates to the North American style too.

Dermott is an interesting player, because although he’s a good bottom-pairing defenseman, it feels like you want more from him. He’s decent defensively, but you’d almost prefer someone who can help on the power-play too at that position, so Menell may get the edge over him.

Finally, Liljegren feels like the oldest prospect in hockey because every year we talk about him making the leap and then all of a sudden, there’s no room for him. This is the biggest training camp of his life and expect him to perform like his NHL life is on the line:

Prediction: 

• Morgan Rielly – TJ Brodie
• Jake Muzzin – Justin Holl
• Rasmus Sandin – Brennan Menell
• Travis Dermott

I think Menell will show enough that he makes the Leafs roster opening night, but it may push Dermott out as the seventh defenseman. Unfortunately, like many years prior, Liljegren will forced to start the season with the Toronto Marlies.