As training camp gets closer, talk of the Toronto Maple Leafs dipping their toes into the bottom of the free-agent barrel has picked up. In particular, it’s getting to that time of the season in which teams give some UFAs a shot at the NHL.
That means it's Professional Tryout (PTO) season. There has been plenty of talk about the Leafs looking at PTO candidates heading into camp. But why waste time with long shots when the organization could be doing something more productive?
Specifically, the Leafs should be looking at giving some Marlies players a real chance to make the team this fall.
Yes, lineup spots won’t come by easily. But that shouldn’t be a reason not to foment competition, especially in the bottom six.
For instance, who’s to say that Dakota Joshua is a better option than someone like Michael Pezzetta? They’re both physical forwards who won’t really score.
Why not give Bo Groulx a real shot at unseating someone like Steven Lorentz? How much better would Nick Paul or Teddy Blueger be than, say, Jacob Quillan?
Whether or not Groulx, Quillan or Pezzetta actually make the team isn’t really the issue. The whole point is about creating pressure and competition.
That’s a prospect aimed at lighting a fire under some players.
Gavin McKenna shouldn’t have a guaranteed roster spot
One of the things that we’ve all assumed is that Gavin McKenna has a guaranteed roster spot.
Why wouldn’t he?
McKenna is Auston Matthews’ second coming. He’s shown he has the skills to hang with the big boys. So, why send him back to college or dump him in the AHL?
But that’s the point. It’s not automatic that McKenna is ready for the NHL. Again, there doesn’t seem to be any reason to suggest he isn’t. But the Maple Leafs should not immediately pencil him into the lineup.
McKenna has to understand that there are roster battles for new players in training camp every fall. Having that experience is a powerful part of the learning process. While McKenna will most assuredly be with the big club in the fall, the point is for him to see that things aren’t a given.
We shall see. The most crucial issue here is to protect McKenna without babying him. And if that means some time in the AHL, it’s something that should at least be on the table.
Hopefully, it won’t ever get to that. We’re all bullish on McKenna. The hope is that he can tear up the NHL much like Matthews did about a decade ago.
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