3 rookies who can make the Toronto Maple Leafs roster
There could be three surprises that will make the Toronto Maple Leafs roster this season
The Toronto Maple Leafs could benefit from having multiple rookies make the roster out of training camp this season.
Over the past decade, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had multiple rookies make an impact immediately. Highlighted by Auston Matthews' Calder Trophy, the team has also seen other players such as Michael Bunting, Matthew Knies and Joseph Woll showcase their elite skill early in their career.
In a salary cap world, rookies can be the most valuable players on the roster because they don't have to do a ton of to outweigh their contract. With a limit on thier rookie contract, there is a huge benefit to giving a rookie an opportunity over a veteran, and the Leafs have no shortage of options this year.
Nick Robertson was the most highly anticipated rookie since Auston Matthews but he unfortunately hasn't delivered on expectations, though mostly that is due to injury. Personally, I'm not giving up hope on him yet because I think he has the best shot on the team, besides Matthews, and if he can find confidence, I think he can excel. However, if he falters again early, it's possible that a few rookies could put themselves ahead of him in the depth chart.
Speaking of those rookies, let's take a look at three rookies who could actually make the roster with a good training camp.
No. 1: Easton Cowan
The entire Leafs summer has been built around Auston Matthews' captaincy and whether or not Mitch Marner or John Tavares will re-sign, when in a different year, I think we would all be talking about Easton Cowan.
His skillset is incredible and if he can live up to expectations, it's quite possible that he could end up being the biggest steal of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
With the No. 28 overall selection in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, the Leafs "reached" for Cowan and it paid off. Many people didn't see Cowan as a first-round pick, but the Leafs staff deserves an A+ for this pick, especially if it pays off in the NHL.
Wirh 34 goals and 96 points in 56 games, Cowan dominated the OHL and continued that in the playoffs, as he finished with 10 goals and 34 points in 18 games, leading the London Knights to an OHL Championship, winning the MVP en route.
The Leafs need another winger, so if Cowan can showcase his elite skills during training camp and show some chemistry along the team's core-four, I wouldn't be shocked to see him start the season with the Leafs. I'm not predicting that he stays with the team for the entire year, but in my opinion, it's his spot to lose at this point.
No. 2: Cade Webber
The Leafs bolstered their defensive depth this offseason by signing Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but it could be a rookie who shocks everyone and makes the roster.
You can never have too many good defenseman on a roster, and tradiing for Webber could be one of the sneakier moves the Leafs made this offseason. The former fourth round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft didn't want to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, so the Leafs jumped in and traded for his rights.
It was a nothing move at the time, but then when you look into Webber's size, you realize why it could have been such a steal. At 6-foot-7, 210 pounds, Webber is a beast and the Leafs could really benefit from a player like this.
The team did get bigger this offseason, but Webber's size could be enough to gain him a roster spot, especially since it doesn't look like Jani Hakanpaa will end up signing with the team.
Hakanpaa was also a 6-foot-7 defenseman, who would have served as their 6th/7th defenseman, so maybe Webber can fill that role instead?
Webber is most likely to start the year with the Toronto Marlies but don't be shocked if he's one of the last cuts and is on the bubble to make the roster.
In my opinion, he's one injury away from being a mainstay on the team and should seriously be considered for opening night.
No. 3: Fraser Minten
it's time for Minten to be an everyday NHLer and he should be the team's third or fourth-line centre, booting David Kampf for the curb. After a solid training camp last year, Minten was given a look at the NHL level but after four games with zero points, he was sent back to junior for the year.
He wasn't quite ready to be an everyday NHLer and another year dominating in junior was the right decision. However, this should be the year that he makes the roster, especially since the Leafs bottom-six is so poor.
When you look at Minten's game, although he had a strong offensive performance in junior, his best skillset is his defensive abilities. Realistically, his ceiling is most likely set out as a good third-line centre, who's very smart and won't make a lot of mistakes. He can play the penalty-kill and be a reliable player in the bottom-six, who can score between 15-20 goals per year.
If I'm making an NHL comparison, I'd look at someone like Jordan Staal as a good comparable, although we should be so lucky. Although Staal was a much higher draft-pick, he served as a great third-line centre behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin early in his career and was someone who was scary on the penalty-kill, as he could break the other way.
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Staal wasn't too flashy, but he did everything you wanted and has played over 1,200 NHL games as a result. Who knows if Minten will reach that 1,000 NHL game mark in his career, but in a perfect world, that's the type of NHL career I could see and the Leafs could use a player like that, especially since they'll have a number-one centre in Auston Matthews on the roster, hopefully, for another decade.