The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to have internal competition at training camp in September and watching how the numbers game plays out will be an entertaining storyline to follow.
General manager Brad Treliving has done a great job creating depth throughout most of the Maple Leafs’ lineup and there’s going to be some tough decisions to make for new head coach Craig Berube. Every player is going to get a chance to make a first impression, and as they say, you can only make a first impression once, so it’s going to be important for a number of players to get Berube’s attention for all the right reasons.
Here’s three Maple Leafs who will be on the bubble come training camp:
Conor Timmins
Timmins was one of the only depth defencemen who already had a contract for this season. The 25-year-old is signed for $1.1 million in 2024-25 and is a restricted free-agent once his contract expires.
Timmins was a force in the preseason in 2023-24, and showed off his offensive instincts and high hockey IQ, but unfortunately could not stay healthy. His preseason output was overshadowed with some bad luck on the injury front as he missed a bunch of time early on in the season thanks to a knee injury he suffered in late September and then caught mononucleosis in February and was unavailable for most of the season.
Heading into the 2024-25 training camp, Timmins has a legit shot at securing the seventh spot on the Leafs’ blue line. He’ll have a few d-men to outperform as Treliving brought in Phillipe Myers and Dakota Mermis who will battle for depth roles. Timmins will have to outplay both to break camp with the big club.
There’s also Cade Webber and Topi Niemela who both will be looking to make an impression on Berube at training camp. Webber is a pure defensive defenseman, a big body at 6-foot-7, and plays a hard nosed game that the new coach is likely going to be naturally drawn too. Meanwhile, Niemela and Timmins have very similar games, so if Niemela manages to shine at training camp and get into some preseason action, Timmins could be caught in a numbers game.
In order to make the team, Timmins will need to keep his game simple. He can’t have any noticeable turnovers on high-risk plays. It’s going to be important for him to pick his spots when he jumps into the rush and not force the offensive production. Be sound defensively, close gaps, box out in front, and then do whatever he can to help chip in offensively. That’s the only way Timmins avoids waivers once training camp breaks before the season.
Easton Cowan
All eyes will be on Easton Cowan come training camp. The dynamic forward put on a show throughout the Ontario Hockey League season and even though he didn’t have a great World Juniors, Cowan’s developed very quickly into one of the purest offensive talents outside of the NHL.
It’s going to take a lot for Cowan to make the team but based on how things played out this summer with the roster, he should have a legit shot at securing a spot on the wing on the third or fourth line. The Maple Leafs let Tyler Bertuzzi go and Treliving has been reluctant to sign any veteran forwards so far this summer, so at least to this point, Cowan has every chance to lock down a roster spot.
There’s a chance Max Domi starts the season as the second-line centre so look for John Tavares to potentially be pushed down to the third-line role, which could be a perfect centre for Cowan to start his NHL career with. Who better to learn from than the team’s captain? Shadowing Tavares would give Cowan the perfect example of how to handle the day-to-day of being a professional, it could truly do wonders for his development, especially early on with getting comfortable in the league.
In order for Cowan to make the team, he’ll need to concentrate on defence first. Everyone knows the offensive abilities are off the charts, his vision is already at a pro level, same with his skating abilities, but it’s going to be how he handles the defensive responsibilities and the physical side of the game. He’s no longer playing with 16-year-old players and now will be regularly playing against people 16 years older than him. At just 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Cowan needs to show up to training camp in the best shape of his life and prove to the Leafs management brass he’s strong enough for the pro game.
Another thing to note when it comes to Cowan’s future is the future of Nick Robertson. Robertson has reportedly asked for a trade and if Treliving does end up moving the former second-round pick, and the team acquires a defenseman in the deal, another spot will open up front and essentially secure Cowan a role to at least start the season on the NHL roster.
Matt Murray
Murray re-signed in Toronto on a one-year deal and looks to push Joseph Woll and newcomer Anthony Stolarz at training camp. He hardly played last season thanks to recovering from hip surgery and it was actually a bit surprising he was re-signed by the team. Murray appeared in only three AHL games down the stretch last year and didn’t necessarily play well, posting a 1-2-0 record with a 4.03 goals against average, .846 save percentage. He hadn’t played in over a year so the expectations were low and it was great to see him just get back into game action, despite it being at the AHL level.
Treliving must have seen something from Murray’s work ethic to get himself healthy again as the Leafs’ GM could have re-signed Martin Jones instead and chose to go with Murray for next season as the third-stringer, despite Jones essentially saving the Leafs season at one point. Murray is four years younger than Jones, so perhaps that played into the decision.
It’s going to take early injury troubles for Murray to break camp with the Maple Leafs, but as the team showed last season, they’ll need three goalies so if he doesn’t break camp with the big club, he’ll likely be dressing at some point. Toronto better hope he clears waivers after training camp, or else their depth in net could be depleted before the puck even drops on the 2024-25 season.
An honorable mention goes out to Pontus Holmberg, who could be in tough to crack the lineup. It’s all going to depend on how Berube aligns the lineup down the middle of the ice and if Domi is used as the second-line centre and Tavares on the third-line, Holmberg will have to win a spot on the wing as David Kampf would be a lock for the fourth line.
Nevertheless, there’s going to be several storylines to follow come training camp and watching where Timmins, Cowan and Murray wind up will certainly be one. Every player will be given a clean slate with Berube behind the bench and now it comes down making an impactful first impression.
