Leafs have "a lot of tough decisions" to make with final opening night roster
Maybe it’s just posturing, but the Toronto Maple Leafs really do seem to be a team with some big thoughts ahead of how their final lineup will look.
Sure, there’s not going to be any wholesale changes — the team’s leadership group will remain the same, while Ilya Samsonov will almost certainly get the majority of starts in net for the squad.
But as the Leafs kick off their season this week, there’s still a few questions to how the bottom half of their opening night lineup will look.
And asked on Saturday after the team’s final preseason game — a 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings — whether 19-year-old centre Fraser Minten will be cracking the final roster, Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe wasn’t exactly straightforward in his answer.
“Our situation, as you know is complex. There is a lot that goes into it. If there are no roster limitations or salary cap, I think there is no question that he would remain here and we would give him an opportunity to get some regular-season time and grow through that,” Keefe said. “But it is not that easy of a decision. It is complex. There is a lot at play — some I understand, and some that I don’t. Brad [Treliving], Brandon [Pridham], and the management team will sort through all of those things.”
Minten, a 2022 second round draft pick by Toronto who plays for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, isn’t the only youngster fighting for a final spot with the team.
Keefe had alluded earlier in preseason that 18-year-old forward Easton Cowan, drafted in the 2023 first round from the OHL’s London Knights, could crack a final roster with a strong preseason showing, and reiterated his support on Saturday.
“Fraser Minten, Easton Cowan — these guys should be really proud of the camp that they have had and how they have made us have these discussions right to the very end,” Keefe added. “We are really excited about our young people. If the situation is different, it is a no-brainer. But it is complex. It is going to be worth a lot of tough decisions and a lot of discussion.”
One possible path for Cowan and Minten would be to give them roster spots and play them up in the NHL for up to nine games, before sending them back to junior before a full contract year on their entry-level deal kicks in. That could require the Leafs placing one or more veteran forwards on waivers, which is why Keefe seems to be hesitant about not committing to what would be a “no-brainer” if the team had a few more roster spots.
In any case, we’ll know in the coming days if the team is really willing to give Minten and Cowan a shot in the NHL anytime soon.
Toronto starts their 2023-24 regular season on Wednesday night, when they host the rival Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena.
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