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With the days narrowing before the start of training camp, the Toronto Maple Leafs may be pondering some late additions to their roster. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in his latest “32 Thoughts” column , one thing percolating out there is Toronto considering left-wing options.
While that is very cryptic and non-specific, all you have to do is look at what head coach Craig Berube has to work with and there is definitely a lot of uncertainty on the left side after the departure of Tyler Bertuzzi to Chicago.
Sophomore Matthew Knies is a lock for one of the two spots on the left side with either Auston Matthews or John Tavares, and the big 21-year-old showed his growth potential in the playoff series against Boston, but who plays the other spot.
Bobby McMann has the size and nose for the front of the net that fits with Berube’s style, but he has had trouble staying healthy the last few years. Pontus Holmberg played spot duty in the top six and performed well at times, but seems a better fit as a depth center. RFA Nick Robertson has the offensive chops to play in the top six, but his size and defensive abilities are what may limit him and may lead to his departure from Toronto.
Could Berube ask William Nylander or Mitch Marner to shift from the Leafs strong right side to play on their off-wing? Or will they give 2023 first-rounder Easton Cowan a long look at camp (Cowan shoots left but played mostly on the right side in London).
What could GM Brad Treliving be exploring? On the PTO route, the name that has been out there is former Calder Trophy nominee Dominik Kubalik, but he seems to be just a bigger and more experienced version of Robertson, who can score but do not much else. There are mid-30s options in Mike Hoffman, Max Pacioretty, and James van Riemsdyk, but Hoffman’s offensive numbers have decreased the last four seasons, Pacioretty is coming off a pair of Achilles injuries, and JVR is not the player that left Toronto in 2018, so there are questions of whether they have much left to contribute.
Trade options are possible if Treliving is considering flipping Robertson for someone who better fits in Berube’s system or moving out a defenseman like Conor Timmins or possibly Timothy Liljegren, but the factor in any deal in the limited amount of cap space that the Leafs have. Timmins makes $1.1 million next season, and Liljegren signed a two-year, $6 million extension this summer. Moving either only makes sense if Toronto believes that youngster Topi Niemela is ready to challenge for a roster spot.
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