Grundstrom has small chance at a big step
Swedish teen can play in North America this season, if he makes the Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs’ rookies will wrap up their three-day tournament Sunday and, as expected, the player drawing the most attention has been defenceman Timothy Liljegren, the team’s first-round pick in June.
The player to keep an eye on, though, might be forward Carl Grundstrom.
The 19-year-old Swede, because of rules governing his draft selection, will return home and play in the Swedish Hockey League if he does not make the Leafs’ season opening roster. And the odds are stacked against the 2016 second-round pick, whose North American pro career consists of six playoff games with the Marlies.
But that all-or-nothing playing status makes Grundstrom unique among Leafs rookies, and the club’s interest in him — the Leafs think highly of his overall game — makes him a player to watch when the Leafs’ main camp opens next weekend. Grundstrom has the speed, the skill, and a willingness to engage in the heavy going to generate at least a conversation about whether or not the Leafs could actually keep him in the NHL as a teenager.
Grundstrom was kept out of the Leafs’ rookie practice Saturday for “precautionary reasons” but is expected to play in Sunday’s tournament wrap-up against the Ottawa rookies. Neither he nor rookie tournament coach Sheldon Keefe were available for comment.
Grundstrom scored in the Leafs’ 5-2 loss to Montreal’s rookies Friday night, and had points in four his six games with the Marlies in the spring.
The native of Umea, Sweden, had a career-best season, scoring 14 goals and adding 20 assists in 45 games with Frolunda last season. While he signed a three-year entry level deal with the Leafs last April, he remains listed on Frolunda’s active roster for 2017-18.
His competition to stay in Toronto is stiff: players like Nikita Soshnikov and Kasperi Kapanen who have already impressed either at the NHL level or with the Marlies. Grundstrom, though, can match his camp rivals for speed and physical play, and he has the kind of scoring touch that makes him a plus prospect.
Hes worked well at the world junior level as well, teaming with Alex Nylander for Sweden last winter.
Liljegren, meanwhile, returned to the ice Saturday after going minus-4 in Friday’s loss, a frustrating experience for the18-year-old who wants to make a strong first impression.
Keefe shrugged off Liljegren’s stats sheet from Friday, pointing out there were multiple breakdowns in the Leafs’ play that left Liljegren with no options and no outlets.
Keefe pointed to a power-play shift in the third period where Liljegren displayed the peak ends of his skill set — passing, puck movement, skating, heads-up playmaking, and an ability to get the puck on net through traffic.
“For me, it’s one of the strongest things I do, I just feel comfortable on the power play,” Liljegren said Saturday.
Liljegren, like any 18-year-old, is trying to stand out immediately and impress what large group of Leafs coaches, managers, and scouts, taking in the tournament.
That group may be debating if both Liljegren and Grundstrom can make the Leafs roster.
It’s a long shot, but not entirely out of bounds.