Defence hasn’t been at rest for Maple Leafs
Attention please, the committee is now in session. That’s defence-by-committee for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who will likely start the NHL season with their best six or seven current blue-liners and let general manager Kyle Dubas worry about acquiring a much-discussed, but hard-to-land blue chipper. Travis Dermott has been at the practice rink all summer, new Russian Igor Ozhiganov for the past few weeks, and joining the informal skate on Tuesday were Jake Gardiner and Ron Hainsey. While the latter duo chose not to speak to reporters before camp officially starts next week, the two younger Leaf rearguards intend to increase their profiles. That’s going to be hardest for Connor Carrick, who didn’t play towards the end of the season as Dermott seized the day when called up from the Marlies and then later won the Calder Cup with the AHL farm team. An astute surveyor of the hockey landscape at age 24, Carrick broke down how Washington and Las Vegas made the Stanley Cup final without star power on the back line.
“You had two teams playing in June with a lot of recycled players, getting second, third and even fourth looks,” Carrick said. “They were finding themselves, finding their identity, and doing very well . ...
“You could sift through the rosters of the two teams in the final and maybe find the kind of players who weren’t in our lineup last year, but we were at home watching on TV. That’s how things go. “I think you have our entire blue-line coming back with the (guidance) of our development staff, which is a very good one.” Toronto lost Roman Polak to the Dallas Stars and brought in Ozhiganov from the KHL. Hainsey and Morgan Rielly were a set, Nikita Zaitsev will be looking for a bounce-back year with his partner, the sometimes skittish Gardiner.
Then it’s Dermott, Carrick, Ozhiganov and a push from firstround picks Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin and the Marlies’ big man Justin Holl. Dermott hopes his double dose of playoffs last season pays off. “Personally, I wasn’t too happy with my showing (vs. Boston). But it was my first NHL playoffs and I’m not too worried. You watch video, you break it down, you move forward and get better.” Carrick had his own philosophy heading into the off-season, after not being used in the playoffs. “I was able to go home and embrace the hockey nerd of sorts, watch (other playoff teams). It’s demanding emotionally when you’re freshly (eliminated). Jealousy is a difficult thing to chew on.”
Carrick found dealing with new GM Dubas a pleasure. He signed a US$1.3-million deal for 2018-19. Head coach Mike Babcock stayed in touch with Dermott through the summer.
“He’s been following up with me, asking how summer is going, how workouts are going,” Dermott said.