Toronto development camp set to kick off

LANCE HORNBY

After weeks of economic lectures and conjecture on the Maple Leafs and their salary cap will be two or three years away, how about some live on-ice action this week?

Talent evaluations for the 2017-18 season begin Friday morning when 57 players begin the annual prospects camp. The team’s last two draft classes will strongly represented, the top of this year’s group with Timothy Liljegren, Eemeli Rasanen and Fedor Gordeev and those overshadowed by No. 1 overall Auston Matthews in 2016.

The majority of campers are the 37 invites, players the Leafs liked but didn’t draft or sign, who want to take in the NHL experience for a few days and perhaps catch management’s eye for future work with the Marlies or the ECHL Orlando Solar Bears.

The entire roster gathered Thursday night for a team dinner, where traditionally coach Mike Babcock, general manager Lou Lamoriello or someone in upper management speaks.

“What we like to have happen is that they understand what the philosophy is, what the culture is, what’s expected of them,” Lamoriello said. “They also get to know each other, meet the coaches and understand exactly what the Maple Leafs are all about. And it’s also to give us an opportunity to see how they play and what they’re doing.”

Scott Pellerin, the club’s director of player development, will be running the camp, while Leaf assistant coaches Jim Hiller, D.J. Smith and Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe will be on-ice. The camp will be split in two groups, which will practice and play a daily scrimmage game Saturday through Wednesday. Other elements of the camp usually focus on power skating and off-ice guidance for nutrition, strength and conditioning, social media awareness and team building exercises.

“We’re treating everyone the same,” Pellerin said in a previous interview. “This is a teaching environment. It’s July, we’re not here to make any big statements, we just want them to be ready for training camp and their seasons (in various leagues).”