Elliotte Friedman reveals surprising tactic from the Maple Leafs during training camp

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Chris Gerics
September 13, 2024 (11:34)

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It seems like GM Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube are trying to foster a more competitive aura at training camp as Elliotte Friedman revealed on his '32 Thoughts' podcast.

Training camp is always a contentious time and it's no secret that coaches and front office staff want the best of the best to open up the season, and having to truly fight for your spot seems to have fallen a bit by the wayside in recent years. With many questions surrounding the signings the Maple Leafs have made, many including why Toronto would sign so many oft-injured people, it'll be interesting to see who makes the squad at the end of the day.

Besides the bevy of veterans they've signed to PTO's, they've got rookies just chomping at the bit to get their shot to prove they belong. It seems like Toronto overloaded their system with a bunch of players but according to Elliotte Friedman: It's all part of the plan.

"The one thing I really think about Treliving is, I think he's prepared to have some competition here. I don't think him and Berube are afraid of -- hey, if you get a great offer, you make your move, right? -- but I don't think they're afraid of letting some players who would look at this and think, 'am I on the bubble here?' be a little bit uncomfortable. I don't think they're afraid of that.

I think they want the competition, I think they want to see who it drives, and it wouldn't surprise me, like you don't have to have your roster set until the day before the season begins, so it wouldn't shock me if the Leafs let this play out a little bit. I think that is their plan. Again, you could get a good offer and say 'ah, we've gotta take this'... I think they're interested in making their camp a little more competitive, so we'll see where it goes."

It really isn't a bad idea frankly. If Toronto wants to bring the best roster together come October, you have to bring in people who want to be there. There's certainly people who would be on the bubble who could fight for a spot like Pontus Holmberg, David Kampf or Timothy Liljegren; players who would see themselves pushed out due to an added veteran presence or find themselves with a miniscule amount of minutes.

For example, Max Pacioretty is a proven scorer who is healthy after a couple of injured seasons; The former Golden Knight averaged 24 goals during his time with Vegas and would be a huge boost to the offense both in the regular season and in the playoffs. He would improve the bottom-six while also bringing in veteran leadership in order to help some of the younger players push through that playoff barrier.

The goal for every time during this time is to find the roster that gives them the best possible foundation for a long, successful playoff run. It feels like a breath of fresh air with how Treliving is conducting business; nothing is taken for granted and you have to earn your spot. It should be motivation for every player in that camp regardless if you're a former captain of a long-time rival, or a rookie looking to make his mark.