Scott Laughton, a self-described "pretty harsh self-critic," wasn't happy with his performance after joining the Toronto Maple Leafs midway through last season."I wasn't good enough last year. That's the bottom line," Laughton said following his first on-ice session at training camp. "I need to be able to contribute offensively and create that way and help out some of those top guys".

The Leafs acquired the 12-season Philadelphia Flyers veteran at the March trade deadline for a 2027 first-round draft pick and popular Russian forward prospect Nikita Grebenkin. The 31-year-old from Oakville, Ontario, recorded two goals and two assists in 20 regular season games as he struggled to find his fit with the club.

Following Toronto’s 2025 second-round playoff exit against the Florida Panthers, Laughton went to Muskoka with his wife, Chloe, and baby son, Reed. He used the time to get in some much-needed family time and to take a break from what was a hectic year that included uprooting from Philadelphia.

'More Backcheck And There'll Be A Greater Paycheck': Maple Leafs React To Losing Players And Prospects On Trade Deadline DayDENVER — The Toronto Maple Leafs made some big moves ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade deadline. The Leafs acquired forward Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers and defenseman Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins.

Upon returning from up north, Laughton spent most of the summer working out at the Maple Leafs practice facility, trying to familiarize himself with the organization and his new franchise, getting to know everyone from staff, to veterans and rookies.

Before training camp opened, Laughton spoke to Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube about his desire to get on the team’s penalty kill this season."I think I drive and create a lot of offense on it. And it drives my game. So I'm excited about it," he said.

‘That Was Kind Of My Era Of Hockey’: Scott Laughton Ready To Write His Own Chapter With Maple Leafs In Battle Of Ontario RevivalScott Laughton is ready for the revival of the Battle of Ontario. 

Driving offense from the penalty kill will be music to Maple Leafs head coach Berube’s ears since Mitch Marner played a key role in that regard for Toronto last season.

Berube praised Laughton's commitment."He was here a lot of the summer, putting in the work. And I think that's going to be a big difference for him and for us." The coach added, "I think going forward, you'll see a different player".

Based on the conversation, it sounds like Auston Matthews will still get reps on the penalty kill this season while newcomer Nicolas Roy will be another center option. Berube cited Dakota Joshua as another player with penalty-kill experience that can help.

'I'm Starting To Find My Footing': How Scott Laughton Is Adjusting To Life With Maple Leafs After First Eight GamesLaughton hasn't registered a point since being acquired by the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline.

Nothing about being a Leaf surprised Laughton, though he did describe the experience as “extremely cool”.“Those playoff games, Ottawa Senators at home and Florida (Panthers), you go out and it had been a long time since I had the hair stand up on my arms, and you get that feeling. There's nothing like it when you play in the playoffs and you get a chance to live out your dream,” he said.

Laughton, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, says he hasn’t thought about his contract beyond this year."I think as you go along, you kind of let your game speak for itself," Laughton said. "You've got to be good and play to your potential, and whatever happens, happens. I've never been a free agent, so I don't even know the feeling. I haven't even thought that far ahead. I just want to have a good start for the group and contribute where I can".

‘That’s How You Win A Series’: Craig Berube Praises Scott Laughton’s Shot-Blocking Heroics, Maple Leafs' Bottom-Six Delivers Against SenatorsWith 25 seconds left on the clock in a one-goal game, it wasn’t a member of the ‘Core Four’ who made the defining play of the Toronto Maple Leafs' series-clinching win – it was Scott Laughton, throwing himself in front of a Jake Sanderson slap shot to preserve the lead.

“Those playoff games, Ottawa Senators at home and Florida Panthers, you go out and it was a long time since I had the hair stick up on my arms, and you get that feeling. There's nothing like it when you play in the playoffs and you get a chance to live out your dream.”

Laughton is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and is eligible to sign a contract extension before then. But he insists he hasn’t thought about free agency and is more focused on getting his game back to where it was before the trade to Toronto.“I think as you go along, you kind of let your game speak for itself,” Laughton said. “You've got to be good and play to your potential, and whatever happens, happens.“I've never had free agency, so I don't even know the feeling. So I haven't even thought that far ahead. I just want to have a good start for a group and contribute where I can.”

'Hopefully Those Conversations Come': Scott Laughton Being Patient For Contract Negotiations With Maple LeafsScott Laughton has thoroughly enjoyed his first summer at home as a Toronto Maple Leaf.

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Thursday’s episode of the Crave series The Rebuild: Inside the Montreal Canadiens aired on Thursday and focused solely on the Habs’ qualification for the playoffs and the series against the Washington Capitals.

Seeing how the players reacted to the qualification and how much they wanted to make the spring dance, not only for themselves and for the team, but also for veteran defenseman David Savard.

Canadiens: The First Scrimmage Was Intense
Canadiens: Dach Learned The Error Of His Ways
Canadiens: Russian Prospect Still Has His Eye On The Habs

We got a glimpse of that faithful April 16 from behind the scenes with Geoff Molson spending the whole day at the Bell Centre, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton watching from above on pins and needles when the Canadiens were desperately trying to seal the deal with an empty net goal.

The aftermath was also notable, with Martin St-Louis receiving the game puck from his team for his first playoff appearance as a coach. Seeing the unbridled joy in his face was quite something, because what we usually see is a guy who’s fully dialed in and just focused on his job.

The show then showed the making of the playoffs’ opening ceremony and the thinking that went behind having Carey Price, the man who last guided the team to the playoffs, light up the ice, and just how important it seemed to be for the organization to get the fans as pumped up as possible. An employee even recalls a player telling her that when the fans are waving the towels and screaming their heads off, you can actually feel the vibrations in the building.

Of course, the realization that playoff hockey is a different animal is part of the conversation as we see several extracts of the series against the Washington Capitals and of Tom Wilson’s impact on proceedings through his bone-crushing hits. While it’s obvious the team would have liked its playoff journey to last a lot longer, we see the realization that something is missing, particularly in terms of grit and physicality.

One of the most interesting parts of this final episode has to be Gorton and Hughes’ end-of-season talk with Juraj Slafkovsky. While the youngster wonders where his head was at in October and November and why he couldn’t play like he did at the end of the season, his bosses tell him that he has to be mentally ready when he comes to camp and not just physically prepared. Gorton even adds that self-flagellation in the media is not the way to get back on track, either. As for Hughes, he asks the power forward if he saw what Wilson did in the series against the Caps and tells him that he could be that guy for the Canadiens.

Will there be another season? They joke about it, saying it needs a new name now that they've made the playoffs, but I think there’s a real appetite for it among fans. It’s an excellent way to get to know both the organization and the players in a new light.

---

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 24 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #24. 

Let's take a look.

Mike Gaul - 2001 - Drafted by Los Angeles in 1991. 

Played two games for Columbus during the franchise's first season in 2000. He didn't score a point and never played another NHL game.

He left for Europe in 2001 and played in Switzerland until 2004. After retiring from professional hockey in 2004, Mike took a position as a senior partner at an Investment Bank, Vires Capital VII, where he is currently developing and overseeing a portfolio of infrastructure projects totaling over $80B.

Hannes Hyvönen - 2003 - Drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 1999. 

He played 36 games for the Jackets in 02-03, totaling 9 points, after the CBJ claimed him off waivers. He never played another NHL game after Columbus loaned him to Färjestads BK in 2003. 

He would go on to play in Finland, Switzerland, Russia, and Norway. He retired in 2016 and went into coaching in 2019.  Hyvönen is currently an asst. coach for Ässät of LIIGA. 

Todd Rohloff - 2004 - Undrafted out of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Played 24 games for the Jackets in 03-04, getting two points. The defenseman also played four years at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, before turning pro. 

Rohloff retired after the 2005–06 season after never playing another NHL game. 

François Beauchemin - 2006 - Drafted by Montréal in 1998.

Beauchemin only played 11 games as a Jacket before being traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the Sergei Fedorov trade of 2005. Had he stayed a Jacket, he could've easily been listed as the best player to have worn #24, and possibly one of the best defensemen to ever wear a CBJ uniform.

He went on to play 903 NHL games, score 288 points, and win a Stanley Cup in 2007. He returned to Anaheim in 2017, where he would play his last NHL season before retiring. 

Cam Severson - 2006 - Drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 1997. 

After his trade from Calgary to Columbus, Severson played four games in 05-06 and had 0 points. 

He left for Europe in 2006 to play in Germany, Poland, and Romania, and would never play another NHL Game. He retired in 2010. 

Kris Beech - 2008 - Drafted by Washington in 1999. 

After being claimed off waivers, Beech played 16 games for Columbus in 07-08. He had 9 points in those 16 games. and would leave for Europe in 2009, where he would play until 2016. 

After playing for Columbus, Vancouver, and Pittsburgh in 07-08, he left for Europe and played in Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Czechia, Germany, Austria, and England. He retired in 2016. 

He is now an assistant coach for HV71 of the Swedish Elite League. 

Aaron Rome - 2009 Drafted by LA in 2002. 

Rome played 25 games for Columbus and had three points over two seasons, after being traded from the Anaheim Ducks. 

After playing for a few different teams, he would retire in 2015. 

Derek MacKenzie - 2010-2014 - 2008-2009 - Drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999.

MacKenzie played 279 games over the course of seven seasons for Columbus. He signed in Columbus in 2007 and made his debut in December of that year. 

He left for the Florida Panthers in 2014 and would play there until he retired in 2019. Later that year, he was named an asst. coach for Florida. He's spent the last two seasons as an asst. coach for the Nashville Predators.

Nathan Gerbe - 2018-2021

If this were a popularity contest, Gerbe wins by a landslide. He only played 41 games over three seasons, but it felt like he played a decade. Gerbe spent much of his five seasons with the organization in Cleveland, where he was the Captain for two seasons.

He retired in 2022 and joined the Nashville Predators as a development coach. 

Mathieu Olivier - 2023-2025  

Olivier is entering his fourth season in Columbus and is a fan favorite. He has played 202 games and has 59 points. He also has 290 PIMs and is considered the team's enforcer and authoritarian.

Last season, he set career highs in goals, assists, points, and PIMs. For his efforts, he was awarded a 6-year, $18,000,000 contract, keeping him away from free agency. This is one of the best signings in team history, if you ask some people. 

There are 24 days until opening night at NWA. 

Next up is training camp, which kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Camp will run until the pre-season begins and then transition directly into the full pre-season schedule. Here’s what the Blue Jackets have lined up so far.

After the first few days of camp, most rookies who received an invite will be cut and sent back to their junior teams. From there, the cuts will come more often as pre-season play gets underway.

The pre-season schedule is as follows:

Sunday, Sept. 21 vs. St. Louis Blues, 5 p.m. ET

Monday, Sept. 22 vs. Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET

Tuesday, Sept. 23 at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET

Wednesday, Sept. 24 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET

Saturday, Sept. 27 at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET

Tuesday, Sept. 30 vs. Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET

Saturday, Oct. 4 at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET

* Games in bold are home games * 

After that, the Blue Jackets will open the regular season on the road against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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The New York Islanders could be in the Matt Grzelcyk market, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. 

"The Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, New York Islanders, and Ducks would be other potential situations to monitor for Grzelcyk depending on how camps and the preseason go for those teams and their younger defensemen," LeBrun wrote in his latest. 

Fresh mini Rumblings — Suter, McTavish, Evangelista, Roslovic and more in my latest for ⁦@TheAthletic⁩ ⤵️ https://t.co/weq9HYO1VV

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 19, 2025

Grzelcyk, 31, has 593 total games of NHL experience, 511 of them over an eight-year career with the Boston Bruins. He played all 82 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2024-25, recording one goal and 39 assists for a career-high 40 points in a career-high 20:37 minutes of ice time. 

So, why should the Islanders be interested?

The answer: experience. 

The Islanders are a veteran team with experience up and down their lineup. However, when it comes to the left side of their defense, that position is lacking the big league experience. 

Outside of Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov, no other left-side defenseman in the entire organization has a full seaosn of NHL experience under their belt -- let alone half of a season.

The closest is 21-year-old Isaiah George, who played 33 games in 2024-25. 

After George, the left-side defense depth looks like this: Calle Odelius, Marshall Warren, Travis Mitchell. 

No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer is likely to win the final LHD spot alongside Scott Mayfield, while Adam Boqvist is likely to serve as the club's seventh defenseman. He can play both sides, which is a luxury. 

Patrick Roy To Use Avalanche Nathan MacKinnon Approach With Islanders No. 1 Pick Matthew SchaeferWESTBURY, NY -- At the New York Islanders charity golf outing on Monday, head coach Patrick Roy was asked about his plan when it comes to evaluating No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer.

But again, Grzelcyk brings experience, which will only benefit Schaefer.  

So, what would happen if the Islanders signed Grzelcyk?

Ideally, most teams carry 14 forwards and seven defensemen to complete their 23-man roster, but if the Islanders were to sign the veteran defenseman, he wouldn't be able to boost Bridgeport. 

The Islanders would then likely carry only 13 forwards, rocking eight defenseman instead. 

With Pierre Engvall two to three weeks away from even participating in a team practice after offseason hip surgery, the Islanders may have to choose between Kyle MacLean and Marc Gatcomb if they go this route. 

Grzelcyk's next deal will likely be a one-year contract worth $755,000, a deal that would likely contain some bonuses. 

The vibes are high as the Philadelphia Flyers kicked off their 2025 training camp Thursday, and for good reason. The atmosphere seems to be totally different.

Given the nature of the split-group methodology, there isn't an awful lot to come away with, especially from the first day.

New head coach Rick Tocchet, running his first training camp as the Flyers' bench boss, did offer some insight into his coaching philosophies, though, which will help us identify the things we need to look for during camp.

For example, Tocchet shared Thursday that he likes Scotty Bowman's method of running "pairs" in the forward lines.

"I think Scotty Bowman was a genius behind the bench. He was the pair guy. You have pairs and you can always rotate a guy in and out as the third guy," Tocchet said. "I do like having two guys that work well together. You can always put a third guy in one or two nights, then put another guy.

"We did it, actually, in Pittsburgh a little bit, and it creates energy. As a coach, you got to be careful that you're not doing it too much and pulling the plug all the time."

So, why is this important? For two reasons, actually.

Flyers Training Camp 2025: Top 3 Roster Battles to WatchThe Philadelphia Flyers are looking to ratchet up the competition for NHL roster spots this year, and that starts with the beginning of training camp on Thursday.

According to Moneypuck, there were 82 forward combinations that played 201 minutes or more together last season, and the Flyers accounted for only two of those.

Those lines were Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink, and Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, and Matvei Michkov.

Tocchet's Vancouver Canucks did not have a single trio play 201 or more minutes together, and many of the NHL's worst teams (Chicago, Calgary, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Nashville, etc.) had two or fewer such combinations.

In simple terms: finding chemistry is important for finding success in the NHL. Shocker!

During Thursday's practice session, Tocchet enacted this philosophy across the two main groups, Group A and Group B.

Here are some forward line combinations that may pique your interest:

Nikita Grebenkin - Sean Couturier - Matvei Michkov
Alex Bump - Trevor Zegras - Travis Konecny
Denver Barkey - Christian Dvorak - Tyson Foerster
Foerster - Noah Cates - Bobby Brink
Owen Tippett - Jett Luchanko - Alexis Gendron

Obviously, some of these lines are incomplete due to the groupings of players, but we can identify a few "pairs" right away.

Ex-Flyers Forward Could Receive Big Opportunity After Latest Lightning InjuryFormer Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakob Pelletier could be in for a breakout season after the latest Tampa Bay Lightning injury update.

Couturier and Michkov, Zegras and Konecny, Foerster and Dvorak, and Cates and Brink all stand out. Tippett and Luchanko make a lot of sense, assuming the latter makes the Flyers' NHL roster out of training camp as he did last year.

On defense, Cam York and Helge Grans were paired up, as were Nick Seeler and Jamie Drysdale. Travis Sanheim skated alongside Spencer Gill (placeholder for Rasmus Ristolainen?) while Egor Zamula and Emil Andrae worked with each other.

With the exception of Gill, this should be the Flyers' main defense group going forward.

When I look at players like Andrae and Grans, I recognize that Ristolainen is going to be out until November, most likely. At what point are the Flyers going to find a better time to get a look at these players?

Developing the young players appears to be a priority, so Grans and Andrae should get priority over veterans like Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert, at least in training camp.

If they don't earn their places with the Flyers, that's another thing, but Tocchet's first day indicates he's giving the new guys and the young guys every opportunity to earn a place that suits them and their skills.

Flyers: Aleksei Kolosov's Official Role, Getting a Second NHL ChanceThe 2025-26 season represents a fresh start for a number of Philadelphia Flyers, but goalie Aleksei Kolosov may have the biggest opportunity of all.

It helps, too, that the first day included work on systems and practicing actual hockey rather than skating around in circles all day, hoping that professional athletes indeed showed up to work in shape.

The weekend and the preseason will tell us more, but it's an encouraging start for Tocchet's new-look, good-vibe Flyers in training camp.

Toronto Maple Leafs training camp officially kicked off on Thursday morning, and there was no shortage of newsworthy items.

The 73-man camp was divided into three groups to begin: the first two groups featured NHL and NHL/AHL bubble players, while the third group included players solely destined for the AHL, ECHL, or their respective junior squads.

Matias Maccelli begins camp on top line

Matias Maccelli stepped out onto the ice at Ford Performance Centre on Thursday, skating alongside Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews. Max Domi was set to start camp on that line, but is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury after tweaking something in the summer skates.

“(Domi) was obviously a guy that I was going to put there [with Matthews and Knies],” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Thursday afternoon. “Max should be back pretty quick, and then we'll go from there.”

'(Max) Domi Was A Guy I Was Going To Put There': Craig Berube Was Reluctant To Start Matias Maccelli On Top Line At Maple Leafs CampIn a perfect world, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube would’ve had Max Domi begin on a line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies at training camp.

Maccelli looked timid early on, though his play ramped up as the session continued. The 24-year-old hasn’t been in Toronto for long, so it might take a bit of time for him to get used to everything, from the city, the Maple Leafs staff and his teammates.

“He’s a little spark plug out there,” Anthony Stolarz smiled. “He’s shifty, but he’s actually got a really heavy shot, too. I’m excited to see him work with our top six. I think we got some guys that’ll complement each other really well.”

Bobby McMann gets a look with John Tavares and William Nylander

As much as it might be a surprise to some, Bobby McMann beginning training camp with William Nylander and John Tavares isn’t a shock to me.

The 29-year-old didn’t finish the season the way he wanted to. After tallying his 20th goal of the year on Mar. 25 against the Philadelphia Flyers, McMann went dormant for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.

He scored three assists in the 13 games, which was his first-ever taste of the NHL postseason. And what caught his eye most in the playoffs was how much the competitiveness ramped up.

“Making sure that even when you're not contributing offensively, there's a lot that you can be doing to contribute. Those are long series, and you can really wear a team down if you're doing the little things right, so just trying to focus on that.”

Bobby McMann is beside John Tavares and William Nylander. pic.twitter.com/lhVMZ0XGON

— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) September 18, 2025

Despite the Domi injury, which shifted players around, McMann was always going to begin training camp with Tavares and Nylander, Berube said on Thursday.

“I played them last year. They were together for a significant amount of time, and they always did well together, I thought. There's always production,” the head coach added.

“I think Bobby could take another step in his game, doing some things a little bit differently, especially playing with those two guys, getting those guys the puck more, getting to the net more, things like that.

“I like a big guy with those guys to forecheck, get in there and create loose pucks, help out JT in that situation and things like that. Willy's going to do his thing, we all know that. But Bobby, I feel, can take another step in his game. It's going to the net, being hard and physical and just understanding that that's his job and he's going to get points from it because you're playing with two pretty good players that, eventually, the puck's going to get there.”

Calle Jarnkrok left his stamp on opening day

When approaching a new season, there’s always going to be a few players circled to watch for in camp. I’ll admit, Jarnkrok wasn’t one of those I was eager to get an eye on early, but he stood out on day one.

The 33-year-old played just 19 games last year after recovering from sports hernia surgery. And despite returning towards the end of the regular season, Jarnkrok still looked like a player who was a step behind.

'I Don't Have To Hear Core Four Anymore': Craig Berube Excited Mitch Marner’s Departure Puts More Focus On Maple Leafs' TeamCraig Berube is itching to see where players fit in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ lineup with the NHL camp set to begin on Wednesday.

His game progressed in the final portion of the year, which was enough to keep him in the lineup for the postseason. He played alongside Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz on the fourth line, tallying just one assist in 12 games.

However, there were plenty wondering in the summer if Jarnkrok would be a player dealt to make room for a top-six forward. They might need him now more than ever, though.

Looking at the top half of their lineup, there’s really only three players who can play alongside Knies and Matthews: Domi, Maccelli, and I’d put Jarnkrok in that conversation too. After all, Jarnkrok has gotten time alongside Matthews before, and among the three players, he is the most defensively responsible.

It’s only one day of camp, however, I’d look at Jarnkrok being a wildcard to watch out for as the preseason continues.

Easton Cowan looks more comfortable

When remembering back to Toronto’s last training camp, Cowan looked timid. There were glimpses of the player in junior, but for the most part, he struggled against stronger competition.

Just as I mentioned for Jarnkrok, it’s only one day of training camp, so take things with a grain of salt, but there’s a glaring difference in his game from last year to this moment in time.

'I Think He's Ready To Push To Be On The Team': 'Can Easton Cowan Crack The Maple Leafs Roster This Season?With Toronto Maple Leafs training camp set to open on Thursday, a lot of eyes will be on 20-year-old Easton Cowan. After accomplishing a historic list of achievements at the major junior level with the London Knights, including winning the 2024 Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL's Most Outstanding Player and winning the Memorial Cup in 2025, the only remaining question is if the player has a shot at making the Maple Leafs lineup this season.

He’s stronger, more confident in his game, and as he mentioned last week, will be in Toronto for the entire year, which puts him at ease. Cowan dealt with the size and physicality better on Thursday, playing beside Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua.

It appears the Maple Leafs are setting him up for success early on.

“I think players will show what they can do in camp and in the exhibition games. If Easton or another player is the best fit for the team and helps the team, then we'll put them in that position,” Berube said on Wednesday.

Other noteworthy early impressions

- Philippe Myers and Marshall Rifai had strong opening days. Both defensemen were physical and didn’t give an inch to any of the players they were going up against. Remember back to this time last year when Matthews mentioned Rifai as a player who stood out.

Maple Leafs Set To Announce Hiring Of Mark Giordano 'On The Marlies Side'Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano is set to join the organization this season, GM Brad Treliving says.

- I briefly mentioned Joshua earlier, but there’s no doubt he’ll be an intriguing player to watch as camp progresses. What immediately stuck out about the 29-year-old was his ability to use his size to overpower opponents. He’s quicker than I thought, too, and that gives me reason to believe he’ll be an important checking player for Toronto this year.

- Landon Sim isn’t going to make the Maple Leafs as he’s on an AHL deal, but he’s a much-needed body in the top two groups at training camp. He was consistently engaged at the Prospect Showdown and did the same on day one of camp. Sim was going against others — including Cowan, his Knights teammate — as if it were the biggest game of his life, and I’m sure the club was impressed. I’m curious to see if he keeps that energy for the entirety of Maple Leafs camp.

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