GRAVENHURST, Ont. – Sheldon Keefe sounded a tad like actor Oscar Isaac’s jilted husband in the riveting HBO drama Scenes from a Marriage: He was demanding separation.
The Toronto Maple Leafs coach is essentially set on his opening night goaltenders and defencemen. But carving the club’s final roster would be much simpler if a couple of his bubble forwards made a clean break and snatched the role from their peers.
Pierre Engvall and Adam Brooks — both 25, both part of Keefe’s Calder Cup–winning Marlies squad — appear to be hitting a crossroads.
Are they NHLers or AHLers?
“I’m just looking for those guys to separate themselves, especially from those that are American League players that are in their situation, trying to find their way to the NHL. They should be on another level because of the experience they’ve had,” Keefe challenged.
“If you are an every-day NHL player, those sort of things stand out.”
With only one exhibition game and four days remaining before Toronto’s home opener, time to wow the coach — the way, say, Ondrej Kase has — is running out.
A bunch of guys with big-league experience (Josh Ho-Sang, Nikita Gusev, Joey Anderson, Nick Robertson, et al.) were waived, cut or demoted prior to the team’s Muskoka getaway.
More will follow.
“Our depth has improved significantly,” Keefe stated. “It’s a harder team to make when you look at the number of players we have.
“The competition is getting tougher.”
Engvall, in particular, is a fascinating case because this is the first October he must clear waivers to join the Marlies. His size (six-foot-five, 214 pounds), skating ability, and reasonable cap hit ($1.25 million) would make him a tempting pickup for an NHL bottom-feeder.
The Swede sees himself as a two-way contributor, but he’s been regularly urged by the staff to get more physical, to better use his big frame. His camp was hindered by a minor hip injury early on, but Engvall scored twice and registered six shots in Monday’s win over Ottawa.
“I got to fight for my spot,” he said. “I got to be at my best.”
With a separation looming, Engvall is not alone.
Brooksy Amadio! #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/vjU7wWsb62
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 5, 2021
Rielly: Intensity of Toronto market ‘a little overblown’
I once ran into a former Maple Leaf (and still active NHLer) at a charity event, and we just talked for a few minutes. No microphones or cameras or logo’d backdrops.
I mentioned that I’d always appreciated his honesty and willingness to speak to reporters, even when the club was losing or he had suffered a demotion. (Truth is, some guys duck the lights when things aren’t going swimmingly.)
The player kinda scoffed and sloughed it off.
The so-called evil Toronto media, he said, wasn’t all so bad at all. Take a few minutes after practice, answer some (usually) benign questions, then go about your day as a millionaire athlete living your dream.
I’ve found that the media talks more about Toronto Media Pressure(!) than the players do.
“That whole thing is way overstated,” he shrugged.
Some recent comments made by Morgan Rielly, who’s been swimming in this fishbowl longer than any of his teammates, reminded me of that chat with the former Leaf.
“My opinion of that whole thing is, it’s a little bit overblown,” Rielly said of life in the mecca.
“I feel like we’re very lucky to play in this market. We have great fans and in terms of people coming up to you. That’s a cool thing that I’ve got to experience.
“That aspect to it is really something I try not to take for granted. You try to enjoy it. I think it’s pretty cool, and I feel very lucky to be in that position. So, just try and enjoy it. There’s definitely some weird stuff that happens along the way, but it’s whatever.”
The longest-tenured Leaf and Salutegate survivor learned early when to pipe up and when to not avoid adding fuel to the fire. Upon conclusion of last season, he made a point to thank the beat reporters for dealing with the Zoom-only work conditions and remaining professional.
Rielly is a smart guy, a wicked deadpan and respected teammate. When you speak to him, however, you’re often left with the feeling that he could say much more if he wished.
Publicly, Rielly plays it private — as is his right. But he’ll pipe up if something must be said.
Surely the Amazon Prime cameras would’ve loved to gather footage of home life with Rielly and double Olympic figure skating gold medallist girlfriend Tessa Virtue. Yet the Leafs alternate captain and No. 1 defenceman is barely featured in the four-hour series.
Rielly has become an even-keel example of how to smooth the waves in a town with as many hockey podcasts as streetcars.
“Nobody better, really,” captain John Tavares says. “He’s always been a guy that’s been extremely levelheaded … He does a great job of kinda sticking to himself.
Tavares holds a tremendous amount of respect for the D-man and relies on his hand in guiding the group.
“He’s been here longer than anybody, so he has a really good sense and feel for things and the group and the people we have and the evolution of where things are today more so than I do. He has such great awareness of things on and off the ice,” Tavares says.
“His leadership is undeniably big for us.”
As Rielly embarks on this critical contract year, Keefe doesn’t sense nerves but rather an understanding of the urgency to succeed now. There’s a maturity and a confidence about Rielly heading into his ninth tour for the Leafs that helps steady the group.
“It’s all I’ve ever known, so I’m happy here,” Rielly says. “I love this city. This logo means a lot to me, and I try and enjoy work every day, that’s all. I’m no different than anybody else in that sense.”
No preseason game for Matthews
Auston Matthews won’t squeeze into an exhibition game this fall.
Still building strength in wrist following August’s surgery, the Leafs’ No. 1 centre has ditched the red no-contact sweater and participated in full during the club’s up-tempo Gravenhurst practices. On Friday, he hung around after Keefe’s whistle and began faceoff work with assistant Manny Malhotra — another key step in recovery.
That said, Toronto is being careful with its most dangerous weapon.
Consider Matthews day-to-day, and watch for more breathless commentary on his health leading up to Wednesday’s home opener.
Semyonov impressing Keefe
While the Maple Leafs appear to be slotting Kirill Semyonov on their “fifth line” to start the season, the 26-year-old Russian import has shown very well during training camp.
And he could well get a callup at some point.
Semyonov’s game, Keefe says, looks even better when he watches it back on video. The Gagarin Cup (KHL) champion makes subtle, instinctual plays that don’t always grab the eye in real time, but when you break down the reel, his positioning and choices lead to scoring chances or prevent them for the bad guys.
“(That) shows a high level of intelligence for me,” Keefe praises. “He makes very few mistakes from a structure standpoint.”
Keefe is especially impressed by how little the language barrier and smaller ice have hindered Semyonov’s first full foray into North American hockey.
Semyonov, his wife and two young children arrived in Toronto early in the summer and began working out at Ford Performance Centre with the local Leafs.
Not unlike Alexander Barabanov and Ilya Mikheyev before him, he is an experienced, cap-friendly forward ready to chase his lifelong NHL dream in earnest.
“Kirill is a very smart, two-way centre. He would be a great addition. Plays very responsibly (and) hard,” Semyonov’s agent, Dan Milstein, says.
“It’s been a dream to play in the National Hockey League, and he feels it’s the best time to make a switch right now.”
The undrafted Semyonov scored 10 goals and 26 points in 60 games with hometown club Avangard Omsk in 2020-21, his eighth KHL season. The 2019 KHL all-star chipped in another nine playoff points during Avangard’s run to its first Gagarin Cup championship.
He has been on the Maple Leafs’ radar for the past three seasons, as GM Kyle Dubas and Toronto’s chief European scout-slash-recruiter, Jim Paliafito, had been keeping in communication with Milstein.
“There were quite a few other teams interested,” Milstein said. “Over the past two years, a lot. A lot.”
Semyonov wanted to play out his contract with Omsk and take time to consider his next move.
“His game will translate well in North America,” Milstein said. “Over the last three seasons Bob Hartley has been his head coach, so he’s used to North American head coaches as well.”
A contract, of course, doesn’t guarantee ice time.
There was significant buzz when KHL imports Lehtonen, 27, and Barabanov, 26, arrived in Toronto at the outset of 2020-21. Both struggled to carve roles in Keefe’s competitive lineup. They ended up on non-playoff teams once it became apparent they were on the wrong side of the roster bubble.
Dubas worked with their representatives to facilitate trades that would keep their North American chances afloat.
Semyonov is doing everything in his power to stick.
“I’ve been really encouraged from what we’ve seen out of him,” Keefe says.
One-Timers
Prospect Kristians Rubins, a 23-year-old defenceman, was one of three players named to Latvia’s Olympic team. Incredible story. The undrafted Rubins was given an ECHL contract from the organization in 2018 and has worked his way up to a main player on the Marlies. The organization is pleased with his progress. “Great recognition for him,” Keefe said. “I thought he’s worked hard.” … William Nylander stayed back in Toronto during the team’s Muskoka mission but will be in the lineup Saturday versus Ottawa … Jack Campbell will start that preseason finale and should get the full 60 minutes … Quote of the Day comes from Mitch Marner, taking note of the sharp outfits European NHLers wear to the golf course: “How they dress the part, it looks like they’re going out there to shoot 60.”