Chief among the kids that got a long look was 2014 first rounder William Nylander. Nylander had a strong showing in camp and during the preseason he made new Leaf coach Mike Babcock think long and hard about his final cuts. Babcock's suggestion prior to camp was that the kids would have to steal jobs and Nylander was arguably the Leafs top forward during the preseason.
He made a strong impression and he certainly didn't look out of place however the new front office in Toronto clearly feels it's the wrong time to thrust the rookies into the NHL with the Maple Leafs heading for what could be a tough season.
Another bright spot was fellow second year pro Connor Brown.
The former sixth round pick has continued to improve while silencing many doubters. The small forward gained praise from Leaf coach Babcock and was also among the final cuts proving that not only has he defied his draft position but he's also found himself on the Leaf coaches radar.
Going forward it's clear the plan has not changed. The kids will over develop in the minors and the veterans will play out their contracts until it's time for the Marlies and Major Junior players to step in.
In the meantime settle in. It could be a very rough ride especially with future star Austin Matthews set to go first overall in the 2016 draft not that anyone would admit that maybe... just maybe this team is set up to fail. Mike Babcock will whip the dogs but maybe it's best the team bottoms out one time before the club begins to reassemble the main roster for the future.
