When Mike Babcock was brought in by the Toronto Maple Leafs in May of last year to be their new head coach, it was a move that Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Maple Leafs and Sports Entertainment, considered “a step toward that vision and that goal.” The goal was a simple one: Wipe the slate clean, start over and build the Maple Leafs back up into a contending team.
While the season wasn’t promising by any stretch, there was a silver lining. A few, actually. For starters, the team landed a franchise player in Auston Matthews, whom they selected first overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. The Leafs also had the chance of showcasing some of their fresher talent in their pipeline, names like William Nylander, Nikita Soshnikov and Kasperi Kapanen, just to name a few. All signs were of the team moving in the right direction of a promising future.
With the 2016-17 season on the horizon, the roster heading into it is anyone’s guess. Toronto could feature as many as nine rookies in their line-up, along with returning names like Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri, James Van Riemsdyk and Morgan Rielly. With all these plans ahead of them, it came as somewhat of a surprise to many when Brandon Prust was signed to a professional try-out (PTO).
Realistic Chances of Brandon Prust in Toronto
Last season, Prust played as a member of the Vancouver Canucks in what was the final year of his four-year, $10 million deal, signed originally with the Montreal Canadiens. The Canucks had hoped for the Prust of old, a gritty, defensive-minded players to kill penalties and make life difficult for the opposition. Unfortunately for both sides, Prust’s impact on the team was hindered by an ankle injury suffered earlier in the season, causing him to appear in just 35 games, before ending his season early.
Prior to that year, Prust had a long list of injuries following him as a member of the Canadiens. From missing four weeks to a shoulder injury in 2013, to his separated rib in Game 4 of the first round against the Ottawa Senators in 2013, to his shoulder problems kicking back into gear in 2014, forcing him out for the remainder of that year, the rugged winger was sidelined for over 30 percent of his first three seasons with the new team.
At 32, Prust’s days in the NHL may be coming to an end, especially when you take into account his body continuing to break down with each season passing him by. A good indicator of that is that no team was willing to offer more than a PTO.
The Maple Leafs History of Professional Try-Outs
Toronto offered four players a PTOs last season: Devin Setoguchi, Brad Boyes, Curtis Glencross and Mark Fraser. Of those four, only Boyes was signed to a contract, a one-year, $700,000 deal. Glencross would later retire after being cut for a second time by the Colorado Avalanche, Setoguchi signed with HC Davos of the NLA in Switzerland, and Fraser went from the Binghamton Senators of the AHL to the Edmonton Oilers.
Boyes appeared in 60 games with the Leafs, scoring eight goals and finishing with 24 points en route to the team finishing dead last in the NHL. It would be his lowest production total in the last four seasons, although considering his role on the team and the team’s position in the league standings, they were decent totals. At the end of the season, the Leafs decided to part ways with the 34-year-old forward, opting out of re-signing him to another one-year deal.
This off-season, Prust joins Belorussian defenseman Raman Hrabarenka and goaltender Jeff Glass as three PTO hopefuls.
Brandon Prust’s Worth to the Maple Leafs
On a one-year contract, similar to the one Boyes signed last season, Prust could offer the Leafs something they were lacking last season: Physicality.
While the Maple Leafs had their fair share of big bodies in the line-up, they were pushed off the puck too easily, mostly due to icing a relatively young roster. Since then, the Leafs have added more aggressive-styled players in Matt Martin and Brooks Laich. Toronto could use another body in their bottom-six that could aid in protecting the young players, making room for them on the ice and serving as a leader and a voice in the locker room.
Looking at who they’ve added in the last two off-seasons – Martin, an energy player that can throw his weight around, Laich, a penalty-killing defensive player, and Milan Michalek, a former 30-goal scorer and someone who was once capable of ensuring at least 20 goals per season – adding Prust would give the impression that the brain-trust in Toronto is banking on players with a certain history holding the ability to help mold the youth into playing a responsible, two-way game while managing to still show off their offensive, dynamite flair.
If all else fails, Prust could be best served playing as a member of the Toronto Marlies, where he would be a true leader to the young players in Toronto’s pipeline. In nine games with the Utica Comets last season, Prust put up seven points , so there’s a clear indicator that he is too good for the AHL. However, his role on the team would be one of a leader and an example to follow.
Depth may be the Ultimate Killer
The truth is that Prust has hit a steady decline since signing with the Canadiens and that decline hit rock bottom last season with the Canucks. His body has shown no sign of becoming healthier, and his play on the ice has been severely impacted by it. While the Maple Leafs have a number of players at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, leaving a few roster spots open come training camp, the Leafs have several young players in their depth chart who could fill in.
Along with the aforementioned names there’s also Tobias Lindberg, Byron Froese, Zach Hyman, Frederik Gauthier and Connor Brown, all of whom appeared with the Maple Leafs last season. There’s also Kerby Rychel, who was sent to Toronto from the Columbus Blue Jackets, or even 19-year-old Mitch Marner.
Simply put, Prust will likely be on the outside looking in once training camp comes to an end. Considering his health and the fact that Toronto is currently more than $600,000 over the salary cap, this may be the obvious decision to make. For the Maple Leafs, it will be a matter of letting their organization continue to grow their youth and let the prime players lead the way. For Prust, this may be the end of his nearly 500-game career.
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