5 Maple Leafs we need at least one more look at this preseason

We’re one week away from the season opener and with the Toronto Maple Leafs taking part in their annual team bonding exercises, we’re examining a few players that we need one more look at during the preseason.

Easton Cowan may have cemented his spot on the fourth line with Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton, and it’s entirely possible that Nick Robertson could be watching next Wednesday’s opener against the Montreal Canadiens from the press box. 2024 first-round pick Ben Danford remains in camp and is impressing management, displaying improved confidence with the puck and a propensity for low-risk plays.

Here are five Maple Leafs we need another look at during the final two preseason games:

Easton Cowan

OK, this may be cheating. Cowan is easily the most intriguing player in his third training camp with the Maple Leafs and the reigning Memorial Cup MVP may have carved out his opening night role. During a 7-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, Cowan, Laughton and Lorentz exploded and showed proof of concept of a stellar line that can score, win pucks back and provide plus-defence.

There are some critics: Bruce Boudreau joined Leafs Morning Take, opining that Cowan should start in a top-six role with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, rather than playing fewer minutes at the NHL level. And there may be some validity to that opinion. In any event, we’ll want to see Cowan in the final two preseason games against the Detroit Red Wings, where he can continue to solidify his role in the lineup and display his scoring touch.

Ben Danford

Danford wasn’t expected to make the team out of camp, but he’s still pushing the incumbents. Toronto’s 2024 first-round pick is known for his spatial intelligence, defensive acumen and punishing open-ice efforts, but he’s making a more concerted effort to hunt for offence within the flow of the game.

“I thought Ben Danford played a good, solid hockey game,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said of Danford, following the preseason opener against the Ottawa Senators. “It is not a flashy game by any means, but it is just about the first pass, defending well, and playing a hard game. He was pretty much mistake-free. It was impressive.”

Danford can be sent back to major junior without clearing waivers, and he could be the best overall defenceman in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals this season. And while it’s more than likely he’ll begin the year with Oshawa, we want to see Danford against NHL players, where his calm and poise with the puck will surely be coveted assets down the line for the Maple Leafs.

Nick Robertson

Nick Robertson is in a fascinating position, after signing a one-year deal with the Maple Leafs over the summer. Robertson was lauded by Berube at the outset of training camp, with the Leafs’ head coach vouching for the talented, inconsistent scorer. With the ascendance of Cowan, along with improved depth across the lineup (Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli) Robertson’s place isn’t assured just yet.

Last fall, Robertson was Toronto’s training camp MVP but started the regular season at a glacial pace. He recorded 15 goals and 22 points in 69 games, then added a goal and two points in three games, where Max Pacioretty unseated him from the playoff lineup.

Robertson’s new deal doesn’t preclude a potential trade, and the San Jose Sharks are among the team sreportedly interested in the 24-year-old, according to Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects. A two-game sample won’t necessarily change Robertson’s prospectus, but it will be worth seeing whether a late surge assures him a spot on October 8.

Henry Thrun

Henry Thrun was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Ryan Reaves on July 10, recouping some value in exchange for a player who no longer had a role with the Maple Leafs. Thrun was also one of the NHL’s worst defensive players last year by most metrics, but how much of that was a function of playing on an awful Sharks team? That may be the central question surrounding the 24-year-old entering the season.

“He’s a nice player, he skates really well, he’s got a big shot,” Maple Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe said of Thrun on September 23. “Obviously haven’t seen him in game action or anything, but just from skating, he’s a good dude and skates really well for a bigger guy. He’s obviously very young, but he’s already spent a couple of years in the NHL, so I like his game.”

Thrun has been function as the 7th man throughout the preseason, if you view Danford as the No. 8. Simon Benoit has been held out of camp due to an upper-body injury, and there’s a potential opening night spot available for the left-handed defenceman, where he may have to prove comfortable playing on the right side of the ice. Philippe Myers may be ahead of Thrun on the depth chart as well, and this week may serve as an audition for further playing time, with Toronto’s defence corps essentially locked in ahead of October 8.

William Villeneuve

William Villeneuve almost certainly won’t be on the opening night roster, but we like his upside. Villeneuve recorded four goals and 40 points in 55 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies last season, before posting two assists in two playoff games. The 23-year-old is a right-shot defenceman with some offensive upside, and he was signed to a one-year extension in August.