Toronto Maple Leafs Weekend Roundup

Toronto Maple Leafs news is back in full swing now that we’re into September. This week, the team has a golf tournament, the start of main roster training camp, and its first pre-season game.

However, before we get into any of that, let’s look at what happened with the Maple Leafs since Friday. Toronto general manager John Chayka spoke on the Max Domi injury situation. The GM brought a player in on a PTO, and the rookies played a couple of games.

Toronto GM Addresses Max Domi Situation

Max Domi underwent back surgery in May. Unconfirmed reports suggest that he chose his own surgeon to operate. Due to complications after surgery, Domi is listed as being out indefinitely. He will not be taking part in training camp or any preseason games. There is no timeline for his return.

Toronto GM John Chayka spoke about Domi recently, stating that Domi himself will address the media and fans at some point.

“He’s not going to be ready to start training camp. He’s going to be out indefinitely. At the right time in the near future, he wants to address it himself, and I think that’s best for him to do.”

The Maple Leafs will likely start the season with Domi on LTIR, which should allow them to start the season under the $104 million NHL salary cap.

Nick Blankenburg on a PTO with Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs signed UFA defenseman Nick Blankenburg to a Professional Tryout (PTO) on Saturday.

The move isn’t meant to send shockwaves throughout Toronto. In fact, the move may barely register on the radar screen. And that’s why the move could be much more important than it looks.

Adding Blankenburg is all about depth. He barely factors into the team’s main blueline group. If everyone is healthy, Blankenburg could be a seventh defenseman at best. In reality, he’s more like an eighth defenseman, or a strong addition to the Marlies.

Toronto veteran Chris Tanev has yet to receive medical clearance to play. Should he be unable to play to start the season, the Leafs will be looking for another defenseman. That’s where Blankenburg comes in.

The 28-year-old is a right-shot, puck-moving defenseman who can play both sides of the ice. That’s going to be valuable, especially given how Toronto doesn’t exactly have a wealth of organizational depth on the blueline.

The biggest issue with bringing Blankenburg in, is the fact that there isn’t a roster spot available for him. The Maple Leafs have maxed out their 50 total NHL contracts. As such, there will have to be a move to clear a roster spot for the former Colorado Avalanche.

Toronto Prospect Challenge

The Maple Leafs prospects took part in two games this weekend. The first game was on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. Toronto lost 4-3 in overtime. On Sunday, they faceoff against the Winnipeg Jets. The Maple Leafs prospects won that game 6-4.

The prospect challenge is a great warm-up for those who will be invited to the Maple Leafs main training camp. Toronto will have a better understanding of what they have in terms of depth.