Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Toronto is notoriously bad recently when it comes to having enough draft assets to rebuild as they consistently given away pick after pick. That means a new strategy has to be drawn up and from the looks of it — Brad Treliving already has one.
While he wasn’t the force behind signing Bobby McMann, clearly he knows the pipeline in the NCAA is holding some serious talent. Treliving also knows that right now if he wants any hope of rebuilding the future, he needs to get creative.
Toronto’s aggressive approach to the NCAA a great way to bypass their draft situation
Which is why Toronto signing these college free agents is actually a momentous shift in strategy — who needs draft picks when you can just sign the young ones you want.
Not only do you typically bypass the first couple of years due to age unless you’re a star or someone like an Easton Cowan with an insane run but you have guys who aren’t playing with kids, but also come with some of the best coaching, training, and facilities in the world.
Let’s take a look at the signings that both Toronto and Treliving have made over the past few seasons:
– Luke Haymes (F)
– Vincent Borgesi (D)
– Hayes Hundley (D)
– Brandon Buhr (F)
– John Prokop (D)
– Ryan Kirwan (F)
– Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (F)
– Nick Rheaume (F)
– Sam Stevens (D)
– Jacob Bengtsson (D)
– Matthew Barbolini (F)
– Robert Mastrosimone (F)
– Jacob Quillan (F)
It’s actually quite a growing list, and it’s really surprising to see just how much youth there actually is in the system. Are these 18-19 year old products? No, but this some of the names brought in are serious contenders to make the Maple Leafs soon.
Prospector’s Predicament: Going digging for diamonds in the rough is Treliving’s best chance at finding the new McMann
We already saw Quillan get a call-up, and so far guys like Borgesi, Buhr, Haymes, Barbolini, and Mastrosimone are all helping guide the Marlies to the playoffs. You also have to remember that Fontaine, Rheaume, and Stevens are still in the ECHL; which by the way is the same path that Bobby McMann took to get to the NHL.
There’s so much onus on drafting from the CHL, but with the new agreement in place with the NCAA, it’s exposed the college hockey scene a bit more. People are more engaged and learning about these players, and it’s showing exactly why Brad Treliving uses their system.
The greatest part too is that these guys are all signed to deals that really don’t make a cap hit difference. Adding 13 players on ATO and PTO’s is an extremely frugal way to rebuild the pipeline without sacrificing assets and while they won’t all turn out to be NHL players — all it takes is a couple studs to make a difference.
Brad Treliving has made sure that if he can’t draft the next iteration of the Maple Leafs then he’ll sure as heck sign them. We saw Bobby McMann create something out of seemingly nothing.
Now we need to see someone else step into his shoes and take Toronto by storm.
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The Maple Leafs are quietly building a farm system without using draft picks and it might actually work
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