Despite the regular season still being weeks away, fans packed the Bell Centre today at 1 PM EST to watch two of the NHL’s most historic franchises battle it out with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens farm systems going head-to-head.
It was a star-studded affair that was exciting from start to end. Habs top prospects Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux and Owen Beck starred for Montreal while Toronto’s Easton Cowan, Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin were players Leafs fans were excited to see after a summer of development.
It was an extremely exciting game and we have a lot of players to cover so without further ado here’s my summary of every Leaf skater that played today and how I felt about their overall performance in today’s game.
The Main Man: Easton Cowan
Easton Cowan had a really polarizing game. For the most part, it looked like he played to his strengths, and used his speed on the power play to gain entries, but he generally played off of his teammates well and wasn’t super puck-dominant like, say, a Lane Hutson was for Montreal.
He had some really nice chances to score, he drew a penalty on his breakaway chance early in the first leading to the Kressler power play marker, and everything I loved about his game in his draft year was there. Cowan isn’t some super dynamic elusive skater and stick handler like Mitch Marner, but those are above-average skills in his toolkit and he plays with a higher motor and has some punchiness and explosiveness to his game that Marner lacks.
He looked more assertive and his contact balance was much better than last year at Traverse City and preseason, and the confidence and ease with which he could generate entries with his skating and agility was very good to see. Unfortunately, Cowan ended overtime with an absolute howler, coughing up the puck after making a high-risk decision at the blueline that sent Lane Hutson on a breakaway the other way.
Without the heroics of Fraser Minten and Cowan’s redemption in the shootout with a NASTY double stutter step move, the outlook on his performance may have been very different. For now, my assessment is he played extremely well and looked levels above the competition for most of the game but had one absolutely disastrous shift in overtime.
Stand Outs
Nikita Grebenkin
Grebenkin came and was as advertised. I thought he was more noticeable than Fraser Minten, but was probably less consistent with his play. Grebenkin was a demon on the forecheck, I loved his ability to lift sticks and bat pucks out of the air to recover pucks and sustain pressure in the offensive zone.
There were countless moments where the Habs got possession and I thought: “Alright, here comes the breakout,” only for Grebenkin to step in and steal the puck en route. He had a gorgeous feed off some nice work by Cowan in the third period to set up Fraser Minten for a game-winning goal that Richard turned away.
In overtime he was a little selfish with the puck, he hung on to it for a little too long while he was out there and didn’t generate any real chance before heading off for a change. Overall, I love how engaged he was, it felt like every time he crashed the net he was looking to get into fisticuffs after the whistle.
He relishes contact and getting under his opponents’ skin and Toronto hasn’t had a potential top-six player like that since Nazem Kadri. His attempt in the shootout just shows the kind of confidence he has in himself, deking and then trying to pull the reach around (think Anze Kopitar years ago against Boston).
Grebenkin still has a bit of an awkward skating mechanic, he looks off-balance sometimes given his upright style of skating but his stickwork on the forecheck is top-notch and he’s got good strength and puck protection skills which was a concern before last season.
Fraser Minten
Fraser Minten was Superman today. As usual, he let his linemates Cowan and Grebenkin be the main puck carriers and play drivers. However, he was reliable as can be, featured on the penalty kill, was much more decisive this year on the power play than when he was with Canada at the World Juniors, and played with an air of confidence.
He got in on the forecheck super well and tracked back consistently to support his defencemen on retrievals. The skating looks a lot better than it did last year. Case in point, he chased down Lane Hutson after Easton Cowan was stripped of the puck in overtime, won the puck back without taking a penalty and then sprang Cowan for a partial break.
Minten’s a lot more confident with the puck on his stick this year; last year it felt like the puck bounced on him a lot whether he was trying to receive it on the power play or in transition or when he was just trying to stick handle it while under pressure. He already looks much better this year at moving with the puck and I think a lot of it has to do with the improved skating.
I always thought Minten didn’t really quite have hands but man that game-winning shootout goal today might change my mind. What a move to open up the goalie and slide it in five-hole. If he can utilize his size and hands to get his shot off more consistently, I think the 3C projections may be a bit too conservative. Oh, did I even mention that he scored a goal today too (albeit a little lucky)? Leafs fans might have had unrealistic expectations for Minten’s WHL season last year after he made the Leafs out of camp but it’s clear the 20-year-old has shown real growth over the past 365 days. He looks completely different than this time last year.
Topi Niemela
Topi Niemela was far and away Toronto’s best defenceman today. He only got kind of beat once but recovered well to close the gap and limit the opposing forward to an outside shot, but outside of that one occurrence was as steady as you could ask for. Poised on the puck, was super-efficient on breakouts to get the offense moving, carried the puck in transition, and used his four-way skating to defend and maintain gaps.
He was also clinical today on the power play, that Fraser Minten goal doesn’t happen unless Niemela drags the penalty killers with him before rifling a pass down to Minten. Toronto’s first power play unit ran circles around Montreal’s penalty kill today and Niemela was the centerpiece of it all. Quick, with smart decision-making that kept the opponents chasing the play, his ability to see the ice and think the game still impresses me.
I’ve been his backer since the day he was drafted and if he keeps this up, he may outperform even my projections for him. I doubt he gets a chance with the Leafs this season after the Hakanpaa signing but in a few months, his play in the AHL is going to make Leafs fans regret the Ekman-Larsson signing.
Jacob Quillan
I would’ve preferred Ty Voit on this line instead of Roni Hirvonen, but he wasn’t in the lineup today. The Leafs’ second line was arguably their best and most consistent all game long. Jacob Quillan who I’ve long been saying is not just a dark horse but should be one of the favourites out of all of Toronto’s prospects to make the NHL team out of camp made me look very smart today.
He was all over the ice, winning puck battles, getting to loose pucks, driving the net and attacking the center of the ice. I thought his speed and power blend was particularly dominant today. The Habs didn’t have an answer for him, he was so strong on the puck in possession and rarely put a foot wrong. Outstanding backchecking and defensive positioning as well.
There was a play in the neutral zone where Quillan lost the handle on the puck for a second, a Habs player was about to light him up and Quillan just tipped the puck to his teammate and then sent the Canadien flying.
He’s older and stronger than everyone in this game and he was flexing that fact all game long. I still think he probably starts the year at 2C/3C with the Marlies given the logjam of forwards the Leafs have with Robertson, Pacioretty and Lorentz now part of the equation, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Lorentz doesn’t end up getting an NHL deal because of Quillan’s play from now until the start of the season.
Braeden Kressler
What a game from Braeden Kressler, I wasn’t the biggest fan of his skillset heading into this game, I always felt he was just a lower-tier version of what Roni Hirvonen brought to the table but the 5’9” OHL alum brought it today. Strong on the forecheck, and an absolute laser beam into the back of the net to open the scoring for Toronto on the power play.
Outside of one occasion where he got caught down low and didn’t close out the point man, Kressler had some great shot blocks up top and was consistently coming back to the boards to provide his defensemen breakout options. He could’ve had two goals today, but he got robbed in the third by Richard on a slick Holinka pickpocket and feed.
He absolutely destroyed Tyler Thorpe near the end of the game, who’s got eight inches in height and almost 40 pounds on him. Unfortunately, Kressler didn’t end the game on a great note, he did have a slight slip-up where he didn’t continue tracking Savoie from the point down to the slot and had to be bailed out by Hildeby in the last few minutes of the third.
Solid Games
Brandon Lisowsky
Lisowsky had a pretty strong game overall. He’s a smaller physical profile so he wasn’t nearly as noticeable as Quillan was, but he played a strong game in support on the second line. He was engaged on the forecheck which started on shift one, and he was super disciplined defensively.
I didn’t see him breaking the zone early, he did a good job of presenting himself as an option along the boards during breakouts for his defensemen. He showed some nice creativity, there was a breakout where he tipped it between his legs to Hirvonen to get a transition chance going. I want to see him featured more often on the second power play unit with that wicked shot, but I can’t quite fault the coaching staff on that.
The first unit was on fire today. I loved the hustle and speed Lisowsky played with tonight highlighted by him beating out an icing call after a slightly inaccurate pass from Hirvonen was overshot. Overall Lisowsky had a quietly underrated game today and should remain a favourite to receive an AHL contract in a few weeks’ time.
Roni Hirvonen
It’s good to see Hirvonen back in a visor after playing all of last season with a bubble on. Hirvonen is just as I remember, small but energetic, constantly moving around on the ice and a lightning bug kind of player. Like Quillan and Lisowsky he was super hard working on the forecheck and laid some solid hits.
I liked Toronto featuring him in the bumper role on the power play where his short-area passing is a strength. I noticed he didn’t end up getting many touches on the power play, but there was a glorious pass from Minten in the second period on the power play that he just couldn’t get a stick on to tip in.
Hirvonen was engaged defensively as per usual; like Lisowsky he did a good job of getting into spots to support his defensemen during breakouts and he had an active stick which he used to break up a potential wide-open Habs one-timer in the first period.
Disappointing
Miroslav Holinka
I really like Miroslav Holinka, but I do think that he was only the second-best player on his line today. I originally thought the 2024 fifth-round pick was in contention to play on a second line alongside Grebenkin, but he was instead employed as a 4C. Holinka was generally solid, his line didn’t play a whole ton and he was a good forechecker, was disciplined defensively but it just never felt like he truly got into the flow of the game.
He had a nice steal and pass in the third period that set up a Kressler Grade-A opportunity, and a few other nice moments on the forecheck where he was able to steal the puck cleanly, but the dynamic and skilled player I saw for Oceanic last year was missing all game.
He tried in the third period to do a toe drag between two Habs players and lost the puck. I just wanted to see him shine with that technical ability with his hands and be a playdriver. The Leafs’ bottom-six didn’t generate much offence at 5v5 today and I think a good Holinka game could have changed that fact. I’m intrigued if Toronto throws him with a Ty Voit tomorrow to see if they can jump-start some offence there.
Noah Chadwick
Maybe we could’ve seen a different version of Chadwick alongside Danford, or if he hadn’t been cross-checked into the crossbar in the first period and had to miss a few shifts. Chadwick had a strong start to the game, after the first power play unit stalled out, Chadwick straddled the line, drew two defenders with a shot fake and then sent it over to Kressler who had acres of space to wire in Toronto’s first goal of the game.
He also had some nice shot blocks and defensive moments covering for Parsons when he got beat but outside of one really nice stretch pass in the third period and a few slapshots on goal, we didn’t get to see what allowed Chadwick to become a 56-point man in his D+1 year for Lethbridge.
Chadwick was solid, and he was clearly covering for his defence partner who was a little bit out of his depth, but his showing today was eerily quiet and similar to his scrimmage appearances during the Leafs’ Development Camp back in July when he was paired with Ben Danford. He had a fine game, but for a player who might garner attention for Team Canada at the WJC this winter, and was one of the best offensive defencemen in the WHL last year, I was expecting a lot more from him.
Cade Webber
Cade Webber for the most part came as advertised. I liked his instincts in proactively breaking up passes and his long reach being an effective tool to hassle opponents. He cleared the net well for the most part and didn’t have any bad giveaways in the center of the ice.
For most of the game, Webber played second fiddle to Topi Niemela on Toronto’s top pair as the stay-at-home defenceman with some valuable penalty kill minutes. If that had been Webber’s entire game, I would’ve probably stuck him in the “Solid Games” category with Lisowsky and Hirvonen, because that’s probably in line with what I expect from Webber on a game-to-game basis.
However, it appears the former Boston University Terrier had a point he wanted to prove. There were four occasions in this game where the lanky defenceman tried to just straight-line speed his way past defenders, all four times he got closed off along the boards and lost the puck. On his third such attempt, the puck bounced unfavourably for Toronto and Montreal got a break the other way leading to an Adam Engstrom goal. The concerns I have for Webber are still very real and his performance today left me with more questions about his NHL future, not less.
Pleasantly Surprised
Ryan McCleary
Ryan McCleary was really good for the most part in his role today. Yeah, like Sharpe and Parsons, he got beat a few times when being too aggressive defending the rush, but there’s a lot of potential there. He had two plays in this game where he gauged the distance perfectly and closed the gap, just riding an opposing player into the boards and clearing them out from being able to attack the net.
I can’t remember who he did it to in the third period, but he was able to do it against Owen Beck in the second who’s one of Montreal’s better forward prospects on the roster. Like Sharpe and Parsons, he had no qualms about getting into tussles with Davidson and the Habs forwards when they crashed the Leafs net. I like the upside of McCleary who showed the most potential from a gap control and mobility perspective than the other two bottom three defensemen.
Chas Sharpe
Chas Sharpe was a pleasant surprise to me. I saw a bit of him when he was with the Steelheads last year scouting Jakub Fibigr, but the competitive level and willingness to mix it up was nice to see. He fought Xhekaj, who was a whole weight class above him (in terms of fighting ability), early in the game.
Despite getting his lunch handed to him, Sharpe came back and put in a strong performance. He was solid on breakouts and had a nice pass to Grebenkin in the first period. Near the end of the first, he also stood up a guy who was lining him up for a hit and made the play to get the puck out of the zone.
He was going back and forth with Davidson all game with some crosschecks and trash talk between whistles. Likely never an NHL player but at 6’3″ and almost 200 pounds, the right-handed defenceman will likely be a good player for the Marlies or Cyclones.
Mathew Barbolini
Matthew Barbolini was the most noticeable player on his line for me today for good and for bad. He’s shown enough where I can’t say I don’t have an opinion on him, but his game was so all over the place it’s hard to put him under a specific category.
Overall I was left with a generally positive view of the newly signed Toronto Marlies forward. His line only had one really good shift at the end of the first period (and then surrendered a goal on their first shift in the second) and he was the forward meant to track Engstrom on his goal in the first, so in that aspect it wasn’t great.
However, Barbolini did have a few nice setups that he created through hard work and forechecking that could’ve led to some goals if Stevens had been able to finish. He was another member on the penalty kill in the first period alongside Finnie but overall there were some positive signs for me and I think he’ll have a better game tomorrow if he’s rostered.
Not Enough to Give an Opinion
Sam Stevens
Sam Stevens had a few Grade-A opportunities this game to get himself on the stat sheet (I can count four off the top of my head). I didn’t notice a whole ton of Stevens outside of his scoring chances, but I like how he’s constantly finding space in coverage to get these opportunities.
He wasn’t much of a factor in build-up or transition but he was a consistent penalty killer today for Toronto that was near perfect outside of some shaky moments in the third. Will he get a contract with the Leafs? I’d wager he’s not in their plans right now after this performance, but he was solid today outside of the second Montreal goal his line conceded.
Marshall Finnie
I thought Marshall Finnie was the least memorable player on his line. He took an unlucky penalty and his line had some bright moments where he was able to get in on the forecheck and win some puck battles, but as one of the players I was most excited to see out of the free agent invites, he didn’t show me much to be excited about.
I’m uncertain if he’ll get into the lineup tomorrow, but he’ll have to show more than what he has so far in his limited showing.
Maxim Muranov
Maxim Muranov was okay in his time on the ice. I didn’t notice much of his line all game but he looked like a high-effort player. He played a pretty vanilla shift today; getting in on the forecheck, with only one shot attempt that was blocked.
He did have a nice play later in the game where he was able to stick to the elusive Logan Mailloux, forced a bad shot and then cleared the rebound, but it was overall a very quiet game for the Calgary Hitmen forward.
Rhett Parsons
Rhett Parsons was fine today as well. He was paired with Noah Chadwick after Ben Danford went down with the head injury and that pair was pretty bland all game but didn’t get caved in. Parsons did get beat a few times (including a grade-A chance for Larose in the first period) but that’s to be expected of a free agent invite who likely wasn’t playing today without the Danford injury.
He did a great job tying up the weak side forward’s stick on a play in the third period when Montreal was generating a ton of momentum that could’ve led to a goal but he didn’t show me much to get a gauge of what his game is like.
Leafs hockey is back
There you have it! A thorough breakdown of each player on the Leafs from today’s game. A generally positive showing for the team but there are a few players that I’m looking for more from! Who was your stand-out player of the game? Let us know in the comments below!
