Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Tanev, Brisson & Chayka’s Prospect Hunt

The Toronto Maple Leafs are getting close to training camp, which means the questions are starting to become a little more real. Who is healthy? Who isn’t? Who is going to make the roster? Perhaps most importantly, which players does new general manager (GM) John Chayka believe can help this team when the season gets serious? Two very different pieces of news this week get at those questions from opposite ends of the roster. Chris Tanev is trying to prove he’s ready to go, while Brendan Brisson is trying to prove he belongs in Toronto’s plans.

Neither story is going to dominate the hockey world. Tanev isn’t making a dramatic return announcement, and Brisson isn’t suddenly being pencilled onto the top line. But that’s actually what makes both stories interesting. The Maple Leafs are trying to build a team that can survive the long NHL season, and that means making smart decisions about the little things. Sometimes that means telling a veteran to slow down. Sometimes it means taking a chance on a player nobody else is talking about.

Chris Tanev Wants to Be Ready, But Toronto Shouldn’t Rush Him

Chris Tanev is saying all the right things as training camp approaches. He feels good. He’s been working extremely hard. He still loves playing and being around the guys. He hopes to be ready to “rumble” when camp opens. That’s exactly what you’d expect from Tanev. He’s a competitor, and after everything he’s been through during this rehabilitation, nobody should be surprised that he wants to get back on the ice.

But there is still one important box that hasn’t been checked. Tanev hasn’t received medical clearance yet, and another conversation with the doctors is still coming. That’s where this stops being about what Tanev wants and becomes about what the Maple Leafs need to do. At 36, and coming off a difficult rehabilitation, there really isn’t much sense in rushing him simply so he can participate in the first few days of training camp.

The team needs Tanev healthy when the games matter most. They need the physical, experienced defenceman who can handle difficult minutes, kill penalties and make life uncomfortable for opposing forwards. If that means giving him a little extra time in September, that’s OK. Toronto has some defensive depth and younger players who can use those camp minutes. There is no prize for winning the first week of training camp. The prize comes much later.

Brendan Brisson and the Chayka Prospect Strategy

Then there’s Brendan Brisson, who signed a one-year deal with Toronto in what is reportedly the 50th contract on the Maple Leafs’ books. It’s hardly the sort of transaction that makes fans text each other with the news. The 24-year-old played just three NHL games last season and had one assist. Most likely, he’ll spend much of the season in the minors trying to establish himself.

Still, I think there’s something worth watching here. Toronto has traded away a considerable amount of young talent and draft capital in recent years. Eventually, somebody has to start rebuilding that pipeline. Brisson is a low-cost opportunity to see whether a 2020 first-round pick can find something that hasn’t quite clicked yet. If he does, the Maple Leafs have found a useful player without paying much to get him. If he doesn’t, they haven’t lost much either.

That’s beginning to look like part of Chayka’s larger philosophy. Don’t look for one magic prospect who is going to solve everything. Create opportunities. Draft when you can. Develop the players already in the organization. Then take inexpensive swings on players who might have been overlooked, and let competition determine who sticks. Most won’t. That’s fine. If one or two do, you’ve improved your depth without blowing up the roster.

The Bigger Picture for the Maple Leafs

Put the Tanev and Brisson stories together, and there’s actually a pretty sensible message here. Toronto is trying to get smarter about managing its resources. With Tanev, that means protecting an important veteran asset rather than worrying about whether he’s ready for the first practice. With Brisson, it means taking a cheap gamble on a young player who might still have something to offer.

That may not be the glamorous part of building a hockey team, but it’s the part that often determines whether a roster can survive a long season. Stars get the attention, but depth keeps teams alive.

That’s where I think Chayka’s approach could eventually become interesting. Brisson doesn’t need to become a star. Tanev doesn’t need to be ready in September. The Maple Leafs need to accumulate enough useful pieces that, when injuries happen and the schedule gets tough, there are answers sitting there. When April arrives, they need Tanev healthy enough to be one of those answers.

Sometimes you take a flyer on what you might have. Sometimes you’re patient with what you already have. Sometimes, that’s how you build a hockey team.