Weekend FTB: HOCKEY’S BACK BABY!

You know what’s funny?

For the first time in a number of years the rookie tournament seems pretty unimportant for the Leafs. With almost all of their exciting young talent not qualifying as rookies anymore and having established themselves on the NHL roster, everyone who’s left is either still too young to have any realistic shot of making the team to start the year or just depth guys leftover fighting for scraps.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m still excited to see some of these guys play. I want to see Timothy Liljegren look dominant, and not like a frightened baby deer on the ice for the first time like he was in the rookie tournament last year. I want to see Fedor Gordeev start figuring it out. I want to see Brooks show that he’s over his concussion and mono and be a legit prospect still. I want to see Carl Grundstrom look bored with the level of competition. And I want to see all the new kids: Rasmus Sandin, Sean Durzi, SDA, Riley Stotts, and so on.

And of course it’s the first sort of hockey we’ll have seen the Leafs organization play since the Marlies won the Calder Cup. BUDS ALL DAY WOOOOO!

If you want watch the Leafs’ rookie tournament games, you can find out how here.

If you want to brush up on the rookie roster they’re bringing to Laval, you can check here.