Hard to say. They usually only leave room for a handful of rookies every year. They're in the group of players that will be contending for roster spots, but I only expect 2-3 of Kadri/Frattin/D'Amigo/Deschemps/Holzer/Scrivens to be in the NHL for the majority of next season. Gardiner should be a lock.
Certainly not as regulars by next season. And even then if they end up playing more than 12/13 minutes a night this team is in huge trouble.
Guys like Lombardi, Armstrong, Lombardi, CMac and Bozak are vastly superior players.
There is a huge difference between succeeding at the AHL level and the NHL level. Neither Deschamp or D'amigo have put together an extended stretch of dominant play at any level. Consider that Joey Crabb was hands down the best player in the AHL at the start of the year and is a 3rd/4th line guy at the NHL level.
Or Phillipe Dupuis was an awful NHLer but is a PPG player in the AHL playoffs this year.
Toronto has lots of good 3rd/4th line types. We desperately need goaltending help and an upgrade at the top of lineup over at least one but probably 2 of Bozak, CMac and Connolly to eat up over 15 minutes a night at forward. Until these issues get solved the results will continue to be the same.
Worth an audition at some point, with D'Amigo figuring in long term a bit more than Deschamps, who probbaly has to prove more sooner to be a relevant long term option.
If D'Amigo and Deschamps can beat our Frattin and Kadri for roster spots next year with the Leafs then why not.
Leafs bulk up the roster each off-season through UFAs and trades which leaves only few precious (if any) roster spots open for kids.
So its a cannibalization situation just like last year, where 1 single roster spot was left open, and all Leafs prospects had to battle over it, while "sense of entitlement" among vets guarantees them their spots irregardless of their performance.
The odds are not high therefore that D'amigo or Deschamps will see NHL time unless injuries occur and they are summoned to fill in..
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Signature: There is no greater demonstration of Fan patience then to suggest to "Play the Kids " and be willing to accept the consequences of those actions..
If D'Amigo and Deschamps can beat our Frattin and Kadri for roster spots next year with the Leafs then why not.
Leafs bulk up the roster each off-season through UFAs and trades which leaves only few precious (if any) roster spots open for kids.
So its a cannibalization situation just like last year, where 1 single roster spot was left open, and all Leafs prospects had to battle over it, while "sense of entitlement" among vets guarantees them their spots irregardless of their performance.
The odds are not high therefore that D'amigo or Deschamps will see NHL time unless injuries occur and they are summoned to fill in..
Have to see how they do in training camp with the pros. Too early to determine if they can make the team next year without knowing the personnel. But if they can continue to play this way and bring it into next Fall, then why not? People need to slow it down here a bit. Long summer ahead!
Have to see how they do in training camp with the pros. Too early to determine if they can make the team next year without knowing the personnel. But if they can continue to play this way and bring it into next Fall, then why not? People need to slow it down here a bit. Long summer ahead!
Deschamps is not a bottom 6 player, so I don't see him ever making the Leafs. There would have to be some serious injuries for him to get the call.
D'Amigo should be a good third liner and penalty killer for the Leafs. I think he'll get his call up if Crabb and Frattin are injured or underperform.
I guess everything depends on what kind of moves Burke makes this summer. There is a chance that there will be no available spots for the youngsters come training camp.
