With the Maple Leafs on a break we cast an eye towards Mitch Marner, now with 70 points in 34 games, good for third overall in the OHL scoring race.

He didn't quite live up to the billing as promised at the world junior hockey championship, showing only flashes of dominant play against the best players in the world in his age group.

In fact, he reminded me a bit of Jonathan Drouin at the same age. A third-overall pick with a gift for scoring, Drouin was supposed to dominate the world juniors in 2014. He led Canada in scoring, with nine points, but didn't quite seem himself. He took a lot of penalties, hurting the cause. Canada finished fourth.

I bring it up because Marner is going to go down the same path as Drouin in the NHL. Next year, the Leafs will have to make a call on Marner: Play in the NHL, or play in the OHL. He'll be 19 and as a player with a CHL contract, won't be allowed to play in the AHL.

The Lightning faced the same issue last season with Drouin. He was too good for junior. They had him play in the NHL, where he had four goals, 28 assists for 32 points in 70 games. Coach Jon Cooper, however, is a big believer in developing youngsters in the AHL and wanted Drouin to go there this year to learn the game. Drouin, of course, believes he's an NHLer and the two sides are at an impasse, Drouin suspended for quitting the Syracuse Crunch while awaiting a trade.

This is not to say Marner will be demanding out of the Leaf organization in two years. It is to point out that promoting a player to the NHL before you actually believe he belongs in the NHL is fraught with problems.

Marner plays half the game some nights for the Knights. Surely that brings some bad habits along with it. So that's a strong signal that maybe getting him under Mike Babcock's tutelage early is a good idea. But if he makes too many mistakes at the NHL level, Babcock will be handcuffed. Scratching him would be to waste development time. Playing him over players who play the system the right way would be seen as favouritism.

A better idea might be to wait. Let him play in the OHL as an over-aged junior. Then send him to the Marlies for a year. There's no need to rush anyone.

To the mailbag:

QUESTION: So the Leafs wrap up in Tampa. Simple logistic question, do all the players fly back to T.O. and then start their mini vacations or do many of them head out straight from Tampa?

Marty S

ANSWER: A little bit of both. Some went to the Caribbean. Some stayed in Florida. Some flew home. Some did spur-of-the-moment things. The best? Watching Leo Komarov carry his own bag out of Amalie Arena, to take it to the all-star game.

QUESTION: Good Day, Kevin. What do you know or heard about Nikita Zaitsev? And why is it that rumour has it, he will sign a 1 year entry contract. Why 1 year and not a standard 3 year deal. Is it‎ because he is a free agent?

Thanks, Rick P



ANSWER: For those that don't know, Zaitsev is one of the best young defencemen in Russia, and soon to be a free agent. He has more or less committed to signing with the Leafs next year. He will sign a one-year deal because he's 24 and signing his first NHL deal. That's all he's allowed. It works like this: an entry level deal can be a maximum of three years for 18-21 year olds; two years if you're 22 or 23 and one year if you're 24. Older players have no restrictions on their first NHL deals.

QUESTION: Leafs most likely to be traded will be a more and more popular topic as the deadline approaches. If I were to make a long shot bet I'd put money on Jake Gardner. He has physical ability but seems make bad decisions. Plus 3 years left on a $4 million dollar contract. He'd probably do OK with a team that plays sound defensively and wants a puck mover. Then again, pretty much any Leaf is at worst a long shot to be traded.

ANSWER: Can't say I disagree. The Leafs have to do something about their defence to upgrade it. Not sure there's that much in the minors worth getting excited about. I believe Scott Harrington is injured. Stuart Percy isn't much stronger today than he was when he first turned pro. Viktor Loov remains uneven. There's hope for Rinat Valiev, but he made need more time in the minors.

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QUESTION: Greetings Kevin,

Apologies for the following being a little stale.

So it seems most everyday that I experience something that underlines the reality that I am getting older and in many ways far less relevant to what happens in our world these days(not that I am in the financial position yet to invest in polyester and Florida) and watching the Horton/Broda/Keon tribute Saturday served to illustrate this particular phenomena. I was shocked that the level of reverence for Keon, in particular, seemed somewhat muted at least in comparison to myself sitting there with tears in my eyes. I am old enough to have been in front of a TV when the Bud's last won a Cup (who knows whether I make the next one!) and as a result have lived and died with most everything that has transpired with them since. I guess that part of the perceived importance of the local squad was a direct result of the lesser competition for attention in the Toronto in those years but I was truly left with the feeling Saturday that a torch has been passed. Times have changed, the Leafs' have tried to exist out of this trend for decades but seemingly have now come to the realization that they need to move ahead or become irrelevant.

While Mr Keon perhaps from modesty or perhaps from wisdom finds the current attention befuddling but from the fans perspective he both embodies and exemplifies all the reasons why those early years were venerated and what went wrong when the first opportunity to change with the times was arrogantly ignored. I am certain that I would not be the only person to say how embarrassed I was to witness how he was treated at the end of his Toronto days and I guess this would be the salient point in explaining the reverence in which he is held in some circles. All of us that have played a team sport understand the camaraderie that this engenders, an "us against them" mentality, a very pure emotion.

Professional sports is big business obviously and anything but a pure pursuit, a business that is morphing more and more into "entertainment content" (my inner old guy speaking) but it is what it is. Those that play the game now only know it as it is and this is probably as it should be. I doubt very much that there is anywhere some 5 or 6 year old kid watching mid-1960's NHL reruns dreaming about becoming Jim Pappin or Alex Delvecchio or ..Dave Keon. Good on Shanahan for making a great effort for the alumni, hopefully those that haven't ever enjoyed the benefits of today's proportionately huge paycheques are afforded some help financially to allow them their dignity.

It would seem that the Maple Leafs have finally made the connection that they need to be a great organization BEFORE they have great team and I was left Saturday night thinking that this may actually be happening.

So, an actual question, in your opinion have the Toronto Maple Leafs come to the realization that living on one's laurels is a time limited proposition?

Thanks,

Doug from B-ford

ANSWERS: As always, not so much a question as a point from Doug from B-ford. And I'd agree that I was a little shocked how muted the reception was for Keon. Perhaps none there were old enough to remember how good he was. The line going around the press box they should have held the ceremony in Montreal. It would have gotten a louder reaction.