After weeks of economic lectures and conjecture on the Maple Leafs and their salary cap, how about some live on-ice action this week?

Talent evaluations for the 2017-18 season begin Friday morning when 57 players gather for the annual prospects camp. The team’s last two draft classes will strongly represented, with the top of this year’s group on hand (Timothy Liljegren, Eemeli Rasanen and Fedor Gordeev) alongside those overshadowed by No. 1 overall Auston Matthews in 2016.

The majority of campers are 37 “invites,” or players the Leafs liked but didn’t draft or sign, who want to take in the NHL experience for a few days and perhaps catch management’s eye for future work with the Marlies or the ECHL Orlando Solar Bears.

The entire roster gathered Thursday night for a team dinner, where traditionally coach Mike Babcock, general manager Lou Lamoriello or someone in upper management speaks.

“What we like to have happen is that they understand what the philosophy is, what the culture is, what’s expected of them,” Lamoriello said. “They also get to know each other, meet the coaches and understand exactly what the Maple Leafs are all about. And it’s also to give us an opportunity to see how they play and what they’re doing.”

Scott Pellerin, the club’s director of player development, will be running the camp, while Leaf assistant coaches Jim Hiller, D.J. Smith and Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe will be on the ice with the kids.

The camp will be split in two groups, which will practice and play a daily scrimmage game Saturday through Wednesday. Other elements of the camp usually focus on power skating and off-ice guidance for nutrition, strength and conditioning, social media awareness and team-building exercises.

“We’re treating everyone the same,” Pellerin said in a previous interview. “This is a teaching environment. It’s July, we’re not here to make any big statements, we just want them to be ready for training camp and their seasons (in various leagues).”

lhornby@postmedia.com

Five players of note at camp

— D Timothy Liljegren, 2017 draft, 17th overall

Six-foot Swede would have to do something extraordinary this summer and at rookie camp not to go back to his club team Rogle, but the Leafs aren’t ruling out some way to keep this two-way defender close to home at the OHL or AHL level.

— D Eemeli Rasanen, 2017 draft, 59th overall

Look up, waaaay up. At 6-foot-6 and still growing, the Leafs want to see if his hockey mind has caught up to his body. A year in the OHL at Kingston has helped. He can score too, and like Liljegren, shoots right, which the organization needs.

— F Jeremy Bracco, 2015 draft, 61st overall

The deep pool of speedy, savvy young forwards the Leafs have drafted and developed the past few years includes this Memorial Cup champion with Windsor, who had 83 OHL points last year. Babcock likes what he sees, but as always wants 5-foot-10 water bugs such as Bracco to get stronger.

— F Adam Brooks, 2016 draft, 92nd overall

With 291 junior points in the WHL his last two seasons (regular season and playoffs) and lots of personal growth, it’s easy to see why the Leafs gave him an entry-level contract. Ready for his next step up the ladder.

— G Mathew Robson, camp invite

Toronto native and former Marlie midget teammate of Connor McDavid has been in the B.C. junior league waiting for an NCAA home while sitting out a penalty phase for briefly playing in the OHL. He’s now committed to the University of Minnesota, which rarely takes Canadians.

2017 Leaf Development Camp roster

(Draft position where noted, others are camp invites)

Goalies (6)

Connor Murphy - Springfield USPHL

Jordan Papirny - Swift Current WHL

Mathew Robson - Penticton BCHL

Antoine Samuel - Baie-Comeau QMJHL

Ian Scott - Prince Albert WHL // 2017 draft // 110th

Joseph Woll - Boston College // 2016 draft // 62nd

Defencemen (20)

Ryan Cook - Merrick Hockey East

Marc-Olivier Duquette - Drummondville QMJHL

Sean Durzi - Owen Sound OHL

Joseph Garreffa - Kitchener OHL

Fedor Gordeev - Hamilton OHL // 2017 draft // 141st

J.D. Greenway - Wisconsin Big 10 // 2016 draft // 72nd

Mac Hollowell - Sault Ste. Marie OHL

Grant Hutton - Miami NCHC

Jeff King - Sarnia OHL

Timothy Liljegren - Rogle SHL // 2017 draft // 17th

Nicolas Mattinen - London OHL // 2016 draft // 179th

Keaton Middleton - Saginaw OHL // 2016 draft // 101st

Aleksi Mustaniemi - Salem State MASCA

Ryan O’Connell - St. Andrew’s College CAHS // 2017 draft // 203rd

Reagan O’Grady - Sudbury OHL

Eemeli Rasanen - Kingston OHL // 2017 draft // 59th

Alec Rauhauser - Bowling Green State WCHA

Jonathan Smart - Kelowna/Regina WHL

Jakob Stridsberg - Arizona State NCAA

Vladislav Yeryomenko - Calgary WHL

Forwards (31)