LONDON, Ont. - The first – and last - time forward Andreas Johnsson played hockey in North America was in May for the Toronto Marlies playoff run. Just two games into his career outside Europe, Johnsson was concussed by a blindside hit, leaving him unable to do much but sit in his Toronto hotel and wait for the symptoms to subside.

Fast-forward four months, and Johnsson is back in North America preparing to give the AHL another go. A 2012 seventh-round choice by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Johnsson skated in his first rookie tournament for the team this year, held this year at Budweiser Gardens in London. Toronto went 3-0 at the event, beating the Ottawa Senators 2-1 on Friday in overtime, the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Saturday and overcoming a 3-0 deficit on Sunday to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 6-5, in overtime. But for Johnsson, who says he’s prepared in “body and mind” for the season ahead, the weekend was about more than just wins and losses.

“The first weeks [after the hit] were pretty tough, but I had a long time to recover. I feel like I had a lot of time to calm myself,” Johnsson said. “I didn’t feel like I didn’t want to come back [to North America]. It feels like it’s maybe revenge to show myself here.”

Johnsson put in solid performances on both sides of the puck in games Saturday and Sunday, showing off the offensive acumen that helped him finish 6th in scoring in the Swedish Hockey League last season and help Frolunda HC capture its fourth championship. Johnsson knows he can play well overseas; proving himself here will be a whole new challenge.

More takeaways from the Maple Leafs rookie tournament:

Mitch Marner put his 200-foot game on display

Before he was drafted No. 4 overall by Toronto in 2015 and was the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player, Marner’s prolific offensive abilities were fully on display. But as he prepares to challenge for an NHL roster spot at the Maple Leafs main training camp, Marner showcased how complete his game has become at the rookie tournament. While he was held off the scoresheet in both of Toronto’s wins that he skated in, Marner contributed in other ways – by back checking hard, winning puck battles and extending plays with quick decision making.

“I thought at different times there was really, really elite plays that [Marner] made,” said rookie tournament head coach Sheldon Keefe. “You think there’s nothing there and he finds a way to make a play that kind of gets [the] attention [of] everybody in the rink, both teams on both benches. He has that ability. I thought he made a lot of plays, [did] a lot of offensive things, but more importantly I thought he worked really hard, he was competitive, played fast, kept his shifts short, was really good and positive on the bench. We use him in all different situations and I thought he dealt with it well.”

After posting strong starts, Maple Leafs struggled to finish

In both Friday and Saturday night’s contests, Toronto was the better team before tripping themselves up late. Keefe pointed to “lapses” in Friday’s game, which ultimately led to a tying goal for Ottawa that forced overtime. Against the Canadiens a pair of late penalties turned into power play scores and another tie game after the Maple Leafs had dominated most of the night. On Sunday, Toronto flipped its own script. The Maple Leafs looked overwhelmed in the early goings and fell behind the Penguins 3-0 early in the second. But they chipped away at the margin until they’d scored five unanswered by late in the third. Once again, Toronto saw a late lead - this time of two goals - evaporate quickly, and it was Jeremy Bracco in overtime who kept them undefeated.

Shifty winger Martins Dzierkals is making major strides

From his first shift in Saturday night’s game, Dzierkals (a third round selection, 68th overall, in 2015) was impossible to ignore. Using his elite speed to tear through the neutral zone, Dzierkals played set-up man for his line mates and ended the night with two assists. He posted 67 points (24 goals, 43 assists) in his first North American season with the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies last year, an experience he credits with helping him keep his eye on the biggest prize.

“I was real happy that I played in the CHL…because CHL is a step to the NHL and I want to make the NHL one day,” Dzierkals said. “I played last year with [Nikita] Korostolev before, and our style is pretty similar. The chemistry was good and it looked good on ice. It felt pretty fast ago, but two weeks ago I played with my [Latvian] national team so it was good exercise before this tournament.”

Trevor Moore could be quite a find for Toronto

In his rookie tournament debut, Moore managed to steal the spotlight even from local star Marner. Opting to leave the University of Denver to sign a three-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs in July, Moore, who was a point-per-game producer in the NCAA, played on a line with Timashov and Frederik Gauthier. The trio was the best out of the gate for Toronto on Friday. Much of that success was the result of Moore’s puck movement and quickness, which opened up space for the Maple Leafs. From development camp to this stage, Moore’s skill set has allowed him to develop quick chemistry with just about anyone.

The small, speedy 2015 draft class looks better-rounded than before

Toronto selected six players in 2015 that were 5-foot-11 or shorter, favouring elite speed and scoring touch over physical presence. But for a group that could still appear one-dimensional, many of that year’s prospect pool is showing noticeable growth. Dmytro Timashov was stellar in Friday’s win with his puck possession and impressive play-making while Dzierkals was effectively throwing his body throughout the weekend.

“You look at that draft class – [Travis] Dermott, [Andrew] Nielsen, Marner – but even you look down the line at guys like Dzerkials, [he] really stands out, Bracco can really skate, Timashov of course,” said Keefe. “I thought that class was really impressive [initially]. [It’s the] same again this year. They’ve added some pieces; you see the well-rounded depth that we have here in this camp. There’s a lot of players certainly, lot of players challenging to make an impression in the organization. I think they’re doing a nice job here so far.”