Landon Sim is back at Maple Leafs training camp after sitting out Toronto’s first split-squad preseason games, and the odd part is that there was no explanation for why he was left off the initial groups.
For a player trying to push his way into the picture, the timing made his absence stand out. Sim had put together a strong season with the Toronto Marlies, capped by a Calder Cup run, and looked like someone ready to battle for a bigger opportunity. Instead, he wasn’t on either the “A” or “B” squad for Toronto’s first preseason game, with no word on whether an injury or something else was keeping him out.
That changed on Monday, when Sim showed up with the second group of skaters. Most of that group was made up of Marlies players, and Dakota Joshua was also there while working back from an injury issue.
Sim is 22 and spent last season bouncing between levels. He scored three goals in 13 games for the Marlies, added six points in 18 games with Cincinnati in the ECHL, then came back strong in the postseason with three points in 12 games and 47 penalty minutes.
He also brings some pedigree from his junior days. A former teammate of Easton Cowan in London, Sim put up 124 points in 213 OHL games, and that track record helps explain why there’s still interest in what he can become.
What he offers is pretty clear: energy, physicality and a bit of offense for the bottom six. He’s not sitting there with a direct line to an NHL job right now, but he does have a style that can stick in a camp like this. He’s the kind of player who works, hounds pucks and makes life annoying for the other side.
There’s also a case to be made that he fits the kind of youthful depth Toronto may be building toward over the next two years. His connection with Cowan could matter down the road, too, if both end up in the mix together.
For now, Sim is simply back in the fight for a spot. And after what he did as part of the Marlies’ Calder Cup run, he at least has a real chance to make himself hard to ignore among the rest of the hopefuls.
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Last season in Sweden, Koblar put up 14 points in 47 games with Leksands in the SHL, a solid base but not the kind of production that screams instant readiness. The early read is that he may still need more time before jumping to the NHL, and perhaps even before taking the next step into the AHL, which is why another season in the SHL is being viewed as a sensible part of his development. [Read more 🡒]
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Theres also a fourth pair in the mix with Emil Andrae and Nick Blankenburg, which gives Toronto a fuller picture of how the defensive rotation may settle in once the games begin. The pairings hint at a staff that wants a mix of stability, mobility and experience, even as it asks Rielly to jump right back into a leading role after the lost time in camp. For a team still shaping its early-season identity, the blue line is already sending a clear message about who the Maple Leafs trust most when the puck drops. [Read more 🡒]
Hiller Is Pushing Morgan Rielly Back To The Center Of It
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The bigger sign for Toronto may be what Hiller said about Riellys renewed passion for the game, because that kind of confidence can change how a player carries himself on the ice. Hiller also gave an update on Dakota Joshua, saying the forward is close to being ready but not yet at full capacity, a reminder that Toronto is still juggling lineup decisions even as a few important pieces begin to settle back into place. [Read more 🡒]