Atlantic Teams - Part 2

Ottawa Senators - There may be no team in the NHL that is looking forward to next season more than the Ottawa Senators. With all the drama that has surrounded this team since the fifth game of last season, general manager Bryan Murray is eager to reap the rewards of all the adversity his players and coaching staff overcame in 2012-13. For those with foggy memories, within the first month of the season the Senators lost Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson (Achilles tendon), Jason Spezza (back) and Jared Cowen (hip) with what were believed to be season-ending injuries (though all three would come back to play). Starting goaltender Craig Anderson (ankle) and top-line left wing Milan Michalek (knee) also sustained long-term injuries. Spezza and Karlsson were lost within a matter of days in late January, and Murray now can admit he didn't see how his team would be able to overcome blows like that and qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They not only qualified, but won a round for the first time in six years. Those "kids", Kyle Turris, Mika Zibanejad, Jakob Silfverberg, Patrick Wiercioch, Colin Greening, Zack Smith and others, filled roles they never were expected to fill, and some even younger players who weren't expected to reach the NHL last season took over the support roles that were vacated. Coach Paul MacLean made it all work by convincing his players they could win without the star power, and he was rewarded with the Jack Adams Trophy and a three-year contract extension. That was the underlying feeling following Ottawa's playoff elimination at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins: the best was yet to come. Unfortunately for Murray, the drama didn't end once the season was finished. In fact, the bulk of it only was beginning. Captain Daniel Alfredsson decided in late June he would come back to play one more season, except it would not be in Ottawa after an apparent misunderstanding or dispute, depending on which side you believe, led him to sign a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings. The fallout in Ottawa over Alfredsson's departure was massive, and still is, but the Senators were not left empty-handed as a result; far from it. Murray signed Clarke MacArthur away from the Toronto Maple Leafs for two years and $6.5 million, or $1 million more than Alfredsson’s 2013-14 salary-cap charge with the Red Wings. MacArthur had 28 goals with 35 assists for 63 points in 113 games the past two seasons while playing a second-line role in Toronto; Alfredsson's numbers the past two seasons were 37 goals and 48 assists for 85 points in 122 games. Alfredsson has been more productive and has a treasure chest of intangibles that practically is unmatched in the NHL. But under the circumstances, MacArthur appears to be an adequate replacement, especially considering that at 28, he's 12 years younger than Alfredsson. MacArthur's value as a replacement for Alfredsson becomes far greater in light of Murray's acquisition of Bobby Ryan from the Anaheim Ducks, a deal which cost him Silfverberg, top prospect Stefan Noesen and a first-round draft pick in 2014. Ryan gives the Senators their best pure goal-scoring talent since Dany Heatley left in 2009, and Murray is excited by the possibility of having Ryan team with Spezza and Michalek to form what could be one of the most potent offensive lines in the NHL. With the additions of Ryan and MacArthur countering the subtractions of Alfredsson and Silfverberg off the 2012-13 roster, and taking into account the continued development of Ottawa's young players, it would not be crazy to suggest the Senators will be a better team this season. Murray, for one, is very eager to find out. But one thing he learned from last season is not to assume anything, because things can change drastically midstream.

The Ottawa Senators had everyone questioning their ability to succeed last season, and they answered all of them with their play on the ice. But entering this season, the Senators have a number of questions, and many of them are linked to the adversity the team overcame to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season despite missing so many of its best players. Erik Karlsson's Achilles tendon injury was supposed to keep the defenseman off the ice until this season, but he worked extremely hard to make it back for the final three games of the regular season and the playoffs. It was a huge emotional lift for the Senators, and Karlsson had an immediate impact, playing at least 27 minutes in each of his three regular-season games and getting four assists. His first few games in the playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens were effective, but his play began to slip as the series went on and continued to deteriorate in a second-round loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was not the Erik Karlsson the Senators had grown accustomed to, and he knew it. That hesitancy had a major impact on Karlsson's play. Instead of just making the move that came naturally to him, he was taking a split second to consider whether or not he could pull it off; that split second was the difference between success and failure. The Senators traded the rights to Sergei Gonchar to the Dallas Stars prior to the opening of free agency, then were shocked when Daniel Alfredsson signed with the Detroit Red Wings once the market opened. In one fell swoop, 37 years of NHL experience left the organization. The Senators have gotten significantly younger as a result of Alfredsson and Gonchar leaving, but Murray said he is convinced there are enough veteran voices who remain to pick up the slack. In Alfredsson's absence, the Senators will have a new captain for the first time in 13 years. Spezza appears to be a natural candidate to take over, but Murray would not say whether that will be the case. Regardless, Spezza will be looked upon to take on a larger role in the leadership department. Bobby Ryan has played second fiddle to Anaheim Ducks stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry his entire NHL career, but now he will be looked upon to be a top goal-scorer for the Senators after Murray acquired him in a trade July 5. Murray gave up a lot, Jakob Silfverberg, prospect Stefan Noesen and a 2014 first-round draft pick, to acquire Ryan, and the GM is banking on the fact Ryan is ready to take this next step in his career. Craig Anderson's .941 save percentage and 1.69 goals-against average in 24 games last season represented one of the best seasons for a goaltender in modern history. If it weren't for an ankle injury that cost Anderson more than five weeks, he was in position to make history. His absence didn't derail his momentum, however. Anderson was dominant in the playoffs, playing a starring role in the Senators' five-game elimination of the Canadiens in the first round by stopping 171 of 180 shots (.950 save percentage). With the bar raised so high, how can Anderson possibly match it? Murray has little doubt. Hitting those same numbers this season may be a tad unrealistic for Anderson, considering no goalie in the modern era who has played more than 40 games has done it. But if Anderson is able to make goaltending an afterthought when he's in net like he did last season, he successfully will have maintained his level of play. The departures of Alfredsson and Gonchar created holes on the second forward line and second defense pairing. Each will be filled as a result of a training-camp battle. Kyle Turris and free-agent acquisition Clarke MacArthur are likely to play on Ottawa's second line, but who fills the remaining spot remains in question. Murray said the Senators would prefer keeping Mika Zibanejad at center, meaning he would be in the middle on the third line. So the candidates to fight for that second-line spot include Colin Greening, Cory Conacher and Zack Smith, who would move to the wing after spending most of last season at center. On defense, Karlsson and Marc Methot are set as the first pairing, but Cowen will need a partner on the second pairing. Murray said Patrick Wiercioch, who was signed to a three-year, $6 million contract in the offseason, is ready to take on that role. When Jason Spezza had back surgery Feb. 1, the role of No. 1 center fell to Kyle Turris. He had a difficult adjustment at first, with six assists with no goals in the 18 games following Spezza's surgery. But Turris finished the season with eight goals and eight assists in 23 games, and he shined in the playoffs with six goals and three assists in 10 games. With Spezza returning, Turris should be freed to face less difficult matchups and play the role he was brought in by Murray to play when he acquired him from the Phoenix Coyotes in 2011.


Tampa Bay Lightning - It's hard to imagine how the Tampa Bay Lightning finished out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth time in six years despite having the NHL's top two point-producers last season. But it happened. At age 38, Martin St. Louis with 60 points became the oldest player to win the Art Ross Trophy, and linemate Steven Stamkos finished second with 57. But their production contributed little to the success of the team; the Lightning finished 28th in the overall standings at 18-26-4. Offense wasn't the problem: The Lightning ranked third in the NHL averaging 3.06 goals per game. But they couldn't keep the puck out of their net, allowing 3.06 goals-per game to place 26th. A 6-1-0 start to the shortened season was followed by a 7-16-1 skid that cost coach Guy Boucher his job after two-plus seasons. Boucher's dismissal came one day after the Lightning fell behind by four goals in the first period of a 5-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators to drop to 13-17-1. Part of the problem was the Lightning allowed opponents to score first in 35 of 48 games. The Lightning were terrific in blowouts (10-3 in games decided by three or more goals), but poor in one-goal games (5-16; the five wins were the fewest of any team). It certainly wasn't what general manager Steve Yzerman envisioned entering the season, particularly when he felt he had bolstered the team's defense with the acquisition of goalie Anders Lindback and the signings of free-agent defensemen Sami Salo and Matt Carle. Yzerman named Jon Cooper, coach of the American Hockey League affiliate in Syracuse, as the eighth coach in Lightning history one day after firing Boucher. The change didn't help; Tampa Bay went 4-8-3 under Cooper, who had led the Lightning's prior AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, to the Calder Cup in 2012. Yzerman made his first major move of the offseason June 27 when he opted to use a compliance buyout on captain Vincent Lecavalier. The four-time All-Star, drafted No. 1 by the Lightning in 1998, helped the franchise win its only Stanley Cup in 2004 and scored a franchise-high 383 goals; he had 10 last season. The decision to buy out Lecavalier will cost the Lightning $32 million over 14 years, but it saved more than $7.7 million in salary-cap room for this season. With veteran goaltender Mathieu Garon not re-signed, there figures to be a battle for the No. 1 job between 6-foot-7 Ben Bishop and 6-foot-6 Anders Lindback. Yzerman acquired 26-year-old Bishop in April from the Senators in exchange for forward Cory Conacher and a 2013 fourth-round draft pick. Nine months earlier he brought in Lindback, 25, from the Nashville Predators. Bishop got most of the playing time after coming to Tampa Bay and received a two-year contract extension. Yzerman signed center Valtteri Filppula, right wing Geoff Walker and 2013 first-round draft pick Jonathan Drouin on July 5 to bolster the lineup. Filppula, who can play center or wing, was not signed to fill the void left by Lecavalier, according to Yzerman. There's no question training camp and the exhibition season will help Cooper gain a better grasp on potential lineups. For instance, are left wings Ondrej Palat and Pierre-Cedric Labrie, along with centers Alex Killorn and Tyler Johnson ready to take on bigger roles? Can Drouin, the No. 3 pick in the 2013 draft, have an immediate impact? Drouin's playmaking skills could earn him a spot with Stamkos (29 goals, 57 points) and St. Louis (17 goals, 60 points) on the top line. Defensively, Cooper likely will keep Victor Hedman and Sami Salo as his top pairing, followed by Carle and Radko Gudas, who was one of the biggest surprises of an otherwise disappointing season. After the top four, it gets a bit dicey; there's 34-year-old Eric Brewer, along with several young players in the mix, including Andrej Sustr, Mark Barberio, Slater Koekkoek and Nikita Nesterov. Rick Bowness, hired as an associate coach in June, will help provide Cooper with a foundation and stability on the back end. Additionally, Yzerman hired former University of Denver coach George Gwozdecky in August as an assistant coach in charge of the forwards and the power play. Keep in mind the Lighting made six picks at the draft on June 30: five forwards and a goalie. Yzerman said he feels the defense he has in place and those in the system are capable of getting the job done. The Lightning were one victory away from the Stanley Cup Final in 2011. Two-plus years later, they're picking up the pieces after back-to-back non-playoff seasons. But Yzerman said any setbacks the team hits are temporary.

After failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight year following a trip to the Eastern Conference Final in 2011, the Tampa Bay Lightning are undergoing a facelift. Goaltending and defense proved to be the team's biggest issues in 2012-13, when the Lightning dropped to 14th in the East. That earned them the third pick in the NHL Draft, which they used to select forward Jonathan Drouin of the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Drouin figures to get every chance to spend the season with Tampa Bay. One reason there's an opening is general manager Steve Yzerman made the tough decision to use one of his compliance buyouts on captain Vincent Lecavalier after 14 years with the organization. Yzerman, entering his fourth season as GM, said changes had to be made after back-to-back disappointing seasons. Since he scored 24 goals and 70 points in 2009-10 with the Lightning, Lecavalier's offensive numbers have declined. Though it wasn't an easy decision, the buyout was necessary in order to give the Lightning room to upgrade the roster and allow top prospects a chance to prove themselves. Tampa Bay should be fine offensively: The Lightning were third in the NHL with 147 non-shootout goals last season; Lecavalier scored 10 of them. Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis will lead the offense again, and youngsters Brett Connolly, Richard Panik and Drouin figure to get the chance to step up in Lecavalier's place. In Jon Cooper's first full season behind the bench, it's critical he have his players on the same page, especially when it comes to shutting down the opposition. The Lightning surrendered 147 non-shootout goals last season, putting them in the bottom five in goals allowed. Cooper considers himself a players' coach who's more worried about how his team is playing than what the opposition is trying to do. During Yzerman's state of the team address to season-ticket holders in July, the GM said Martin St. Louis still has a lot of seasons remaining in his 38-year-old body. Whether that's news to St. Louis remains to be seen, but Yzerman is hopeful. The departure of Lecavalier, Tampa Bay's captain since 2008-09, leaves St. Louis as the lone member of the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup-winning team. St. Louis has been with the Lightning since 2000, and has 336 goals, 556 assists and 892 points in 910 regular-season games, and has always been the voice of reason in good times and bad within the dressing room. Getting the "C" would be an honor for a player whose No. 26 will be raised to the rafters of the Tampa Bay Times Forum soon after he retires. The other possibility is Stamkos, the NHL's top goal-scorer during the past four seasons. Making Stamkos the captain would follow the trend of giving the "C" to the young, face of the franchise star. Yzerman said the ninth captain in the organization's history is likely to be named during training camp. Don't be surprised if St. Louis is given the nod. The competition between Ben Bishop and Anders Lindback begins in earnest during training camp in September. Yzerman acquired each goalies via trade and paid a big price, so neither figures to get preferential treatment. Yzerman sent a pair of 2012 second-round picks, a 2013 third-rounder and goaltender Sebastian Caron to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Lindback, forward Kyle Wilson and a 2012 seventh-round pick in June 2012. Yzerman traded forward Cory Conacher and a 2013 fourth-round pick in exchange for Bishop, then signed him to a two-year contract extension. The organization likes what it sees in Jonathan Drouin. He brings great skill and hockey sense, and the fact Yzerman signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract five days after selecting him with the third pick in the 2013 NHL Draft speaks volumes. Drouin skated in 82 games in two seasons for the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and had 48 goals, 134 points and a plus-43 rating. He played in 34 playoff games, connecting for 21 goals and 61 points and helping the Mooseheads win the Memorial Cup in May. There doesn't appear to be much left for him to accomplish in juniors. The Lightning passed on the draft's top defensive prospect, Seth Jones, to take Drouin, so the odds of him being returned to the Canadian Hockey League following his nine-game trial with the Lightning would appear to be slim. Look for Cooper to experiment with Drouin on the top line alongside Stamkos and St. Louis. The coach might also use Drouin with free-agent signee Valtteri Filppula at center and Teddy Purcell on right wing. Tampa Bay appears to have a good mix of youth and experience in Cooper's first full season behind the bench. To help him, Yzerman added veteran Rick Bowness as an associate coach and former University of Denver coach George Gwozdecky as an assistant. Bowness spent the previous seven seasons with the Vancouver Canucks as an assistant and associate coach, primarily working with the defense. The team reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in all but one of his seasons in Vancouver and appeared in the 2011 Cup Final.


Toronto Maple Leafs - The Toronto Maple Leafs have to prove that snapping a nine-year Stanley Cup Playoff drought in a lockout-shortened season was the first step toward becoming a perennial contender, not a detour on what since 2004 has been their seemingly never-ending road to mediocrity. First, they're going to have to get over the heartbreak of how last season came to a stunning and crushing halt. The Maple Leafs had a three-goal lead in the third period of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Boston Bruins, but blew it and eventually lost in overtime. Toronto GM Dave Nonis and Carlyle said the franchise has done its post-mortem on that loss and has moved on, but they should expect a deluge of questions about that meltdown from the inquisitive Toronto media on the first day of training camp. What about when it comes up in training camp? How will the players handle retracing the steps that led to that rugged ending? Nonis clearly thinks building on last season, when they finished fifth in the Eastern Conference with 57 points and at least took the eventual Eastern Conference champions to overtime in Game 7 on the road, starts with adding experienced, gritty players to the lineup. Dave Bolland, acquired in a trade June 30, won the Stanley Cup twice with the Chicago Blackhawks, and his last significant contribution was the Cup-clinching goal late in the third period of Game 6 in Boston on June 24. David Clarkson, signed to a seven-year deal July 5, scored 30 goals for the New Jersey Devils two seasons ago, when he helped them get to the Stanley Cup Final. He had 15 goals in 48 games last season. They each fit the profile of a Randy Carlyle-type player because they're tough, don't back down, play well at both ends of the ice and go to the front of the net, especially Clarkson. Bolland likely is ticketed for a third-line role, but Carlyle said he would be comfortable moving him up in the lineup. Carlyle and Nonis cited Bolland's numbers as a junior player for the London Knights (130 points in 59 games in 2005-06) as a sign he can provide more offense than he has so far in the NHL (168 points in 332 regular-season games). Nor do the Maple Leafs view James Reimer as their clear-cut No. 1 goalie anymore. That changed June 23, when Nonis traded Matt Frattin and Ben Scrivens to the Los Angeles Kings for Jonathan Bernier, who won nine games with a 1.88 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in a backup role last season. Bernier wasn't going to beat out Jonathan Quick to be the No. 1 in Los Angeles, but he'll be given that chance in Toronto, where Reimer put up 19 wins, a 2.46 GAA and .924 save percentage last season. They actually did last season for the Maple Leafs, who reached their realistic goal of qualifying for the playoffs. The plan this season is to show they can do it in an 82-game season. Toronto's team hasn't done that since 2003-04.

The Toronto Maple Leafs ended their NHL-long nine-year Stanley Cup Playoff drought last season, but they bowed out of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in heartbreaking fashion with a meltdown in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins. After licking their wounds, the Maple Leafs got back up and had an interesting summer filled with transactions that drew praise and scorn across the NHL, but specifically in Toronto. They want to believe they're on the right path with the type of tough, physical, no-holds-barred team Randy Carlyle loves to coach, but several questions face this team as it heads into 2013-14. James Reimer was good enough last season to help get Toronto into the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2004. To reward Reimer, general manager Dave Nonis brought in a competitor for his job. Jonathan Bernier long has been considered No. 1 material, but because he was playing behind Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles, he never got the chance on a full-time basis. He'll have to earn it in Toronto, but his chances of becoming a No. 1 with the Maple Leafs are much better than they were in L.A. Reimer was solid, but not by any means spectacular last season, with 19 wins, a 2.46 goals-against average, a .924 save percentage and four shutouts. Bernier, in limited action with the Kings, won nine times in 14 games and had a 1.88 GAA and .922 save percentage. No one is saying the Maple Leafs have to name a No. 1 goalie coming out of training camp, because it's always good to have two goalies you trust for an 82-game season. If all goes according to plan, Reimer and Bernier will push each other and perhaps have a near-even split in playing time throughout the season. However, if the Maple Leafs want not only to make the playoffs, but do some damage once they get there, they're going to need one of their goalies to emerge as a No. 1. It should be a compelling competition to watch. It's a good thing Nonis got his five-year contract extension before having to make this happen, because it's a head-scratcher. Nazem Kadri and Cody Franson are restricted free agents who are due raises, but the Maple Leafs have a shade under $5 million in salary-cap space to work with, according to Capgeek.com. Nonis told NHL.com last week he thinks the Maple Leafs have enough room under the salary cap to get both players signed in time for training camp, but said there have been quiet periods in the negotiations and there was nothing to update. Reports surfaced in lat July, starting with TSN's Darren Dreger, that Nonis could be looking to trade Franson. It hasn't happened yet and there has been no indicator anything is close, but Nonis has to at least be considering it. Franson, who is 26 years old and coming off his best season (29 points in 45 games), is an intriguing option for any team. Nonis, though, potentially could get both under contract if he can convince Kadri, who is 22 years old, to accept a bridge deal similar to what Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban signed in January. This usually is a two-year contract with a reasonable cap number (under $3 million) that incentivizes the player to play well so he can land his big contract in his next deal, when the salary cap is expected to be higher than the $64.3 million it will be this season. Even though Nonis said David Clarkson isn't expected to score 30, the GM wouldn't have signed him for seven years if he didn't think the power forward had it in him to do it. Clarkson became a 30-goal scorer in 2011-12, and had 15 goals in 48 games last season with the New Jersey Devils. He landed a seven-year, $36.75 million contract with Toronto on July 5 and immediately drew comparisons to former Maple Leafs power forward Wendel Clark, who was a four-time 30-goal scorer for Toronto, reaching a high of 46 in 1993-94. Clarkson embraced the comparisons to Clark, his favorite player growing up in the Toronto suburb of Mimico, Ontario. Now Clarkson has to embrace the pressure that comes along with being the player who is supposed to be the new Clark in blue and white. The plan, at least heading into camp, is to see if Clarkson can develop chemistry with Kadri. The Maple Leafs also brought back Tyler Bozak, who likely will resume his duties as the top-line center, flanked by Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk. That leaves Kadri, Clarkson and perhaps Joffrey Lupul as a second line that has the potential to be dangerous, provided Clarkson finds his scoring touch and doesn't abandon the other powerful and antagonizing areas of his game that make him the power forward he is. After going through a trying season, one split between the NHL and American Hockey League that included a concussion that derailed him for longer than he anticipated, Jake Gardiner was one of Toronto's best players during the final six games against the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. He looked like a better version of the player who had 30 points in 75 games as a rookie in 2011-12. He was nothing close to the player who was inconsistent in 12 games with the Maple Leafs during the 2012-13 regular season. Gardiner used his speed, touch, defensive acumen and strong skating ability to produce five points in six playoff games, and left Toronto after the heartbreaking loss in Game 7 with renewed confidence and a sense of belonging. Perhaps the best part about his game was that he was willing to take some risks again, something that was missing during the regular season. It absolutely was necessary for Gardiner to end on a high note after all he went through last season. He needed a surge of positivity going into the offseason, and now he's ready to be a difference-maker with the Maple Leafs. Nonis made a surprising comment shortly after trading for Bolland at the 2013 NHL Draft on June 30. He said he thought Dave Bolland, who scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal for the Chicago Blackhawks, could do more offensively if given a chance in a higher-profile role. He cited Bolland's numbers in the Ontario Hockey League, when he had 130 points in 65 games with the London Knights in 2005-06. Maybe Nonis was choosing to overlook the fact that when healthy during the 2012-13 regular season, Bolland primarily was the Blackhawks No. 2 center, with Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp on his wings, and produced seven goals and 14 points. Bolland was shifted down the lineup in the playoffs and was a more effective player. Toronto would welcome more production from Bolland, who has scored 19 goals twice in his career and had a personal-best 46 points in 2008-09, but odds are he'll still be playing center on the third line, unless Bozak and/or Kadri stumble. The good thing is the Maple Leafs have seen enough to believe Bolland can move up to a scoring line if necessary, but he's most effective when he's in a checking-line role. Chicago used him that way in 2010 and in the playoffs last season, and that's why he's a two-time Cup champion. The Maple Leafs should not try to make Bolland abandon what he does best, but he's good enough to deliver a fair amount of secondary scoring, and maybe that's what Nonis was going for in the first place. The right answer will depend on how Morgan Rielly performs in training camp. The only thing known for sure is the defenseman isn't old enough to start the season in the AHL with the Marlies, so it's either the NHL or back to the Western Hockey League for the 19-year-old, who was the Maple Leafs' first-round pick (No. 5) in 2012. If Rielly impresses, the Maple Leafs likely will keep him on the NHL roster at the start of the season;  they can afford to give him a nine-game tryout before the clock starts running on his entry-level contract. That should be enough time to see if he's ready for the NHL. In addition, if Rielly is good in camp, Nonis would have to make difficult decisions on which players to keep on the blue line, and that calls into question the futures of Paul Ranger, Mark Fraser, Korbinian Holzer, T.J. Brennan and maybe John-Michael Liles. If Rielly falters, the easy decision would be to send him back to the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL. It wouldn't be a terrible thing because Rielly would return as an older player on a younger team, which would give him a chance to develop leadership skills that could prove useful down the road in Toronto. However, Maple Leafs executives aren't sure if another season in the WHL would do anything for Rielly. He was a near point-per-game player for Moose Jaw last season and they're not sure he needs more time developing at the junior level.