As we near the start of the NHL preseason, we';ve started to see players get
snatched up for professional tryouts (PTO). There are still many free agents
left unsigned that, at this point, just want a chance to stay in the league and
 there are teams that either want to try and fill a few holes in their roster
or just fill out their preseason roster.

PTO';s are a great way for teams to get a first-hand look at a player and
decide if there';s a fit for them on the team. For the Toronto Maple Leafs, the
 biggest question marks are in the bottom six of their forward group. Kasperi
Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson are expected to make the lineup, but we';ve yet to
 see a full season from them at the NHL level. Then there';s also Josh Leivo,
Tyler Ennis and Par Lindholm that will compete for spots, but nobody can say
for certain whether they are locks for a spot.

Now if the Maple Leafs were to give these players a PTO it would give the team
some added security in case any of the above-mentioned players fail to impress
during training camp and the preseason.Nick Shore

If the Maple Leafs don';t want any specific type of player, but one that can
fill in as a great depth option, then Nick Shore is a great PTO target.(Amy
Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Shore had a career-high in points last season, 19 points in 64 games while
splitting time between three teams. He started the year with the Los Angeles
Kings, the team that drafted him back in 2011, but then was part of the trade
with the Ottawa Senators that sent Dion Phaneuf and Nate Thompson to Southern
California in exchange for Shore and Marian Gaborik. Then, a short time later,
Shore was flipped to the Calgary Flames for a seventh-round draft pick in
2019.Related - Predicting PTOs: 70 Potential Tryouts

The positives for Shore are that he';s no stranger to killing penalties and has
 fantastic Corsi numbers, which he';s consistently had for his whole career.
The downside is that he isn';t spectacular on faceoffs, which is something that
 coach Mike Babcock highly values in centers.

The Maple Leafs fourth line has always been questionable defensively, but with
Shore, they can add a player that will immediately make the bottom of their
lineup better.Antoine Vermette

Now on the opposite end, if the Maple Leafs just wanted a player that can do
one specific thing really well, then Antoine Vermette might be the guy. With
how stacked the Leafs'; center-ice depth is with John Tavares, Auston Matthews
and Nazem Kadri all vying for ice-time, it';s likely that the fourth line will
probably average around 10 minutes per night.

Vermette';s age seems to be catching up with him at 36 years old as he only
averaged 13:45 of ice-time with the Anaheim Ducks last season and he had just
16 points in 64 games, which is the fewest amount of points Vermette';s posted
in a season since his rookie year.Antoine Vermette, Anaheim Ducks, Oct. 24,
2017 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

So why would the Maple Leafs need an aging player like Vermette? Well, if they
only play their fourth line a few minutes a night, then he could be a great
addition to the roster, as the main reason for getting Vermette is his faceoff
ability. Vermette has consistently been one of the best at faceoffs in the NHL
- last season, he was tied with Ryan O';Reilly for the best faceoff percentage
in the NHL, in players with over 100 faceoffs taken, with a faceoff win
percentage (FOW%) of 60.0.

Pair Vermette with two fast wingers that can get the puck out of the defensive
zone and the Maple Leafs will never have a problem with the fourth line getting
 stuck in their own zone again.Mike Cammalleri

With James van Riemsdyk gone it means that the Maple Leafs'; left wing got a
lot weaker. Now we are assuming that Johnsson or Leivo can fill in the third
line minutes and contribute some goals, but it might be good to bring in
another winger in case they don';t live up to expectations.

Mike Cammalleri is a really interesting option for a PTO as he';s still
contributing at a third-line level despite being 36 years old. He had 29 points
 in 66 games last season while splitting time between the Kings and the
Edmonton Oilers. The interesting part is when you look at his numbers with each
 team.Oilers forward Michael Cammalleri (Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)

In 15 games with the Kings, Cammalleri had seven points, which isn';t bad. Now
with the Oilers, who were terrible last season, he posted 22 points in 51
games, which honestly isn';t awful when you account for how the Oilers
played.Related - NHL Rumors: Trouba, Zetterberg, Cammalleri & More

Bringing in Cammalleri can help to take the pressure off of players like
Johnsson, and, with good linemates, I believe that he could be a 40-point
player again. Cammalleri would be a cheap option to add scoring depth to an
already stacked forward group.

The post 3 Maple Leafs PTO Targets appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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