New PK Units Could Signal the End for Two Familiar Maple Leafs Forwards
Photo credit: Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff
Toronto rolled out some new PK units during training camp on Friday, and it could be the end for two veterans who see themselves left out of their old positions.
When we heard about Craig Berube changing up some things now with Mitch Marner gone, it extended past the regular 5v5 lineup and a whole slew of adjustments were made.
New assistant coach Derek Lalonde has his fingerprints all over the new-look lines that are going to bring a ton of intrigue.
But there's still some players who would fit the PK role, however it seems that with practice on Friday they are on the outside looking in; mainly Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf.
Craig Berube's New PK Units Leave Kämpf and Järnkrok on the Outside Looking In
The new-look PK had a lot of emphasis on not only adding some serious defensive forwards, but a ton of size as well:
Knies - Matthews
Joshua - Roy
Lorentz - Laughton
McMann - Nylander
Joshua - Roy
Lorentz - Laughton
McMann - Nylander
You have Matthews, a Selke candidate alongside Knies who is a bruising and punishing power forward who is more than capable defensively.
Newcomers Nic Roy and Dakota Joshua take the reins on the second line, and again you're looking at two huge bruising forwards who are going to make life difficult for opponents.
Finally rounding things out are Lorentz and Laughton, who are going to hit everything that moves and are both more than above average defensively.
While not utilized a lot, William Nylander and Bobby McMann getting some time proves that Toronto is going to utilize all of their stars (minus seemingly John Tavares) to kill penalties.
What This Could Mean for Toronto's Roster Decisions Moving Forward
Well, there's a clear absence of both Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf, two players who were extensively used on the PK over the last few seasons and whose roles get even further diminished with these new lines.
In the case of Jarnkrok at least he has some versatility offensively and can move up and down the lineup however Kampf is certainly a defensive first player who is glued to only a few specific roles.
His job was already in jeopardy with Easton Cowan putting in a very strong effort in camp, and with the team already looking at potential buyers; his time could be short lived.
It's clear that the new game plan is utilizing their stars and creating a more balanced team overall, with guys who can be dangerous on both sides of the puck.
For David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok, it looks like they aren't going to be part of that new game plan after all.
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