Three Maple Leafs Facing Crucial Season as Time in Toronto May Be Running Out

There are a ton of questions surround the Toronto Maple Leafs this upcoming season, as the loss of Mitch Marner plus the new additions leave a lot of fans wondering how the team is going to adapt, and if they can handle the suddenly brutal Atlantic Division.

But the biggest comes with their roster fit, as they have a logjam up the middle, and there is no real solution without a trade or a contract buyout.

Three names in particular stand out when it comes to needing to make an impact this season: Nick Robertson, David Kampf, and Calle Jarnkrok.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fooled three times? For the Maple Leafs, it might just be the case if polarizing forward Nick Robertson can't get his footing underneath him.

Re-signed after nearly going to an arbitrator, he's making quite a bit of money and though he's shown glimpses of brilliance, his hot and cold streaks leave a lot to be desired.

So he's got one last chance really. If he can come in and impact the team by scoring 20+ goals, adding more defense and physicality and maybe be a surprise playoff performer then he'll earn a big extension and finally be a firm part of the lineup.

That's a lot to ask from Robertson though, and history hasn't been too kind to him. He's seemingly lost favor with two coaches, and if he can't find a fit in this new lineup; where does he go?

A great trade piece, the team might not want to give up on him now, but if they can bring in a for sure thing then perhaps it's a risk worth taking.

He'll have every chance to earn a spot in the lineup, but if Nick Robertson decides to show up randomly, it might be the end of his time in Toronto.

Well, it may seem a bit fruitless but it seems like if anything, both Kampf and Jarnkrok are going to be fighting for the last spot on the team.

For what it's worth, both can offer something to the team but they are going to really have to go above and beyond in order to do so. Jarnkrok has an excuse for only playing 19 games last year; he was recovering from surgery.

But Kampf fell off a cliff, and found himself a healthy scratch in the playoffs. Paying a guy $2.4-million to sit in the press box is rough, and with no suitable buyers it'll be up to Kampf to prove he belongs.

Jarnkrok is older, but makes less money and offers more versatility up and down the lineup, but Kampf also offers solid defensive and penalty killing metrics.

It's really a crapshoot, but to some it sounds like Jarnkrok might be the better option given the flexibility and cost, but it's harder to find a spot for Kampf.

Jarnkrok had seven points last season in those 19 games (1 goal, 6 assists) meanwhile Kampf had 13 points in 59 games (5 goals, 8 assists).

They are going to have stiff competition in training camp with Michael Pezzetta, Jacob Quillan, Easton Cowan, or even dark horses like Ben King could make a play.

So the onus now lies on both Kampf and Jarnkrok, because their spot is anything but secured, so better now than never to make sure they stick around.