Leafs predictions for upcoming season

Easton Cowan will make the Leafs roster this fall.

Here's a few summer predictions for the Leafs this upcoming season. Enjoy.

Easton Cowan makes significant impact

Cowboy has become the talk of the town in T.O. and for good reason. The big question: Will the reigning OHL most outstanding player and playoff MVP make the team next season? I not only think he'll make the team, he'll flourish and will be among the top five to seven rookies who will receive votes for rookie of the year.

Let's get the obvious out of the way, shall we? Yes, he's 19 years old and yes, the jump to the NHL is a massive one for junior hockey players. But what makes me confident about Cowan is two-fold. A) Cowan was one of the last cuts at camp last year and it really boosted his confidence overall, knowing he's close to making the jump. B) I think the organization understands what they have here. He's legit and he's too good for the OHL.

Alex Steeves makes roster out of camp

After brief cups of coffee with the Leafs since signing with the club back in 2001, Alex Steeves hasn't quite made his mark with the big club. However, the 24-year-old left winger has certainly fit in well with the Marlies over the past three seasons, especially last year where he netted 27 goals and 57 points in 65 regular season games with the Leafs affiliate.

Currently, Steeves has two things going for him: a golden opportunity to grab a spot on a Leafs' left side that lost Tyler Bertuzzi during the summer and a new head coach in Craig Berube who you'd like to think would appreciate Steeves' aggressive north-south style.

The knock on Steeves has always been his foot speed, but in my opinion, he didn't look out of place in his lone game with the Leafs last season. I have him breaking camp with the big club after all is said and done.

Connor Dewar establishes himself as a key Berube type of guy

There's just something about this guy that I like and I think Berube will slowly begin to trust and rely on the 25-year-old feisty forward from The Pas, Manitoba as the year progresses.

His relentless work ethic is evident when you watch him play. He's not overly big (listed at 5-foot-10, 183 pounds) and he's not overly physical, but he seems to routinely be on the 'right side' of the puck and that 'dog on a bone' mentality will mesh well with what Berube is looking for on a nightly basis from his bottom six.

Berube is known for creating roles and making every player on his teams feel important. I predict 'Dewey' will become a primary penalty killer on the team and play a key role in late game situations when protecting leads. A sneaky solid addition by Leafs GM Brad Treliving at the deadline last season.

Opening night forward lineup

Here's my best guess on the forward lineup as of this writing.

Knies - Matthews - Nylander

McMann - Tavares - Marner

Cowan - Domi - Jarnkrok

Robertson - Kampf - Dewar

Extra:

Steeves

Waivers:

Reaves