The Maple Leafs will get an early on-ice look at their 2019 first draft pick, Nick Robertson.
The California-born Peterborough Petes centre-winger, chosen 53rd overall in Vancouver on Saturday night, and five of the club’s six picks on the weekend, will be part of 36 prospects at the Ford Performance Centre starting Tuesday for the club’s annual development camp.
Fourteen of the 24 Leafs who finished last season had attended a development camp in the past. Another native Californian, the un-drafted Trevor Moore, parlayed a strong 2016 development camp into an entry level contract and saw NHL time last season.
The 18 forwards, 14 defencemen and four goalies gathered Monday for medicals and will be practising in two groups starting Tuesday at the Mastercard Centre, culminating with a scrimmage game on Saturday. They include previous draft picks and some international free agents such as Danish defenceman Oliver Larson, Austrian forward Lukas Haudum and two players from Belarus who played last year in the WHL, forward Vladimir Alistrov and defenceman Sergei Sapego. Another Californian, Devin Cooley, joins netminders Ian Scott, Zachary Bouthillier and Joseph Woll.
Director of Player Development Scott Pellerin will oversee the camp with new assistant coach Paul McFarland and Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
