Young blueliner appears to be winning Sheldon Keefe over at training camp
With Timothy Liljegren out until the end of October at the earliest, Jordie Benn and Victor Mete are battling it out to see who will be able to secure a spot on the NHL roster for opening night. Right now, Mete appears to have the inside edge. Why? Because he has played both the left and right side his entire career and he is a more fluid skater than Benn. While Benn replaces some of the physicality that left when llya Lyubushkin departed for Buffalo, Mete, 24, plays a similar style to Liljegren and is a much better skater than Benn.
After signing a 1-year, league minimum deal in July, Mete was seen as a depth signing that could end up playing top pairing minutes with the Marlies if he cleared waivers, but given the injuries on the blueline, Mete could be the beneficiary.
"Looking at the lineup, I figure if I can maybe make a spot, whether it's on the left side or right side, it gives me options."
- Mete on potentially securing a roster spot in camp with the injuries to Muzzin and Liljegren
- Mete on potentially securing a roster spot in camp with the injuries to Muzzin and Liljegren
During practice last week, Keefe was impressed with Mete's ability to distribute the puck during power play drills, particularly on his off side.
"What I like about Mete is he uses his feet to get himself out of trouble. The times he was in bad spots where he used his feet to get us into a good space and keep the play alive or use his feet to kill a play. When you are on your off side you end up getting into trouble more frequently."
-Keefe on Mete's play during the first week of camp
-Keefe on Mete's play during the first week of camp
As long as Mete continues to impress, he should find himself on the Leafs' third pairing come opening night.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 27 | 135 ANSWERS Young blueliner appears to be winning Sheldon Keefe over at training camp Will Victor Mete be on the Leafs' opening night roster? | ||
| Yes | 80 | 59.3 % |
| No | 55 | 40.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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