Battle For Spots On The Blueline Heat Up In Leafs Camp

There was a time when defencemen like Ian White were considered too small for the National Hockey League.   That was when clutching, grabbing and intense physical battles for position in front of the net were the focus of a blueliner’s game.  

But the new N.H.L. has changed the landscape, and suddenly players like White, who is 5’10”, are not only being considered for jobs, but are more and more revered for their ability to move the puck and anchor the transition game.  

White is currently in the running of a tight race for a spot on the Leafs’ blueline.   He’s currently up against Andy Wozniewski and Jay Harrison, all of whom are getting a good looking-over from head coach Paul Maurice.  

Bryan McCabe, Tomas Kaberle, Hal Gill and Pavel Kubina are the shoe-ins, but competition for the remaining spots became even more intense when Carlo Colaiacovo fell ill and Staffan Kronwall and Brendan Bell went down with injuries during the pre-season.

White, 22, would be Toronto’s smallest defenceman, but he knows that doesn’t mean what it once used to.  

“In this day and age, you’ve got to be able to bring the puck out of your own end and make plays,” White said Tuesday. “The league has changed a lot.

“Even the big guys, they’ve got to be able to move the puck now. A lot of the clutching and grabbing is gone so a guy has to be able to make plays — that’s the long and short of it.”

So far, Maurice is impressed.

“I think his game is better here than it is at the AHL level,” he says of White.   “If players can use those kinds of skills, it doesn’t matter how big they are or how much they weigh.”

Wozniewski, 26, doesn’t have to worry about size. He’s a mammoth six-foot-five, 225-pounds, and as Maurice can attest, he’s not weighed down by his girth.  

“We played him very close to 30 minutes a game in three (exhibition) games in three nights and he’s as strong as an ox,” says Maurice. “He’s fit and can continue that pace.

“He doesn’t move necessarily with the same ease that Kaberle or White do across the blue-line but very few men that big can move as well as he does. Woz moves well for a big man.”

Harrison, 23, appeared in eight NHL games last season, and he’s worked hard to improve his speed in the off-season.

“When you fall behind half a step you’re penalized for it more than ever and it’s costly,” he said. “You simply can’t afford to be a liability.

“Systems of play in the NHL are at a lot higher pace than in the AHL. You’ve got to really step up to get into that upper echelon of talent.

“I definitely would like to join the ranks of those guys who’ve made the jump,” said Harrison. “It’s something I’ve dreamt about and wanted and have been working towards.

“Hopefully, things will come together and I can make it a reality.”