Leafs waive enforcers Orr, McLaren
Posted October 6, 2014 2:03 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto Maple Leafs first-round draft pick William Nylander will not start the 2014-15 season in the NHL. The team announced Monday he will be reassigned.
Nylander will head back home to join Modo in Sweden. The 18-year-old was selected eighth overall at the 2014 NHL Draft in June and made some positive strides in his development through training camp.
“He showed that he has the skill set to play at the NHL pace in exhibition [but] he’s got to get stronger; he’s got to find a way to score on his opportunities–because he had three or four breakaways–and just to basically stay the course, not to go back [to Sweden] and think that it’s going to be easy,” Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle told reporters.
“It’s going to be a tough league and he’s going to be expected to develop at a higher level and we think that that’s best for him at this stage of his career. You always caution yourself with young players; you want to make sure you’re making the decision that’s best suited for their long-term growth.”
The Leafs also placed forwards Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren, plus defenceman Korbinian Holzer on waivers with the purpose of sending them down to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.
Orr registered 110 penalty minutes and a minus-3 rating in 54 games last season, while McLaren had 77 penalty minutes and a minus-2 rating in 27 games. Neither registered a point.
“We believe that we have to be team tough,” Carlyle said. “Because those players are not on our list today doesn’t mean they won’t be on our list Friday or Saturday or the day after or whatever.”
