Toronto has firepower up front and depth at every position, except in net. What do they have and what does Toronto still need? Here's a look.
Toronto has firepower up front and depth at every position, except in net. What do they have and what does Toronto still need? Here's a look.
Toronto's roster reads like a national team selection camp. That's a compliment to the work Gina Kingsbury, Troy Ryan, and their team did during free agency and at the draft. You'd be hard pressed to find a deeper roster in the league to this point, although there's still work to be done.
Offensive Weapons Are Abundant
Rolling out a top line of Sarah Nurse, Natalie Spooner, and Victoria Bach will frighten opponents. Bach is a dark horse to lead this team in scoring as her game is likely better suited to the professional ranks than Canada's national program, which is why she could surprise many. When you can come back with Blayre Turnbull, Emma Maltais, and Jesse Compher however, it's depth that's hard to match, not to mention this second line will be incredibly in your face and difficult to play against. Brittany Howard and Hannah Miller can easily step into top six roles as both are highly skilled and can score at will. In fact it would not be surprising to see some shuffling even if it means putting Turnbull and Maltais into the checking roles they've thrived in at the national level.
Six Solid Defenders
Jocelyne Larocque and Renata Fast are a one-two punch no team in the league can challenge. Bringing in Kali Flanagan, Olivia Knowles, and Allie Munroe from the PHF was a stroke of genius, as Toronto stole top pairing blueliners from the league to pad their second pairing, and Flanagan will certainly be a powerplay asset. A few eyebrows were raised when Kingsbury dove in to take Mellissa Channell, particularly with four rounds remaining, but Ryan and Kingsbury obviously feel they know the veteran well enough. Knowles is the youngest defender at 24, so it would not be surprising to see Toronto target a young blueline to challenge for their 6th spot. Saroya Tinker is the obvious spot who could walk in, play meaningful bottom pairing minutes, kill penalties, and would be a boon for building their fan base as one of the most beloved players in pro hockey.
Who will challenge Campbell?
Kingsbury remained faithful to Campbell only 48 hours after Campbell allowed four goals on eight shots, before Corinne Schroeder stepped into the net and made 16 challenging saves at Canada's national team camp. Campbell is one of the best in the business, and will have the chance to prove herself a starter in the PWHL after sitting as Canada's third string goaltender since graduating from the NCAA. There are plenty of veteran options out there to secure Toronto's crease and push Campbell however. The most obvious is future Hockey Hall of Famer Noora Raty. It would seem criminal to see Raty outside this league, and she'd likely be happy on a one-year deal. Alex Cavallini and Maddie Rooney are the other veterans out there, although it's unknown if Cavallini will want to move to Canada with an infant under one at home. There are plenty of PHF, SDHL, and PWHPA goalies available, but Raty and Rooney make the most sense. The good news is, there is no other competition for a backup goalie, so netminders will be lining up for a chance in Toronto.