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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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Babcock's birthday barometer

Expectations have grown for the young Maple Leafs and head coach Mike Babcock wasn't backing away from that during his news conference on the opening day of training camp. “We’re an improved team talent-wise from last year, experience-wise from last year, we've done more and now we'd like to take a step,” he said. 

Optimism was everywhere as Toronto players reported for medicals on Thursday. And while Babcock was quick to note this remains a process, the coach is certainly not hiding his excitement.   

“I always used to say, if you're playing on my birthday then you've had a good year, that means you're starting the third round,” Babcock said. "I haven't seen a third round, I can't even remember how long it's been for me." The veteran bench boss, born on April 29, 1963, then grinned at the assembled reporters. "I missed you guys so much we're going to play longer in the spring so I can see you more." 

Babcock hasn't guided a team to the NHL's final four since the 2008-09 season when the Detroit Red Wings reached the Stanley Cup final for the second straight year. There is hope the Leafs may take a step in that direction this year. "We've improved our depth up front," Babcock noted. "There's too many NHL forwards for the amount of spots. I think that's key. Any good teams I've coached before there's always too many players for the amount of spots. We're much deeper on the back end as well and we're going to see that play out at camp."

Managing expectations  

Babcock was on hand for some of the informal skates and scrimmages leading into training camp and liked what he saw. "It's pretty evident that guys got to work after we lost out," he said. "They've done the work for sure. It showed in their fitness tests thus far and I think it's going to show on the ice."

Veteran free-agent acquisition Patrick Marleau was also impressed by the approach of his new, younger teammates. "What I like to see is that even in the summer skates, the compete level, if those guys lose the puck they want the puck back right away and that's something you can win games with," the former San Jose Shark said. "The atmosphere around the team right now is something special and something that can be built on and I want to be part of that."

Among the players lauded by Babcock for having a big summer was Nazem Kadri. Off the ice, he remains among the more quotable players and wasn't backing away from the expectations question. "Teams know that the Maple Leafs are serious this year. We want to hang with the best and we certainly believe we can do that," he said. "We're built to make a playoff run and at the end of the day that's what we want to do."

Even Lou Lamoriello admitted he was pumped for the coming campaign. "I'm excited," the Leafs GM said. "I think our players are excited, but you have to temper that. The season that we had last year was a real good season and a good playoff, but we did not win. We're still in the growing (phase). Now, how far have we grown? We feel really good about what our players did this summer."

Improvements by Matthews, Marner 

* One by one the Leafs players met with the media on Thursday and noted improvements they hoped to make or had made in the off-season. 

"I can be a little more assertive at times," said Calder Trophy winner Auston Matthews, "wanting the puck a little bit more and trusting my skills. There's definitely a lot of stuff you can work on and see and transition that over into Year 2."

"Just trying to get faster and quicker off starts," said Mitch Marner, who put on a couple pounds of muscle in the off-season. "That's a major thing that I noticed: how quick people are getting off the start, first couple strides here in the NHL and that's what I focused on in the summer."

The growth of the young core is one reason why the Leafs are expected to take a step forward this season. It will be up to more experienced types like Morgan Rielly and James van Riemsdyk to help keep the group focused and ensure nobody gets carried away. 

"We're happy with some strides forward we took last year," Rielly noted, "but when you look back on it, I mean, I think we made the playoffs on the (second) last day of the year and lost in the first round so, you know, we got a long way to go and we're all aware of that."

Added van Riemsdyk, "It doesn't matter how much buzz or hype or positivity you have around your group, you still have to go out and prove it on the ice every night so hopefully we're ready to do that."

Marleau's linemates a guessing game 

* A major storyline in training camp will be who Marleau lines up with. "Patty can play on any line," Babcock said. "When I was talking to Patty (in the free-agent process) I basically just said, 'I don't have a clue who you're playing with. I don't know if you're playing with Naz, I don't know if you're playing with Bozie, I don't know if you're playing with Matty, but they're all good so we'll figure that out over time.'" As for expectations, Babcock won't be demanding Marleau match last year's goal total of 27. "Now, I don't think he's going to score like he did when he was 32-years-old or whatever, but he's getting 20 (goals) and he can play all night long," Babcock said. "It's important for young guys to have somebody to emulate and I think he's a good guy for that."

* Another pre-season subplot will revolve around the battle for the final forward spots. Players like Kasperi Kapanen and Nikita Soshnikov do not require waivers to be sent to the AHL and, as such, may be in tough to earn a job out of camp. "Well, we're not going to do anything silly," Babcock said when asked how much contract status will factor in. "The right people always end up on the team. Sometimes they don't end up on the team right away."

PTO for Polak

* Roman Polak was invited to Leafs training camp on a pro tryout and will join the group on Friday in Niagara Falls for the first on-ice session. It has been a long road back for the gritty right-shot defenceman who suffered a fibula break in the playoffs. "I think Poly is an unbelievable man," Babcock said. "Obviously, he played real well for us. It was a blow when we lost him just because of the penalty kill alone and his physical presence. He did everything right for us since I've been here. He needs this opportunity and we're happy to have him here."

Leafs won't have a captain this season 

* The Leafs confirmed they will play the 2017-18 season without a captain. The post has been vacant since Dion Phaneuf was traded in February 2016. "It's not time," said Lamoriello. "When it's the right time, there'll be a captain." How do you determine something like that? "Well, that's something internal. Right now, where we are as a team, and the number of leaders we have in that room, we don't think it's necessary and it's as simple as that."

Lamoriello tightlipped on his future 

* Lamoriello is among the prominent Leafs in a contract year. The veteran executive was asked about his future status a couple of times in his news conference. "We don't talk about me," he said. "That's just something personal and the most important thing is the team and that's all I'm going to discuss." A little later in the media session, Lamoriello was asked by Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic if he could envision moving into a front office role other than the GM spot much like he did at the end of his run in New Jersey. "I've known Pierre for as long as I've known anyone in this room, he keeps trying and trying. I got to give him a lot of credit for it," said Lamoriello to laughs from the assembled media. "Next question."