Thoughts on Holland, Komarov, Bourque, Anderson, Scrivens vs. Fasth, Nyquist without Datsyuk, and more …

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Peter Holland has seen his ice time increase of late. At first it was due to the Joffrey Lupul injury, but lately it’s because he’s doing very well with it. I’ve had several conversations with several different people over the last two weeks about Holland, basically around my not giving up on him as a prospect. I mean, it’s clear to me that he’s not going to be a first line superstar, which was perhaps the ‘best case’ upside we had him pegged to be as an 18-year-old or 19-year-old. But when people use the ‘bust’ word, or the ‘fourth-line checker’ phrase, I stand up for him. His problem is that he hasn’t been good enough to steal a second-line job. Yet. But he also hasn’t had an opportunity like that fall into his lap either. Some players have that breakout year because there were a couple of key scoring-line injuries – and were it not for those injuries, those players would be AHLers today. And some players have that breakout because they’re so good that they force the matter. I don’t think Holland is in the latter group, but I also don’t think he needs a ton of help either. Just a couple of bounces that sees him get looks in scoring role. I think he’s developing, and he’s only 23, and a 30-point year this year could easily be followed by 40-plus in 2015-16. After that, he’s ready for a second-line role. But he’s a guy you need to be patient with.

Holland has five points and is plus-4 in his last six games. As long as Lupul is out, Holland will see time on the PP (two minutes last night). But more promising is the fact that he’s being used on the penalty kill. It shows the coach has faith in him.

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The Leafs managed to put prospect Josh Leivo into the lineup Sunday and, while his ice time was of course held down, he managed to score. Leivo is one of those prospects who makes a splash immediately upon being called up, before cooling off a couple of games later. But I think his future lies on the third line. For more observations on Leivo, his profile is right here.