OTTAWA – When free agency rolled around this past July the Maple Leafs quietly parted ways with Jay McClement, a 31-year-old centre their head coach had come to lean on heavily in the previous two seasons.

McClement came to symbolize Randy Carlyle’s preference for trusted veterans over untested youth, despite production in the case of McClement – 10 points in 81 games – that failed to justify all those minutes.

Re-enter Peter Holland, who had two points Sunday in the nation’s capital, and the increasing employment of youth under Carlyle in Toronto. The Leafs bench boss is having to lean more on a new wave of youth and being rewarded for it.

“When we bring players in it’s not that you’re afraid to use them it’s just that there is certain situations you don’t want to expose them to,” Carlyle said after a 5-3 win over the Senators, the second win in as many nights for the Leafs. “But those [young] guys handled it well.”

Because of changes in roster personnel and early season injuries Carlyle has had no choice but to expose those players to some of those difficult situations and while there have certainly been some bumps – both weekend wins featured a whole lot of mistakes and thus chances for the opposition – the rewards have also been evident.

Holland is the best case of that, the 24-year-old scoring a goal and adding an assist in more than 17 minutes against Ottawa.

His responsibilities have grown considerably from when he first joined the Leafs from Anaheim last season. 

Moving up in the lineup with Joffrey Lupul sidelined, Holland has now played more than 15 minutes in five straight games. He requested and is thriving with duties on the penalty kill, a role that would have been filled had McClement been brought back.

A first round pick in 2009, his speed and skill have helped him make a few waves in such duties. He notched his second shorthanded point in as many games against the Senators – McClement had one such point in more than 277 shorthanded minutes last season – setting up Mike Santorelli’s second goal of the year.

Earlier this week, Leafs assistant Steve Spott observed that Holland was earning the trust of Carlyle with his play. “Now he’s got to keep it,” Spott said.

That trust, Holland says, came from showing his worth with the expanded responsibilities in special teams. “I think the biggest thing is being defensively responsible and I think if you can prove you’re defensively responsible in a big way on the penalty kill it’s going to translate over to 5-on-5,” he said. 

Beyond Holland is a growing opportunity for 23-year-old Richard Panik, who had three points with increased ice-time against the Avalanche and Rangers earlier in the week; Sam Carrick, yet to be scored against in five games; and Josh Leivo, who scored Sunday in his second game with the Leafs this season. 

Carlyle trotted out veterans like McClement, Troy Bodie and Colton Orr in favour of youth in the past, those players jettisoned from the big club in some way or another under the team’s revamped management tree.

That’s effectively forced the hand of Carlyle. He’s had no choice but to lean on the likes of Holland and Panik with wily vets either injured or disposed of.

Safe performance from those young players helps in the trust-building process. Carrick and Leivo teamed with Marlies captain and Sunday call-up, Trevor Smith, producing a goal and quality offensive zone time against the Senators.

“The one thing that you can say about those kids is they’re not a liability defensively,” Carlyle said. “You’re going to have to earn what you get when you play against them – they’re hard players to play against in the defensive zone.”

Holland, meanwhile, has already strung together three goals and six points in 15 games, nearly equaling the mark he posted in 39 games a year ago.

As to earning Carlyle’s trust, he spoke of simplicity. “It’s just making the right play, not turning the puck over, just taking what’s given to you,” he said.

Steve Spott

Spott’s influence on the bench can only be a helping factor toward more use of Leafs youth this fall. He was the Marlies head coach last season and saw firsthand how Holland, Carrick, Leivo and Stuart Percy grew with increased responsibility, as good a voice as any to know what certain prospects may be capable of handling. 

“I think it’s good for both of us,” Carrick said of Spott’s presence with the Leafs. “I know what kind of coach he is and he knows what kind of player I am. I think it’s definitely helped me get up here in the first place, having him there – he likes the way I play. It’s helped the transition a lot.”

Quote of the Night

“He drove our team in the playoffs last year for the Marlies and I think he’s just starting to come into his own in this league.”

-Trevor Smith, on the recent emergence of Peter Holland.