“I believe in my abilities and what I can put forward,” said the 27 year-old Raymond as training camp opened.
The left-winger is in Toronto on a tryout basis. He
needs to convince Leafs management he is worthy of a contract. Having been
drafted by Leafs GM Dave Nonis (when Nonis ran Vancouver) he already is in good
standing with the head man.
During on-ice sessions on Thursday, Raymond made a
good impression on Coach Randy Carlyle.
“Very noticeable,” said the coach when asked about
Raymond’s first time on the ice with the Leafs. “He’s scored 25 goals in this
league before and it’s not easy to score goals in the NHL. We feel very
fortunate to have him here.”
Nonis meantime made it clear he wants a team that
not only can play a physical brand, but has speed. With Clark MacArthur and
Mikhail Grabovski gone, Raymond would provide the team with some quickness.
“It’s an odd year, a different year for sure,” said
Raymond, who became an unrestricted free agent for the first time but failed to
find a team and the big-money deal he was expecting after earning a pro-rated
$2.275 M last season with Vancouver. “That’s the situation, that’s the reality.
As a player you deal with it and you make the most of your opportunities.”
With the salary cap dropping to $64.3 M, many
veteran players (Brad Boyes with Florida, Hal Gill with the Flyers) are on
trying out, just like Raymond.
Raymond is so focused on the task at hand – playing with
the Maple Leafs likely as a 3rd liner on the left-wing – that he
hasn’t thought about what may happen if things don’t work out.
“I’m not thinking plan B, I’m thinking plan A,” said
Raymond, “There are a few things you can’t control when you’re a player.”
Raymond suffered a serious back injury during the
2011 Stanley Cup final – the result of a Johnny Boychuk check. He didn’t return
to Vancouver’s lineup until the following December.
Raymond calls the injury a “non-issue.”
“I don’t like dwelling on the past,” said the
Calgary, native. “Injuries are injuries, they come and they go, and that wasn’t
a particularly fun one to go through.
You learn a lot going through situations like that, I find, and the
realization of how hard it is to fully recover from that.”
“I still feel like I’ve got what it takes to play in
this league,” added Raymond. “Sometimes you’ve got to prove it. Other players
have gone through situations like this where you’re reintroducing yourself a
little bit, if you will.”“I think I’m an NHL player.”
If the Leafs agree, Mason Raymond will no longer
think he’s an NHL player. He will be – again.
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