Ho-Sang credits Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and head coach Sheldon Keefe for giving him a real opportunity

The Josh Ho-Sang PTO in Toronto was certainly one of the more intriguing stories of the offseason after the former New York Islander became somewhat of a league pariah over the past few seasons.

After being drafted 28th-overall in 2014, Ho-Sang had 3 separate kicks at the can in the NHL, failing to stick and ultimately being labeled as a bit of a head-case who seemed hell-bent on getting in his own way.

The 25-year-old credits the time he spent in the Swedish Hockey League for opening his eyes to what others had been telling him over his years as a pro. Now, the skilled winger finds himself with an opportunity to prove himself in his hometown, with a potential NHL contract on the line.

Ho-Sang also credits Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and head coach Sheldon Keefe for looking past his reputation and getting to know Josh Ho-Sang, the man.

"They really wanted to get to know me, which a lot of teams didn't want to do,» said Ho-Sang, fresh off of a 3-assist performance against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.

In fact, Sportsnet's Luke Fox had reported that Keefe had had a productive one-on-one sit down with Ho-Sang prior to Leafs training camp, basically to let him know that he would be coming into his PTO with a clean slate.

This must have been music to the ears of Ho-Sang, whose reputation seemed to follow him around for much of his professional career to date.

At this point, Ho-Sang's performance in training camp and in the preseason has probably been good enough to warrant an NHL contract, but with a crowded group of wingers in Toronto, it will be tough to make it all fit without a move or two being made - or unless Ho-Sang would be amenable to signing an AHL contract until a position opens up on the main roster.

The other option is to use his performance in the preseason to open negotiations with other NHL teams in hopes of securing a deal with an NHL club.

Ho-Sang has been vocal about not taking his opportunity in Toronto for granted. He even offered to open his season in the ECHL if that's what it took.

This continues to be an interesting story to follow as we approach the first major wave of cuts in Toronto, which are likely to happen after the Leafs' upcoming back-to-back on Oct 4th and 5th - though some minor cuts may be made before that time.

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