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HF: Leafs Top 20 Prospects

CarltonTheBear

CarltonTheBear

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http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/77439/morgan-rielly-tops-toronto-maple-leafs-2012-fall-top-20/

1) Morgan Rielly
2) Nazem Kadri
3) Joe Colborne
4) Jesse Blacker
5) Matt Finn
6) Matt Frattin
7) Stuart Percy
8) Carter Ashton
9) Tyler Biggs
10) Brad Ross
11) Greg McKegg
12) Ben Scrivens
13) Korbinian Holzer
14) Mark Owuya
15) Jerry D'Amigo
16) Nicholas Deschamp
17) Spencer Abbott
18) Petter Granberg
19) Josh Leivo
20) Jussi Rynnas
 
Having Blacker rated that highly seems a little strange, there are at least five guys there I'd automatically have above him. I know he suffered with injuries towards the end of the year last year and the playoffs, but didn't he also fall out of favour with Eakins a little too?

I think they also put to much emphasis on age, a guy like Scrivens should be much higher.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/77439/morgan-rielly-tops-toronto-maple-leafs-2012-fall-top-20/

1) Morgan Rielly
2) Nazem Kadri
3) Joe Colborne
4) Jesse Blacker
5) Matt Finn
6) Matt Frattin
7) Stuart Percy
8) Carter Ashton
9) Tyler Biggs
10) Brad Ross
11) Greg McKegg
12) Ben Scrivens
13) Korbinian Holzer
14) Mark Owuya
15) Jerry D'Amigo
16) Nicholas Deschamp
17) Spencer Abbott
18) Petter Granberg
19) Josh Leivo
20) Jussi Rynnas
Click to expand...

Not that it's a huge deal, but I've got the prospects ranked very differently. Something like this based on Potential and how close they are to being contributing NHL'ers (I realize that that's not what they've done). I'd also rank them based on where they project in the line-up (i.e. I wouldn't rank a potential 3rd liner as high as a potential 1st/2nd liner with the same potential):

1.Kadri
2.Colborne (I'd say 1 and 2 are close to interchangeable)
3.Frattin
4.Scrivens
5.Rielly
6.Blacker
7.Percy
8.Finn
9.D'Amigo
10.Holzer
11.Biggs
12.Ross
13.Owuya
14.Ashton
15.McKegg
16.Leivo

Then who cares because they're not gonna make it anyway.

As you can see I'm not very high on Ashton. All the tools, but I just don't see it coming together. I see D'Amigo as a guy who's got less to offer, was taken lower, but has had better development, a better work ethic, and more success to date.

 
WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
Having Blacker rated that highly seems a little strange, there are at least five guys there I'd automatically have above him. I know he suffered with injuries towards the end of the year last year and the playoffs, but didn't he also fall out of favour with Eakins a little too?
Click to expand...

Afaik, there was only one comment about being prepared ( during the playoffs after missing an assignment that led to a goal ) but he also made note of his absence being felt after that as well ( his shoulder was banged up pretty bad ).

Gord Dineen seems pretty high on him. I wouldn't have him rated over Frattin on that list, funny too that Holzer is so far down.
 
Tigger said:
Gord Dineen seems pretty high on him. I wouldn't have him rated over Frattin on that list, funny too that Holzer is so far down.
Click to expand...

Holzer is that low because of his potential. While he might be the closest thing to a NHLer on the list, he likely won't become more than a bottom pairing defenceman. A pretty good one though hopefully. His age also doesn't help.

edit: With that said, I'd still likely still have him a little higher. Around the 10 spot with Ashton, Scrivens, and McKegg below him.
 
Yeah, that's probably fair, though I might have him above one or both of Biggs and Percy at this point too.
 
Tigger said:
Yeah, that's probably fair, though I might have him above one or both of Biggs and Percy at this point too.
Click to expand...

I think Biggs is a total wild card. I think that if he puts it all together right off the hop, he could be an awesome player for us. He has potential to be an average 4th liner, but there is also a lot of hope that the power forward in him rues the day and he becomes a much bigger Darcy Tucker.
 
I think Rielly needs to be at or very near the top of any list.

I personally like Corey Pronman's rankings, as I've said before:

1. Morgan Rielly, Defense
2. Joe Colborne, Center
3. Matt Finn, Defense
4. Greg McKegg, Center
5. Stuart Percy, Defense
6. Carter Ashton, Right Wing
7. Jesse Blacker, Defense
8. Spencer Abbott, Right Wing
9. Jerry D'Amigo, Left Wing
10. Tyler Biggs, Right Wing
Click to expand...

More detail on each: http://www.hockeyprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1353

The Next Five

11. Brad Ross, Left Wing: He's an agitator in every sense of the word, but has third-line skill as well.

12. Korbinian Holzer, Defense: Holzer is pretty good in his own end and has an impressive physical game. His upside is limited, though.

13. Petter Granberg, Defense: He's a very smart and effective defensive defender but has fringe offensive ability.

14. Nicolas Deschamps, Left Wing: He looks like a player in terms of his hockey sense and skill, but the production has not come at the pro level.

15. Tony Cameranesi, Center: He's a great skater with skill and works hard on the ice. He'll be a player to watch in his first year at Minnesota-Duluth.

The Sleeper: Sam Carrick, Right Wing

Carrick is an excellent defensive forward who works very hard on the ice and has some playmaking ability.

Toronto Maple Leafs Organizational Top 10

Players 22 or under as of 09/15/2012 or still considered a prospect as defined here.

1. Morgan Rielly, Defense
2. Jake Gardiner, Defense
3. Nazem Kadri, Right Wing
4. Joe Colborne, Center
5. Matt Finn, Defense
6. Greg McKegg, Center
7. Stuart Percy, Defense
8. Carter Ashton, Right Wing
9. Jesse Blacker, Defense
10. Spencer Abbott, Right Wing

Gardiner probably got more minutes than I thought he would be ready for and he was pretty sheltered despite that. His skating is off the charts and he has offensive skill, but how well he can check top opponents is still somewhat of a question mark as it has never been a strong point for him. Kadri started to use his teammates more and do better in his own end. I really like his skill and ability to create offense and despite his gradual development he should be a top-six forward pretty soon.
Click to expand...
 
I don't really get the Spencer Abbott love. He's an AHL'er as far as I'm concerned. Biggs is a 1st round pick with a great frame and some decent potential. Having him and other players with NHL upside ranked lower than Abbott is something I don't understand.
 
BlueWhiteBlood said:
Tigger said:
Yeah, that's probably fair, though I might have him above one or both of Biggs and Percy at this point too.
Click to expand...

I think Biggs is a total wild card. I think that if he puts it all together right off the hop, he could be an awesome player for us. He has potential to be an average 4th liner, but there is also a lot of hope that the power forward in him rues the day and he becomes a much bigger Darcy Tucker.
Click to expand...

It's really tough to say, he's got the size and by all accounts is a pretty determined player, it'd be nice to have a couple bangers with a bit of talent in the lineup ( along with Ross ).
 
Chev-boyar-sky said:
I don't really get the Spencer Abbott love. He's an AHL'er as far as I'm concerned. Biggs is a 1st round pick with a great frame and some decent potential. Having him and other players with NHL upside ranked lower than Abbott is something I don't understand.
Click to expand...

Don't know if you read it, but here's the explanation from the link I posted:

The Good: Abbott is a solid to above-average skater who generates good power and has a desirable top gear. He's a good puck possessor who has above-average puck skills and impressive vision as well. Abbott is the kind of player who can control an offense when he gets the puck due to his vision and poise with the puck. He controls the puck well in tight spaces and can make plays through small lanes. Abbott has a solid shot as well. He led the NCAA in scoring this season.

The Bad: His size is obviously an issue and I wouldn't call him a crash-and-bang player who bleeds the high-end intangibles you would want from very small players. When he played a few games at the pro level, he was sheltered.

Projection: He could be a below-average second-line forward.
Click to expand...

The Good: Biggs is a high-end if not bordering on elite physical player due to his big frame and the high amount of physical presence he brings to every game. He loves to lay out big hits, but he's also a good player to put in front of the net and I saw at times Miami would use him in that role on their top PP unit. He's an above-average skater who moves very well for a bigger player. Biggs also has a pretty hard shot and projects to be a moderately effective finisher.

The Bad: Biggs lacks in the skill and puck possession department. While on occasion he'll flash a decent hands play or pass, for the most part he's pretty uncreative and not a good starting point for offense. He has a chance to be a complementary scorer if his development goes well, but he's a ways off from being that.

Projection: He could be an above-average third-line winger.
Click to expand...
 
BlueWhiteBlood said:
Tigger said:
Yeah, that's probably fair, though I might have him above one or both of Biggs and Percy at this point too.
Click to expand...

I think Biggs is a total wild card. I think that if he puts it all together right off the hop, he could be an awesome player for us. He has potential to be an average 4th liner, but there is also a lot of hope that the power forward in him rues the day and he becomes a much bigger Darcy Tucker.
Click to expand...

I think he will do a lot to dispel the idea he can't produce offence once his OHL career kicks off.  It isn't easy to judge players in US College without seeing them up close and personal since they don't play much and the competition is questionable.
 
Corn Flake said:
I think he will do a lot to dispel the idea he can't produce offence once his OHL career kicks off.  It isn't easy to judge players in US College without seeing them up close and personal since they don't play much and the competition is questionable.
Click to expand...

I think the wrecking ball is going to come out in him in the OHL, but I also think he'll put up some points too. Physically, maybe he should be in the AHL, but I guess we'll see how he does in Oshawa first.
 
I'm really looking forward to this upcoming season just because of our prospects. I want to see how Biggs fairs, how Rielly dominates in junior. I'm also very interested in seeing if Blacker can find the next gear in the AHL.
 
BlueWhiteBlood said:
Corn Flake said:
I think he will do a lot to dispel the idea he can't produce offence once his OHL career kicks off.  It isn't easy to judge players in US College without seeing them up close and personal since they don't play much and the competition is questionable.
Click to expand...

I think the wrecking ball is going to come out in him in the OHL, but I also think he'll put up some points too. Physically, maybe he should be in the AHL, but I guess we'll see how he does in Oshawa first.
Click to expand...

The OHL is a good place for him to work on and develop the offensive game before moving to the AHL.  He will likely dominate both leagues physically, but time and space to work on his finish is much better served in Junior.  I think it was a great choice to move from College to the OHL to do just that... oh, and probably get some fights in too. :)
 
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