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Mitch Marner’s official weigh-in number has been announced.

Drum roll, please.

Kyle Dubas at the Combine:

Leafs Links:

  • Bob McKenzie: Estimates Leafs would take Hanifin over Strome’ (Tweet)

  • Alec Brownscombe: 2015 NHL Draft Analysis with Brock Otten (MLHS)
    Otten: Ultimately, I think Marner’s skill set makes him a better option on the wing. His ability to be the first man in on the forecheck, and create offense off the wall, is something all NHL wingers are asked to do now.
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  • Declan Kerin: Maple Leafs’ Scott Pellerin promoted to Director of Player Development, Steve Staios leaves to be President of the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs (MLHS)
    Unquestionably, for a team that simply hasn’t produced enough homegrown, young, impact NHL talent in the last decade, an improved development process will be a major part of the rebuild and has to work hand in hand with the Leafs’ major investments in improving their performance at the draft table.
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  • John Vogl: Road to the NHL Draft: Ivan Provorov (Buffalo News)
    Provorov is a freewheeling puck-mover who torments opposing defenses. The Western Hockey League rookie finished fourth in scoring among blue-liners, putting up more than a point per game. He can quickly turn up ice and create scoring opportunities, either for himself or teammates. He’s in the conversation for best defenseman in the draft.
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  • Mike Johnston: Person of Interest: Maple Leafs’ Andreas Johnson (Sportsnet)
    A week before signing his deal with the Leafs, Johnson told Swedish media he plans on staying in Sweden for the 2015-16 campaign and confirmed that Friday. Johnson knows he has to continue to develop on and off the ice and he said via his team’s website that he feels it will be positive for him to remain with Frolunda for another year.
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  • Damien Cox: It’s time for the Maple Leafs to get the draft right (Toronto Star)
    With the No. 24 pick, the choices are equally fascinating. Dutch-born Daniel Sprong of the Charlottetown Islanders is an idiosyncratic scoring winger. The Leafs have already taken a special interest in Sprong.
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  • Alex Tran: Daniel Sprong Scouting Report – 2015 NHL Draft (MLHS)
    Sprong the skillset to become a high octane, dynamic 25 – 30 goal scorer at the NHL level though with higher prospect risk, in the mold of a Gustav Nyquist.

SCF Links:

  • Greg Wyshynski: How the Blackhawks made Patrick Kane get defensive (Puck Daddy)
    “We’re kind of spoiled here, we get to watch guys do that and when you see a guy like Marian Hossa back check and strip someone from behind and go back the other way and give you a good offensive chance, you want to learn from that and be able to do it too. Pretty special.”
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  • Steve Simmons: Tale of two NHL youngsters — Lightning’s Drouin watches from stands as Hawks’ Teravainen enjoys spotlight (Toronto Sun)
    Like a lot of general managers, Yzerman ardently believes that the coach should have final say on his roster. Some have suggested that Yzerman and Cooper disagree on how Drouin should be brought along.
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  • Bruce Arthur: Stanley Cup final, sadly, is for grown-ups who play defence (Toronto Star)
    “You have to be able to defend, or else you’re not going to be able to win,” says Chicago defenceman Johnny Oduya. “You can talk about changing the rules or the mentality, (but) a lot of teams are more detailed, there’s more videos, there’s more systems, there’s a lot more things. I think the trend’s not going away.”
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  • Cam Cole: Stamkos’ dwindling minutes for Tampa a Stanley Cup mystery (Vancouver Sun)
    Five Tampa forwards had more ice time than Stamkos in Game 1 of the final on Wednesday, and when the Lightning trailed in the last minute, with the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, the six players coach Jon Cooper sent out hoping for the equalizer were Johnson, Alex Killorn, Ryan Callahan, Nikita Kucherov, Hedman and Anton Stralman.
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  • Arpon Basu: Blackhawks’ top four keep carrying load on defense (NHL.com)
    The Chicago Blackhawks have ridden four defensemen into the Stanley Cup Final, and they have ridden them hard. Each of the four, Duncan Keith (31:27), Brent Seabrook (26:21), Niklas Hjalmarsson(26:20) and Johnny Oduya (25:17), is averaging more than 25 minutes of ice time per game. No other healthy Blackhawks defenseman is averaging more than 11 minutes.
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