Leafs Links: Is it October 12th yet?

Aug 5, 2016

68 days away, but who’s counting? Some links below to pass the time.

Ryan Ward named Hounds new Assistant Coach (SooGreyhounds.com)

Soo Greyhounds GM Kyle Raftis announced this afternoon that Ryan Ward has been named the team’s new Assistant Coach in advance of the 2016-17 season. Ryan joins the Greyhounds following two years working as Video Coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies (2014-2016). Prior to his work with MLSE, Ryan was Assistant Coach with the University of Rhode Island after spending 4 seasons as the Video Co-Ordinator with the NHL’s New York Islanders (2008-2012).

Top 25 under 25: Two points on JD Greenway (PPP)

JD Greenway has shown in the past he has the ability to adapt and grown in a situation. His first year in the USNTDP he was taking bad penalties, didn’t have much of an offensive game, but after sticking with the team, learning, and being given patience his points quadrupled, his penalty minutes shrunk to almost nothing, and his two way game has become a solid foundation to build and improve upon. Getting four years at Wisconsin, a solid place to develop as a player, the consistency there, I think can help Greenway become someone any team could rely on and not worry about.

Top 25 Under 25: The case for Adam Brooks (PPP)

To take another example: let’s look at forwards from the Canadian Hockey Leagues (OHL, WHL, and QMJHL.) Take the forwards drafted in the first and second rounds those years. Excluding those who went to the AHL/NHL, Brooks is 3rd in points per game of nine, ranking ahead of higher profile players like Josh Ho-Sang and John Quenneville. In even-strength points per game, Brooks was 8th among 2014 draft-eligible players this year. Even with league adjustments, that’s impressive as hell.

Report: Kris Russell left waiting as team’s look to open up cap space (THN)

Currently, there are 10 teams that couldn’t afford Russell’s salary if he was looking to make the same $2.6 million that he earned in 2015-16. Of those, the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche are the only landing spots that would make much sense. Detroit has expressed its interest in landing a top-four defenseman, Colorado sorely needs help on the back end and the Maple Leafs were mentioned as one of the possible destinations for the rearguard early in free agency.

Mike Babcock on Mitch Marner: “He’ll have a real good chance to make the Leafs” https://t.co/SORMFjDfrB #Leafs #TMLTalk

— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) August 5, 2016

#MapleLeafs prospect Yegor Korshkov scored two goals for Russia NT B-team in the 3-2 win over HC Sochi. https://t.co/IUUU7c8NZK

— Russian Prospects (@RUSProspects) August 4, 2016