Leafs Prospects
An update on the Maple Leafs of tomorrow:
Who's Hot:
- After being passed over by the Maple Leafs coaching staff to begin the year, Nazem Kadri has made it his mission to claw his way back to the NHL. He had a superb month of November with 6 goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 12 games played. Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins has been working closely with the youngster to help him simplify his game and cut down on the mental mistakes he was prone to making last year. With that said, the team has been careful about not keeping Kadri on too tight a leash offensively. He should be ready for a return to the NHL early in the new year. [more…]
Quick thoughts on a couple youngsters:
Who's Hot:
- Joe Colborne has been different player this season. After getting a brief taste of NHL calibre action, he has integrated that knowledge and experience into a more well-rounded and flat out dominant offensive game. He's taking the rush hard to the net, he's displaying impressive puck protection ability down low and quicker instincts in tight. He has 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points through 4 games with the Marlies thus far.
- Stuart Percy hasn't missed a beat since dominating at last year's Memorial Cup tournament. The young blueliner has garnered glowing reviews for his maturity and poise. Thus far, he's demonstrated an improved offensive game marked primarily by increased confidence to be more aggressive, particularly on the Majors' top powerplay unit. He boasts a robust 7 points and +12 rating through the first 9 games played. [more…]
Be sure to check out Mislav's recap of the Leafs-Sens rookie game last night. Garrett has your Luke Schenn contract update here.
Alas, the Rookie tournament is over, but thank god for a sighting of hockey players wearing the blue and white. The Leafs showed well, winning twice over the weekend before succumbing to a hard fought loss against the hated Ottawa Senators. The loss, while disheartening, showed more about the Leafs than either of their two wins. Turnovers and defensive lapses put the baby buds into a hole early, but they fought back to tie it twice. While ultimately unsuccessful, the kids showed they had character and determination.
I’ll admit that I actually spent three good nights watching the guys play, and after the jump, we’ll take a look at some parting thoughts from an exciting, optimism inducing Rookie Tourney.
(PHOTO: Toronto Star)
The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced their roster for the upcoming rookie tournament running from September 10th through September 13th. The tournament [more…]
Last week, Steve Dangle sat down with James Reimer for a rookie spotlight piece for the 2011 Maple Leafs Annual. The interview went so well that a lot of good material ended up hitting the cutting room floor. Lucky for you, MLHS and Steve Dangle.com readers, we can pass along the leftovers for your consumption. Consider it the next bonus feature to your copy of the Annual. Interview excerpts with Poulin, Dudley, and Morrison can be found here. Keith Aulie excerpts will be coming later today. Enjoy:
Steve Dangle: How do you spend your summer?
James Reimer: Mostly in B.C. I mean I try and visit back home to Manitoba a couple of times, but I spend most of my summer out in B.C. Just working out at a gym called Fit Life and hanging out and relaxing a little bit.
SD: Why B.C.? When did that come into the picture?
JR: Mostly with my wife, I started coming out here when we were dating, and we really liked it over the years and kind of just kept coming back so it's nice. It's where she's from. She feels comfortable here plus I found a great gym so it's those two reasons, mostly. [more…]
As mentioned earlier, I had the privilege of chatting with Maple Leafs' Director of Amateur Scouting, Dave Morrison this morning to glean some his insight [more…]
Good morning folks. Maple Leafs scouting director Dave Morrison has set aside some time today for me for a quick Q&A for the Maple Leafs [more…]
The Leafs' former third round pick in 2010, Sondre Olden, has been drafted 31st overall by the Erie [more…]
According to a Swedish source, it appears as if Maple Leaf forward prospect Sondre Olden will cross the pond and play in the CHL this fall. The tall, lanky Norwegian born winger was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the 3rd round, 79th overall of last year's entry draft. The 18 year old spent this past season primarily with the Modo J20 team, but did see a few games with the senior squad in the Swedish Elite League. Olden also represented Norway at the World Junior tournament in Buffalo. Considering his skillset and experience, Olden will likely be a high selection in the CHL's Import Draft. [more…]
It’s typically a fan problem, if you can call it that. Many fans, long time or casual, only care about the flair, the spotlight. They care about the guys who make the big bucks and pull us out of our seats on a nightly basis. Nobody is immune to the highlight reel goal that a certain highly touted Finnish prospect scores in a World Championships semifinal but even the casual fan understands the game is about more than that, even if he/she doesn’t care about Mike Brown.
A team can never have too many energy players that can put the puck into the net. Secondary scoring, grinding and puck pursuit is a vital cog in any teams’ success. Not that we lack historical examples, but just ask Tampa Bay and Sean Bergenheim for a more contemporary one. Ladies and gentlemen, I present Daniel Brodin.
Exciting game sevens be damned, Brian Burke has shown an active hand in the undrafted free agent market once again, inking Swedish tender Mark Owuya to a two-year contract. The 21 year-old has been moving steadily through the Djurgarden system, beginning with their U18 team in 2005-2006. Owuya quickly moved onto the U20 incarnation of the Djurgarden franchise and even made his first appearance in the Swedish Elite League early in 2008. Yet the 6' 2'', 198 lbs netminder bounced around various teams on a loan basis before entering this campaign's preseason competing with Stefan Ridderwall for the number one slot.
According to the Swedish news outlet Aftonbladet, the Maple Leafs are looking to add once again to their very deep pool of goaltending prospects. The Toronto Maple Leafs and the San Jose Sharks are reportedly the two front runners for the services of Mark Owuya, a young standout netminder out of the Swedish Eliteserien. Playing as a 21 year old rookie, Owuya stole the starting job for the Djugarden hockey club and went on to post a 2.18 GAA and .927 SV%, good for third and first overall respectively among qualifying goaltenders this past season. For comparison's sake, Jonas Gustavsson recorded a 1.97 GAA and .932 SV% during his last year in the Eliteserien, albeit at 24 years of age. [more…]
