Prospect Files

• PROSPECT VIDEO REPORTS w/ Gus Katsaros and Bloge Salming
  Nazem Kadri, Luca Caputi, Carl Gunnarsson, Jerry D’Amigo, Viktor Stalberg, Kenny Ryan, Tyler Bozak, Keith Aulie
• BURKE LANDS GOALIE BEN SCRIVENS
  The Leafs continued their offseason stockpiling of goaltenders today, announcing that they have signed College free agent Ben Scrivens to a one year contract. Scrivens compiled an impressive 21-9-4 record with Cornell last year, with a .934 save percentage.  He was also a top ten Hobey Baker finalist… read more.
• LEAFS SIGN JUSSI RYNNAS by Alex Tran
  Brian Burke has picked up yet another wallet. According to a Finnish report, the Toronto Maple Leafs have agreed to terms on a two year deal with Finnish free agent goaltender Jussi Rynnäs. Jussi is still just 22 years of age, and is coming off a stellar year in the Finnish SM-Liiga in which he posted a 2.50 GAA and a 0.929 SV%. Rynnäs is still at least a couple years away from being NHL-ready, and will start next season splitting time with James Reimer for the Toronto Marlies. Jussi was arguably this year’s most coveted free agent goaltender, along with NCAA netminder Ben Scrivens, whom the Leafs had also been linked to over the past couple weeks… read more.
• LEAFS CRACK TOP TEN IN HF’S ORGANIZATION RANKINGS by Alec Brownscombe
  While Hockey’s Future has yet to release their top 10 organizational prospect rankings, the highly-respected source for prospect information has released their 11-20 and 21-30 lists. To the pleasant surprise of many, the Leafs aren’t on either of them… read more.
  
• STALBERG: A CAUTIONARY TALE by Richard Steven Williams
  Prior to the lockout, undrafted college free agents were a rare, straight to NHL commodity. Either serving out their apprenticeships as minor league signees or plying their trade overseas, few players transitioned directly from the ranks of college hockey to the NHL without enduring prolonged development curves. However, in a post-lockout landscape where GM’s clutch their most valued assets and superstars to their clubs with dynasty length deals, and where dollars and ice time are apportioned in equilibrium, graduate aged (or younger) players progressing from the NCAA as free agents are providing comparatively cheap labour in an increasingly scrutinized marketplace… read more.
• HAYES DOMINATES AS BOSTON COLLEGE WINS NCAA HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENTRemember Jimmy Hayes?  He was the Leafs 2nd round pick in 2008, a burgeoning power forward who struggled last season in his freshman campaign with the Boston College Eagles as he adjusted the NCAA game. Consider those struggles a thing of the past … read more.

• D’AMIGO IS THE ECAC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR by Alex Tran Leaf prospect Jerry D’Amigo continues to build on a tremendous 2009-2010 campaign, taking home rookie of the year honours for the ECAC Hockey conference. Union College’s Keith Kinkaid and Harvard University’s Louis Leblanc were the two other finalists. Leblanc was also Montreal’s 1st round selection, 18th overall in the 2009 draft, which should give rough idea of the magnitude of D’Amigo’s accomplishment… read more.
• BLACKER SKIES MADE BLUE by Clayton Hansler Who would have guessed that with all the attention surrounding the Leafs 2009 1st round pick, it would actually be the Toronto kid selected in the 2nd round that would be first to string some games together on a pro club. Though not officially announced, Jesse Blacker has left the OHL and joined the Toronto Marlies for the remainder of the season … read more.
• GOOD NEWS: Tyler Bozak Edition by Ed SlaterTwice in the last week – once after the Tampa Bay game, once during the first intermission of the Oilers game – we’ve had the opportunity to watch Tyler Bozak do interviews for television. Twice during the past week, he’s stood there in the hallway outside the Leaf dressing room, spiky hair soaked with sweat, talking first to Paul Hendrick, then to Elliotte Friedman, with a giant freaking grin on his face. The big grin on his face tells you that Tyler Bozak is a happy young man. He’s got six goals and eleven assists in twenty-three games as a twenty-three year old rookie centreman for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he’s making $875,000 with another 2.8 million dollars worth of bonuses on the table. Of course he’s happy. Why the hell wouldn’t he be happy … read more.
• JOLLY JANUARY FOR LEAFS PROSPECTS by Alex Tran While the Maple Leafs struggled through a horrific 3-10-2 record to start the new year at the NHL level, many of the organization’s top young prospects enjoyed a very productive month of January on the scoresheet. Jerry D’Amigo (left) continued to build off a strong World Junior tournament, Mikhail Stefanovich seemed to finally turn the corner, while Nazem Kadri took his game up to that dominant level we all know he’s capable of.While the Maple Leafs struggled through a horrific 3-10-2 record to start the new year at the NHL level, many of the organization’s top young prospects enjoyed a very productive month of January on the scoresheet. Jerry D’Amigo (left) continued to build off a strong World Junior tournament, Mikhail Stefanovich seemed to finally turn the corner, while Nazem Kadri took his game up to that dominant level we all know he’s capable of … read more.
• WHAT ABOUT THE KID? By Alex Tran Dion Phaneuf was far and away the biggest name exchanging teams in the Toronto-Calgary deal on Sunday morning, and as a result, young defenseman Keith Aulie may have gotten a little overlooked in the shuffle. But make no mistake about it: Aulie was a significant piece in this trade for Brian Burke and the huge, imposing blueliner should figure prominently in the Maple Leafs’ defensive core of the future. Let’s take a look at what the newest Maple Leafs’ prospect could bring to the table in a few years time … read more.
• DOWN ON THE FARM by Alex TranTyler Ruegsegger is off to a strong start with 4 goals and 8 points through 8 games played for the University of Denver. The senior will have to come through with a big year in order to justify a possible contract from the Maple Leafs next summer. Offensively gifted, Tyler makes a killing on the power play, leading the entire WCHA with 12 PPG last season … read more.
• THE GETTING TO KNOW YOU SERIES w/Garrett Bauman
  1. December 31: Anton Stralman
  2. January 4: Tim Stapleton
  3. January 31: Phil Oreskovic
  4. February 13: Dale Mitchell
  5. March 7: Justin Pogge
  6. April 1: Jimmy Hayes
• PROSPECT TRACKER – VOLUME 2Hey folks, Alec’s traditionally done this in the past, but I’ll be taking over for this one as he’s been bogged down with work lately. With the way the Leafs have played over the past few years, we find ourselves looking forward to the future, hoping that there’s help on the horizon. Well let’s take a gander at what the Toronto Maple Leafs are cultivating down on the farm… read more.
• PROSPECT TRACKER – VOLUME 1I will be posting these informational prospect updates every month. This one is a little shorter than you can expect, as the NCAA season is barely underway and the Maple Leafs have an array of collegiate prospects that I will be tracking throughout the ‘08/’09 season… read more.
• LEAFS TOP 20 PROSPECTS, FALL 2008Prospects 1-4Prospects 5-8Prospects 9-12
• PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: JIMMY HAYESTons of hype and mostly disappointing results. On the surface, it would seem like Boston product Jimmy Hayes and the Toronto Maple Leafs were a match made in heaven. All kidding aside, Hayes was drafted by Toronto in the 2nd round, 60th overall this past June. Once touted as a possible Top 10 pick in one of the deepest draft classes of the decade, Jimmy had an absolutely dismal ‘07-’08 campaign. Come draft day, he was ranked as low as 63rd among N.A skaters, but it was generally believed that someone would take a chance on him earlier than that… read more.
• PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: DALE MITCHELLDale Mitchell was picked in the 3rd round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, 74th overall. At the time of the selection, Mitchell garnered plenty of interest and pressure from the fans and media as the Leafs’ first pick that year. They had traded away their 1st and 2nd round picks to San Jose as part of the Vesa Toskala trade earlier that day. A little over a year later, Mitchell has quickly been forgotten, partly from a disappointing OHL season, and partly from the emergence of his fellow draftmate Chris Didomenico, selected in the 6th round… read more.
• PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: CHRIS DiDOMENICOThere’s a little bit of the irony in the title because in fact, Christopher Didomenico has rarely been in the spotlight at all during his hockey career. He is the definition of an underdog, and a testament to what hard work and perserverance can lead to. As a young Toronto native, he was passed over by the OHL draft, after playing just 4 games in 2 seasons with the North York Rangers of the OPJHL. So, he managed to hook onto a tryout with the Saint John’s Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, made the team, and has blossomed into a great young player since… read more.
• SCHENN 1-DIMENSIONAL?On Draft Day ‘08, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the bold move of trading up from the 7th selection to grab Kelowna Rockets defenseman Luke Schenn 5th overall. Leaf fans have been waiting a long, long time for a young franchise calibre to fall into their lap, and they may finally have found one in Luke. Heading into the draft weekend, Schenn had the presitigious honor of being lumped together into the group of elite four defensemen, who along with Stamkos, highlighted the top of this year’s draft class. Luke was proclaimed the most NHL ready and defensively sound blueliner among the group, but his supposed lack of an offensive game has caused some fans to label him as nothing more than a defensive stay-at-home defenseman… read more.
• ROOKIE TOURNAMENT – Leafs vs. Sens Prospects The Battle of Ontario’s prospects ended in triumph for the Senators in an action-packed, end-to-end tilt featuring 12 goals split 7-5. The night started brightly for the Maple Leafs following Phil Oreskovic’s bout with Geoff Waugh three seconds after puck drop that was seemingly a spill-over of bad blood from last AHL season and/or an arrangement made in warm up… read more.
• ROOKIE TOURNAMENT 2008 – Undrafted Prospect PreviewEvery professional hockey organization, particularly one in the Leafs’ current plight, must exhaust every possible avenue when it comes to importing young talent into their system. In addition to the chance to evaluate the progress of your developing prospects front-and-centre, the upcoming rookie tournament provides a valuable opportunity to invite undrafted youngsters for a 3 game trial run. Last year this event proved fruitful for the Maple Leafs, who uncovered a hidden gem by the name of Darryl Boyce… read more.
• WILL WE EVER SEE VOROBIEV – August 23, 2008The status and whereabouts of Russian defenseman Dmitri Vorobiev has been an ongoing question mark for Leaf Nation. The robust blue-liner was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the 5th round of the 2004 Entry Draft. Originally touted as a second round pick by scouts, Vorobiev stuck around until the 5th round largely due to weight concerns. But it’s gradually become clear that the Maple Leafs shrewdly gambled on the Togliatti native after an impressive couple of seasons with RSL side Lada. He’s now regarded as one of the best young power-play point-men in his league and he supplements his offensive skill with a solid, physical own-zone game. He’s ranked 5th in the team’s “Top Prospect List” on Hockey’s Future.com, behind Justin Pogge, Nik Kulemin, Jiri Tlusty and Anton Stralman. The lone but major problem being, however, that Vorobiev doesn’t appear to have any interest in embarking on a career overseas… read more.
• SCHOLARLY PROMISE – July 18, 2008An interview with University of Denver head coach George Gwozdecky regarding the development of Leafs prospect Tyler Ruegsegger.Since drafting the Denver native out of high school in the sixth round of the 2006 Entry Draft, forward prospect Tyler Ruegsegger has quickly begun to take shape as a potential draft day steal for the Maple Leafs. After a superlative 89 point season with Shattuck-St. Mary’s, his college entrance was moved ahead a year from 2007 to the fall of 2006. After entering the collegiate system last season with the University of Denver’s Pioneer hockey team, Ruegsegger continued to impress scouts as he climbed the hockey ranks… read more.