The Leafs rounded out a busy day with three selections in the final three rounds. The final 2013 draft haul is 4 forwards and a goalie taken over five selections (2nd and 4th were traded for Bolland).
The Leafs fifth round pick in the 2013 entry draft, Fabrice Herzog, is a 6-foot-1, 176-pound winger who has been plying his trade in the Swiss junior elite league for the past two seasons. He also appeared in 22 games for Zug of the top Swiss league last season, getting the chance to play on the same team as Henrik Zetterberg and Damien Brunner during the lockout. Dave Nonis has indicated that Herzog will cross the pond to play junior hockey in North America next season.
Michael Stephens offered the following insight on the Herzog selection:
Fabrice Herzog will really fill some holes on the #leafs roster. He instantly adds to their depth at both Fabrices AND Herzogs, you guys
— Michael Stephens (@MLHS_Mike) July 1, 2013
With Garret Sparks, the Leafs lone goalie in junior last season, set to graduate to the ECHL/AHL, Dave Morrison’s team selected Antoine Bibeau of the PEI Rockets (QMJHL) in the sixth round today. Bibeau was draft eligible last June but was passed over in his first go around. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound Quebec native posted a .911SV%, 2.81GAA with 5 shutouts in 46 starts last season.
From a USA Today article in January:
“Antoine Bibeau just keeps impressing behind a decidedly mediocre PEI defense corps. Bibeau has wrested the No. 1 job away from the veteran Maxime Lagace, a Dallas Stars signee, with rock solid work. He puts his team in a position to win every single outing, and in the process has shown pretty fair athleticism for a big netminder. He gives shooters very little to look at and has proved to be a highly competitive battler.”
Morrison’s team turned the final pick of the day over to Thommie Bergman, drafting 5’10, 183-pound left winger Andreas Johnson of Frolunda Jr. of the Swedish Jr. league.
Elite Prospects describes Johnson, “A fast-skating winger with very good hands and vision. Johnson can set plays up as well as take the shot himself. Plays with lots of energy. Very nifty. (EP, 2012).”