Maple Leafs Prospect Update: October 20th, 2014

Hockey’s back!

Technically, it was back in my mind with the rookie tournament, but since I basically took the pre-season off because the pre-season is brutal, hockey is back again!

The Toronto Maple Leafs are off to a lacklustre start and, to be honest, probably have a better record than they deserve through the first week and a half.  A dominating performance against the Avalanche notwithstanding, this team looks out of sorts.  If the reader wants me to say something positive at this point, here it is: Stuart Percy.

Percy has been a freckle of light in the cool, damp abyss that has been the Leafs first 6 games.  He’s looked good with the puck, has been in the right spot without it, and has been on the horseshoe side of a strange play that has his name on the scoresheet with 3 assists through his first 5 games played.  You’ll hear a lot of analysts talking about how he’s a better NHL player than an AHL player, which is basically their new way of saying, “we don’t know why he’s good,” now that analytics has made, “he wants it more,” obsolete.  Percy is smart and he plays the game with his head up.  He’s been prone to going up the middle to start the year (sometimes blindly) and for the most part, it’s worked.  The league will pick up on that tendency soon and Percy’s ability to adapt to that adjustment will determine whether he stays in the lineup or spends the better part of the year in the AHL.

Looking at some of the younger kids, I thought Carter Verhaeghe was second to only Josh Leivo in terms of performance at the rookie tournament.  Unfortunately, that hasn’t really translated at the OHL level as Verhaeghe has a lacklustre 6 points in 9 games to start the year with Niagara.  It’s early and he’s sure to turn it around but fans who were expecting the Ice Dogs’ centre to challenge Connor Brown’s production from last season will likely be disappointed.

Andreas Johnson, last year’s Swedish Hockey League Rookie of the Year, picked up right where he left off.  The diminutive winger has 8 points in 12 games so far this year.  If you’re looking for a potential sleeper who could have a real, meaningful top-6 impact, Johnson may just be your guy.  He’s very skilled and if he can translate that to the stronger, more cluttered North American game, he could do some damage.

Finally, what Leafs prospect post would be complete without a little talk about William Nylander?  Well, first of all, he did this, showing us the speed, patience, and shot that we have to look forward to.  He’s got a pair of points in his first two games and he was a standout in the rookie tournament and in times at NHL training camp as well.  This is another prospect of the Morgan Rielly ilk, who we’re probably lucky to have added at that spot in the draft.  It sucks to have to wait (especially with the product we’ve been subjected to so far this year) but at least we have something to look forward to.

Maple Leafs Prospect Statistics - 2014-15