After Toronto Marlies practice, college free agent signings Luke Haymes and John Prokop discussed their decision to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Head coach John Gruden also provided his early impressions of both prospects and the plan to integrate them into the Marlies’ lineup as early as this weekend.
John Prokop on what made Toronto an attractive destination: “It is the best organization in hockey.”
Prokop: I mean, it is the best organization in hockey, and it is kind of hard to say no to them, especially hearing all of the good things about it.
I actually had five teammates back at my school (at Union College) who are from Toronto. They let me know about the city and everything outside of hockey. They are all fans of Toronto, too. It was nice. They were able to tell me what they’ve seen over their time living in Toronto… They lived here their whole lives and had nothing but good things to say about it.
Even when I tried to ask about what might be bad, there was nothing bad. It kind of made you smile. “Let me find out for myself,” then, and I haven’t found anything bad, either. It’s been awesome.
The culture here has been unbelievable so far. The guys have been so welcoming. Everyone in the city loves hockey, and so do I. That’s perfect. That’s what you want to be a part of. It’s exactly why I came here.
Prokop on Luke Haymes’ game: “One of the best players in our conference.”
Prokop: I thought he was one of the best players in our conference. He wins draws. He is physical. He can score and defend. It is really hard to play against. I played against him in the playoffs, and it is nice to play on the same team with him now. I think Toronto will appreciate that.
Prokop on his areas for improvement: “Get stronger in the D-zone”
Prokop: I used to be offensive and have tried to make it more two-way. That is how you have to move up and play where you want to play… I have to be stronger in the d-zone, boxing guys out and not letting the puck in the back of the net. That will gain new trust with coaches, and it is the way you play more minutes.
Luke Haymes: “[The Leafs] are huge on development, which is something I knew I needed as a younger guy coming out of college.”
Haymes: The city is just awesome. The fan base is obviously in love with the team, which is awesome. I am happy to be plugged in here, and I am ready to work my way up.
Coming from dev camp, you meet the staff and get a good feel for the players, which is always special. I am already a little bit comfortable and will only be more comfortable down the road. The resources and the way they treat their players—you can tell from walking into the arena that you have it good here.
Talking to the staff, they are huge on development, which is something I knew I needed as a younger guy coming out of college. I wanted a place that would really develop me, and somewhere with opportunity as well. Those are two parts of the plan coming here. Super excited to be a Marlie and a Leaf. The Leafs are an unbelievable team, and so are the Marlies; the history and success they’ve had are remarkable.
I am happy to be plugged in, pick everyone’s brains, and learn as much as I can. Super happy to be a part of it.
Haymes on his comparables and role models
Haymes: Growing up, I loved watching Datsyuk. He was a huge role model with his hands in tight, his ability to get to the net, and slip triangles.
As far as NHL comparable, I am not too sure yet. I am just trying to fit into my own game and develop into the best player I can be. I’ve been watching a lot of Mark Scheifele — 200 foot player — and John Tavares is an unbelievable 200-foot player who has had a hell of a career.
I am just going to focus on myself and developing into the player I can be.
John Gruden on his first impressions of John Prokop in practice
Gruden: He carries himself on the ice very well. He skates well. He’s a big guy. It just seems like he has some intelligence to him. It is just [his first practices], but he looked like he belonged. I thought he did an exceptional job. We will get him into (game action) this weekend, but he seems like he has some really good qualities to be a Leaf and to help us for the time being.
He skates really well, and he has good size to him. He has great edges. He has a good stick. There is a lot to like from an eye test in practice.
Gruden on his first impressions of Luke Haymes in practice
Gruden: [Haymes] is a strong skater. He seems like a pretty cerebral and smart player. He kind of reminds me of Quillan a little bit when he came in — same size, and they skate well. It is his first showing, and he is here for a reason. He’ll continue to improve. It’ll be exciting to see where he goes from here.
For anyone that comes through, he has to get acclimated with the pro game. We’ll get him in there. It is a gauge to see where he is at. It is exciting for him. He’s turned pro. We’re excited to have him.
… [Prokop and Haymes] will definitely be in this weekend sometime. They just got here. We’ll get them acclimated the systems. It is an exciting time; we are jockeying for third place and to climb the standings. It’ll be good to get them in.
Gruden on Haymes’ adjustment process when starting in a lesser role at the pro level
Gruden: There is an adjustment, for sure. We tend to roll the four lines a little more. We don’t do as many matchups with our forwards. But we also want to make sure we don’t give a matchup where he isn’t set up for success. We have to make sure it is a good matchup for him.
He is still going to play at least 12 minutes. Coming from where he played 20, it is a big jump, but that is just learning the pro game. Regardless of where you came from, it is his job to adapt, and it is our job to help him adapt and understand what is going to work for him and what his limitations are. It is a different game.
It will be fun throughout the process, but it is something they are going to have to adapt to.
