Toronto Maple Leafs

[TK12555]

Well, after some time researching all of the Leafs' acquisitions and losses, I'll give my two cents:

Predicted Lineup:

Lupul-Connolly-Kessel
Kulemin-Grabovski-Macarthur
Kadri-Bozak-Armstrong
Brown-Zigomanis-Orr

Phaneuf-Aulie
Liles-Schenn
Gunnarsson-Franson

Reimer
Gustavsson

PP1: Kessel-Kadri-Lupul-Phaneuf-Liles
PP2: Kulemin-Grabovski-Macarthur-Franson-Gunnarsson/Schenn

PK1: Bozak-Armstrong-Schenn-Franson
PK2: Zigomanis-Brown-Phaneuf-Aulie

*NOTE 1: Lombardi is not included in this as he will likely not play due to injuries
*NOTE 2: Komisarek, and two other fourth liners (see passage below) will be the reserves as of now.

Fantasy Implications

Rising
1- Franson- more PP time and ice time in general will lead to better output
2- Connolly- Playing top line always comes with stat benefits
3- Kessel- not top line, but Phil is getting the best centre he's had during his tenure in Toronto.

Falling
1- Gunnarsson- after a promising finish to the season, two names jump ahead of him in the depth chart
2- Komisarek- the little (very little) relevance he had is now gone. 7th defenceman won't help a team at all
3- Kadri- the addition of Connolly and the re-signing of Macarthur keeps Kadri low on the depth chart, but should see top PP time.

POINTS TO CONSIDER

- as I mentioned in an earlier post, the Leafs now have 5 mediocre centres, none of which are suited for the top line. Let the search continue

- With the additions of Franson and Liles, the Leafs now have one of the deepest blue lines in the League, with only two of the defenders being over the age of 24

- Losing Tim Brent really hurt. A Leaf with tons of energy and heart will surely be missed

- With the signing of Dupuis, and the re-signings of Boyce, Ziggy, and Rosehill, the Leafs now have 6 players fighting for the last three spots on the active roster, with the above names joining Frattin, Orr, and Brown for the final spots with the big club

Conclusion

Well the Leafs added size in Franson, puck moving ability in Liles, and a competent centre in Connolly. But the big fish was not acquired. Are the Leafs better heading into this season in comparison to last season? Yes. But will it be enough to make the playoffs? It all depends on the play of Reimer, the way the defence plays, and the ability for all the forwards to use their depth to their advantage, and take some pressure off of the top line.

Still two months until the start of the season, many things could change.

[bondon]

Huh? You don't think Connolly cracks either PP unit?

Also tell Burke to stay away from Campoli. I kind of need him to sign somewhere where he can have some degree of impact and not be first bench.

[Dean Youngblood]

I was wondering the same thing about Connolly. He will get all the PP time that he wants in Leaf land.

Kadri's PP time will be almost non-existent IMO

[TK12555]

Huh? You don't think Connolly cracks either PP unit?

Also tell Burke to stay away from Campoli. I kind of need him to sign somewhere where he can have some degree of impact and not be first bench.

I think he'll see minimal time on the top unit. I just think that the coaching staff knows the offensive potential of Kadri, and where better to let that potential blossom than on the powerplay? He has too much talent to be playing only 3rd line each game, and the powerplay time would help him reach the necessary minutes yet remain on the 3rd line.

And agreed, let Campoli go somewhere else.

[Dean Youngblood]

I think he'll see minimal time on the top unit. I just think that the coaching staff knows the offensive potential of Kadri, and where better to let that potential blossom than on the powerplay? He has too much talent to be playing only 3rd line each game, and the powerplay time would help him reach the necessary minutes yet remain on the 3rd line.

And agreed, let Campoli go somewhere else.

With all due respect, I completely disagree. Kadri shouldn't be top line. Hell, I don't even mind him returning to the Marlies.

Connolly will be their setup man on the top PP.

[TK12555]

With all due respect, I completely disagree. Kadri shouldn't be top line. Hell, I don't even mind him returning to the Marlies.

Connolly will be their setup man on the top PP.

okay, we'll see who's right I'll make you a friendly bet that by the end of October, Kadri is playing a lot of the powerplay time (excluding external factors, such as injury or a star center being added to the team before October).

I'm 2/2 on friendly bets so far on the site, don't try me

[Dean Youngblood]

I am not betting especially when your stance is "Kadri will be playing a lot" which is quite subjective . Connolly is their setup man. It's exactly why Burke brought him aboard.

Kadri has lots of time to make his way up the depth chart and if Connolly gets hurt then he could step in on the top unit. Plus, Burke and Wilson love those Americans

[TK12555]

I am not betting especially when your stance is "Kadri will be playing a lot" which is quite subjective . Connolly is their setup man. It's exactly why Burke brought him aboard.

Kadri has lots of time to make his way up the depth chart and if Connolly gets hurt then he could step in on the top unit. Plus, Burke and Wilson love those Americans

Yes, but the way I see it is that on the powerplay, the main setup guy is the point man (Liles in this case). The interior setup isn't as important when on the powerplay.

I feel that Kadri will rightfully earn his spot on the powerplay top line, and connolly keeps his spot on the top even strength line.

[Dean Youngblood]

I am curious, does anyone see the Josh Gorges signing as a comparable to what Luke Schenn should receive? I expect Schenn's contract to be longer and more $ than Gorges but they bring a lot of similarities to their games

[TK12555]

I am curious, does anyone see the Josh Gorges signing as a comparable to what Luke Schenn should receive? I expect Schenn's contract to be longer and more $ than Gorges but they bring a lot of similarities to their games

Schenn is 5 years younger, and already gets more points, more hits, and more blocks than Gorges. While they do play a similar game, I think Schenn should, and will receive more for a larger term.

[Nights]

So the boys over at Maple Leafs Hot Stove (the only leaf site that I visit pretty daily and that is completly worth it) got a Q & A with Dave Morrison (Director of Scouting for the Toronto Maple Leafs). They did it all for the purpose of adding it in a yearly magazine they come out with called the "Maple Leafs Annual". I was not able to get my hands on a copy last year but will look towards getting one this year (hurray for being a leafs fan in Ottawa). In the small bits that they showed on the website as a "teaser" of sorts, Dave answers questions about Reimer and his future workload, comparing Blacker, Gardiner and Percy, about trading up to get both Biggs and Percy, a few questions about drafting/scouting in general, among others.

I've decided to copy paste the transcript, all the credit goes to Alex Tran over at MLHS

James Reimer really burst onto the NHL scene with a fantastic stretch of games as a rookie, but seemed to struggle a little bit toward the end there. Is conditioning one of those things James needs to work on in order to solidify himself as a true number one goaltender?
Morrison – You’re right Alex, this was his first real extended stretch of games at the NHL level and that was a big challenge. He certainly proved himself at the AHL level, but the workload he shouldered there at the end… any goalie would start to feel the effects of that. That part of James’ game and the process of him learning how to be THE guy are going to come with experience and maturity. He understands what he needs to do. The management staff as well… they’re going to work with James as well to know when he’s okay to play and when he may need a night off here and there.

After James Reimer was promoted to the big club, it was Ben Scrivens’ turn to steal the show as a rookie goaltender with the Marlies, putting up some very impressive numbers. Should Jonas and James be looking over their shoulders a little bit at the NHL level?
Morrison – Haha, well any goalie should be always looking over their shoulders. The skaters should be too. There should always be an element of competition there at all times because it forces everyone to stay honest and continue to want to improve. We know Scrivens is a very good young goaltender and that he’s chomping at the bit to see some NHL action. At some point, he will push for an NHL job and that could be as early as sometime next year, but I certainly expect James and Jonas to be prepared for that possibility and to work their butts off to keep their jobs. We’re in a great situation with a bevy of good young goalies moving forward.

Jesse Blacker seemed to have quite the breakout offensive season in the OHL this year thanks to increased ice-time and responsibility. How does he compare to Stuart Percy and Jake Gardiner in terms of puckmoving ability and offensive upside?
Morrison – Oh boy, that’s a tough question. Well Jesse’s definitely a good one. All three of those guys are excellent puckmoving defensemen but each of them approaches the game with a bit of a different feel. Stuart’s not as flashy as Jesse or Jake but his intelligence more than makes up for it as he possesses an excellent understanding of the game. That’s not to take anything away from the other two, but Stuart just seems to incorporate it more into his game. Jesse and Jake on the other hand, are a little stronger on their feet in terms of agility and rushing ability. I suppose in the end, one of them will end up being the best of the group, but it’s doesn’t matter who. We’re in a great situation to have three high upside defensemen who should all be able to contribute at the next level.

You traded up for your top selection of this year’s draft, snagging power forward Tyler Biggs, a ferocious checker, with the 22nd pick of the first round. What were some of the skills you saw that really drew you to him? Word is you guys actually had Percy rated a little higher than Biggs, but you called a draft floor audible to make sure you got both. Tell us about that.
Morrison – Like you said, Tyler is a big, strong guy with a great physical element to his game. He’s got the upside of a power forward because he can play with a hard hitting, nasty edge but he’s also got the offensive skills to complement a scoring line. We love that he goes out there and gets his nose dirty in the corners. These types of players are very hard to find because teams just don’t let them go.
We were sitting there at the draft table with picks 25 and 29 coming up and we knew there was no way we were going to get both where we were. So after trading up for the 22nd pick, I just had a feeling that Biggs was going to go before Percy within the next few picks. This is just one of those instincts you develop after years of experience and being on the floor for several drafts. It was something I discussed with my colleagues, who also shared the feeling. So we went ahead with our selection and just crossed our fingers, hoping that Percy would make it to 25. We really had no idea if it was all going to work out but we’re very thankful that it did.

Let’s switch gears a little bit and finish off with some draft related questions. There was talk this year of teams putting a lot more time and effort into the interview process, even meeting with players that were significantly out of their projected range. Was this simply a matter of the 2011 draft class being one where there was little difference between say picks 20 through 50, thus prompting the need to be prepared for any scenario?
Morrison – Absolutely Alex. That’s one part of it. You always want to be prepared for anything, whether that’s a player being unexpectedly available or trade options presenting themselves. The other aspect of it may simply just be the evolution of scouting as teams realize the importance of drafting well in the cap era. More time and money is being invested into the process and the teams that do so will reap the benefits later on down the road.

With the recent regime change in the management team of the city’s baseball team (Blue Jays), current General Manager Alex Anthopoulos talked about a new approach to drafting where the organization sought out players with a 10% chance at developing into a star preferentially over players with a 50% chance of developing into an average player. What are your thoughts on such a drafting philosophy? Is it realistic to draft that way in hockey?
Morrison – That’s an interesting question. My team and I are always trying to find that diamond in the rough… a true difference maker as it were. But like with baseball, it’s important to keep in mind that there are different ways for a player to positively impact a team. Some organizations have gotten especially good at identifying those riskier, high upside guys. Over the years, our team has been targeting increasingly higher risk-reward type players, much more so than four or five years ago. It becomes a lot easier to do so when you manage to acquire depth through free agent signings like Tyler Bozak, Ben Scrivens and Jussi Rynnas. That frees you up to get a little more adventurous on the draft floor.

Let’s say you’ve selected a couple of higher risk players in the early rounds. Do you seek to contrast those selections with some safer guarantees with defined roles in the later rounds? I would imagine it’s quite important to ensure you leave the draft floor with at least a few NHL contributors?
Morrison –Maybe in the past we would do a little more of that. Now, we feel pretty confident taking high risk players because of all the homework we do to learn about a player, from a personal, medical and physical standpoint. A certain player may be further away from becoming an impact player but if we see that they have the right mentality and character to put in the work to get there, that makes us feel a lot better about a particular selection. Extensive homework is what gives us a better chance with these high upside risks.

When scouting a player, on average, how many games do you feel are required in order to make a proper assessment of that player’s abilities?
Morrison – You see Alex, it honestly depends on the game. Sometimes it’s one game… sometimes it’s two games… sometimes it’s six games. I read and receive a ton of reports everyday from all of our scouts and those are extremely important. If I were to go see a player, there could be any number of factors in play that could skew what I’m seeing. It could be a Sunday afternoon game for example where that player is tired after three games in two and half days, so perhaps I would consider coming back and watching him play on a Friday night.

One last question.There seems to be considerable hype building for the upcoming 2012 draft class. What’s your early impression of that next crop of young players? Could it be realistically likened to the 2003 class where you see several all-star calibre players like Getzlaf, Perry, and Parise being selected in the late first round, or is that a little on the optimistic side?
Morrison – That’s probably a little optimistic. I will say that the next group of players certainly looks very good and that throughout the course of this past year, the reviews on some of these underage players have been jumping off the page. However with any young player, a lot can change over the course of a year, so I like to stick with a wait and see approach before passing any final judgment.

Well, that’s it from me. A big thank you from both MLHS and the Maple Leafs Annual for letting us interrupt you during your much deserved time off.
Morrison – My pleasure Alex. Anytime.

[Dean Youngblood]

Thanks for sharing Nights. Awesome read.

I think the Leafs found themselves a real gem in Jesse Blacker and look forward to watching him develop into a pro.

The leafs drafted him in the second round after he posted only 21 points in 67 OHL games. Based on those stats alone, some might have felt that he didn't warrant a 2nd round selection. He's making the leaf scouting staff look good as he improved the next two seasons. Let's hope that Stuart Percy mimics that kind of development (I have been a big fan of his over these last two seasons).

Thanks again.

[Nights]

Thanks for sharing Nights. Awesome read.

I think the Leafs found themselves a real gem in Jesse Blacker and look forward to watching him develop into a pro.

The leafs drafted him in the second round after he posted only 21 points in 67 OHL games. Based on those stats alone, some might have felt that he didn't warrant a 2nd round selection. He's making the leaf scouting staff look good as he improved the next two seasons. Let's hope that Stuart Percy mimics that kind of development (I have been a big fan of his over these last two seasons).

Thanks again.

Hey, if you liked it, then that's good enough for me ^^

I'm quite interested in Blacker. He seems to have done nothing but improve his overall game since being drafted. His skillset also sounds appealing.

The pair of draftees from the 3rd round of that draft are the two I'm most interested in however : Greg McKegg and Sondre Olden. McKegg seems to have been simply a victim of being underrated. If I remember, he was a high selection in the OHL priority draft (2nd in 2008, and has been nothing but steady since. Posted 85 points in his sophomore year with Erie and then posted 49 goals and 92 points last year. I remember seeing him in training camp and be impressed. He also is a very good two-way player if my information is right.

Olden is just intriguing. Huge dominance in international tournaments with Norway (OK fine, 22 points in 5 games in Div I). But he's a tall guy who is a project, yet looked good in training camp and had my interested.

Both are also going to play for the Otters this year.

Gardiner I've seen a few clips of. The first thought that comes in my mind is how he skates. It looks like he's just floating on water. Looks completly effortless.

Percy sounds like he's been a victim mostly of being covered under the light. Either it's because of other stud OHL D around the league or his roster getting the attention, he soulds like he was simply underrated. Reminds me of the McKegg situation.

I remember about 3-4 years ago I wanted a Leafs jersey, but simply could not figure out who I would want. There was no future to the team that one could see, and no young name signed for more then a year or two, or that would be with the organization for sure in the longterm. I think that we now do have signs of a future with the amount of quality prospects in the system. Sure, they might not all pan out, but chances are at least a few of them will, and there's also some good youth on the pro team, as well.

I think that there's no where to go but up from here. And that's good enough for many Leaf fans. For me, anyways.

[Dean Youngblood]

Big fan of McKegg after seeing him several times last season playing for Erie. IMO, McKegg could become a solid second liner and at worst 3rd as he has a diverse set of skills. I am excited that Olden has decided to join the OHL scene as well.

I will try to pop in once in a while to give my take on some of these leaf prospects as I get the chance to see more of these players.

[TK12555]

Big fan of McKegg after seeing him several times last season playing for Erie. IMO, McKegg could become a solid second liner and at worst 3rd as he has a diverse set of skills. I am excited that Olden has decided to join the OHL scene as well.

I will try to pop in once in a while to give my take on some of these leaf prospects as I get the chance to see more of these players.

That would be so helpful. It'd be much appreciated Rossy.