The pain Leafs Nation is set to endure became more evident today as the final cuts were announced and most of the promising Leaf prospects now find themselves preparing with Sheldon Keefe for the upcoming American Hockey League season.
Chief among the kids that got a long look was 2014 first rounder William Nylander. Nylander had a strong showing in camp and during the preseason he made new Leaf coach Mike Babcock think long and hard about his final cuts. Babcock's suggestion prior to camp was that the kids would have to steal jobs and Nylander was arguably the Leafs top forward during the preseason.
He made a strong impression and he certainly didn't look out of place however the new front office in Toronto clearly feels it's the wrong time to thrust the rookies into the NHL with the Maple Leafs heading for what could be a tough season.
Another bright spot was fellow second year pro Connor Brown. The former sixth round pick has continued to improve while silencing many doubters. The small forward gained praise from Leaf coach Babcock and was also among the final cuts proving that not only has he defied his draft position but he's also found himself on the Leaf coaches radar.
Going forward it's clear the plan has not changed. The kids will over develop in the minors and the veterans will play out their contracts until it's time for the Marlies and Major Junior players to step in.
In the meantime settle in. It could be a very rough ride especially with future star Austin Matthews set to go first overall in the 2016 draft not that anyone would admit that maybe... just maybe this team is set up to fail. Mike Babcock will whip the dogs but maybe it's best the team bottoms out one time before the club begins to reassemble the main roster for the future.
Some exciting times for the youth in the Maple Leafs organization. Many players have been plugging away the AHL level for a few seasons now and with the implosion and subsequent tear down beginning with the Leafs we are left to ponder who steps up and who gets promoted.
As we know there will be some tough times ahead in the next couple seasons as the Leafs "scorched earth" plan is put in motion. The losing will continue but the excitement will build as we watch the Leafs prospect ranks continue to improve. Prospect site Hockey's Future has the Leafs sitting 19th out of the 30 teams in the league. Cody Franson was moved yesterday opening up the first blue line spot. Today the Swedish born Petter Granberg was recalled for the 3rd time in the last week. I had the pleasure of being in attendance for the 22 year old's first game as a Leaf which was final game of the 2013-2014 season again a game in which the Senators won 1-0 in what proved to be a boring game. Neither team got much going and it was the defense and goaltending that won the night. Granberg showed incredible poise and leadership on the ice directing team mates who were out of position and generally being tough to play against he played a very sound defensive game and left few openings to exploit. It looks as though Granberg will finally get a chance to stick on the Leafs blueline.
You can be sure the Leafs are still looking to deal. Captain Dion Phaneuf is rumored to be garnering interest from the Anaheim Ducks and the Dallas Stars. Phaneuf is no stranger to the Western Conference and had a Norris caliber season in his early days with the Calgary Falmes. Out west is the man who initially acquired Phaneuf in Brian Burke who is the current President of the Flames organization. Is there a desire to bring him back Alberta?
I am a big fan of gritty defender Roman Polak. He has been a vocal leader for the club and while his numbers this season look bad he's been anything but that. The Leafs have been brutal in the last 25 or so games and it's going to make everyone look bad after such a rough stretch. That said other teams are aware and you can be sure there are some playoff bound teams quietly inquiring about his availability as the push for the Stanley Cup.
With Phaneuf and Polak gone and Korbinian Holzer showing very little in my opinion it opens up spots for the likes of youngsters like recently recalled Petter Granberg who is expected to fill the hole left by Cody Franson's departure and also late bloomer Andrew McWilliam who is having a good season with the Marlies brings a hard nosed style and also shoots right. Another Swede who could get a look as the season winds down is the fleet footed Viktor Loov who has 16 points in 47 games for the Marlies but he'll likely be given another season of big minutes with the Marlies. Stuart Percy has struggled since having a big run at Leafs training camp. It may be a confidence issue but Percy is likely spending another season in the AHL. He's still only 21 years old and if he can get his game together Percy will be given every chance to take a spot with the Maple Leafs.
Jake Gardiner continue to mature at a pace some are getting frustrated with but his abilities are clearly evident on a nightly basis. Many of Gardiner's plays are a fast breakouts that puts people on the edge of their seats or the flip side where he often circles back into his own zone and loses the puck trapping the Leafs in their own end. When he does this Gardiner is not doing himself any favors. After a big showing in the playoffs against Boston and signing a contract that some could argue is the reason Cody Franson was traded... He's been stagnant. I wouldn't say worse but he hasn't taken that big step. I'll always give Gardiner the benefit of the doubt and I don't think he's going anywhere so the hope in Leafs Nation is that with time he can put his game together and if he can start making better decisions he could really breakout and become a staple on the Leafs blueline for years to come.
In closing I would be remiss if I did not mention blue chipper Morgan
Rielly, He's already in his second season with the Leafs and he's
looking better and better as he gains experience. It looks as though his confidence has not
faltered despite the tough free fall the Leafs have endured and he's
starting to look like a premier defender which goes against the grain of
how this club as a whole has played. With potential Polak and Phaneuf trades on the horizon Morgan Rielly may well be thrust into the top pairing and his trial by fire maturation process will really be tested. Rielly has come out of two Leaf collapses unscathed and he's got a lot of Leaf Nations hopes resting on his shoulders moving forward. A lot of pressure but the best always find a way to succeed.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are finally in rebuild mode. Leafs nation saw a partial rebuild under former GM Brian Burke who came in with a bang acquiring now Leafs leading scorer Phil Kessel and then trading Stajan, Hagman, White and Mayers to the Flames for now Leafs Captain Dion Phaneuf. Eventually this led to trades for James Van Riemsdyk and Joffrey Lupul, Jake Gardiner and Cody Franson
Now we are witnessing the Leafs tear down. It's going to be a lot of fun to watch from a transaction perspective. Today Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli were moved to Nashville for Nashvilles 2015 First round selection and Brendan Leipsic. Leipsic is a former CHL scoring champion and one of the top rookie point producers in the American Hockey League this season. The Leafs strike early by moving two players they couldn't get signed to extensions and bolster the impressive group of young forwards on their way through the system.
New Leafs prospect Leipsic joins OHL scoring champ Connor Brown with the Leafs AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies. Both players are top 5 in rookie scoring in the AHL and should become the top line for the Marlies as the team battles it's way back from a rough start. The Leafs top prospect William Nylander will have some strong options on the wing as if he hadn't already with Frattin, Abbott and Mckegg having good seasons thus far.
Marlies will get more talent next season to develop in Gauthier, Verhaeghe and Andreas Johnson. Rinat Valiev is 2 years away. #TMLtalk
— Paul Hendrick (@HennyTweets) February 15, 2015
As Paul Hendrick points out there are also players graduating from juniors next season led by Leafs 2013 1st rounder Fredrik Gautier. The 6'4 220lb Gautier will continue to grow as he makes the jump to the AHL in what will undoubtedly become a Calder Cup contender. Joining him will be Andreas Johnson who will likely be coming over from the SHL and Toronto born Carter Verhaege.
Looking forward there are rumblings of potential Bozak, Lupul and Winnik trades before the deadline as teams look to beef up for playoff runs and the Leafs continue to tear down as they build for what we all hope will be a much brighter future. Toronto now has two first round picks for the first time since drafting Tyler Biggs 22nd and Stuart Percy at 25th overall in the 2011 Entry Draft
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The Toronto Maple Leafs picked up a well earned with in a hard fought exciting matchup. Big hits and solid play kept the building on it's feet as the Torontos "goal"den boy Nazem Kadri gets called up and nets the game winning goal in his return to the NHL.
The former 7th overrall pick in NHL Draft has struggled to keep a place with the big club. It's been said that Kadri's next call up would be his last and if last night was any indication Naz has made this claim look like a good one. He showed great speed throughout the game and looked as though he finally belongs in NHL. A great shot top shelf on Miller and he has the game winner.
Toronto got into penalty trouble. 4 penalties in the second period but they bounced back after allowing a power play goal and continued to battle and you can't ask for anything more from a team than to not give up.
James Reimer seems like he is returning to the form that made everyone so excited about the young goaltender. He stopped 40 of 42 shots and looked solid throughout making all the necessary saves to lead him team back into the win column.
If the team can beat the Islanders tonight Toronto will head into Christmas with a 18-13-4 record. Despite that many people still believe Wilson should be fired. Brian Burke is a family guy. A high moral guy so if he were even thinking about it just a little bit you would be waiting until the New Year but I highly doubt Wilson gets fired. Contract extension? Now that I highly doubt also.
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