Prospect Info: 2015 Leafs Board Prospect Ranking #5

[IBeL34f]

Going with Freddy here!

Yep, me too. I think very highly of this kid, and I think he could surprise a lot of people in a couple of years after spending some time playing with better teammates.

As a side note, I find it hilarious that some people are pushing so heavily for any one player at this point in time, saying "It has to be ________ here". No it doesn't. This is what depth is. This is what having a plethora of B prospects feels like. Everyone's going to have their reasons for liking one guy or another now that we're out of the more blue-chip guys. Embrace it, enjoy it.

 

[Willie Oree]

Connor Brown was leading Marlie point getter as a rookie and a determined leader. Percy is a good talented defender - not our #5 by any stretch but if he can stay healthy he is a solid 2nd pairing guy. Hi IQ. Injury-prone though.

Sorry just don't see NHLer in Brown. Ya he is an okay point getter and seems to work hard but if he's our 4th best prospect we have A LOT of work to do. Percy hasn't really shown me anything special, I think what's happening here is many are just hoping the years under Burke with Morrison running the show hasn't been a complete loss.

 

[diceman934]

Harrington, and its not even close.....wait till you see him play a few games.


Can we add Gibson, he was our best Goalie in the AHL last season.

 

[buttman*]

Percy has already shown he can play in the league. Once he finds consistency and confidence he should be a regular.

Bracco has huge upside but has a ways to go.

 

[ATBLeafsTyler]

Sorry just don't see NHLer in Brown. Ya he is an okay point getter and seems to work hard but if he's our 4th best prospect we have A LOT of work to do. Percy hasn't really shown me anything special, I think what's happening here is many are just hoping the years under Burke with Morrison running the show hasn't been a complete loss.

Again, you have obviously never seen him play. He has proved EVERYONE wrong in every lever he's played in, including AHL, leading the team and rookies in scoring.

I'm not sure what kind of argument "but he's our 4th best prospect and we have a lot of work to do" is. Of course there's still a lot of work to do to make this team better but I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say. Please elaborate on that further.

As for Percy, he's proved to me and most people what he can do. He just needs to be more confident.

 

[one77]

Gauthier or Johnson for me.

What's with all the Bracco hype? I've only seen him a couple times and to me he didn't stand out. Gauthier stands out because of his elite defensive game and how often he's used in key situations. And Johnson is a just a sweet pure goalscoarer. He could honestly be a replacement for Kessel one day.

 

[Bullseye]

Percy has already shown he can play in the league. Once he finds consistency and confidence he should be a regular.

Bracco has huge upside but has a ways to go.

Well you have touched on the major focus of this ranking - which prospects have the most upside? Not who is farthest ahead.

 

[cdasman04]

Look at all the Bracco love. We just drafted Dermott ahead of him and he's still there guys.

I get it upside and what not. But so close to the draft being over? There's no denying Bracco's offensive ability, which seems to be the only thing anyone cares about. But he has a ways to go. For a small skill player he doesn't skate particularly well right now (in comparison to comparable players to him). Upside doesn't just mean offensive upside.

Percy for me here. Dermott ahead of Bracco. And I'll prob have a different opinion next year when I have more to go on.

 

[AuraSphere]

Percy Jackson

 

[Stand Witness]

Well you have touched on the major focus of this ranking - which prospects have the most upside? Not who is farthest ahead.

I look at it as a mix of both. Who has the biggest upside along with is most ready to be an NHL player now.

Upside comes first, then it comes down to who is closer when players start to have similar upside. If a guy is 4 years away but the 5th most skilled guy he drops a little bit for me.

 

[Zybalto]

Harrington and Percy are very close with a slight edge to Harrington as he has been a better AHL performer to date.

Much like Kapanen, he will be underrated till he gets more views.

 

[Willie Oree]

Again, you have obviously never seen him play. He has proved EVERYONE wrong in every lever he's played in, including AHL, leading the team and rookies in scoring.

I'm not sure what kind of argument "but he's our 4th best prospect and we have a lot of work to do" is. Of course there's still a lot of work to do to make this team better but I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say. Please elaborate on that further.

As for Percy, he's proved to me and most people what he can do. He just needs to be more confident.

So because I don't share your opinion on Connor Brown I obviously haven't seen him play? Really? Get real...

Yes, he's proven a lot of people wrong over the course of his career but to make the jump to the NHL he will have to prove a lot more people wrong. I don't see him as an NHLer, I see him as a guy who will get the odd call up to fill a hole and perhaps get 40-50 games at that level but as a prospect he's not much bigger than Kyle Wellwood, Harold Druken, Jeff Farkas, D'Amico...

What I mean by "if he's our 4th best prospect and we have a lot of work to do" is he's not very good. Our 4th best prospect has to show more upside and to me that's someone like Bracco or even Gauthier who, to me, look like they're destined to be NHLers. Connor strikes me as a guy who puts up numbers in minor hockey and on the farm that just doesn't quite have that "it" factor to make it to the NHL.

Percy has proven nothing to me as yet, he is a guy I hope can prove he is a pro and can excel but as an actual prospect(one with loads of upside and room to grow) he doesn't do it for me.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Johnson

Johnson for me. Percy still has to prove more.

 

[hamzarocks]

Freddy the Gauthier.

Because he has franchise potential, even though he is unlikely to reach that level.
I would take Gauthier at equal point production over just about any player left on this list.
Others may outscore him in the NHL, but none have the complete impact he is capable of.

Same way that 80 points from Kopitar is very different than 80 points from Kessel.
Safe to say even 40 points from Kopitar is better than 80 from Kessel.
Even though he won't go #5 on this list, he really deserves to be in this next group.

lol what 40 points from kopitar is no where near better than 80 points from kessel, the overrating of intangibles continues, also kopitar is not some magical player that can shut down other teams completely he is a good d player but is overated in that regard like other guys. 80 points from kessel is better than 79 points from kopitar, as long as kessel is playing on the right team and not on the defensive mess that was the leafs. Next year kessel will show his real value to the league.

 

[guitarist37]

Bracco has higher upside than Dermott, but Dermott's floor is so much higher than Bracco's while still having very appealing upside himself. Voted Dermott. I love me some quality defensive prospects.

 

[ATBLeafsTyler]

So because I don't share your opinion on Connor Brown I obviously haven't seen him play? Really? Get real...

Yes, he's proven a lot of people wrong over the course of his career but to make the jump to the NHL he will have to prove a lot more people wrong. I don't see him as an NHLer, I see him as a guy who will get the odd call up to fill a hole and perhaps get 40-50 games at that level but as a prospect he's not much bigger than Kyle Wellwood, Harold Druken, Jeff Farkas, D'Amico...

What I mean by "if he's our 4th best prospect and we have a lot of work to do" is he's not very good. Our 4th best prospect has to show more upside and to me that's someone like Bracco or even Gauthier who, to me, look like they're destined to be NHLers. Connor strikes me as a guy who puts up numbers in minor hockey and on the farm that just doesn't quite have that "it" factor to make it to the NHL.

Percy has proven nothing to me as yet, he is a guy I hope can prove he is a pro and can excel but as an actual prospect(one with loads of upside and room to grow) he doesn't do it for me.

What's the justification for thinking he will be just a call-up?

Brown in stature reminds me a lot of Tyler Johnson (though Brown is a bit taller). Brown put up better numbers than Johnson in junior (winning the CHL scoring title to be exact) and put up a very close margin point total in his rookie year in the AHL as Johnson.

I have a feeling Brown will dominate the A this year (as Johnson did in his second year) and then make the jump to the Leafs for 2016-17 in a similar way Johnson did in 2013-14.

He's good, and he's got the determination - a lot like Johnson. Did Johnson's size hold him back? Nope.

 

[FlareKnight]

At this point there is pretty well a half dozen guys you could legitimately make arguments for.

Going to be a lot of low % wins from this point on for a while .

 

[Willie Oree]

What's the justification for thinking he will be just a call-up?

Brown in stature reminds me a lot of Tyler Johnson (though Brown is a bit taller). Brown put up better numbers than Johnson in junior (winning the CHL scoring title to be exact) and put up a very close margin point total in his rookie year in the AHL as Johnson.

I have a feeling Brown will dominate the A this year (as Johnson did in his second year) and then make the jump to the Leafs for 2016-17 in a similar way Johnson did in 2013-14.

He's good, and he's got the determination - a lot like Johnson. Did Johnson's size hold him back? Nope.

The justification is simple I Don't think he's good enough.

I don't care how big he is, I just don't see the skill level of an NHLer in him.

 

[ATBLeafsTyler]

The justification is simple I Don't think he's good enough.

I don't care how big he is, I just don't see the skill level of an NHLer in him.

Well, you'll sound like a genius if you're right, but myself along with most people here see a decent top 6 forward in this kid.

He's good haha

 

[LoovTrain]

Easily Andreas Johnson, you guys have this poll wrong

This is the correct answer.

 

[hamzarocks]

This is the correct answer.

its all based on opinion not a lot of people have been able to see Johnson play,(myself included), since not a lot of people have seen him they dont really now how good he is right now and how good will he become. I like percy he is smart with the puck and a strong skater, its sad he got sent down and got injured, but he is our best d prospect right now and has the tools to become a better version of a carl gunnarrson.

 

[LoovTrain]

its all based on opinion not a lot of people have been able to see Johnson play,(myself included), since not a lot of people have seen him they dont really now how good he is right now and how good will he become. I like percy he is smart with the puck and a strong skater, its sad he got sent down and got injured, but he is our best d prospect right now and has the tools to become a better version of a carl gunnarrson.

I wish more Leaf fans did, because this kid might be the best pure sniper we have in the system. Watched a bunch of Frolunda games this past season and this kid has one hell of a shot, a great one-timer, finds the open ice and will go to the front of the net. I think Leaf fans will quickly change their minds when they watch him. In my opinion he is easily 4 or 5 on the depth chart.

I get the Bracco love, but what he has done he has done against his peers. Johnson has been doing this against men. And what he has accomplished in the SHL in his draft, +1, +2 years compares very favorably with some of the bigger names to have come from Sweden.

 

[WildcatMapleLeafs28]

Jeremy Bracco.

He's a boom or bust prospect in my eyes but if he makes it , he's going to be damn good. Gaudreau type ceiling.

 

[Magic Man]

Harrington and Percy are very close with a slight edge to Harrington as he has been a better AHL performer to date.

Much like Kapanen, he will be underrated till he gets more views.

Percy and Harrington are the same age, from the same draft 29 picks apart. Their production since they turned pro mirror one another's. Harrington is larger and better defensively than Percy. He was also a key cog for a couple WJC team's that Percy wasn't able to make.

I'm kind of surprised to see such a strong love for Percy, while Harrington would be 11th if this poll determined the order. There has been much talk about the "shiny new toy factor" which has seemed to skip Harrington altogether.

 

[Joey Hoser]

This is the correct answer.

I hope this is sarcastic, and you realize this is entirely subjective and there is no such thing.