Jeremy Bracco next year?

[luvdahattymatty]

I could be wrong in my Babs analysis of how many light weight highly skilled guys he wants on the team. And maybe the nhl will change again to an even higher skill league. Our centres are all highly skilled but all 3 have 2 way 200 foot games.

What i was referring to was Nylander Marner and Bracco who do not have 2 way 200 foot games. Their skill levels are all slightly different but similar. Nylander is best skater of 3 with best shot. Marner has the most complete game of 3 and best playmaker. Bracco has the best hands of the 3 and his passes are unreal (if you thought marner could pass then you will be excited to see a guy at the next level). Bracco will also take more risks going to the net. He does have more risk of getting knocked out due to his size.

I still feel like Babs will only play 2 of those guys and if Nylander fits in Leafs Dubas cap then i do believe it will be him. Under that scenario I think Bracco gets moved for a top end defenceman but it will take more time. But there is a limited chance Nylander just does not fit the cap and if so then there is a backup plan in place.

Kappy and AJ are 2 way 200 foot players but with a lot less skill than 3 above. They will never replace each other.

 

[hullsy47]

He'll be the marlies timashov next year

I think mason marchment is ahead of bracco ..brocco might be like Kirby rychel ,both should play in the NHL .
once they realize u have earn every minute of playing time u get.
rychel grew up having his career mapped out in junior ,and bracco needed another year of junior hockey IMO

 

[deletethis]

Where's the middle ground? This guy is a real prospect but he isn't a particularly great one. He's an offense or bust type. On the side board with the puck he stands out, almost every other situation he's not so great. I have difficulty envisioning him adjusting his game to take on a depth role. Like any Leafs' prospect I'm not particularly high on, I'll love it when he proves me wrong. He does seem to have grow up and out, no more reports of tantrums and he's no longer a lightweight/low strength player.

He doesn't compare well to Kapanen IMO because Kapanen can be a positive player right now without generating a lot of offense at the NHL level.

 

[luvdahattymatty]

They are polar opposites from a skill standpoint. Maybe Rychel's dad was able to map out a career for him to junior but thats it. Bracco has been earning and proving it every year I can remember since he was an atom. The kid makes the big plays in the big games. And did it right up to winning the Memorial Cup game pretty much on his own. With Marlies he is getting 4th line minutes and linemates. Once he gets his shot with minutes and linemates you will see he will be 1+ point per game and most of those points will be game winners. And his game in nhl will be the same. If you saw him over 10 years win tournament after tournament you would understand. His skill level is just off the charts line 1 nhl good. Just ask Mitch he will tell you how many times Bracco won tournaments as kids it was just insane. His real only issue was making a mistake in taking Boston College route vs ohl route right away. But he corrected it pretty quick.

 

[stickty111]

Guess what, Bracco isnt a bad defensive player.
Their is a common misconception that he is, but it's just not true.

Toronto Maple Leafs: The Good and Bad of Jeremy Bracco
Good: Two-Way Game

Bracco, in a surprising twist, has managed to somewhat avoid these hiccups in his first taste of AHL action, developing a two-way game far beyond expectation while doing so in his own way.
He’s not a physical player, not by any stretch, and therefore won’t smother opponents in coverage. Rather, Bracco uses other means, specifically his combination of acute on-ice positioning and spatial awareness to effectively eliminate gaps, force turnovers, and paint attackers into a corner off the rush.
He’s fast, albeit not in a straight away sense either. Bracco instead maximizes his lateral speed and edge work to change directions on a dime, in turn allowing him to keep pace with the play in the event of an offensive turnover and to adapt to changes in possession.

 

[darrylsittler27]

You want the truth? He is more likely to get traded than stick with this team. Those wings are very crowded and other will pass him by this very year. It is a sign of the times in Leafland, we are stacked.

 

[Menzinger]

Guess what, Bracco isnt a bad defensive player.
Their is a common misconception that he is, but it's just not true.

Toronto Maple Leafs: The Good and Bad of Jeremy Bracco
Good: Two-Way Game

Bracco, in a surprising twist, has managed to somewhat avoid these hiccups in his first taste of AHL action, developing a two-way game far beyond expectation while doing so in his own way.
He’s not a physical player, not by any stretch, and therefore won’t smother opponents in coverage. Rather, Bracco uses other means, specifically his combination of acute on-ice positioning and spatial awareness to effectively eliminate gaps, force turnovers, and paint attackers into a corner off the rush.
He’s fast, albeit not in a straight away sense either. Bracco instead maximizes his lateral speed and edge work to change directions on a dime, in turn allowing him to keep pace with the play in the event of an offensive turnover and to adapt to changes in possession.

He had this reputation at the draft for being poor defensively, but unfortunately that seems to have stuck with him even though he’s clearly rounded out that part of his game in his post draft development seasons.

 

[luvdahattymatty]

If he was in fact a 200 foot player with a decent defensive capability then he would already be in the nhl because there are only 3 or 4 Leafs with equal or more puck skill then him right now. So something or someone is holding him back. Maybe it is his conditioning? Maybe his strength? In Marlie games I saw last year which was like 75% I thought his biggest issue was his linemates and icetime. No one can score lots of assists if you are playing with plugs and you get reduced minutes. Look at Karrlson in nhl this year he got to play with skill and he produces great numbers. Put him on the 4th line and he goes right back to where he was before.

If Leaf season started and Bracco was Matty's right wing then the line would not even miss a beat. In fact it is very likely the point totals would increase. It won't happen if Nylander signs up which he will but the Leafs as a whole really would not be affected. This is why I'd like to use Nylanders $$ on cap to get a top tieright shot dman right now.We could get a better shot at winning the Cup this season. Rather then wait another year to be serious contenders. I speak as a senior citizen so my time is very valuable now. I dont care as much about the individual players anymore as i do about winning the Cup again.