Josh Leivo: Movin’ On Up

[The Winter Soldier]

I put Ross below Biggs, Leivo, or Ashton. He's still a project, I liken him to a Matt Cooke that hopefully will be cleaner. 3rd line winger upside.

 

[Mystifo]

If, and that's a big IF, Eakins is still around then. Could very well lose him to an NHL team as early as this coming summer.

i'm looking at you Buffalo.

 

[SteveV*]

He's our best forward prospect at the moment I would say.

 

[SteveV*]

Anytime I pump a prospect's tires, there is a thread or article...
.

You live in a self important fantasy land, it is pure hilarity!

 

[SteveV*]

kadri'll be on the first line, methinks.

I think you might just be right.

 

[zeke]

Our prospect pool is better then many publications make it out to be. The teams in better shape then a lot of people think going forth.

meh, it's just full of more crappy prospects like kadri, frattin, reimer, scrivens, holzer before them.

 

[Razz]

Our prospect pool is better then many publications make it out to be. The teams in better shape then a lot of people think going forth.

The Leafs' prospect pool is quite bare right now in terms of high end skill on forward thanks to the recent graduations of Kadri and Frattin. The Leafs need to focus on skill in the next draft.

I hope Leivo works out but he's got a long way to go.

Luckily for us we're covered on D and depth. So I definitely agree we're in good shape.

 

[Lebanese Leaf]

Our future for bottom 6 wingers looks ridiculously stacked. Leivo, Biggs (although I hope for top 6 PWF upside), D'amigo, Ashton, Deschamps, Ross, with Kulemin and Komarov still young on the current roster. Certainly a great problem to have, will be interesting to see who steps up in the future.

 

[zeke]

By reading the article, sounds like Leivo has a higher ceiling than Ross...

there's no doubt about that.

he's bigger, faster, and more skilled.

 

[zeke]

Offensively I'd say so. I feel like Ross is destined to play the role of Darcy Tucker. Grind all day, but also chip in when playing with skill players.

Ross doesn't remotely have Tucker's offensive skill.

Tucker was a good offensive NHLers, and a fricken fantastic offensive player in junior.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I see Joshua Leivo as our most likely top 6 fwd of all our propects in our system. He's better than M Puempel is IMO. If the draft were held today, I think he would be a first rd pick in the 2011 draft. This was a great pick by our scouts, high upside kid, who is going to be better once he fills in even some more. Was drafted at 180, now plays at 191, when he reaches the NHL he should be 200+. Power fwd potential.

 

[Joey Hoser]

meh, it's just full of more crappy prospects like kadri, frattin, reimer, scrivens, holzer before them.

Frattin and Holzer were crappy prospects until they were 22-23 at least.

 

[DD03]

The fact that he's produced at a high level in Sudbury without any star quality linemates mixed with the fact that he's one of the better defensive forwards in the OHL, gives me hope that he should at least be a solid two-way 3rd liner, and maybe a little higher.

I like seeing teams built around solid two-way players, so him and Biggs are definitely the types of prospects I like to see coming up the pipeline.

He played with Sgarbossa in Sudbury, led the OHL in scoring the year he played with Leivo.

 

[8dm13]

Ross doesn't remotely have Tucker's offensive skill.

Tucker was a good offensive NHLers, and a fricken fantastic offensive player in junior.

Fair point. Was going for more of a comparable to the agitator aspect, and some offensive skill. Tucker was a 20 ish goal scorer, who's production went up when playing with Sundin. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that Ross contributes in the mould of a Tucker, perhaps not as offensively consistent, but certainly COULD contribute with points. He's enough skill, I'd say.

 

[8dm13]

He played with Sgarbossa in Sudbury, led the OHL in scoring the year he played with Leivo.

But he's also produced on Sudbury without Sgarbossa.

 

[Michael Gary Scott]

After next season.

JVR-1st13-Kessel
Lupol-Kadri-Frattin
Leivo-Bozak-Biggs
Ashton-McClement-Devane

Phaneuf - Rielly
Gardiner - Holzer
Frazer - Blacker

Reimer

Edit: Forgot about Kessel...

The way we're playing we aren't getting one of the big centres this year. Sorry.

 

[zeke]

Frattin and Holzer were crappy prospects until they were 22-23 at least.

apparently they were crappy prospects even as recently as this past offseason.

 

[DD03]

But he's also produced on Sudbury without Sgarbossa.

I know, I was just saying

 

[MakeTheIronSing]

The way we're playing we aren't getting one of the big centres this year. Sorry.

That's ok, we'll win it all, sell the team and be terrible enough in time for Connor McDavid

 

[FreeBird]

I see Joshua Leivo as our most likely top 6 fwd of all our propects in our system. He's better than M Puempel is IMO. If the draft were held today, I think he would be a first rd pick in the 2011 draft. This was a great pick by our scouts, high upside kid, who is going to be better once he fills in even some more. Was drafted at 180, now plays at 191, when he reaches the NHL he should be 200+. Power fwd potential.

Leivo is just one of a number of forwards taken in the draft after Biggs that have passed him in the propect category. Saad is already playing in Chicago.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Leivo is just one of a number of forwards taken in the draft after Biggs that have passed him in the propect category. Saad is already playing in Chicago.

No 2 players are alike, we know some take longer to develop than others. What you are saying here really has no relevance to Leivo. Perhaps Leivo will be quicker to develop than Kadri, Saad is doing ok, but what's impressive about 3 goals this year anyway? Other than he is playing in the NHL.

 

[Razz]

No 2 players are alike, we know some take longer to develop than others. What you are saying here really has no relevance to Leivo. Perhaps Leivo will be quicker to develop than Kadri, Saad is doing ok, but what's impressive about 3 goals this year anyway? Other than he is playing in the NHL.

I agree with this 100%. The fact that Saad is playing in the NHL at this point speaks more towards the Blackhawk's AHL depth than anything else. (They are a fantastic NHL team though).

Rushing a player to the NHL doesn't mean that other teams that aren't doing the same are behind in their development of players drafted the same year.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

No 2 players are alike, we know some take longer to develop than others. What you are saying here really has no relevance to Leivo. Perhaps Leivo will be quicker to develop than Kadri, Saad is doing ok, but what's impressive about 3 goals this year anyway? Other than he is playing in the NHL.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Leivo is just one of a number of forwards taken in the draft after Biggs that have passed him in the propect category. Saad is already playing in Chicago.

And he's lighting it up too, which makes your argument even more legitimate.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

I agree with this 100%. The fact that Saad is playing in the NHL at this point speaks more towards the Blackhawk's AHL depth than anything else. (They are a fantastic NHL team though).

Rushing a player to the NHL doesn't mean that other teams that aren't doing the same are behind in their development of players drafted the same year.

And one could argue that Biggs is ahead of a couple drafted above him. Noesen is on pace for less points this season then the one before. McNeill have similar point stats but is also an experienced OHL player. Way to early to predict anything about any of these prospects.