Leafs 4th. pick, 156th. overall is: Connor Brown - Forward RW

[The Winter Soldier]

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I've made that comparison myself earlier in the thread. I remember following Godden tear up the OHL back in the 1980's just like Brown is now. The difference between Godden and Brown was however that Ernie was a pest and agitator and not afraid to get his nose dirty .. He often recorded over 100 pims in the CHL and AHL not afraid to play in traffic.

However the last Leaf prospect is likely Vincent Damphousse who did it with Laval in 1985-86 with 155 points in 69 games to average 2 points per game in the CHL.

Dan Hodgson who if he played now would have probably had a nice NHL career is another. At worst we have a very interesting prospect in Brown, if he turns out to be a hidden gem. Then cudos to our scouting staff, this is why I hate even trading 4th, 5th, 6th, round picks as throw ins. You just never know.

 

[Mess]

Dan Hodgson who if he played now would have probably had a nice NHL career is another. At worst we have a very interesting prospect in Brown, if he turns out to be a hidden gem. Then cudos to our scouting staff, this is why I hate even trading 4th, 5th, 6th, round picks as throw ins. You just never know.

All prospects are suspects until proven otherwise, however those that excel in the junior levels maintain that promise of someday playing in the NHL.

You can't make the NHL based on your strong CHL performance, but you can end your NHL dream quickly with a weak one.

Brown has done everything Leafs scouts could have expected when they tossed a hail marry at him as a longshot.

Everybody loves an underdog. Much like some here with Brown, I always believed Welly a late round pick was going to become an NHLer and beat the odds. Sometimes a longshot comes in.

 

[Judas Tavares]

All prospects are suspects until proven otherwise, however those that excel in the junior levels maintain that promise of someday playing in the NHL.

You can't make the NHL based on your strong CHL performance, but you can end your NHL dream quickly with a weak one.

Brown has done everything Leafs scouts could have expected when they tossed a hail marry at him as a longshot.

Everybody loves an underdog. Much like some here with Brown, I always believed Welly a late round pick was going to become an NHLer and beat the odds. Sometimes a longshot comes in.

Don't forget "It's Jeremy Time!" He was a longshot but at least still made the show.

 

[natephil]

Just to clear up the people arguing about if he plays with McDavid or not, I was at the Erie Barrie game a week or two ago and the even strength lines were Brown and Fox centred by Gaunce and McDavid centred Burakowsky and Curtis.

 

[KuleminFan41]

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I've made that comparison myself earlier in the thread. I remember following Godden tear up the OHL back in the 1980's just like Brown is now. The difference between Godden and Brown was however that Ernie was a pest and agitator and not afraid to get his nose dirty .. He often recorded over 100 pims in the CHL and AHL. It was this component that I thought gave him a chance at the NHL level despite his skating and size.

However the last Leaf prospect is likely Vincent Damphousse who did it with Laval in 1985-86 with 155 points in 69 games to average 2 points per game in the CHL. But he was selected #6 overall in his draft year.

You're comparisons are incredibly out dated though. Hockey has changed drastically in 30 years. Time to let go of your comparison.Matt Duchene wasn't even in the top 10 in points for his draft season and went 3rd.

Why don't you bring up Logan Couture?


Brown drafted in 2012 who is in his 3rd season in the OHL

11-12 <First season and draft year
25 goals, 28 assists, 53 points in 68 games



12-13 <Year after draft
28 goals , 41 assists , 69 points in 63 games



13-14 <First year after draft

31 goals, 61 assists, 92 points in 44 games so far



Couture drafted in 2007 who played 4 seasons in the OHL

05-06 <First season

25 goals, 39 assists ,64 points in 65 games



06-07 <Draft year

26 goals, 52 assists , 78 points in 54 games


07-08 <First year after draft

21 goals , 37 assists, 58 points in 51 games

08-09 <Second year after draft

39 goals, 48 assists, 87 points in 62 games

This isn't a comparison in skill but progression in a way a player has put up points. Yes, Couture is an NHL'er, yes he's bigger and plays centre but thats not my point. My point is, CHILL OUT, we don't know what we have. I don't think people claimed Couture was a bust because he went 9th did they? He tore up the OHL AFTER he was drafted and he went 9th.

 

[keon]

Connor Brown

Congratulations to Brown on 100 points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Leafidelity]

NHL prospect or not, that's a huge accomplishment today

 

[Purity*]

He could get 140 points, the last player to do that was Patrick kane back in 2007.

Awesome draft pick so far, hopefully he can accomplish something in the NHL.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

What he's done in the last 6 or 7 games is astonishing. I'm trying to be cautious here but that looks like a hell of pick that late in the draft

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

Congrats to him

Will be interesting to see how he performs as he jumps to the A next year

 

[TheProspector]

He could get 140 points, the last player to do that was Patrick kane back in 2007.

Awesome draft pick so far, hopefully he can accomplish something in the NHL.

Of course, Kane did it in nearly the same number of games (58) Brown's played all year (47) in his first and only OHL year...

His teammate, a 1 year older Sergei Kostitsyn nearly equaled it, hitting 131 points.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Of course, Kane did it in nearly the same number of games (58) Brown's played all year (47) in his first and only OHL year...

His teammate, a 1 year older Sergei Kostitsyn nearly equaled it, hitting 131 points.

58 is nearly the same as 47?

Brown had like 25 points in his last 8 games or something.. if he could (not saying he will) repeat that then he could land pretty damn close

 

[Divine]

The argument against Connor Brown is he's benefiting from playing on the same team as Connor McDavid.

Not sure if they're on the same line or not right now, but it's being said that he's benefiting by having a lower quality of competition, the same way Kadri benefited last year.

 

[rj24]

He isn't playing on McDavids line

Edit: meant to quote the person above me

 

[Savvy]

The argument against Connor Brown is he's benefiting from playing on the same team as Connor McDavid.

Not sure if they're on the same line or not right now, but it's being said that he's benefiting by having a lower quality of competition, the same way Kadri benefited last year.

Not on the same line and Brown's line is drawing the other teams best pairing for the most part so that would be a pretty poor argument

 

[AINEC*]

The argument against Connor Brown is he's benefiting from playing on the same team as Connor McDavid.

Not sure if they're on the same line or not right now, but it's being said that he's benefiting by having a lower quality of competition, the same way Kadri benefited last year.

I'd imagine Brown is probably facing the top opposition now.

 

[mikebel111*]

Congrats to conner!
Just keep doing great things this season and make a nice transition in the AHL next year

 

[Stats01]

The argument against Connor Brown is he's benefiting from playing on the same team as Connor McDavid.

Not sure if they're on the same line or not right now, but it's being said that he's benefiting by having a lower quality of competition, the same way Kadri benefited last year.

That argument is being made because hundreds of people here have never actually seen him play this year. They just assume he's playing with McDavid, the fact is he's not. He's on a different line and Brown has pretty much done this without playing with McDavid. He deserves every bit of credit for having one of the craziest seasons I've witnessed in a long time. He is on an insane clip right now. If he could gain more weight and carry this over to the AHL we got a major steal in folks. Congrats to Connor on one hell of a season so far.

 

[Semantics]

58 is nearly the same as 47?

Brown had like 25 points in his last 8 games or something.. if he could (not saying he will) repeat that then he could land pretty damn close

It's actually 48 games not 47. He needs 45 points in I think 20 games to match Kane's point total. That's well within his reach, but 45 in 10 games to match Kane's PPG probably isn't. Kane was almost two years younger too (18), so really can't compare the accomplishments.

 

[Mojo19]

Wow, it really is pretty impressive what he's accomplished this year in the OHL.
I think we can all agree the scouts did an awesome job grabbing this guy in the SIXTH round.



We may have a gem in our hands fellas!

 

[Bluelines]

All prospects are suspects until proven otherwise, however those that excel in the junior levels maintain that promise of someday playing in the NHL.

Agreed there are plenty of players who were scoring leaders in the OHL that never made a dent in the NHL. Wasn't Corey Locke the OHL scoring champ one year and what has he done?

IF a guy like Brown is to make the NHL he needs to be incredibly gifted without the puck, guys like him have all the stereotypes about small players/late round draft picks hanging like a big neon sign around his neck. He needs to not give the NHL brass a reason to not let him make the team.

You see guys with questionable defensive games but are high picks and are gifted offensive players make the NHL based on their "potential", Kadri comes to mind. For Kadri coaches and fans say, he's young he needs to grow and learn the game, it will come with time. For a guy like Brown he will not be given the opportunity to learn the pro game at the NHL level like Kadri is, Brown will have to come to the NHL with almost no holes in his game if he wishes to have a legit shot at cracking the Leafs roster.

Is Brown the kinda guy that plays with a chip on his shoulder like Gerbe or is he softer like DesHarnais?

 

[TheProspector]

All prospects are suspects until proven otherwise, however those that excel in the junior levels maintain that promise of someday playing in the NHL.

You can't make the NHL based on your strong CHL performance, but you can end your NHL dream quickly with a weak one.

Brown has done everything Leafs scouts could have expected when they tossed a hail marry at him as a longshot.

Everybody loves an underdog. Much like some here with Brown, I always believed Welly a late round pick was going to become an NHLer and beat the odds. Sometimes a longshot comes in.

Kyle Wellwood played 489 games in the National Hockey League. Not bad at all for a 5th rounder...

 

[KuleminFan41]

It's actually 48 games not 47. He needs 45 points in I think 20 games to match Kane's point total. That's well within his reach, but 45 in 10 games to match Kane's PPG probably isn't. Kane was almost two years younger too (18), so really can't compare the accomplishments.

Brown is a year and 2 months older than when Kane did it.

Edit - Now I don't think that math is correct LOL

 

[Pip]

The argument against Connor Brown is he's benefiting from playing on the same team as Connor McDavid.

Not sure if they're on the same line or not right now, but it's being said that he's benefiting by having a lower quality of competition, the same way Kadri benefited last year.

He's not playing with McDavid, he's with Gaunce and Fox and he's playing against top competition. No idea why a team would send out their second pairing defense and second-tier checkers against the leading scorer and leading goal scorer of the OHL.

Brown is an amazing talent and I hope he translates his skills well to the next level

 

[Hotlanta]

The argument against Connor Brown is he's benefiting from playing on the same team as Connor McDavid.

Not sure if they're on the same line or not right now, but it's being said that he's benefiting by having a lower quality of competition, the same way Kadri benefited last year.

McDavid is injured...

Between a lower body injury and the WJC, he has only played 5 games since December 11, 2013...

Connor Brown has an amazing team behind him, without a doubt, but he is their leader on and off the ice. My favourite part about him is he is a humble, patient and hard worker. I remember he did an interview this year where he said his end goal would be to play with the Leafs and if its 5 years down the line thats perfect. He has also been working with Barb Underhill and on a weight program that aims for only 8 lbs. growth a year.

He was drafted at 5'10" 160 lbs. in June 2012, and he was 5'11" 170 lbs in Sept 2013. If he can get up to around 177-180 lbs. by next season that would be great progress.