News Article: Leafs prospects look grim

[Harry Kneel]

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/05/03/sharks-movement-to-keep-mclellan-could-stall-coaching-carousel

Report from Steve Simmons regarding Leafs prospects. No top 6 forward prospects and only one top 4 defencemen prospects, Matt Finn.

I hate to say it but I agree with Steve on this.

Thoughts

Click to read more...

 

[Joey Hoser]

Of course we don't have any top 6 forward prospects when you arbitrarily state that we don't.

Our prospect pool is perpetually underrated and is considered bad by association. Look at other team's prospect crops. Most aren't actually any better than ours, people just say that they are.

I'm not saying it's particularly good either, but it's not like most other teams have obvious superstars playing the AHL, as if that's even a common thing.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Holland and Leivo have no shot of becoming top 6?

Andreas Johnson who was rookie of the year SHL has no chance?

Not gonna say these are blue chip prospects by any means, but to say zero...you had better be damn sure, and because its Simmons, I don't take the article seriously at all.

 

[SprDaVE]

I disagree 100%. Have you even seen the Marlies to be able to agree with him?

Simmons probably hasn't seen one Marlies game this year, let alone in the last 5 years. His source, 'the scout' he respects, probably doesn't know much either if he doesn't think Percy, Granberg, Holland or Leivo don't have much upside. Brown and Johnson don't have the slightest chance of becoming top 6 forwards? I don't mind the difference of opinion but with the lack of any insight, it's hard to take this seriously.

I mean... come on.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Holland and Leivo have no shot of becoming top 6?

Andreas Johnson who was rookie of the year SHL has no chance?

Not gonna say these are blue chip prospects by any means, but to say zero...you had better be damn sure, and because its Simmons, I don't take the article seriously at all.

Steve Simmons doesn't know who Andreas Johnson is.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Holland and Leivo have no shot of becoming top 6?

Andreas Johnson who was rookie of the year SHL has no chance?

Not gonna say these are blue chip prospects by any means, but to say zero...you had better be damn sure, and because its Simmons, I don't take the article seriously at all.

Holland is not regarded as a prospect anymore. A Johnson is still only 5´10". Leivo is a nice prospect but him becoming a top six player is still not a certain.

Leafs prospect pool lack both in quantity and quality, that is not the same as some one might surprise every one and become better then he was projected to be. But they compare us to other teams who both have more prospects and a couple of more with higher upside.

Still think Percy and Granberg will be our 3rd line shutdown pairing for the future. That Carrick will become our 4th line C. D´Amigo our 3rd line winger. And some of the other Marlies will most likely find small but still important roles on the Leafs. But we dont much in terms of top six, top 4 potential. Finn might be the only one and he is progressing just fine.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

It gets better in short order. This draft and the eighth overall helps. I agree they should watch some Marlies games. There is many good prospects and you just never know how a young player will be developing one year to the next. I really like Carrick's potential.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Holland is not regarded as a prospect anymore. A Johnson is still only 5´10". Leivo is a nice prospect but him becoming a top six player is still not a certain.

Leafs prospect pool lack both in quantity and quality, that is not the same as some one might surprise every one and become better then he was projected to be. But they compare us to other teams who both have more prospects and a couple of more with higher upside.

Still think Percy and Granberg will be our 3rd line shutdown pairing for the future. That Carrick will become our 4th line C. D´Amigo our 3rd line winger. And some of the other Marlies will most likely find small but still important roles on the Leafs. But we dont much in terms of top six, top 4 potential. Finn might be the only one and he is progressing just fine.

This is where you lost me.

 

[Warden of the North]

Steven Simmons.

 

[Mess]

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/05/03/sharks-movement-to-keep-mclellan-could-stall-coaching-carousel

Report from Steve Simmons regarding Leafs prospects. No top 6 forward prospects and only one top 4 defencemen prospects, Matt Finn.

I hate to say it but I agree with Steve on this.

Thoughts

The Hockey News ranks Toronto's top 10 prospects as:

1. Frederik Gauthier
2. Matthew Finn
3. Andreas Johnson
4. Connor Brown
5. Petter Granberg
6. Andrew MacWilliam
7. Greg McKegg
8. Josh Leivo
9. Tyler Biggs
10. Stuart Percy

Using a panel of 14 NHL scouts, The Hockey News ranks the Maple Leafs prospects 29th out of 30 teams.

 

[Trapper]

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/05/03/sharks-movement-to-keep-mclellan-could-stall-coaching-carousel

Report from Steve Simmons regarding Leafs prospects. No top 6 forward prospects and only one top 4 defencemen prospects, Matt Finn.

I hate to say it but I agree with Steve on this.

Thoughts

Still doesn't mean we cant have a good solid hard working team of 2-way players. Yes we need to find that high end center and defenseman, but I'd be happy with a little New Jersey Devil hockey for a while. Nothing elite but they are always in the mix.

 

[Mess]

Dave Poulin's comments on the prospect system

"Someone else's opinion is fine," said Maple Leafs vice-president of hockey operations Dave Poulin. "We get calls on our players; obviously we have a pretty good AHL team and we have some players having pretty good success in their individual leagues. It's someone's perspective and that is fine. You are trying to build a development model that fits your team. It may not be someone else's flavour."

"Someone may say Connor Brown is not big enough or physical enough and they may also say David Broll and Jamie Devane are too big and too physical," Poulin said. "We are happy with our prospects.."

"For where we are and what we are doing we think we're on the right course," Poulin said. "That's our perspective."

http://www.cbc.ca/sports-content/hockey/opinion/2014/03/maple-leafs-prospects-low-in-rankings.html

 

[Faltorvo]

Well this is how it works in leafs land.

Say something negative about the leafs and they know nothing and should be ignored.

Say something positive and your a wise sage that should have every word clung to.

 

[The CyNick]

You also have to understand how the media works here, especially the papers. More negative equals more people talking about your piece.

 

[Mess]

Andreas Johnson may be our Henrik Zetterberg.

With prospects you just never know, as all prospects are suspects until proven differently.

At the moment Gauthier is our top tanked prospect and he is projected as a 3rd line checking center.

 

[SprDaVE]

Well this is how it works in leafs land.

Say something negative about the leafs and they know nothing and should be ignored.

Say something positive and your a wise sage that should have every word clung to.

There's no explanation given. How can we take it seriously when it's completely exaggerated that only Finn has any sort of upside. You may have an opinion that the Leafs have the worst prospect pool in the league, which is essentially what his "source" is saying, but to leave at that is very lazy journalism and reporting to me.

It's fairly subjective though. You can't really rank a prospect pool without having any sort of bias or crystal ball. Looking at the stats and the accomplishments of many of the prospects though, the idea that there's only one good prospect is a pretty bad thought process.

 

[Guy Boucher]

Everyone knows the team is lacking high end prospects, assuming Rielly is no longer a prospect. But this article is obviously exaggerating for effect.

Percy is as good a prospect as Finn. And Leivo is as close to being a top-6 prospect without being a blue chipper as he could be.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

The main thing for our prospects from my point of view is that they are well coached,in a winning environment and building confidence. Check,Check and Check.

 

[SprDaVE]

The Hockey News ranks Toronto's top 10 prospects as:

1. Frederik Gauthier
2. Matthew Finn
3. Andreas Johnson
4. Connor Brown
5. Petter Granberg
6. Andrew MacWilliam
7. Greg McKegg
8. Josh Leivo
9. Tyler Biggs
10. Stuart Percy

Using a panel of 14 NHL scouts, The Hockey News ranks the Maple Leafs prospects 29th out of 30 teams.

Biggs, McKegg, Brown and MacWilliam ahead of Percy is mind boggling idiotic.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Both drafted in 2013. Playing for the same team.

Prospect A: 50gp, 16g, 5a, 21 pts
Prospect B: 44gp, 15g, 9a, 24 pts

One is HF's 25th ranked prospect. The other probably wouldn't make the top 200. Guess why?

 

[egd27]

Well this is how it works in leafs land.

Say something negative about the leafs and they know nothing and should be ignored.

Say something positive and your a wise sage that should have every word clung to.

Guess it depends on your perspective. I've found the opposite to be true just as often.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Both drafted in 2013. Playing for the same team.

Prospect A: 50gp, 16g, 5a, 21 pts
Prospect B: 44gp, 15g, 9a, 24 pts

One is HF's 25th ranked prospect. The other probably wouldn't make the top 200. Guess why?

Why?

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Why?

Because one was drafted in the first round, and the other was drafted far later.

 

[Mess]

Both drafted in 2013. Playing for the same team.

Prospect A: 50gp, 16g, 5a, 21 pts
Prospect B: 44gp, 15g, 9a, 24 pts

One is HF's 25th ranked prospect. The other probably wouldn't make the top 200. Guess why?

Here is a good article on that

Wennberg tops a strong group of forward prospects playing in Sweden

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articl...group-of-forward-prospects-playing-in-sweden/

Our boy Andreas Johnson, our #3 ranked prospect does get a shout out.

Of these players, probably no one arrived on the scene in a more unexpected and impactful manner than SHL Rookie of the Year Andreas Johnson of the Frolunda Indians. Still, he was only one of many who made an impact for his respective club this season.

 

[ForSpareParts*]

Dave Poulin's comments on the prospect system

"Someone else's opinion is fine," said Maple Leafs vice-president of hockey operations Dave Poulin. "We get calls on our players; obviously we have a pretty good AHL team and we have some players having pretty good success in their individual leagues. It's someone's perspective and that is fine. You are trying to build a development model that fits your team. It may not be someone else's flavour."

"Someone may say Connor Brown is not big enough or physical enough and they may also say David Broll and Jamie Devane are too big and too physical," Poulin said. "We are happy with our prospects.."

"For where we are and what we are doing we think we're on the right course," Poulin said. "That's our perspective."

http://www.cbc.ca/sports-content/hockey/opinion/2014/03/maple-leafs-prospects-low-in-rankings.html

I like this post.

I'm going to be glass half full today when it comes to the leafs' prospects.


If our forwards weren't young 25 and under and playing in the top 6, I would agree with this article. It just seems like most of our current group are being groomed for bottom 6 play and Defense. If our guys were good enough they would be playing in the nhl.