Rumor: Leafs to sign Zack MacEwen of the Gatineau Olympiques? NOPE Canucks

[DarkKnight]

Yes but he can he play defence?

 

[Super Mega]

so is he actually signed?

 

[SprDaVE]

so is he actually signed?

Not yet.

 

[al secord]

Catalina Wine Mixers

 

[Barilko14]

Watched his fights from this season. Looks like a possible future martin replacement if anything. Would be nice to have a bit of toughness on the Marlies that isn't pure over the hill guys that can't play an AHL shift (maggio, johnson, etc.)

 

[Real Smart Sens Fan]

From Elliotte Friedman:

26. There isn’t as much action on CHL kids because most get drafted before free agency is reality. One who has captured attention if Zack MacEwen of QMJHL Gatineau. Ottawa, Tampa, Toronto and Vancouver are all believed to be among those interested. He was invited to Anaheim’s camp last September.

 

[Raymoondo]

Is there a reason that there are so many teams interested in this guy? Nothing about him stands out to me..

 

[SprDaVE]

Is there a reason that there are so many teams interested in this guy? Nothing about him stands out to me..

Free wallet. Big growth in his game over the last year or so.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Despite being an OA, this is only his second full season of major junior.

Late bloomer.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Is there a reason that there are so many teams interested in this guy? Nothing about him stands out to me..

Late developing kid who has a pro body. Can play bottom 6 AHL for most organizations. Makes sense why he's coveted considering he costs nothing to acquire.

 

[egd27]

Is there a reason that there are so many teams interested in this guy? Nothing about him stands out to me..

How often have you seen him play?

 

[Raymoondo]

How often have you seen him play?

Never, and that's why I'm asking because nothing on his stat sheet stands out to me. I get the progression and the truculence, but there seems to be a lot of those kind of players available without multiple NHL teams scouting them.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Never, and that's why I'm asking because nothing on his stat sheet stands out to me. I get the progression and the truculence, but there seems to be a lot of those kind of players available without multiple NHL teams scouting them.

I'd call going from Jr A at 18 to a point per game overager in the Q standing out in terms of looking at his stats.

Sometimes players, especially bigger players, develop later as they're still getting used to using their adult body.

For all anyone knows this guy hasn't even scratched the surface of his potential.

 

[Raymoondo]

I'd call going from Jr A at 18 to a point per game overager in the Q standing out in terms of looking at his stats.

Sometimes players, especially bigger players, develop later as they're still getting used to using their adult body.

For all anyone knows this guy hasn't even scratched the surface of his potential.

Ok, thanks, that makes perfect sense. Even if he doesn't reach the NHL it's not like we paid anything for him

 

[blueberrie]

I'd call going from Jr A at 18 to a point per game overager in the Q standing out in terms of looking at his stats.

Sometimes players, especially bigger players, develop later as they're still getting used to using their adult body.

For all anyone knows this guy hasn't even scratched the surface of his potential.

Isn't PPG for an overager kind of underwhelming? If we drafted him with Nylanders draft I don't think would be too happy with him barely hitting PPG.

Not to poo-poo the idea of course, I've never seen him play. If Leafs management thinks there is something there that is good enough for me.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Isn't PPG for an overager kind of underwhelming? If we drafted him with Nylanders draft I don't think would be too happy with him barely hitting PPG.

Not to poo-poo the idea of course, I've never seen him play. If Leafs management thinks there is something there that is good enough for me.

Depends on the player.

This guy was playing Jr A 2 years ago. Was a Q callup not on anyones radar.

Maybe he has a story behind him. Maybe he's just another Adam Pardy who needed an opportunity.

I think his strides from ppg Jr A player to Q fringe 19yr old to ppg Q overager is intriguing enough given his size.

You are correct that for some players at that age it's nothing special. But this guy is right around the top 20 in league scoring. Coming from where he has I think that warrants a closer look.

 

[Barilko14]

Isn't PPG for an overager kind of underwhelming? If we drafted him with Nylanders draft I don't think would be too happy with him barely hitting PPG.

Not to poo-poo the idea of course, I've never seen him play. If Leafs management thinks there is something there that is good enough for me.

It's kind of underwhelming if the kid was a scorer, and was in his 4th year in the CHL, but like Bauer said it's been a pretty impressive rise from playing Jr. A 1.5 years ago, and the fact that he's a big physical player helps the appeal.

For example it cost a 6th Rd pick to grab overager PPG 5'11 180 lb Jack Walker.

Snagging this guy for free seems like a good gamble.

 

[A4T1L6]

damn

 

[Canada4Gold]

barely PPG as an overager is a bit underwhelming. Even as a late bloomer who's main job isn't to score I'm not sure it's worth the contract spot. We only have 50 and we couldn't find room for Brooks this past year, Bracco, and Dzierkals presumably will become Marlies this next year and need contracts, along with some other CHL maybes(Deroscher, Korotstelev, Walker) and maybe Grundstrom, or Korshkov? We have a handful of UFA's and some RFA's we won't want back this offseason, but not sure it'll be enough to fill all the incoming prospects and a couple likely NHL veterans we'll sign, even if it's only depth.

Not sure this guy is worth potentially tightning the screws even further on what could already be a tight offseason contract situation.

 

[Barilko14]

barely PPG as an overager is a bit underwhelming. Even as a late bloomer who's main job isn't to score I'm not sure it's worth the contract spot. We only have 50 and we couldn't find room for Brooks this past year, Bracco, and Dzierkals presumably will become Marlies this next year and need contracts, along with some other CHL maybes(Deroscher, Korotstelev, Walker) and maybe Grundstrom, or Korshkov? We have a handful of UFA's and some RFA's we won't want back this offseason, but not sure it'll be enough to fill all the incoming prospects and a couple likely NHL veterans we'll sign, even if it's only depth.

Not sure this guy is worth potentially tightning the screws even further on what could already be a tight offseason contract situation.

He'll take Walker's spot, problem solved. I trust Pridham to navigate through the contract limit, they've already shown they are not afraid to offer some of our lower prospects AHL deals.

 

[Rare Jewel]

http://theqmjhl.ca/video/feb-1017-wildcats-0-olympiques-5


http://theqmjhl.ca/video/feb-317-foreurs-5-olympiques-7

Very good dangle and shot at 1:25 ^

 

[blueberrie]

Thanks for the insight guys

Interesting thought about the contract limit, with other teams in play I doubt we could get away with signing him to an AHL deal.

Are we going to end up with Marlies practices hitting 40+ guys again by the end of the year?

 

[Jack Bauer]

barely PPG as an overager is a bit underwhelming. Even as a late bloomer who's main job isn't to score I'm not sure it's worth the contract spot. We only have 50 and we couldn't find room for Brooks this past year, Bracco, and Dzierkals presumably will become Marlies this next year and need contracts, along with some other CHL maybes(Deroscher, Korotstelev, Walker) and maybe Grundstrom, or Korshkov? We have a handful of UFA's and some RFA's we won't want back this offseason, but not sure it'll be enough to fill all the incoming prospects and a couple likely NHL veterans we'll sign, even if it's only depth.

Not sure this guy is worth potentially tightning the screws even further on what could already be a tight offseason contract situation.

There's no contracts issue.

Coming off the books:
Polak, Robidas, Hunwick, McElhinney, Laich, Michalek, Greening before any deals are made.

We all knew our depth was going to grow to a point where we would start attempting to trade quantity for quality.

We're not far off from that happening.

 

[Griffin76]

He's done nothing but improve leaps and bounds every year. I don't think he has hit anywhere near his ceiling. Biased opinion? Maybe. But I think with a couple of professional seasons under his belt he could be a decent NHL player as a ceiling to a very good AHL player as his floor.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

does this make matthews expendable?

/eot