So if he's a late-bloomer", he bloomed 1 year late. There's a lot of variation in kids that young when it comes to strength and physical maturity. Also, the task of balancing your school/sports/social-life can affect kids differently at such a young age. 1 year late? Not a huge warning sign IMO.
I like brooks but i would avoid using his overage season stats to evaluate him. I would judge him on his 18 (meh) and 19yr old (good) stats.
but that's not a bad thing - his 19yr old stats track well alongside someone like, say, Kadri's.
He was crushed crossing the blue line and hit his head on the ice...concused
Did some research.
Adam Brooks 19 year old season (so not this past season, but 15-16) in the WHL ranks T-8th all-time. It ranks better than notable players like, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Eric Fehr, Jordan Weal, Linden Vey, Scott Gomez, Jordan Eberle, among others. He ranks close to Mark Stone. Though Stone has 3 more points, in 6 less games.
His 18 year old season was obviously less impressive, but compares to notables like Tyler Johnson, Matt Calvert, Jason Chimera.
His 20 year old season (this past season) ranked 3rd all-time. Other players to play in the WHL as 20 year olds are, Tyler Johnson, Troy Brouwer, Matt Calvert, Mark Parrish, Mike Comrie, and Ryan Craig.
He is certainly a legit prospect. A B level with 2nd line potential. It also helps that he plays centre.
Here is how his discription is in a few words. No standout tools but no real weaknesses either. Good playmaker who is smart, works hard, defensively reliable. All though I feel his playmaking is quite great.
Look at his posts... it's like he's jumping off a cliff in two year because his window is closing.. lol
This is what the Marlies center depth look like at present
- Smith
- Aaltonen
- Cameranesi
- Gauthier
- Brooks
- Toninato < I'm assuming he gets offered something
These were the Marlies centers in the last round of the playoffs last year
Colin Greening- 31
Cal O'Reilly - 30
Brett Findlay - 24
Sergey Kalinin - 26
i dont know about that guy in particular, but there are alot of fans who think we should be cup contending this season. Like they dont take into account other teams are allowed to get better. Twitter is full of these types. We are a bubble team again and we may miss, there is still no reason to accelerate. This media created reasoning that you have to win a cup with stars on their ELC is such ********
I think this kid has Bozak potential. If put in the right situation with 2nd/3rd line minutes he could be a 40 - 50 point guy. I'm interested in what he will do at the AHL level considering the lack of center depth on the Marlies. He could have a big rookie season with that shot.
So his potential is to become a player we are trying to offload?
Just to add a little more background to Brooks' junior career and where the change happened...
Article on his journey... http://leaderpost.com/regina-pats/adam-brooks-has-enjoyed-quite-a-ride-with-the-regina-pats
I've watched him play since he became a Pat as a 16-year-old. He didn't have too bad of a rookie season, which he obviously was used in a limited role. As 17-year-old, a lot of people expected him to play a bigger role, but he was stuck on the fourth line, barely even playing. He got some more opportunities when there were injuries and you could really start to see what he was capable of. Come playoffs that season, when you'd think coach Malcolm Cameron would use the players who had shown and worked hard at the end of the season, he used the older, "more experienced" players, which was actually one of the most disappointing playoffs and ends to a season I have experienced in the 20 years of being a Pats fan (hosting Memorial Cup in 2001 and losing out in the first round was bad, too). I was pissed off after that and was really hoping for some big change. I got my wish...
That following summer, the Pats were sold to QCSEG (Queen City Sports and Entertainment Group) and they hired on John Paddock as head coach and GM, and also Dave Struch as assistant coach (and later assistant GM, also). They saw what they had in Brooks and he was given far more opportunity than he was before. Same went for Austin Wagner, who sat beside Brooks as a 16-year-old, who showed lots of promise and showed off some of his speed with his little ice time. A year later, he and Brooks continued on the same line under Paddock, but played far more in a third line role. After players like Morgan Klimchuck, Connor Gay, and Dryden Hunt were traded, his and Wagner's minuted rose more and we really saw what Brooks could be capable of. He really broke out in the playoffs that year and was becoming one of the most dangerous Pats on the ice. He then never got drafted for a second year in a row, which wasn't shocking, but disappointing.
As a 19-year-old, he started out real slow and didn't look the same as he did at the end of the past season. Paddock and Struch sat him down and showed him tape from the year before and what was working. After that, Brooks figured it out again and became one the the best players in the league and doubled his point total from the previous season. Everyone knows his story from this point.
The biggest problem was in his 17-year-old season where Malcolm Cameron didn't manage the line-up properly and played older players that didn't work as hard or have as much skill over the hard workers and the players that helped them look more like a team near the end of the season. As I said, watching what looked like could have been a promising little playoff run turned into a complete disappointment that left me, as well as many others, completely pissed off with the organization. Now, three years later under new ownership and management, the player that got screwed the most was one of the biggest pieces in helping the Pats boast the best record in the franchise's 100 year existence.
My take on his abilities... As many have stated, he doesn't have one or two great skills, but does everything well. His IQ and work ethic are what makes him so successful. At times when players would give up or hold back a bit when attacking, Brooks would always follow through and try to work the puck away, with very great success. Him and Wagner on the penalty kill was usually more exciting than watching a Pats powerplay, which was pretty good itself. If he ever lost the puck or the play was going the other way, Brooks is always getting back to the defensive zone to use that same work ethic. With these things being said, I would be shocked if he never achieves at least a bottom six role in the NHL. Not sure how long it will take, but it will.
So his potential is to become a player we are trying to offload?
Bozak has been a 50pt center who's good on faceoffs for most of a decade now.
If Brooks becomes that we should be thrilled.
Who the heck is Adam Brooks?
Yes, I know, Google is my friend. I just don't care enough to use it! LOL
Its all about opportunity and Brooks will never have that in TO to duplicate Bozak. Tyler got to play in an offensive role and alongside JVR, Kessel and now Marner & #1PP unit to rack up those points.
Brooks will be behind Matthews, Kadri and possibly even Nylander down the middle on the depth chart once Bozak is dealt and Willie moved to C. The only opening will be the 4th line C spot (outside of injuries to the top 3) and that won't come with he TOI/g, linemates, nor PP time to get anywhere near what Bozak has produced mostly playing in the TOP 6 while being a Leaf.
Brooks is an offensive player and not a defensive one and so the 4th line spot (the only opening) would be better served by a player like Freddy G who can kill penalties and play in checking role going up against other teams 4th lines. A little 5-10 centre going up against other teams general physical 4th lines would be mismatch for the opposition.
You need to be #1C or #2C with PP time to get 50 points.
Though the Leafs tend to roll three scoring lines under Babcock rather than the traditional top six bottom six format.
Brooks could find us way eventually onto one of those scoring lines, be it on the wing or centre.