hector morrison
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Prospect Info: Marlies and Prospects
- Thread starter stickty111
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Americanadian
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I would like to see a right shot center set him up for wrist shots similar to Matthews and Nylander/Marner. Trochek would be awesome as 3C. I’d like to see a Rielly+Kerfoot+Johnsson for Weegar+Trochek+Tippett deal. Robertson-Trochek-Tippett could be an awesome 3rd line.
ShaneFalco
Registered User
The Leafs aren't going to trade a defenseman, who when healthy can score 20 goals. He is our #1 defensemen and needs a true stay at home defenseman to be paired with. Muzzin and Holl on the second pairing, with the young Sweeds on the third pairing.
In my mind, there's quite a bit of distance between the two of them. Mikheyev a bit better skater, but not a very smart hockey player. Engvall's hockey IQ is miles better.
I see Mikheyev as a third liner who can overwhelm other third liners with his speed and puck protection, but he'll be limited to that and not much else. I think Engvall could play anywhere in the lineup and contribute.
stickty111
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As @SAMCRO44 mentioned, Mark has released his mid season Marlies grades. I will post the grades of the players that people care about.
A
Kenny Agostino (34GP, 20g-13a-33pts)
As advertised” would be the best way to describe Kenny Agostino. The noted AHL scorer leads the Marlies with 20 goals to his name, with 15 of those accrued at even strength. He also leads Toronto with 22 even-strength points, but I wonder how much his production might slow down in the second half as his current shooting percentage of almost 25% is likely unsustainable. The Marlies are going to rely on his scoring ability down the stretch.
Timothy Liljegren (33GP, 4g-20a-24pts)
Timothy Liljegren is ready for the NHL. There is no higher praise I could afford the young Swedish defenseman, whose trajectory this season has been nothing short of impressive. Somewhat overlooked because of his younger countryman, Liljegren has carried the Marlies’ blue line this season without any fanfare, playing top pair minutes, both special teams, and producing the numbers offensively that many doubted he could. He’s been the Marlies best defenseman on a nightly basis — and it’s not even close. Liljegren is ranked 12th in scoring amongst all AHL defenseman with 24 points despite fewer games played than his counterparts.
Adam Brooks (20GP, 8g-8a-16pts)
I debated whether Brooks should be given an A-, but I’ll stick with this grade just because he’s shown great resilience once again following another injury. He’s had to take up some of the slack left by the departed Engvall, and he has responded well for the most part. His recall to the NHL left the Marlies somewhat thin down the middle, with his absence more hard-felt than in previous years when he was unavailable. 11 of his 16 points are primary markers. If he stays healthy, he’s set for a career year in all point categories. Brooks is another player who has to carry the load if the Marlies are to bounce back. There is extra motivation for the 23-year-old as he finishes this season as an RFA.
A-
Teemu Kivihalme (35GP, 3g-7a-10pts)
Before this current road-trip, I might have given the Finnish defenseman an A grade, but he’s really struggled in the last few games. That being said, I was very impressed with him beforehand, so I’m not going to let a few poor performances slide him down the rankings too far. He’s been extremely poised in possession and has been one of the better Toronto blueliners in leading breakouts this season (admittedly not a high bar with Schmaltz and Harpur on the team). I was surprised when checking my statistics that he had only accrued 10 points this season as he’s been very creative offensively and is not afraid to join the rush or pinch in when required. After bouncing around a few pairings before recently taking on top pair minutes alongside more inexperienced defensemen, it’s not been an easy introduction to the AHL. Kivihalme has flourished for the most part.
Kasimir Kaskisuo (20GP, 11-5-2, .911SV%, 2.67GAA, 1 SO)
The Finnish goaltender has carried on his form from the second half of last season and has been a huge component of any success Toronto has had to date. It’s simply unfair to judge Marlies goaltending on the numbers this season as the performances in front of them have been unpredictable at best, with far too many defensive zone turnovers and missed assignments, among other issues, leading to grade-A scoring opportunities for the opposition.
Rasmus Sandin (21GP, 2a-13a-15pts)
Why hasn’t Rasmus Sandin been graded an A?! The simple reason is that the young Swedish blue line still requires to do some work in his game defensively along with improving his decision making, which I’m sure will come with experience. With that in mind, I would not be surprised to see him finish the season back in the AHL, where he would once again be afforded top-pairing, all-situations minutes to further his development. It’s rare to see a young player with so much confidence as a defenseman, and that has allowed Sandin to have so much success offensively. Just under half of his offensive production is primary markers, but playing on the first power-play unit, Sandin has put up seven points (1-1-5) to date.
B+
Joseph Woll (19GP, 7-10-2 .890SV%, 3.60GAA, 1SO)
Woll has been thrown to the wolves far too often in his rookie year. In net for blowout losses inflicted by Laval, Syracuse, and most recently Charlotte, I would not be surprised if his confidence is beginning to take a hit despite his seemingly unflappable nature and calm persona. The faltering penalty kill certainly isn’t helping matters. Woll’s numbers look horrific from the outside, but they do no justice to his level of play, which I believe warrants this grade.
B
Jesper Lindgren (29GP, 1g-8a-9pts)
I’m left wanting for Lindgren to show me more, but I often forget he’s a rookie. Defensively, he’s improved from when we first saw him, he skates well, and he is fine on breakouts, although doesn’t seem to have the same confidence to lead the rush as either Liljegren or Sandin. Despite the team imploding around him of late, Lindgren has been one of its better performers when afforded more responsibility, and I look forward to seeing what he has in the locker for the second half. Time is on his side with a year left on his contract.
Egor Korshkov (27GP, 9g-7a-16pts)
A leg laceration has led to the Russian forward missing a chunk of time. He remains out with that injury after a comeback proved short-lived. He’s not the player I thought he was, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Korshkov hasn’t driven hard to the net often and appears to lack high-end skating ability. However, he does protect the puck really well in battles along the boards, is a better passer than you might imagine, and he is adept as net presence. He’s scored on both special teams as well as at even strength despite not owning the best shot, but we are left wondering just what his upside really is due to a lack of playing time.
Jeremy Bracco (40GP, 3g-29a-32pts)
Probably the hardest player to assess on the current roster and my greatest source of frustration this year (I nearly gave him a B-), Bracco continues to be an excellent passer of the puck and one of the best in the organization in that facet of the game. Given time or space, Bracco is capable of hurting opponents, but when closed down, limited space and physicality comes into play and the right-winger becomes a non-factor.
Since the rumours of a trade request, there’s no doubt Bracco has appeared less engaged overall. He has been unwilling to consistently back check and accept defensive responsibility with the consistency needed. Without a goal in 16 games, Bracco is averaging one shot per game during that time and has become too predictable for defenders and goaltenders alike. At a time when the Marlies need their best players to be their best players, Bracco has only shown up sporadically, and that just isn’t going to cut it in his drive to make the next step. It’s a huge second half of the season for Bracco in terms of his future career as he’s an RFA this summer.
B-
Mac Hollowell (13GP, 0g-2a-2pts)
The Mac Hollowell of last season’s playoff run was full of confidence and not afraid to make adventurous plays, most of which led to good things. He needs to turn that switch back on as he’s now playing tentatively and is almost second-guessing himself in every aspect of his game, which is proving costly in the defensive zone. It’ll be interesting to see whether Toronto decides to persevere with him in the AHL if and when bodies return to the roster.
Other Grades
C
Ben Harpur (28GP, 0g-8a-8pts)
It’s a mystery to me how any team considered Harpur capable of playing in the NHL. He’s been nothing short of a defensive liability in the AHL — continually beaten on the outside by speedier forwards — and his decision making is questionable at best. It’s painful to watch him attempt to lead the breakout and opponents are aware of his limitations in that regard.
Jordan Schmaltz (29GP, 2g-9a-11pts)
I could copy and paste what I wrote about Ben Harpur into this section. When the two were paired together for a couple of the games, the result was as bad as you might expect.
11 points isn’t a terrible return offensively, but he’s struggling to do even the basics on breakouts out of his own zone and he has been a liability in the same mould as Harpur.
A
Kenny Agostino (34GP, 20g-13a-33pts)
As advertised” would be the best way to describe Kenny Agostino. The noted AHL scorer leads the Marlies with 20 goals to his name, with 15 of those accrued at even strength. He also leads Toronto with 22 even-strength points, but I wonder how much his production might slow down in the second half as his current shooting percentage of almost 25% is likely unsustainable. The Marlies are going to rely on his scoring ability down the stretch.
Timothy Liljegren (33GP, 4g-20a-24pts)
Timothy Liljegren is ready for the NHL. There is no higher praise I could afford the young Swedish defenseman, whose trajectory this season has been nothing short of impressive. Somewhat overlooked because of his younger countryman, Liljegren has carried the Marlies’ blue line this season without any fanfare, playing top pair minutes, both special teams, and producing the numbers offensively that many doubted he could. He’s been the Marlies best defenseman on a nightly basis — and it’s not even close. Liljegren is ranked 12th in scoring amongst all AHL defenseman with 24 points despite fewer games played than his counterparts.
Adam Brooks (20GP, 8g-8a-16pts)
I debated whether Brooks should be given an A-, but I’ll stick with this grade just because he’s shown great resilience once again following another injury. He’s had to take up some of the slack left by the departed Engvall, and he has responded well for the most part. His recall to the NHL left the Marlies somewhat thin down the middle, with his absence more hard-felt than in previous years when he was unavailable. 11 of his 16 points are primary markers. If he stays healthy, he’s set for a career year in all point categories. Brooks is another player who has to carry the load if the Marlies are to bounce back. There is extra motivation for the 23-year-old as he finishes this season as an RFA.
A-
Teemu Kivihalme (35GP, 3g-7a-10pts)
Before this current road-trip, I might have given the Finnish defenseman an A grade, but he’s really struggled in the last few games. That being said, I was very impressed with him beforehand, so I’m not going to let a few poor performances slide him down the rankings too far. He’s been extremely poised in possession and has been one of the better Toronto blueliners in leading breakouts this season (admittedly not a high bar with Schmaltz and Harpur on the team). I was surprised when checking my statistics that he had only accrued 10 points this season as he’s been very creative offensively and is not afraid to join the rush or pinch in when required. After bouncing around a few pairings before recently taking on top pair minutes alongside more inexperienced defensemen, it’s not been an easy introduction to the AHL. Kivihalme has flourished for the most part.
Kasimir Kaskisuo (20GP, 11-5-2, .911SV%, 2.67GAA, 1 SO)
The Finnish goaltender has carried on his form from the second half of last season and has been a huge component of any success Toronto has had to date. It’s simply unfair to judge Marlies goaltending on the numbers this season as the performances in front of them have been unpredictable at best, with far too many defensive zone turnovers and missed assignments, among other issues, leading to grade-A scoring opportunities for the opposition.
Rasmus Sandin (21GP, 2a-13a-15pts)
Why hasn’t Rasmus Sandin been graded an A?! The simple reason is that the young Swedish blue line still requires to do some work in his game defensively along with improving his decision making, which I’m sure will come with experience. With that in mind, I would not be surprised to see him finish the season back in the AHL, where he would once again be afforded top-pairing, all-situations minutes to further his development. It’s rare to see a young player with so much confidence as a defenseman, and that has allowed Sandin to have so much success offensively. Just under half of his offensive production is primary markers, but playing on the first power-play unit, Sandin has put up seven points (1-1-5) to date.
B+
Joseph Woll (19GP, 7-10-2 .890SV%, 3.60GAA, 1SO)
Woll has been thrown to the wolves far too often in his rookie year. In net for blowout losses inflicted by Laval, Syracuse, and most recently Charlotte, I would not be surprised if his confidence is beginning to take a hit despite his seemingly unflappable nature and calm persona. The faltering penalty kill certainly isn’t helping matters. Woll’s numbers look horrific from the outside, but they do no justice to his level of play, which I believe warrants this grade.
B
Jesper Lindgren (29GP, 1g-8a-9pts)
I’m left wanting for Lindgren to show me more, but I often forget he’s a rookie. Defensively, he’s improved from when we first saw him, he skates well, and he is fine on breakouts, although doesn’t seem to have the same confidence to lead the rush as either Liljegren or Sandin. Despite the team imploding around him of late, Lindgren has been one of its better performers when afforded more responsibility, and I look forward to seeing what he has in the locker for the second half. Time is on his side with a year left on his contract.
Egor Korshkov (27GP, 9g-7a-16pts)
A leg laceration has led to the Russian forward missing a chunk of time. He remains out with that injury after a comeback proved short-lived. He’s not the player I thought he was, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Korshkov hasn’t driven hard to the net often and appears to lack high-end skating ability. However, he does protect the puck really well in battles along the boards, is a better passer than you might imagine, and he is adept as net presence. He’s scored on both special teams as well as at even strength despite not owning the best shot, but we are left wondering just what his upside really is due to a lack of playing time.
Jeremy Bracco (40GP, 3g-29a-32pts)
Probably the hardest player to assess on the current roster and my greatest source of frustration this year (I nearly gave him a B-), Bracco continues to be an excellent passer of the puck and one of the best in the organization in that facet of the game. Given time or space, Bracco is capable of hurting opponents, but when closed down, limited space and physicality comes into play and the right-winger becomes a non-factor.
Since the rumours of a trade request, there’s no doubt Bracco has appeared less engaged overall. He has been unwilling to consistently back check and accept defensive responsibility with the consistency needed. Without a goal in 16 games, Bracco is averaging one shot per game during that time and has become too predictable for defenders and goaltenders alike. At a time when the Marlies need their best players to be their best players, Bracco has only shown up sporadically, and that just isn’t going to cut it in his drive to make the next step. It’s a huge second half of the season for Bracco in terms of his future career as he’s an RFA this summer.
B-
Mac Hollowell (13GP, 0g-2a-2pts)
The Mac Hollowell of last season’s playoff run was full of confidence and not afraid to make adventurous plays, most of which led to good things. He needs to turn that switch back on as he’s now playing tentatively and is almost second-guessing himself in every aspect of his game, which is proving costly in the defensive zone. It’ll be interesting to see whether Toronto decides to persevere with him in the AHL if and when bodies return to the roster.
Other Grades
C
Ben Harpur (28GP, 0g-8a-8pts)
It’s a mystery to me how any team considered Harpur capable of playing in the NHL. He’s been nothing short of a defensive liability in the AHL — continually beaten on the outside by speedier forwards — and his decision making is questionable at best. It’s painful to watch him attempt to lead the breakout and opponents are aware of his limitations in that regard.
Jordan Schmaltz (29GP, 2g-9a-11pts)
I could copy and paste what I wrote about Ben Harpur into this section. When the two were paired together for a couple of the games, the result was as bad as you might expect.
11 points isn’t a terrible return offensively, but he’s struggling to do even the basics on breakouts out of his own zone and he has been a liability in the same mould as Harpur.
ShaneFalco
Registered User
Harpur and Schmaltz are so bad... I wonder if anybody would trade for them though. Some GM's still love big defensemen no matter how bad.
stickty111
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hector morrison
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Sounds good! ....Make it so!...Already looking forward to next seasons camp. Mitch might be feedin' that lad tee ups one day.
SeaOfBlue
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So he mostly used an 'A', 'B', 'C' ranking then.
I agree with some things, disagree with others. I am also going to add a 'D' ranking just for a little bit more clarity.
The only A/A+ grades I would give out would be to Liljegren and Engvall. They both deserve it, and they are the most NHL ready guys on the team this year.
I would give an A- to Sandin and Brooks. Both have some more to work on before I think they should be full time NHLers, but I think with another half year in the AHL, they will be able to make it.
I agree with his write ups on these guys. The one thing that I do want to note about this is that there is a clear bias towards puck-moving defenseman and being able to breakout (which is important, but not the only thing a defenseman needs to do) in his write up, which is why my grades on Kivihalme and Hollowell are much more pessimistic than his.
B+
Petan, Aberg, Agostino, Kaskisuo, Harpur and Kossila out of the vets. For the most part, they have come in and done their jobs as AAAA type players, but they've also had more rough patches and haven't exceeded expectations enough to warrant being in the 'A' range like Liljegren, Sandin, Engvall and Brooks do. I would still be comfortable with any of these guys coming in for spot duty for the Leafs, and I find his write up about Harpur laughable. I feel like he's getting the same kind of rap Marincin is getting on the Leafs, which is completely unwarranted.
Out of the prospects: Lindgren, Korshkov and Bracco. Lindgren could be an 'A' if he was able to continue his play in a larger role, so this B+ is more about the limitations of his role more than his actual play. He's been consistently one of the Marlies better players when he is on the ice. Bracco is a little bit frustrating, especially since his shot has a lot more potential than his goal numbers have shown and he does seem like he knows his time is up in Toronto, but I like that he is working on his defensive game (even though it is still pretty bad) and he is still one of the most lethal PP and playmakers in the entire league. Korshkov has been a little bit inconsistent and has had some injury trouble recently. Skating concerns are somewhat legitimate, but I think he still has top 9 upside as a two-way power forward type in the NHL. Very close to being an 'A-' himself, and I still think he has a good shot at the NHL next year.
B/B-
Wilson has been given a tough role in the Marlies' bottom 6 and he is one of the better guys there. Just doesn't have the opportunity to make an impact like other guys do.
I was going to put Kivihalme as a C+, but I'll give him a little bit more credit than those guys. How he received an 'A-' is beyond me. He's been woefully mediocre for much of the season, and while his breakout ability does show some promise along with a few bright periods, I would have expected more out of a 24 year old defenseman. I do expect the Leafs to re-sign him, because mediocre is not always a bad thing out of a defenseman, but he's going to need to do a lot better if he wants a shot at the NHL.
Marchment has been doing as expected. He's a nice piece for an AHL top 9, but he lacks much NHL upside. That being said, I expect him to be back on the Marlies next year.
C+
Elynuik, Schmaltz, Baptiste, Clune, Rubins, Pooley, MacMaster. All solid. All unspectacular. Rubins and Elynuik have shown well for guys who just turned 22, and I think both have more to give. Write up was a little bit hard on Schmaltz and Baptiste. Schmaltz hasn't been much worse than Kivihalme. Should be non-tendered or traded though. Baptiste has been much better than Read, Gaudet and Archibald.
C/C-
Woll has been disappointing. Part of his struggles have been the team in front of him, but for a guy who is expected to be a top goaltending prospect, he's not playing like it more often than not. I fully expect him to gain confidence and improve with time, but right now, this grade is more than appropriate for his level of play this year. I am also going to spare Hollowell and Duszak the brunt of the lowest grade, but their play has been nothing short of putrid thus far on defense. Neither have played like guys who should be in the AHL right now, and I think Hollowell would benefit from more ECHL time this year (given his age and the fact he has yet to dominate it). Duszak is an ECHL All-Star and is turning 23 this year, so the Marlies should be a little bit more aggressive with his playing time than Hollowell.
D
Archibald, Read and Gaudet. Gaudet has been brutal on the PK and at ES. He's been on the ice for the most PK goals against out of any forward by a relatively sizable margin. The Marlies should be limiting his role to the 4th line, and should start auditioning younger centers to take away his spot full time. With less PK responsibilities and ES playing time, he could still work as a 4th line center though. Archibald and Read, being wingers, should have less rope. Both have struggled, and we have better wing options to pick from.
SeaOfBlue
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stickty111
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Harpur was okay at first, but he has been on a steep decline since. If he is playing more then a #6 role during stretch time, we aren't going to well as a team.
SeaOfBlue
The Passion That Unites Us All
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I personally think the Leafs will trade him for a guy like Dryden Hunt out of Florida. Quality top 9 forward of an equivalent age.
I do think they will look at their options with guys like Gaudet, Luchuk, MacMaster, Archibald, Baptiste, Read, etc. to potentially pull the reverse of the Leblanc-MacMaster trade from last year to help shore up some temporary depth issues on defense (i.e. Sandin/Liljegren called up, Gravel injured, Harpur traded, etc.). I am sure there is a team out there with a buried defenseman but could use some depth up front.
Whatever happened to the Marlies streams on the Leaf app?
If anyone knows of a stream for tonight, I’d appreciate a pm. Thanks.
If anyone knows of a stream for tonight, I’d appreciate a pm. Thanks.
Mansfield
possession obsession
Liljegren stretches his point streak in the AHL to 8 games but the Marlies still suck. 9 points in those 8 games and 12 points in his last 10 games.
Little flat footed in the pk goal against, expecting the clear, but otherwise solid. Good angles.
Jake’s looking fine.
The offense is NOT fluid.
stickty111
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The 2nd one was an "empty calorie" 2nd assist
The 1st assist was nice though, skating the puck up ice and playing an integral part in getting it into the offensive zone
TheGoldenJet
Registered User
Liljegren continues his dominance on the powerplay and at ES. Nice to see him play so strong even when the team around him is struggling.
That slash to Aberg looked like it hurt real bad, wouldn’t be surprised to see him sit out tomorrow.
That slash to Aberg looked like it hurt real bad, wouldn’t be surprised to see him sit out tomorrow.
Leaf Fans
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- Sep 29, 2017
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Marlies played well though. Bracco made 3-2 with about a minute and a half left. We got killed with the net empty giving up two. The score flattered the Monsters.
stickty111
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To be fair, those lucky assists he wasn't getting last season.
stickty111
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- Jan 23, 2017
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Defenseman don't tend to live off those meh 2nd assists for long, driving play and making things happen is how you get big points totals
He's certainly doing that now
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