Prospect Info: Marlies/Prospects Thread - 2023-23 Season Edition

[weems]

There are betters way to do that though. Also if a hit in a development camp is whats needed to set a intense culture for this team, we have bigger problems.

I actually hadn't seen the hit when I posted (twitter clip didn't work for me) so just thought it was some standard hit but now have seen the clip and it's a bit too aggressive.

 

[67Cup]

Agreed that the hit was a “bit too aggressive.” But, well, I wouldn’t mind having a prospect or two who might get called a bit too aggressive.

The main thing, though, is that I hope there are no lingering effects for Hirvonen.

 

[sepHF]

pretty hard to watch a good young prospect get wrecked by some guy who will probably be laying carpets in two years..

 

[hockeywiz542]

Easton Cowan agitates his way into Maple Leafs' good books at development camp

Easton Cowan, the Maple Leafs' first-round pick in 2023, made good initial first steps with the organization at development camp this week.

torontosun.com

Never mind that the Maple Leafs went off the board when they chose Easton Cowan in the first round of the 2023 National Hockey League draft last month.

The 18-year-old forward with the London Knights proved he belonged during the past several days at the Leafs’ development camp at the Ford Performance Centre. He was picked 28th by the Leafs in Nashville after few mock drafts had him going in the first round.

“Easton came in and had a really good week,” Leafs assistant general manager, player development, Hayley Wickenheiser said on Saturday following the scrimmage that brought the camp to an end.

“I like the way he plays the game, with a lot of passion and energy and agitating. Coming in, there’s a lot of attention (because he’s) your highest draft pick.”

Cowan played on a line with a couple of the Leafs’ higher-end prospects, Nicholas Moldenhauer and Ty Voit, and helped create more than a few offensive opportunities for Team White during the scrimmage.

Cowan will spend the summer training and skating in London with an eye toward dominating in the Ontario Hockey League next season. He had 53 points (20 goals and 33 assists) in 68 games in 2022-23, following that with 21 points in 20 playoff games.

What will Cowan, a native of Strathroy, take from the camp and back down the 401 as he prepares for his second full season in the OHL?

“Just the pro habits,” Cowan said. “Waking up early, getting to the rink, getting to bed early, fuelling your body, getting the right amount of sleep. I learned a lot with all the seminars (as well).”

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

It’s ok in prospect tournaments against prospects from another organization but you can’t do that to fellow prospects in your own organization. That kid should be gone.

Dillingham is an undrafted nobody searching for a pro contract anywhere that'll take him, I'm not sure what the Leafs expected inviting him. I guess he's buddies with Ty Voit or something?

 

[Stand Witness]

Its a clean hit and you need to be aware always.

Its tough, but players get hurt when they are playing assuming there won’t be any contact. I guarantee Hirvonen won’t ever do that again.

If it was a dirty hit, I’d feel different for sure. These guys aren’t really even teammates.

 

[shaner8989]

That could derail Hirvonens development big time. Already lost Amirov can’t keep losing our best prospects.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Agreed that the hit was a “bit too aggressive.” But, well, I wouldn’t mind having a prospect or two who might get called a bit too aggressive.

The main thing, though, is that I hope there are no lingering effects for Hirvonen.

Its a clean hit and you need to be aware always.

Its tough, but players get hurt when they are playing assuming there won’t be any contact. I guarantee Hirvonen won’t ever do that again.

If it was a dirty hit, I’d feel different for sure. These guys aren’t really even teammates.

According to the Toronto Sun:

Easton Cowan agitates his way into Maple Leafs' good books at development camp

Easton Cowan, the Maple Leafs' first-round pick in 2023, made good initial first steps with the organization at development camp this week.

torontosun.com

HIRVONEN CONCUSSED

There was a collective gasp in the crowd during the third period of the scrimmage, for good reason.

Forward Roni Hirvonen, one of the better players in the Leafs’ prospect pool, was crushed by defenceman Nolan Dillingham with an open-ice hit at the blue line. Hirvonen didn’t move, initially, other than to feebly raise his right arm.

After lying on the ice and for several minutes and being attended to by the training staff, Hirvonen slowly made his way off the ice and to the dressing room.

“He’s OK,” Wickenheiser said. “He has a concussion and he’ll need some time to recover, but he’s a tough person. And that was a very big hit. It was a clean hit, it was a good hit by Dillingham. Every single player in your career, you take a hit like that. It happens to everyone.

“You never want to see it in a game scenario like this. We all just held our breath a little bit. The fact that he was able to get up and get off the ice is a good sign, but I think he’ll be fine with some time.”

The 5-foot-9, 172-pound Hirvonen, a second-round pick by the Leafs in 2020, signed an entry-level deal with the club last year. In 57 games last season with HIFK Helsinki in Finland, Hirvonen had 15 goals and 13 assists.

Dillingham, 6-foot-1 and 201 pounds, was in camp on a free-agent invite. He had 14 points and 65 penalty minutes last season with Sarnia of the Ontario Hockey League.

 

[weems]

“He’s OK,” Wickenheiser said. “He has a concussion and he’ll need some time to recover, but he’s a tough person. And that was a very big hit. It was a clean hit, it was a good hit by Dillingham. Every single player in your career, you take a hit like that. It happens to everyone."

Very polarizing play and I see both sides of the argument.

 

[Gamble9]

What was the final score for the scrimmage or did they call it at 2 1 after the big hit on hirvonen

 

[TheScandal89]

Who runs a guy in training camp, that sucks, your not expecting to get steam rolled in development camp. I get you wanna stand out but not like that. It reminds me of the guy who ran MacArthur in the Sens camp. What did that guy gain from it?

Sucks, I was hoping he could eventually become a 2 way 3C. A hit like that can affect him for years and in some cases lower his ceiling.

 

[hockeywiz542]

What was the final score for the scrimmage or did they call it at 2 1 after the big hit on hirvonen

 

[hockeywiz542]

Low on high picks, Maple Leafs must keep developing unknown talent

Trades for missing pieces to a Stanley Cup have not paid off for the Leafs and now their development staff must help make up the deficit.

torontosun.com

The Maple Leafs’ head of player development, Hayley Wickenheiser — flanked by head coach Sheldon Keefe (left) and Shane Doan, adviser to the GM — watches the team’s prospects go through drills on the ice at the Ford Performance Centre in Etobicoke. (Jack Boland/Toronto Sun)

There is extra importance these days to keeping the Maple Leafs pipeline of prospects flowing.

Through trades and one terrible circumstance, only a single first round pick has been available to them the past five years. Since Auston Matthews was the last of four chosen in the top 10 between 2012-16, the Leafs haven’t drafted higher than 15th, that being Russian forward Rodion Amirov whose career is now in doubt with a brain tumour. London Knights’ forward Easton Cowan, plucked at 28th last month, was their highest in three years.

“We don’t have a lot of prospect depth,” said assistant general manager, player development, Hayley Wickenheiser as the Toronto’s week-long summer orientation camp ended Saturday. “We’re in a different situation with our big team, trying to win a Stanley Cup (now) and so sometimes you give away your picks to acquire talent. We’re trying to build up the players that we have, many in our system that have made some strides."

“Our goaltender depth seems to be coming (Joseph Woll ready to take on more NHL work, Dennis Hildeby geared for his first full year with the Marlies, Russians Artur Akhtyamov and Slava Peksa having a strong camp). And within the pool we have, a couple of players are starting to push for the next level."

“That’s our job, help make sure these guys can translate to the next level with time in the Marlies’ system and our developmental model.”

Fraser Minten (38th overall) last year, Matthew Knies (57th in 2021) overall and Nick Robertson (53rd in 2019) have all impressed, Knies and Robertson in the Leafs’ lineup for a spell.

“Both Matthew and Nick are good examples and I think for Matthew to have stepped into the (2023) playoffs was not an easy thing to do,” Wickenheiser said. “He came to this camp the year before and it was eyes wide open for him of what it would take."

“These are really important times for guys to say: ‘this is what I need to do to get to the next level’. Same for Nick, so unfortunate with the injuries he’s had, yet so driven to want to come in and impress. They’re both right on the cusp.”

 

[SprDaVE]

Out of the invites, I liked St Phalle, McMillan, Weiss and Hedqvist from the forwards. I think Weiss did enough to probably earn an AHL contract... maybe. On defense Roy, Sundin and Tychonick were pretty good. Hard to judge goaltenders on a period each but Elias was amazing in his period.

Minten, Kressler, Tverberg and Hirvonen were OK at best. Didn't notice Miettinen at all. Miller was much better than I thought he'd be. Lisowsky can really shoot it.

Cowan was really good, he made a lot of zone exits out of the D and a lot of zone entries with the puck, and just very noticeable... he really looked like a legit A prospect. Voit and Moldenhauer on his line, they just dominated and all 3 looked good.

On defense I thought Koster looked good but he did make a couple questionable turnovers at the blueline. Niemela was really good as he should be. Chadwick wasn't very noticeable but made a couple good plays that stood out.

 

[Menzinger]

thats a shame damn

Yep. And wasn't it an unsigned invite who laid the hit?

What an idiot

 

[Duke16]

Out of the invites, I liked St Phalle, McMillan, Weiss and Hedqvist from the forwards. I think Weiss did enough to probably earn an AHL contract... maybe. On defense Roy, Sundin and Tychonick were pretty good. Hard to judge goaltenders on a period each but Elias was amazing in his period.

Minten, Kressler, Tverberg and Hirvonen were OK at best. Didn't notice Miettinen at all. Miller was much better than I thought he'd be. Lisowsky can really shoot it.

Cowan was really good, he made a lot of zone exits out of the D and a lot of zone entries with the puck, and just very noticeable... he really looked like a legit A prospect. Voit and Moldenhauer on his line, they just dominated and all 3 looked good.

On defense I thought Koster looked good but he did make a couple questionable turnovers at the blueline. Niemela was really good as he should be. Chadwick wasn't very noticeable but made a couple good plays that stood out.

Weiss has been on an unofficial AHL deal since the start and word should come out about that soon. He was probably one of the better late NCAA options left for that. De St. Phalle would be a nice option in the same sense, but he'll play a senior year I'm guessing.

Cassaro, Walton, and maybe Dillingham may have been in the same boat as Weiss from the start of Dev Camp too

 

[LeafParade]

I think I may have to re-evaluate my prospect rankings after this camp.

Some prospects have looked better than I expected and others not up to par.

Someone was talking up Lisowsky to me, and I can now kind of see the potential.

 

[LeafParade]

Out of the invites, I liked St Phalle, McMillan, Weiss and Hedqvist from the forwards. I think Weiss did enough to probably earn an AHL contract... maybe. On defense Roy, Sundin and Tychonick were pretty good. Hard to judge goaltenders on a period each but Elias was amazing in his period.

Minten, Kressler, Tverberg and Hirvonen were OK at best. Didn't notice Miettinen at all. Miller was much better than I thought he'd be. Lisowsky can really shoot it.

Cowan was really good, he made a lot of zone exits out of the D and a lot of zone entries with the puck, and just very noticeable... he really looked like a legit A prospect. Voit and Moldenhauer on his line, they just dominated and all 3 looked good.

On defense I thought Koster looked good but he did make a couple questionable turnovers at the blueline. Niemela was really good as he should be. Chadwick wasn't very noticeable but made a couple good plays that stood out.

I was expecting more from Minten and Tverberg.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I was expecting more from Minten and Tverberg.

Just a random development camp, no need to get too high or too low on anyone.

I remember when they had that random WJC in the summer and Knies was so-so in it but it wasn't a fair time to evaluate him.

Since then we've all really enjoyed what Knies has brought.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Just a random development camp, no need to get too high or too low on anyone.

I remember when they had that random WJC in the summer and Knies was so-so in it but it wasn't a fair time to evaluate him.

Since then we've all really enjoyed what Knies has brought.

Knies had a much better track record and a more impressive skillset than Minten, I don’t really see the comparison.

Minten seems like a good kid but he was a questionable pick at the time and hasn't exactly improved his stock since

 

[WTFMAN99]

Knies had a much better track record and a more impressive skillset than Minten, I don’t really see the comparison.

Minten seems like a good kid but he was a questionable pick at the time and hasn't exactly improved his stock since

Let's see how the year goes, he should be getting prime ice time with some graduates off his roster and has a chance to crack the WJC team.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Knies had a much better track record and a more impressive skillset than Minten, I don’t really see the comparison.

Minten seems like a good kid but he was a questionable pick at the time and hasn't exactly improved his stock since

Minten has never been a point producer at even strength and his skating is average at best. High IQ and a good shooter but if the skating doesn’t come along he’s probably headed for Europe.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Knies had a much better track record and a more impressive skillset than Minten, I don’t really see the comparison.

Minten seems like a good kid but he was a questionable pick at the time and hasn't exactly improved his stock since

I think the point is that not much positive or negative should be taken by much of this. The entire purpose of the camp is to set these prospects up to go home and put work in and develop over the summer.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

The people that were happy with the reaves signing are probably fine with players laying out massive open ice hits in a development camp in the middle of summer and potentially injuring their own players, but there's no need for that shit at said camp.

 

[Byron Bitz]

That Dillingham kid is a f***in idiot.