Post-Game Talk: Rookie Tournament: Leafs vs. Sens || combined with GDT
- Thread starter crump
- Start date
zeke
The Dube Abides
- Mar 14, 2005
- 66,937
- 36,957
nice report, J-E.
My grades:
Goalies
Sparks - looked OK. Made saves, but he looked messy in terms of rebounds and positioning. I still don't see much NHL upside here, but he seems to be big and fairly athletic, so he has a chance.
Gibson - didn't like him much until the shootout, where he looked quite good. In general he was fighting the puck a ton and didn't seem to know where his rebounds were going at all. Not a big fan.
Bibeau - Even though he was exposed in this one, IMO he showed the most upside in terms of positioning and rebound control. He did look too easy to score on in the third, though, even though it was a bit of a shooting gallery and the kid was clearly rattled. Still, I see some upside here.
Overall - not a great crop of goalies here. Probably no future NHL starters here.
Defensemen
Rielly - dominant. Too good for this quality of competition. He did get burnt around the outside once, though, and I've seen that happen to him whenever he plays on his off side - he tends to play too much in the middle, maybe too confident that he can catch anyone trying to go around him. Doesn't seem to have this problem when he plays on the left side, though.
Percy - really, really good. Does everything well, and his puckmoving and offensive skills are extremely underrated. His junior numbers are pretty damn good, even if they pale beside the likes of Rielly and Finn. Hockey sense is through the roof, makes the right play pretty much every time. Very confident that this guy is an NHL dman, and soon.
Finn - looked very good as expected, though he didn't stand out as much as the two guys above. Another guy who does everything well, but with a little more offensive oomph than Percy.
Granberg - unfortunately the worst Dman in in the tourney for the leafs. He's got some work to do. He didn't seem to be able to deal with the much quicker forecheck on the smaller ice. He's got upside, but he'll need a year or two in the AHL imo.
MacWilliam - big strong physical and not an awful skater. Has some bottom pair potential. Better than I expected.
Yuen/Murphy/Raine - showed some good signs but overall I wouldn't bother signing any of them, unless we really need some defensemen in Orlando. Yuen and Murphy were pretty awful in the finale.
Overall - looks like a pretty great group of dmen here. Rielly looks amazing, Finn and Percy look very good with very real top-4 potential, while Granberg and MacWilliam both show some bottom pair NHL potential.
Forwards
McKegg - impressed with his all-around game. Showed his usual skill, but also showed good speed, defense, and physical play. Could be poised for a big year in the AHL.
Leivo - looked great in game 1, looked like a perimeter player in game 3. Has skill, size, and smarts, though. Has the upside, at least.
Gauthier - super raw but a crapload of upside here. Had some shifts where he showed some rare ability to move and control the puck through traffic, and in general showed good hands. And the raves about his defensive abilities turned out to be justified - kid was a beast in his own end.
Biggs - whenever you watch the kid, you can see why he was a first round pick. Huge, very good skater, and good hands to boot. Unfortunately he just seems to lack the finish / high end offensive hockey sense to be a producer. Maybe that will come in time, I dunno. Still, what gets confirmed every time I watch him is that he's not lazy at all - he's diligent on the backcheck, in the corners, and in front of the net. Even though his number s still worry me, it's hard not to see some legit NHL 3rd line potential here at least.
Ross - another pleasant surprise. Most especially to me he looked bigger and faster than I expected - I was sure size and skating would hold him back from being a good pro despite his great grit and work ethic, but I'm not so sure anymore. And he still shows nice finishing ability.
Verhaeghe - you can see why they think he has upside. has good skill and size. he's on the slow side, though, and first impression is that he seems a bit on the soft side.
R.Rupert - as advertised. works his butt off, physical as hell, and a good bit of skill too. I liked him when we drafted him and still do. You can see why team canada invited him to camp.
M.Rupert - sign him up. he's a lot like his brother, except with more natural scoring ability. He's the Daniel to Ryan's Henrik. If Daniel and Henrik were bottom line players, of course.
Broll - he will be an NHLer. A goon who can skate and play a bit. Just a 4th liner, but he'll make it.
Crescenzi - I have dismissed this kid from day one....except the thing is he doesn't suck. He's not fast but he moves well enough for a guy that big, his work on faceoffs and defensively were very good, and he even showed some ability on the cycle and in front. He's on my radar for the first time.
Carrick - like Crescenzi, I've dismissed this guy for the most part. But he works his ass of, can skate and be physical, and has bottom line potential.
Herzog - bigger than I expected, and more confident than I expected. He wanted the puck and wanted to make plays. Wasn't afraid of going into the corners or in front, either. Good first impression.
Brown - I like the way he played, he showed skill, some grit, and backchecking - but his lack of size and speed was an issue even here in this tourney, and that doesn't bode well.
Devane - goon.
Overall - as expected, the group looked solid but lacked high-end finish. McKegg and Leivo showed some 2nd line scoring potential but not consistently. Gauthier showed the most intriguing all-around package. The notion that the Leafs have a bunch of legit quality 3rd line prospects here (and not just failed top-6 prospects) seems to be true. They have a whole bunch of guys with size, skating, good workrate, and a natural affinity for defensive play. This year I'm most interested in seeing whether McKegg, Leivo, and Gauthier can show consistent upper level offense at their levels. Could go a long way in rounding out this group of forwards prospects if they do.
My grades:
Goalies
Sparks - looked OK. Made saves, but he looked messy in terms of rebounds and positioning. I still don't see much NHL upside here, but he seems to be big and fairly athletic, so he has a chance.
Gibson - didn't like him much until the shootout, where he looked quite good. In general he was fighting the puck a ton and didn't seem to know where his rebounds were going at all. Not a big fan.
Bibeau - Even though he was exposed in this one, IMO he showed the most upside in terms of positioning and rebound control. He did look too easy to score on in the third, though, even though it was a bit of a shooting gallery and the kid was clearly rattled. Still, I see some upside here.
Overall - not a great crop of goalies here. Probably no future NHL starters here.
Defensemen
Rielly - dominant. Too good for this quality of competition. He did get burnt around the outside once, though, and I've seen that happen to him whenever he plays on his off side - he tends to play too much in the middle, maybe too confident that he can catch anyone trying to go around him. Doesn't seem to have this problem when he plays on the left side, though.
Percy - really, really good. Does everything well, and his puckmoving and offensive skills are extremely underrated. His junior numbers are pretty damn good, even if they pale beside the likes of Rielly and Finn. Hockey sense is through the roof, makes the right play pretty much every time. Very confident that this guy is an NHL dman, and soon.
Finn - looked very good as expected, though he didn't stand out as much as the two guys above. Another guy who does everything well, but with a little more offensive oomph than Percy.
Granberg - unfortunately the worst Dman in in the tourney for the leafs. He's got some work to do. He didn't seem to be able to deal with the much quicker forecheck on the smaller ice. He's got upside, but he'll need a year or two in the AHL imo.
MacWilliam - big strong physical and not an awful skater. Has some bottom pair potential. Better than I expected.
Yuen/Murphy/Raine - showed some good signs but overall I wouldn't bother signing any of them, unless we really need some defensemen in Orlando. Yuen and Murphy were pretty awful in the finale.
Overall - looks like a pretty great group of dmen here. Rielly looks amazing, Finn and Percy look very good with very real top-4 potential, while Granberg and MacWilliam both show some bottom pair NHL potential.
Forwards
McKegg - impressed with his all-around game. Showed his usual skill, but also showed good speed, defense, and physical play. Could be poised for a big year in the AHL.
Leivo - looked great in game 1, looked like a perimeter player in game 3. Has skill, size, and smarts, though. Has the upside, at least.
Gauthier - super raw but a crapload of upside here. Had some shifts where he showed some rare ability to move and control the puck through traffic, and in general showed good hands. And the raves about his defensive abilities turned out to be justified - kid was a beast in his own end.
Biggs - whenever you watch the kid, you can see why he was a first round pick. Huge, very good skater, and good hands to boot. Unfortunately he just seems to lack the finish / high end offensive hockey sense to be a producer. Maybe that will come in time, I dunno. Still, what gets confirmed every time I watch him is that he's not lazy at all - he's diligent on the backcheck, in the corners, and in front of the net. Even though his number s still worry me, it's hard not to see some legit NHL 3rd line potential here at least.
Ross - another pleasant surprise. Most especially to me he looked bigger and faster than I expected - I was sure size and skating would hold him back from being a good pro despite his great grit and work ethic, but I'm not so sure anymore. And he still shows nice finishing ability.
Verhaeghe - you can see why they think he has upside. has good skill and size. he's on the slow side, though, and first impression is that he seems a bit on the soft side.
R.Rupert - as advertised. works his butt off, physical as hell, and a good bit of skill too. I liked him when we drafted him and still do. You can see why team canada invited him to camp.
M.Rupert - sign him up. he's a lot like his brother, except with more natural scoring ability. He's the Daniel to Ryan's Henrik. If Daniel and Henrik were bottom line players, of course.
Broll - he will be an NHLer. A goon who can skate and play a bit. Just a 4th liner, but he'll make it.
Crescenzi - I have dismissed this kid from day one....except the thing is he doesn't suck. He's not fast but he moves well enough for a guy that big, his work on faceoffs and defensively were very good, and he even showed some ability on the cycle and in front. He's on my radar for the first time.
Carrick - like Crescenzi, I've dismissed this guy for the most part. But he works his ass of, can skate and be physical, and has bottom line potential.
Herzog - bigger than I expected, and more confident than I expected. He wanted the puck and wanted to make plays. Wasn't afraid of going into the corners or in front, either. Good first impression.
Brown - I like the way he played, he showed skill, some grit, and backchecking - but his lack of size and speed was an issue even here in this tourney, and that doesn't bode well.
Devane - goon.
Overall - as expected, the group looked solid but lacked high-end finish. McKegg and Leivo showed some 2nd line scoring potential but not consistently. Gauthier showed the most intriguing all-around package. The notion that the Leafs have a bunch of legit quality 3rd line prospects here (and not just failed top-6 prospects) seems to be true. They have a whole bunch of guys with size, skating, good workrate, and a natural affinity for defensive play. This year I'm most interested in seeing whether McKegg, Leivo, and Gauthier can show consistent upper level offense at their levels. Could go a long way in rounding out this group of forwards prospects if they do.
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showtime8
Registered User
I think that you're pretty bang on with your assessment in their play.
A couple of notes to add on here:
I think that Percy had the best tournament all around out of all the defencemen. I know that's blasphemy on this board because it's against Rielly, but I think he was such a calming presence in all ends of the ice and that really showed when you are a 20 year old in a rookie tourny. Rielly is clearly a better talent, but I was very impressed with Percy.
Bang on with Granberg. I think the hype of him possibly joining the Leafs as a dark horse is slowly fading. Just lacked the foot speed to keep up. Hopefully its as simple as him trying to adjust to the NA ice.
I've been on the Verhaeghe bandwagon since I got to see him play in Niagara. Continues to do all the small things right (which include support play and also making smart plays in the offensive zone). He will be a good 3rd line centreman in this league eventually.
crump
~ ~ (ړײ) ~ ~
Nice break down above.
Rielly showed why he is elite. Can't wait to see him on the Leafs. Might have to though.
For me the other player that really stood out was Percy. His patience and poise under pressure then making the right play almost everytime, to me, shows elite skills on the back end. He may only be a 30 point defensemen when all is said and done, but his two way play really impressed me. He is going to be a very very good player in the NHL.
Rielly showed why he is elite. Can't wait to see him on the Leafs. Might have to though.
For me the other player that really stood out was Percy. His patience and poise under pressure then making the right play almost everytime, to me, shows elite skills on the back end. He may only be a 30 point defensemen when all is said and done, but his two way play really impressed me. He is going to be a very very good player in the NHL.
Long term: We're only missing one piece from our forward group, a young number one center.
#1 RW - Kessel (25)
#2 C - Kadri (22)
#1/2 LW - JVR (24)
------------------
#1/#2 LW/RW - Lupul (29)
#2/#3 RW - Clarkson (29)
With Reilly, Percy and co pushing for spots in the near future its time for Nonis to make a 3 for 1 deal at the draft for a high selection. The chances of a team trading a young #1 are almost zero.
uncleben
Global Moderator
I agree. I think this kid gets picked up.
Murphy I expect to go back to junior, but can easily see us inviting him again next year if he doesn't take an invitation elsewhere.
I can see MLSE twisting Orlando's arm to offer Raine an ECHL contract, just so we can keep on eye on him.
The Blue Devil
Registered User
- Nov 9, 2009
- 5,682
- 1
Yeah, it's to bad they don't employ people that can go out and keep an eye on him wherever he goes...
uncleben
Global Moderator
Bibeau
Please leaf's managment,Don't ruin the confidence of our No 1 goaltender.We need him back in Charlottetown to be solid this year.
Yep. It's as simple as that, shucks...
Please leaf's managment,Don't ruin the confidence of our No 1 goaltender.We need him back in Charlottetown to be solid this year.
RoyalGremlin
The future is now.
- Jun 19, 2007
- 4,123
- 0
Our drafting strategy of picking up smart, character players with good skating really showed this tournament. Very impressive young team got 2 wins.
It's a shame Rielly wasn't playing against the sens but I wouldn't trust those goons not to try something dirty so I'll call the last game a wash because without Rielly, the loss doesn't mean much to me. I'd rather watch him skate around the big boys en route to a Calder nomination. He's got a chance at the very least, the best chance we've had since.. i don't know who.
Percy was extremely impressive. During the first game I decided to not look at the lineups for numbers and tried to guess who was who, 50 jumped out at me the most and I couldnt figure out who it was until the 3rd. Amazing stickwork defensively and he isn't shabby offensively. He doesn't have hands like Kadri but the puck is always in the safe direction. I can see a defender being traded midseason to make room for him or he could be the first injury call up *knock*
Leivo- AHL ready, great situation with Spott, guaranteed icetime and top 6 role. Up to him to produce, doesn't look like he won't. Up and comer, and fast.
Ross - a mouthy cannonball that can really skate. Hands were surprising but didn't get many chances to display them, mostly focused on hitting. Slow bake in the AHL, let him produce and make the leafs 4th line next year.
Gauthier - The kid's got offence. He will be an invaluable player. Top 6 in 3 years. Look for a huge season in the Q this year, wow. I'm sold on this pick.
Biggs - maybe he needs a full NHL camp to warm up for the AHL because he needs to finish what he's starting. Great tools and great character but on ice offensive awareness is a struggle to watch. Great hitter and skater, perfectly suited for a bottom 6 role in a few years. Has potential to be a late bloomer top 6 power forward in 5 years if he ever figures it out.
Granberg- he'll learn in the AHL this year and hopefully bring his winning touch to the Calder Cup before a better chance next year. Although he may kick ass against the big boys when the actual camp starts.
As for the rest, mostly the same opinions as everyone else but this group is the cream of the crop.
It's a shame Rielly wasn't playing against the sens but I wouldn't trust those goons not to try something dirty so I'll call the last game a wash because without Rielly, the loss doesn't mean much to me. I'd rather watch him skate around the big boys en route to a Calder nomination. He's got a chance at the very least, the best chance we've had since.. i don't know who.
Percy was extremely impressive. During the first game I decided to not look at the lineups for numbers and tried to guess who was who, 50 jumped out at me the most and I couldnt figure out who it was until the 3rd. Amazing stickwork defensively and he isn't shabby offensively. He doesn't have hands like Kadri but the puck is always in the safe direction. I can see a defender being traded midseason to make room for him or he could be the first injury call up *knock*
Leivo- AHL ready, great situation with Spott, guaranteed icetime and top 6 role. Up to him to produce, doesn't look like he won't. Up and comer, and fast.
Ross - a mouthy cannonball that can really skate. Hands were surprising but didn't get many chances to display them, mostly focused on hitting. Slow bake in the AHL, let him produce and make the leafs 4th line next year.
Gauthier - The kid's got offence. He will be an invaluable player. Top 6 in 3 years. Look for a huge season in the Q this year, wow. I'm sold on this pick.
Biggs - maybe he needs a full NHL camp to warm up for the AHL because he needs to finish what he's starting. Great tools and great character but on ice offensive awareness is a struggle to watch. Great hitter and skater, perfectly suited for a bottom 6 role in a few years. Has potential to be a late bloomer top 6 power forward in 5 years if he ever figures it out.
Granberg- he'll learn in the AHL this year and hopefully bring his winning touch to the Calder Cup before a better chance next year. Although he may kick ass against the big boys when the actual camp starts.
As for the rest, mostly the same opinions as everyone else but this group is the cream of the crop.
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