What to expect of our prospects?

[Hotlanta]

Is Spott suppose to just throw Biggs under the bus and says that he sucks? Biggs is probably already having enough confidence issues.

The list of players who've scored as little as Biggs has in the AHL in their first 50 games and gone on to become a top 9 NHL player is somewhere between non-existent to only a few. Then a 4th should have a PK specialist and on a Carlyle team will always have at least 1 heavyweight.

Have you ever watched Biggs play? Until the return of Ryan he was the Marlies PK specialist. Spott said it best, Biggs most likely won't be a top 6 player in the NHL which is why he needs to temper his expectations and work extremely hard on his defensive game. Right now Biggs is working to become an great defensive forward (McClement type) and will get his shot in the Marlies top 6 and PP to work on his offensive skills when Spott thinks he is ready. Biggs is a project and can easily play a couple games in a 4th line role next season with the Leafs, but the organization would rather give him the time to round out his game to try and get more out of him.

Gauthier is a shade under 50% for faceoffs in the Q this year. That hardly screams face off beast at the NHL level.

Faceoff skills take time, he definitely has the frame and IQ to help him become a faceoff specialist.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

Have you ever watched Biggs play? Until the return of Ryan he was the Marlies PK specialist. Spott said it best, Biggs most likely won't be a top 6 player in the NHL which is why he needs to temper his expectations and work extremely hard on his defensive game. Right now Biggs is working to become an great defensive forward (McClement type) and will get his shot in the Marlies top 6 and PP to work on his offensive skills when Spott thinks he is ready. Biggs is a project and can easily play a couple games in a 4th line role next season with the Leafs, but the organization would rather give him the time to round out his game to try and get more out of him.



Faceoff skills take time, he definitely has the frame and IQ to help him become a faceoff specialist.

The problem for Biggs is that he isn't a center and being good on faceoffs is what makes a lot of PK guys that much more important and able to be the most important player on a 4th line. If guys like McClement, Handzus, Campbell, Talbot, Gaustad, Mitchell, etc. didn't take faceoff would they really be very important?

Maybe Biggs can carve out a career similar to Travis Moen or really good case scenario Joel Ward but I'm not getting to excited about a player who has only shown limited upside since being drafted.

Gauthier will improve his faceoffs stats but it's worth noting that he took far more faceoffs than anyone in the Q last year, took key faceoff for Team Canada at the World Juniors and takes nearly every key defensive faceoff for his team this year (meaning he also has more defensive starts).

Faceoff wins/losses is a very subjective stat as well. Take a guy like Bolland who doesn't have a great faceoff win % but he's very good at tying up his man or creating scrambles unlike some players with a similar faceoff winning %.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

Surprisingly he only has 133 hits on this season, JVR for example has 101 hits.

However what I suspect is he simply doesn't need to be checking that much, I imagine he doesn't need to forecheck that much if Crosby is carrying it, if you have possession no need to be checking that much.

I like Leivo's control along the wall and puck protection, looks promising.

33 hit difference is a big difference. This season is also the most physical that JVR has ever played but not the most physical that Kunitz has ever played. Kunitz has been averaging around 2 hits a game evey season.

I like the promise that Leivo has shown and believe he'll be able to carve out a decent NHL career as a tweener but don't see the Kunitz comparable.

With Leivo I see a realistic shot at him becoming Versteeg type player which can be a very valuable winger if he's # 4, 5 or 6 on the depth chart like he has/was in Chicago. If Leivo can come in and be a cheap player who can pot 40-50 points in that role he'd be very valuable.

 

[Cams]

For those who follows the Marlies and have more knowledge of Leafs prospects than me...

Where is Kenny Ryan in terms of making the big club? Watching him play junior I saw a player who I though would make the Leafs in a PK, 3rd line player as a regular in the near future. I understand he has been hurt this year. He was a pretty good skater, great on PK, would take faceoffs in Windsor, and has a pretty solid body checker as well.

Prospects I am excited for include Granberg (will not put up points, but solid D), and MacWilliam. Both being R shots will help, as besides Franson - all the D in the big club are L shots. MacWilliam really intrigues me with his hitting and he can fight too - sadly missing from this years team (a more skilled Fraser from last year?).

Percy should be a solid NHL dman

Leivo I think will be a good 2nd liner to come - has an NHL shot and decent speed and grit

I was hoping for more out of Ross - but he is only 2 years out of junior - never know right?

Nilsson could be an interesting player too - if he comes over.

Connor Brown - hard to tell - I have not seen him live, but I don't know if he is putting up the numbers he is because of his linemates/team???? and will those translate to a pro game?

 

[Rielly4]

Top prospects who will make most NHL impact in my opinion??

Matt Finn
Josh Leivo
Peter Granberg

I think Gauthier will eventually be a pretty usefull 3rd line center but not until hes like 24.

Finn really looks like hes gonna be a pretty solid 2nd pair d man who moves the puck really well.

Leivo has lots of offensive skill and instincts to go with it along with a great work ethic, but he doesnt overuse his work ethic like a Mike Brown did he uses it at the right times and kinda floats into space when thats the right thing to do.

Granberg is an extremely hard working d man and is very hard to play against, right handed d men are hard to come by as well in our system so he should make the team sooner rather than later.

I honestly dont know about Brown, his points are impressive but that doesnt mean he will find a scoring role in the NHL, i dont see him having the toolbox of skills to be a crafty enough winger in the NHL.

What we do have is a lot of hard working gritty players who could potentially fill our bottom 6 out with really nice players...

Ross, Ryan, Biggs, D'amigo, Ashton, Broll, Carrick... I like Ross and Carricks chances best as Andrew Shaw lites, Ross is the guy i like best even though hes in the ECHL now and struggling in the AHL i think in the big show at the ACC he will be a consistent pest under other teams skins with some skill and determination to go with it.

 

[Rielly4]

For those who follows the Marlies and have more knowledge of Leafs prospects than me...

Where is Kenny Ryan in terms of making the big club? Watching him play junior I saw a player who I though would make the Leafs in a PK, 3rd line player as a regular in the near future. I understand he has been hurt this year. He was a pretty good skater, great on PK, would take faceoffs in Windsor, and has a pretty solid body checker as well.

Prospects I am excited for include Granberg (will not put up points, but solid D), and MacWilliam. Both being R shots will help, as besides Franson - all the D in the big club are L shots. MacWilliam really intrigues me with his hitting and he can fight too - sadly missing from this years team (a more skilled Fraser from last year?).

Percy should be a solid NHL dman

Leivo I think will be a good 2nd liner to come - has an NHL shot and decent speed and grit

I was hoping for more out of Ross - but he is only 2 years out of junior - never know right?

Nilsson could be an interesting player too - if he comes over.

Connor Brown - hard to tell - I have not seen him live, but I don't know if he is putting up the numbers he is because of his linemates/team???? and will those translate to a pro game?

Macwilliams a lefty i really really wish he was a righty... But you are right about Granberg he will be a gem for us on the bottom pairing..

As for Ryan.. I really like him hes speedy gritty and has a great shot, useful PKer. Unfortunately for him we have a lot of guys kinda like him in our system who play similar roles... D'amigo is ahead of him and Komarov might be coming back.. Than we have a bottom 6 role heavy system with guys like Biggs, Ashton, Ross, Carrick.