Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs Prospect Camp Roster Notes

Ok so the Leafs released their Prospect Camp Roster on the 30th of June and it has the looks of an interesting group.  Here’s a (not so) quick run down on who is included and what’s expected of them in the future.  You’ll have to excuse the length, but it took me a couple of days to put this together because of all the summer school marking I’ve had to do.

On to the report:

GOALTENDERS

James Reimer, Toronto (AHL)/SC-Reading (ECHL)

Reimer was named the MVP of the ECHL playoffs this past season for South Carolina, who happen to be Washington’s 2nd tier farm team.  He played extremely well in his first year of pro hockey, and did reasonably well in his one start at the AHL level.  Expect him to play in the AHL next season and compete for the starter’s job with Justin Pogge.   He has the type of large goaltending frame that Francois Allaire loves to coach, and has fared well in some pretty poor defensive programs in the past.  If the Leafs can suddenly play D in the next few years, he and Gustavsson might be duelling it out for the Leafs top job.

Grant Rollheiser, Boston University (HE)

Rollheiser saw hardly any action this past season playing as the backup for the NCAA champion Boston University Terriers.  It’s not exactly his fault he is playing on a team with phenom Kieran Millan, who was also a freshman last season.  Ironically, Rollheiser was one of the main reasons the Terriers were given the 3rd highest ranking for their freshman recruitment prior to 2008-09, so we’ll see how things go down the line.  Millan played in 35 games, while Rollheiser played in 12.  Rollheiser sported a .897 SV% and a 2.13 GAA for the best team in the country.  Hopefully he gets more of a chance this coming season, but at this point it doesn’t look particularly likely.  In the past he has improved and taken over starting jobs as he adjusts though, so anything is possible.

Andrew Engelage, Windsor (OHL)

Engelage was the overage starting netminder for The Memorial Cup champion Spitfires this past season.  He’s been their top starter for 3 seasons in a row now, and last year sported a nice 2.35 GAA, and .914 SV%. The 20 year old is yet another big netminder in the mold Burke and Allaire are in favour of, standing 6′5″ and 206 lbs. Engelage set the OHL for victories in a season with 46 this year, and then added another 18 in the OHL playoffs and the Memorial Cup, but he still has yet to transform his 64 win season into a contract.

He is unsigned at this point and is in camp as a late addition.  Considering the Leafs goaltending situation, it is possible this is an audition in front of the larger audience of NHL scouts.  He hopes to parlay his play at camp into a pro job somewhere for next season, and I guess the Leafs are as good a fit as any.

DEFENCEMEN

Jesse Blacker, Windsor (OHL)

The Leafs 2nd round draft pick, 58th overall, from the 2009 draft just this past month.  Blacker will be suiting up for Windsor again next season in all likelihood.  Look for his speedy skating and physical presence to be a welcome addition in the future.

Benedickt Brueckner, Heillbronn (Germany)

Two years ago Brueckner was named one of Germany’s top 3 players at the U-18 World Junior Championships, he is an undrafted prospect who plays for Mannheim Eagles in the DEL.  He was considered one of the top 5 prospects in Germany heading into the 2008 draft, but was left out of the draft plans of all the clubs in the NHL.  In all likelihood his play at that U-18 tourney is what gave him that lofty status to begin with.  He has a strong work ethic, and is described by HockeysFuture.com as a “born leader”.

He also has yet to play a serious role in the top flight of Germany’s DEL, so his skill level is likely at the low end in comparison to some of his peers at camp.  Consider him a bit of an unknown heading into camp, as he played 39 games for the Heilbronn Falcons of the German 2nd division this past season, and only managed to crack Mannheim’s lineup for 1 game. Mannheim finished 4th in the DEL this past season, and Brueckner was the only player under 20 to see any action for them this past season, so he is progressing as a talent overseas apparently.

Carl Gunnarsson, Linkoping HC (SEL)

Gunnarson came into his own this past season skating for Linkoping.  The sizable blue liner completed his 3rd full season with the Swedish Eliteserien side, and his second consecutive year in which he played all 53 games for the team.  His offensive output improved for the 3rd consecutive year, as he scored 6 goals and added 10 assists for 16 points.  He was rewarded for his solid play at the end of the season by getting the chance to suit up for the Tre Kroner entry to the World Hockey Championships where he scored 2 goals in 6 games.

He isn’t particularly flashy on the offensive end of things, but he plays a solid physical game, and is a good 2 way defender.  Expect him to play a no nonsense brand of D, and look for him to compete for a job with the Leafs in a year or two.  He signed an entry level deal near the end of the NHL season, and will likely play for the Marlies this coming season.  That would put the number of Swedish national team defenders on the Marlies at 3 currently with Stralman, Frogren and Gunnarsson all having played for them in the past 2 years.

Eric Knodel, Philadelphia Flyers Jr. (USMAAA)

Another draft pick from Montreal, Knodel was selected by the Leafs in the 5th round, 128th overall.  He plans on playing for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL next season, before declaring which Div 1. NCAA program he plans on playing for.  He’s been scouted by most of the top programs in the country though, and both the Bruins and Leafs were looking at him before he was picked by the Buds.

He has great size at 6′6″ and 216 lbs, and he has stated that he feels his skating and offensive abilities are underrated.  He describes himself as a team first player that plays a more defensive style, but he thinks he’s capable of doing most of what might be asked of him at the next level.  He’s more of a long term project at this point and is unlikely to see anything close to the NHL for at least 3 or 4 more years.  Hopefully he improves well over time.

Simon Lacroix, Shawinigan (QMJHL)

Lacroix was a 2007 draft pick of the NY Islanders that apparently fell through the cracks and never signed with the fishermen.  He was selected in the 7th round, 196th overall, and was rated the 18th of the Islanders 20 best prospects for 2009 as of May, ranking him just ahead of NCAA phenom Blake Kessel.  Lacroix finished his 3rd season with the Shawinigan Cataractes this past season, producing 12 goals and 38 assists for 50 points in 62 games.

At the time of his drafting he was considered a late round steal by the Isles, and Garth Snow and Ted Nolan both had glowing praise for the hard working youngster when he was playing at the Isles Prospect Camp a year ago.  He was told to return to the Q and work on defensive aspects of his game, but his offensive progression was obvious to all this past season.  He makes solid outlet passes, and is a good skater, but he needs to work on his panic threshold when pressured by a strong forecheck.

He is obviously an offensive defender, being near the top of most offensive categories for QMJHL defenders this past season.  He’s 6′2″ but still only weighs about 180 lbs, so he needs to fill out a tad.  He may return to the QMJHL for another year as an overage player, but that remains to be seen.  I am also unaware of his contract status with the Leafs at this point, but I’m striving to find out more.

Brandon Manning, Chilliwack (WHL)

An undrafted prospect D man who is from the Prince George area of BC.  Manning was actually draft eligible in 2008, but had this to say of his prospects of being selected in Montreal at the 2009 NHL draft:

“I have no idea if I’ll be drafted or not. Really, it’s probably in my best interests to be a free agent and then maybe I’d get more choice in where I want to go — I’d have 30 teams to talk to, not just one, when it comes to a contract.

“I’m a 19-year-old and I (wasn’t taken) in my draft year (2008), so it could be better if I don’t go. I talked about (Saturday) with my mom, and I know my sister has a soccer game and I’ll go to that. I’m not going to do anything different. I’m not going to sit on the computer — if I get a phone call, great.”

Apparently Toronto weren’t the only NHL team interested in his services, as Florida, Calgary, Dallas, and Edmonton had all extended offers for him to attend camp as well.

In 72 games for Chilliwack in the WHL this past season Manning potted 11 goals and added 18 assists for 29 points, to go along with the tidy sum of 140 penalty minutes.  He was undrafted but he stands 6′1″ and has gained weight, growing from 174 to 196 lbs over the past season.  His skating has improved drastically over the past season, and his core and lower body strength have been a large part of that.  He was considered a team leader for the Bruins this past season, and has seen his stock rise as his play has improved.

Prior to his first chance to play in the WHL, he was injured in training camp for Chilliwack, so he ended up going back home to play the season in the BCJHL.  He actually switched from Forward to D a couple of years ago so he’s still adjusting to the defensive aspects of the game.  He has a fair bit of offensive upside, and plays a relatively rugged style of game.

In his favour should the Leafs sign him is the fact that Marc Habscheid has been hired as the GM and head coach of Chilliwack heading into the coming WHL season.  Assuming he returns to the WHL, he will have the expertise and experience of one of the best defensive coaches in the junior ranks.

Juraj Mikus, Dukla Trencin (Slovak)

Still looking for all that potential to develop into the upside foreseen when he was drafted in the 5th round, 137th overall by the Leafs, back in 2007.  Mikus is a sizable yet skilled rear guard, standing 6′4″, though he needs to fill out a tad at 185 lbs.  He skates fairly well, sees the ice well, and handles the puck decently for a man his size, but he has yet to translate his skills into much production.  Last season playing for Dukla Trencin in the men’s Slovakian League, he only produced 2 goals and 1assist for 3 points in 51 games this past season.  On the positive side, he reduced his penalty minutes from 34 in 35 games two years ago, to only 18 last season in almost twice as many games.

The Leafs recently signed Mikus to an entry level contract and have brought him over to North America with an eye to him playing and developing where they can track his development more closely with the Marlies. Expect him to see regular minutes at the Ricoh Colliseum this season.

Adrian Robertson, Peterborough (OHL)

Robertson played 64 games for the Petes this past season in the OHL, producing 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points to go along with 65 penalty minutes.  He stands 6′3″ and is 202 lbs, thus he fits the Leafs new mould for their prototypical player.

He’s a defensive defender, and a teammate of recent Leafs draft pick Barron Smith.  As a rookie in the OHL last season he was seeing regular minutes as part of Peterborough’s top shut down pairing, and he did a solid job of it.  He earned glowing praise from Petes defensive coach Ryan Barnes:

“Adrian is a hard-working guy who takes his role very seriously,” Barnes said. “He’s always looking to improve his game every day which isn’t something you see out of rookies who are kind of overwhelmed by the whole OHL experience. He takes it head on.”

“He doesn’t quit. He’s a battler and a warrior,” said Barnes. “If it means putting his body in front of shots to block shots, he’ll do that. He’s a smart player. His stick and his body are always in very good position and he plays his position well.

“He’s not the fastest guy, but it’s something he tries to improve every day in practice.”

Robertson had this to say about his own efforts this past season:

“I want to contribute by shutting the other team’s top line down… A good night for me is a night when the line I’m matched up against doesn’t score. I want to try to work on that as best I can while working on some individual skills to get better every day.”

Expect the Leafs to take a look at Robertson developing as a physical defensive defender down the line, but don’t expect big stats from him.  He’s another late bloomer who made it to Junior at a bit different pace than many prospect.  He didn’t even leave the OJHL until a 2 game call up to Peterborough at the end of the 2007-08 season.  Here’s hoping he continues his development.

Barron Smith, Peterborough (OHL)

Rugged and big are two words that describe Barron Smith’s game at this stage of his career.  His skating needs a lot of work, but solid blood lines, and a definite edge to his game helped nudge the Leafs in the direction of selecting the son of ex NHL-er Steve Smith in the 7th round, 188th overall in Montreal a couple of weeks ago.

He stands 6′5″ and weighs in at only 205 lbs so he needs to fill out a bit, but as he matures that should happen naturally.  His skating needs a lot of work, and he lacks polish with his skills.  He also doesn’t have a great read on the game, so his defensive game could use some improvement.

Basically he was drafted because of his wingspan, his toughness, and his desire to mix it up.  He’ll provide punch on the blue line if he ever gets his game together enough to make it to the NHL.  Look for him to return to Peterborough for another season in the OHL.

FORWARDS

Tyler Bozak, Denver (WCHA)

Skilled, play making centre from the University of Denver, he spent most of last season on the shelf with a knee injury. The Regina, Saskatchewan native was averaging over a point per game when he went down with injury and was probably one of the top 3 most sought after free agent college players this past season.

He was the leading scorer in the BCHL as a 20 year old, in his last year prior to the NCAA and played on the same Victoria Grizzlies team as Jamie Benn (Kelowna Rockets sniper drafted by Dallas).  At Denver he was counted on as the top line Centre, ahead of Boston Bruins 1st round pick Joe Colborne.  Bozak also skated alongside Leafs prospect Tyler Ruegsegger regularly.

His contract indicates that he’s likely to see top 6 minutes with the Leafs at some point this season, but for starters he needs to adjust to their systems.  He’s grown in recent years so his formerly small stature shouldn’t be a huge concern.  His defensive game may need some polish in the AHL with the Marlies.

Jerry D’Amigo, USA U-18 (USDP)

Recent 2009 draft pick by the Leafs, in the 6th round, 158th overall, D’amigo has been playing with the USNTDP in Michigan, where he was a high scoring RW.  He produced 23 goals and 33 assists for 56 points in 53 games this season.  He also led the way for the American team at the World U-18 Championships in North Dakota as they went on to win the gold medal, while D’amigo led the team in scoring with 13 points.

He’s committed to RPI for the fall, and he should recieve lots of ice time for a university that finished second last in the ECAC last winter with a 10-27-2 record.  Expect him to improve as he plays more against decent NCAA competition.

Jamie Devane, Plymouth (OHL)

The intimidating 6′4″ 212 pounder patrols the left wing for the Plymouth Whalers in the OHL.  He’s a rough and tumble sort who goes to the net with authority.  His hands are likely underrated a tad as he produced 5 goals and 12 assists for 17 points in limited minutes with his club as a rookie.  That being said, his offensive potential is likely fairly limited so he looks likely to fit in as a role player down the line unless he surprises in coming years.

At this point he projects as an enforcer/grinder type, but we’ll see how things work out.

Jerome Flaake, Cologne (DEL)

This will be Flaake’s second go around with the Leafs at prospect camp and he’s developing reasonably well overseas in Germany.  The 6′2″, 187 pounder gets top line minutes with the Cologne Sharks in the DEL, and despite playing in a mens league, he doesn’t look out of place particularly.  He’s following a pattern of development similar to that of his Cologne teammate Phillip Gogulla, who was given heavy minutes as a youngster, and produced solidly as a result.

Gogulla was a 2nd round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres, and he still plays for Cologne.  In his 5th full season with the club he’s now a regular on their top lines and he produces around 40 points a season in roughly 50 games a year.

The thing to remember about the DEL is it’s a league dominated by older North American players.  Names like Ulmer, Warriner, Methot, Papineau, Ready, and Langfeld dominate the scoring sheets.  These aren’t local boys competing for spots at the highest levels.  While this makes the league more competitive, it in a sense can also stifle local talent.  The fact that Flaake is getting solid minutes in the top 6, and playing regular shifts on the power play bodes well for his development overall.

I’m assuming as the Leafs track his development that he’ll eventually be offered a contract to come across to play in the Leafs system for the Marlies if the team thinks he would be best served playing closer to home base.  At this point it is expected he’ll return for yet another year in Germany to play for the Sharks again, who finished 2nd last in the league last season.

If Flaake can drastically up his production from the 5 goals and 11 assists he produced this past season, it would go a long way to making his case that he belongs in the NHL in the long run.  All of that being said, he’s still only 19 years of age, so he’s got some growing to do yet, both physically, and as a player.

Richard Greenop, Windsor (OHL)

Tough guy from the Memorial Cup Champion Windsor Spitfires, who stands 6′4″, 235 lbs. He was originally drafted in the 6th round, 156th overall, of the 2007 draft by the Blackhawks.  The Leafs signed him as an unrestricted free agent, and he’s basically coming in as an outright enforcer.  He has registered around 150+ penalty minutes in each of his three OHL seasons, but has managed only 9 goals and 16 assists in 168 games over that time span.

Don’t expect much beyond toughness from this guy.

Christian Hanson, Toronto (NHL)/Notre Dame (CCHA)

He made a brief appearance at the end of last season with the Leafs, and in his small time did nothing to dampen management’s spirits in regards to his potential, scoring a goal and an assist in 5 games.  His father is Dave Hanson, and he’s big like his dad, standing 6′3″ and 202 lbs.

He plays an all around game, and was a top centre for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CCHA.  As a result of his undrafted status he was one of the most highly sought after college free agents this past season.  Thanks to Joe Nieuwendyk for inking him to a deal before leaving for the Dallas GM post.

He is sound defensively, and uses his size to good effect offensively.  He produced 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 37 games as a senior last season.  He’s turning 23 this year, so his development plateau might not be far beyond where he is right now.  That being said, look for him to play a defensively responsible two way game with the Leafs.  Depending on his faceoff abilities, he might fill an important role with the Leafs in the future, similar to the one that John Mitchell undertook this season past.

Expect Hanson to get a shot with the big club this season, but also consider the possibility he’ll spend a fair bit of time with the Marlies in the AHL because of his 2 way contract.  He’ll get a shot to prove himself this year one way or another.

Jimmy Hayes, Boston College (HE)

The Leafs drafted Hayes in the 2nd round, 60th overall at the 2008 draft.  He was originally one of the top ranked Americans heading into the draft but saw his stock fall a bit prior to the important date.  That let him fall into the Leafs lap as a potential steal.  With strong blood lines that make him a cousin of St. Louis Blues power forward Keith Tkachuk and newly minted Pittsburgh assistant GM, and former Leaf, Tom Fitzgerald, it’s hoped that he can parlay his obvious physical assets into a solid NHL career as a power forward.

He has the size at 6′5″ and 210 lbs.  He has the skating ability, as he is one of the more adroit players at his position (RW) in the US program.  He also has a mean streak, as displayed by his agressiveness against the Canadians at the World Juniors this past Christmas where he was basically egging on the entire Canadian bench.  What he may not possess at this point is discipline and defensive acumen… or enough of a will to drive the net with authority and score.

This past year was his first at Boston College in the Hockey East conference.  It was a reasonable freshman season in the NCAA, but likely worse than expected for Hayes.  He only scored 8 goals and added 5 assists for 13 points in 36 games.  He actually started out on the 3rd line for the Eagles, and was promoted to the 2nd line by game 4, and then promoted again to the top line by his 9th game in the NCAA.

He actually scored 2 goals and an assist in his first 4 games, but he went cold about 6 games into the season, and didn’t score a point between November 14th and January 24th (that’s over 2 months).  He floated between the 2nd and 3rd lines for the majority of the season.

He should contribute more at Boston College this season, and will likely take a bigger role in the team’s offensive game.  The team has a lot of returning players though, so unless he can make an impact and improve his game this coming season, he may find himself in a fight for minutes.

Nazem Kadri, London (OHL)

Leafs selected him 7th overall at the draft in Montreal.  Lots has been said about him so I won’t add to it here.  Suffice it to say that right now he’s the future of the offense for the Leafs, and he’d better turn into a decent producer or this looks like a bad pick.

Favourably been compared to Marc Savard of Boston for his smaller stature and fesitiness.  If he’s similarly skilled from an offensive perspective, then Kadri is a solid pick up.  Hopefully he works out well.

Egor Mironov, Niagara University (CHA)

Just finished his 3rd season playing with Niagara in the CHA of the NCAA.  He was 3rd on the team in scoring and he’s actually a Toronto Native (despite the Russian last name).  If the name looks familiar it’s because he’s the son of former Leaf blue liner and 10 year NHL veteran Dmitri Mironov and the nephew of former Blackhawk and Oiler Boris Mironov.

Obviously the Leafs think the whole blood lines thing is important, and in this case they’re hoping for some of the skills to shine through in yet another chip off the block.  Unlike his father and uncle though, he plays forward, and has done so predominantly in the OPJHL and now the CHA.  He isn’t going to wow anyone with skill or speed, but he isn’t horrible. He had 16 goals and 12 assists for 28 points in 35 games last year with the Purple Eagles.  He’s another big kid at 6′0 and 200 lbs, so he’s not just another undersized skill guy.

His invite is more as a roster fill in than anything as far as I can tell, but who knows, maybe he turns into the next Kyle Rogers and he works himself onto the Marlies as a role player?  Never say never I suppose.

Kenny Ryan, USA U-18 (USDP)

Hard working, hard shooting forward from the USNTDP.  The Leafs drafted him in the 2nd round 50th overall at the draft in Montreal last month.  He had 27 goals and 22 assists for 49 points in 62 games with the development team and looks to play a major role at either Boston College who he has verbally (though not formally) committed to play for next season, OR with the Windsor Spitfires who just won the Memorial Cup and will be looking to fill gaps in their solid roster heading into next season.

Ryan’s game is similar to that of another Leafs prospect, Dale Mitchell, who is departing the Windsor roster, thus leaving open a slot for a player of that ilk on their club.  The Spitfires have been courting Ryan heavily, and he apparently hasn’t closed the door to playing in the competitive OHL.  Expect the Leafs to talk to Ryan while he’s in camp about where they think his best opportunities for development lie.

Either program should be solid for him, and if he heads to Boston College, he can play with a future teammate in Jimmy Hayes, who looks to play at the World Juniors again this coming season, where Ryan will likely be attempting to crack the roster.

If Ryan can form a working relationship and bond with Hayes at BC, and then continue that work at the World Juniors, I have zero problem with them playing together.  They both play RW though so it’s unlikely they’ll see time on the same line either way.

His speed and tenacity in the corners is what attracted the Leafs to him, so expect more of the same from him in camp, and in the future.

Greg Scott, Seattle (WHL)

One of the few players on this list that I haven’t bothered to do a more lengthy write up on already, Scott was signed by the Leafs as a free agent in 2008 after scoring 38 goals a couple of years ago, after 3 years in the WHL playing with the Seattle Thunderbirds and going undrafted.  He produced 32 goals and 44 assists for 76 points in 65 games this past season.

*Sidebar* - According to the HockeysFuture.com website review of Leafs prospects, Scott played in 30 games for the Marlies last season before returning to play for the Thunderbirds - I’d ignore that since according to every AHL statistical register I can find, there is no record of Scott playing a minute for the Marlies yet (and that includes the game sheets for the Marlies last season)… great work on that HockeysFuture!  He is however listed on their roster.  I guess being on the roster but not playing in any games means he didn’t perform?  Who knows.

He’s of average build at 6′ and about 178 lbs, but his skill is what brings him to camp.  He’ll need to continue to score if he ever hopes to have a shot of cracking the NHL.  He’ll likely start with the Marlies, and should provide some scoring to replace the loss of Jeremy Williams and Tim Stapleton.  I expect to see him a few times at Ricoh this year, and hopefully he’ll get more than an imaginary 30 games this season!

Robert Slaney, Cape Breton (QMJHL)

Signed during the QMJHL playoffs this past season, Slaney is in the power forward mould, standing 6′2″ and 203 lbs.  He produced 36 goals and 45 assists for 81 points in 63 games this past season in the Q, and his production has improved from a goal scoring perspective in every year of junior he has played.

He isn’t afraid of going to the net and he was the team leader offensively this past season for the Screaming Eagles.  He should provide some grit and some offensive spark to the Marlies this coming season, and if he plays well enough he might eventually get a shot with the Leafs.  We’ll see how he looks through training camp, but he should slot somewhere between the top 3 NCAA prospects, and ahead of players like Ondrus and Boyce (no slight intended to those players).  He has a better offensive skill set than the latter two players, but his defensive game could definitely use some work.

Look for him to be seeing regular minutes on the top two lines for the Marlies this year as the AHL club goes with a youth movement of its own.

Mikhail Stefanovich, Quebec (QMJHL)

The Leafs own version of the “enigmatic” offensive ex-soviet comes in the form of Stefanovich.  Basically enigmatic - when you read it in articles written about ex-soviet hockey players (i.e. Malkin, Kovalev, Yashin, Fedorov) means that the guy has super duper talent and skills, but because of a language barrier, and the fact that coaches find it difficult to pass along messages directly, the player is hard to read from an emotional and psychological standpoint.  He might not get what you want him to do on the ice, and on top of that he might not care either.

Despite that fact, said “enigmatic” players tend to be some of the top offensive producers in the NHL, and Stefanovich may very well turn out to be the next in a long line of those players.  Following in the footsteps of another “enigmatic” soviet (Alex Radulov) by playing for the Remparts, it’s hoped that Stefanovich hits it off well enough with fellow Belarussian Mikhail Grabovski, and Russians Alexei Ponikarovsky, and Nikolai Kulemin.  If he can contribute offensively and live up to his amazing gifts indicate, he could very well be the best Leafs draft pick in the past 5 to 10 years.

The oddest part is he dropped from being a consensus top 30 prospect to the Leafs at 98th overall, in the 4th round of the draft.  If he turns out to be a bust it’s not a big deal - we wasted a 4th rounder on him… no big loss.  If on the other hand, he turns out to be a producer, then for once the Leafs can look EVERY other NHL team in the face and know they got one over on them.  I wonder what the articles about how great the Leafs scouting department is will read like when Howard Berger and Damien Cox finish writing them… “Leafs select gem in the 4th round… genius at work!”

Not likely?  Yeah I didn’t think so either.

Standing 6′2″ and 202 lbs, Stefanovich has lots of size to go with the skill that saw him produce 49 goals in only 56 games in the QMJHL this past season.  He led Quebec in scoring with 76 points, and this was a team that finished in the top 3 in their league.  He was their most important offensive player, and led their attack most nights.  The Leafs would love it if he could do the same for them in a couple of years.  His size, speed, and slick skills earned him a slot on the Belarussian men’s side at the World Championships at the end of last season, and he will get more of a chance to play for them in coming years, so any opportunity to play at a high level and develop his skill set is welcomed.

He is still being considered for a return to the QMJHL for one more year, but barring that he will probably play for a year or two in the AHL with the Marlies.  That is of course, unless he blows everyone away in training camp.  Let the speculation begin.

Ben Winnett, Michigan (CCHA)

Yet another NCAA prospect the Leafs drafted in recent years (I hope everyone else noticed the trend), Winnett is actually a Canadian, who hails from New Westminster B.C. and was selected in the 4th round, 104th overall by the Leafs, back in 2007.   He patrols the LW for the Michigan Wolverines, and he’s going into his 3rd year of NCAA hockey for the team.  His first two years have been underwhelming to say the least, as he has produced only 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in 73 games over the past two seasons.

A far cry from his days in the BCHL with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks when he was scoring 27 goals and 57 points in only 39 games.  Winnet has the potential to produce, but he has yet to show any real development at the NCAA level.  If he doesn’t step up his act physically and offensively in the next year or two, the 6′1′ 191 lb winger may be looking for work elsewhere as a player when he’s done college.

He has great speed, and plays with an edge, but for some reason the production hasn’t followed.  This coming season is a big one for Winnett and the Wolverines who dissappointed this past season in the Frozen Four tourney, bowing out early.

Part of Winnett’s problem at Michigan is he’s stuck playing behind 5 other top forwards who are either his age or younger.  That’s before I even mention the fact that there are another 4 forwards who are older, and may or may not return for their Junior and Senior seasons.  If there’s 9 guys competing with him for ice time, and his production continues to stagnate, it may be unlikely that Winnett produces much.

Add to that pool of players I just mentioned the two Michigan recruits who were drafted last month in Montreal, Chris Brown and Kevin Lynch, who were both taken in the 2nd round, and you begin to wonder if Winnett has any hope at all of cracking the top 6 on his college team.

Winnett will definitely be returning to the Wolverines this fall and should hopefully improve on his production.

Adam Wallace, Windsor (OHL)

Wallace was another late addition, and yet ANOTHER Windsor Spitfire seeing time with the Leafs prospects.  Wallace is another fan of the fisticuffs with little to no offensive upside.  He produced 1 goal and 3 points in 52 games this year in the OHL, but he managed to reel off 174 penalty minutes.  Last season was his first full one in the OHL, but he’s basically a pest type player with no upside at this point.  He led the OHL in fighting majors this past season with 24, but is a bit undersized for a tough guy at 6′1″ and 195 lbs, featuring more as a middle-weight.

He got the call to camp and joined along with his roommate from the Spitfires, Engelage, hoping to make a splash and get a shot at the next step beyond the OHL.  He’s hoping to show the Leafs he has more skills than just dropping the gloves, and this is the best opportunity he’s likely to get with an NHL management team looking over his shoulder.  Good luck to him.