I'd call it the curious case of Justin Brazeau because, perhaps, more than anything else, the guy is a late bloomer. When the Leafs pitched him on an AHL contract (not the ideal contract security he was looking for), they proposed it as a multi-tier, body and mind, and full-on development ordeal. In addition to a daily off-ice workout, the kid has the Leafs skating coach during the offseason and a full-time skating and skills coach in Newfoundland. He also works on a regular basis with the Leafs sports science department and sports psychologist. He also has a full nutrition plan. Now, you might be thinking, or saying, that the Leafs do this for all their prospects, and yes, as far as I am aware, that's generally true. However, the Leafs specifically facilitated all this at the ECHL level with Brazeau in mind. The fact that prospects Mac Hollowell and Joseph Duszak are also there certainly made this adjustment additionally appealing.

So, what does all that mean? Well, I think the Leafs management hope Brazeau is in the AHL full-time next season. While he is an intriguing prospect and doing wonderful things in ECHL as a rookie, it's also only the ECHL. With the glut of Leafs injury woes, you would image he would have been called up on a more permanent basis, but I think the Leafs are still quite concerned with his skating, or rather, his quickness and ability to keep up at the AHL level. It's no secret that the kid really has good hands, especially in front of the net, and good hockey IQ, it's just the skating that continues to slow his development. With the work the Leafs did with Frederik Gauthier, and perhaps even more significantly, Pierre Engvall, I have no doubt that the team can get him there, if he puts in the time.

So yes, there is still very much potential, but for now, it's only that. There's still a long way to go.

Hes better then Kakko and noone can deny it.......

Thanks for this post. Good luck to him and Leafs Nation and Happy New Year to all!

I mean at 6'7 and being 20yr old playing against teenagers, I'd hope he'd put up some points. Nearly half of his OHL points came that year....I wouldn't get to excited about the kid.

The book on him was that he has an elite shot and is huge but his skating sucked. Rebuilding his stride could change his outlook entirely. Also every fan base gets excited about their prospects most of which will remain just that, prospects.

Oh sure, I get excited about prospect too. I just don't get excited about a undrafted kid that didn't show much of anything until he was older and more physically mature than 99% of the kids he's playing against.

100% you'd be excited about a guy who scores 61 goals in 68 games that your team spent zero draft picks on. You are just looking for an argument.

He's doing well in the ECHL this year with 12g, 26p in 30 games so far. It is certainly within reason to think he'll make the jump to the Marlies next year. The most interesting quote about the guy though is Dubas going on the record saying he will be an NHLer one day or the Leafs development system failed him.

Haven't we seen hundreds, heck maybe thousands of high scoring juniors or even AHLers not even have a sniff of the NHL due to that lack of others skills.....mostly poor skating and lack of high speed decision making. Good luck to Brazeau but the odds are against him ever seeing the NHL.

Brazeau for Crosby

No I wouldn't lol.

Those 26pt in 30 games barely cracks the top 40 in ECHL scoring.

Definitely not looking for arguments here at all.

Nope, just bring more context to those who are unfamiliar.

A group of Leaf fans talking about some prospect doesn't need non leaf fans to chime in on how this prospect will be nothing. It just unnecessary, pointless and combative. You're being a troll, which is why you continue to argue with people on this thread. What is Brazeau? He's a late bloomer prospect who was a terrible skater but is huge and has an NHL Elite level shot. Everyone passed on him because he was such a bad skater. However, TO has the money and resources available to try to build his skating to NHL levels. The rest of his package is all good to great, so finding this project interesting is a normal reaction. That is what this post is about, you piping in saying he's nothing is just a sour bitter troll looking for a fight. Go to bed.

For a 21-year-old project in his rookie season that isn't bad. He's not gonna turn into Ovechkin or anything but he is scoring at a good clip (Tied for 4th on the team). My point is that he is on track with his development.

I couldn't care less what fanbase it is. I'll post in whatever ACGM I want



Not trolling, again just bring facts into the discussion vs the hopes and dreams you seem to have. You could have read my post and moved on, but you didn't and instead have tried to start and argument.



LOL there is nothing that I've said that isn't true or inaccurate. You just seem bent out of shape because someone brought some reality to the conversation.



Its roughly noon where I live....why would I go to bed?

I'll end with this before I add you to the ignore list. While I understand that TOR fans think the NHL revolves around them, it doesn't. TOR is hands down one of the most hated fan bases in the NHL. Now if it were because the Leafs were successful, I could understand....but its not. The leafs could sign a one legged blind man and TOR fans would hype him up to make you think he was going to be the great to ever lace them up. While there are a handful of knowledge TOR fans that I talk to, I find more are ignorant homers that could hold an intelligent hockey conversation even if you gave them the talking points.

Feel free to respond, again I wont see it and sure as hell wont miss anything.

I just find trolls pointless and stupid. You didn't need to say anything, you aren't adding context you are looking to take silly Leaf fans down a notch. Its just weak and pointless.

Again just putting it into perspective. The ECHL is a high scoring league with little defense. Having a 0.90 p/gp sounds amazing...until you see that there are 30+ players producing at over a p/gp pace.

Just a heads up. I do not think you realize yet Dubas's cutting edge vision for the Leafs Newfoundland Growlers ECHL farm team which is miles ahead of the rest of the NHL. Dubas's vision is more similar to major league baseball where a team starts some of their best prospects in lower leagues and supports them with a strong professional development program which speeds up the players graduation to the next level of the organization which is the Toronto Marlies in the case of the Leafs. Brazeau, Hollowell and Duszak are all high quality prospects starting at the bottom team and getting major ice time and strong profesional develement and will all probably be playing with the Toronto Marlies next year.

You need to realize how the Leafs are actually using their farm teams to develope their prospects. Your quote of high scoring league with little defence is all 100% correct but the Leafs have implemented a superior player development program for this league with intention of developing players to graduate to AHL in a fast transition period.

Boston has been using the Atlanta Gladiators to do the same thing and have been for a few years now. This cutting edge vision you speak of isn't really anything new...but its Toronto so its made into a bigger deal.

Good luck with this new cutting edge vision your organization has.