The Leafs Development camp has officially conclued, and the roster for the Traverse City prospect tournament has been announced. With the camp ending, I thought I would run through some of the guys I am most intrigued about following it, as there are a few names I was unaware of before that I am now very excited to see develop further.
Nick Robertson: I dont know what I can say about this guy that hasn't already been said a million times before. Robertson proves time and time again that he is far and away the best Leafs prospect, looking extremely dominant against his peers. His tenacity, speed, goal scoring ability, and passion are all standout traits as he continues to prove that he is a true NHLer.
Alex Steeves: Steeve's success at camp was a very pleasant surprise. He was extremely dominant against his peers and had some insane chemistry with Robertson right off the hop. He has truly shown that he is a capable NHLer who has received very high praise from people like Hayley Wickenheiser, the "mastermind" behind Steeves extremely good development thus far. While he isn't NHL ready quite yet, he could very well be a very strong part of this franchise going forward.
Pavel Gogolev: Another undrafted gem, Gogolev was very good with the Marlies and once again proved his worth as a prospect. His skating has come a long way, and his shot looks good as always. He will be a massive part of the Marlies this upcoming season for sure, definitely one of the best Leafs prospects.
Mikhail Abramov: The captain of the Victoriaville Tigres once again shows that he is a very skilled hockey player who simply does not receive enough credit. His playmaking ability is only outdone by SDA, and he continues to work on his shot and goal scoring.
SDA: While SDA is far and away the best Leafs playmaking prospect, he definitely needs to put on some weight. He has stated that he will focus a lot of time this year to putting on muscle, but outside of his physical attributes, SDA projects to be a strong playmaker. While it is unclear whether or not he makes the NHL anytime soon given his size, he has definitely got the skill.
Braeden Kressler: The first player on this list not already signed by the Leafs, Kressler had a very strong camp. Of all of the free agents invited to camp, Kressler is right up there as most likely to receive an ELC. His shot, skating, and puck control are some of his strengths, and I am very excited to see what he brings to the tournament, as of all of the aforementioned players, Kressler is one the I know the least about.
Keith Petruzzelli: The newly signed Marlies goaltender is quickly shooting up the list of Leafs goaltending prospects. While he isn't quite NHL ready yet (as most goaltenders his age are), he has looked great. This guy definitely has a bright future.
James Hardie: Right up there with Kressler as most likely free agent invite to receive an ELC, Hardie has displayed that he is a very capable hockey player who will play a sizeable role with any team. While he wont be playing any NHL games this year, I could definitely see Hardie ripping it up with Gogolev and Steeves with the Marlies next season.
Ty Voit: While Voit may seem to lack energy in his interviews, he certainly does not lack it out on the ice. While he is a touch on the smaller side, Voit has the speed you would expect him to have, some great puck handling abilities, a very good playmaking ability, and an all around good understanding of the game. While his shot, physicality, and defense all need a bit of work, the 18 year old has plently of time to develop into a good middle / bottom six player.
Erik Kallgren: Another strong Leafs goaltending prospect, Kallgren comes up clutch and has the ability to be a good NHLer. While he doesn't have quite the ceiling of a Petruzzelli, Kallgren has the skill to be a professional goalie.
Curtis Douglas: This guy is huge. 6'8 and 250lbs. While he may not be the flashiest player in the world, he has some pretty decent numbers in the OHL, although at 6'8 and 250lbs, a lack of goal scoring isn't necessarily an issue.
William Villeneuve: Another skater who has a lot of work and developing to do, Villeneuve has the intelligence and passing to be a solid third paring defenseman. While he still has a ways to go, he could definitely dawn the Maple Leaf one day.
The roster below is ranked from best to worst camps. I know guys like Douglas and SDA had some pretty bad camps, but they have certain attributes that, after further development, could see them push for an NHL spot in the future.
Only guy I’d take off is Curtis Douglas, we only got the highlights of goals so obviously hard to be that critical but he got undressed multiple times that lead to goals. Very slow footed. Cedric Pare on the other hand (6’4 212) looks promising. I think the games will be streamed, hope to find them.
Agreed it will come down to Kressler or Hardie (my choice) who will get an ELC. Hopefully both. And yes, Steeves looks like a steal!
To even have a shot at the NHL you basically have to be lights out in a development camp. Only 3 or 4 guys had those types of camp. Robertson, which should be expected, Steeves, Abramov and Gogolev.
I'm especially surprised to see you have SDA on here. He had a terrible camp and right now looks like he will never get even a chance at the NHL.
Only guy I’d take off is Curtis Douglas, we only got the highlights of goals so obviously hard to be that critical but he got undressed multiple times that lead to goals. Very slow footed. Cedric Pare on the other hand (6’4 212) looks promising. I think the games will be streamed, hope to find them.
Agreed it will come down to Kressler or Hardie (my choice) who will get an ELC. Hopefully both. And yes, Steeves looks like a steal!
Agreed. Also as far as I know games will be streamed on the Red Wings website, likely among other places as well
To even have a shot at the NHL you basically have to be lights out in a development camp. Only 3 or 4 guys had those types of camp. Robertson, which should be expected, Steeves, Abramov and Gogolev.
I'm especially surprised to see you have SDA on here. He had a terrible camp and right now looks like he will never get even a chance at the NHL.
Again, I entirely agree. SDA needs to put on a lot of weight to even have a shot at the NHL. That being said, he has got the skill and is a great playmaker. Definitely unlikely to play the the NHL level, but not impossible. Also, the four "lights out" prospects are the top 4 on this list for that exact reason; they were lights out. Others on this list have what it takes, but still have a ways to go. I mentioned all of this in my description
Thank you for taking the time to do this for all us leaf fans, I didn't get a chance to catch any of it, although after reading this it's like I didn't miss a second of it. You seem like the kind of person who pays attention to all the small things that most don't (like I do). This indepth insight is greatly appreciated good sir!!
Thank you for taking the time to do this for all us leaf fans, I didn't get a chance to catch any of it, although after reading this it's like I didn't miss a second of it. You seem like the kind of person who pays attention to all the small things that most don't (like I do). This indepth insight is greatly appreciated good sir!!
Haha its a pleasure. I think I should start a youtube channel
I want to do recaps of the Traverse City Prospect Tournament games, so stay tuned
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