Coach’s Corner continues to be appointment television during Hockey Night In Canada broadcasts and Don Cherry as always is strong in his opinions, especially when it comes to things Canadian and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
His favorite line of criticism regarding the lack of Ontario-based players on the Leafs emerged once again on Saturday, as “Grapes” railed against the club for opting to play winger Casey Bailey in his first NHL game fresh out of the NCAA on Thursday instead of giving 2012 draft pick Connor Brown the call up.
“We have Connor Brown down with the Marlies. Last year when he was playing junior, he set a record…scoring championship and the whole deal. He’s leading the team in points, he’s plus-20. He never gets a shot." Cherry said. “They bring in a college guy(Bailey)that has gotta play his way off(the team). This guy never paid his dues. (Brown) is paying his dues down there, doing everything he can and he never gets a shot.”
The advocating in favor of Brown is understandable, since the 21-year-old led the OHL with 128 points in 2013-14 and leads the Marlies and AHL rookies in scoring with 55 points, but Toronto does not plan on exposing him or 18-year-old William Nylander to the rigors of the NHL this season and perhaps most of next season. Playing Bailey is not a slight in favor of the Alaskan-born Penn State product, but the price the Leafs had to pay to get the 23-year-old free agent to sign.
Bailey signed a two-year entry-level deal with Toronto last week and it is likely that a condition to the deal was that the Leafs burn the first year of the contract by playing him immediately, just as they did with Matt Frattin in 2011 after playing four seasons at North Dakota.
“This whole organization loves college guys. Their three college guys, their first line if you call it that, are minus over 100. They’ve got to get back to getting some guys like LA, get some Canadian spirit in there.”Cherry said.
The assertion that the Leafs are overly enamored with NCAA prospects is not completely accurate. In the last four NHL drafts, Toronto has selected 26 players. 11 of those were Canadian born, eight American, five Swede, one Swiss and one Russian.
The number of US college players and Ontario Hockey League players are equally split at eight and the only reason for that is because Toronto opted for three US players(JJ Piccinich, Dakota Joshua and Nolan Vesey) in the 2014 Draft that was not particularly strong. Picking NCAA prospects gives the Leafs four years before they would have to sign them to professional contracts, as opposed to CHL products who have to be signed in two years or go back into the draft.
The failing of the top line (James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel) are without question, as the trio are a collective -106 this season, but ironically they had their best night of 2015 in the 4-3 comeback victory over Ottawa, factoring in on all four Toronto goals. Regina, Saskatchewan “College guy” Tyler Bozak scored the hat trick and assisted on Eric Brewer’s game winner, while Cherry favorite Nazem Kadri did not register a point in his first game back after a four-game suspension.
Here is hoping that the Leafs draft either Connor McDavid, Dylan Strome or Mitch Marner in the upcoming 2015 Draft, because the selection of Jack Eichel or Noah Hanifin will undoubtedly unleash the Wrath of Grapes in the future.
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Will Sean Burke be a part of the Leafs management/coaching staff next season??
Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons said as much in the Toronto Sun on Sunday.
The former NHL goalie and teammate of Leafs Team President Brendan Shanahan was given permission to talk to other NHL teams last week by Coyotes GM Don Maloney after serving six years as Arizona goaltending coach, because Burke wants to move into a management role as well
Burke has been given credit for helping get the most out of Ilya Bryzgalov and for helping Minnesota’s Devan Dubnyk bounce back after being traded twice in 2014.
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William Nylander's second period goal in the Marlies 4-3 victory over Rochester on Sunday afternoon. Connor Brown had a goal and three assists in the win that moves Toronto to within two points of Chicago and Hamilton for the two final AHL Western Conference playoff spots.
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