Toronto Maple Leafs prospects had their moments in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators at Budweiser Gardens in London, ON on Friday. The first of three games at the annual Rookie Tournament displayed most of the players selected by Leafs Director of Player Personnel Mark Hunter at the 2015 NHL Draft in Sunrise, FL this past June, as well as players acquired during the summer and holdovers from the AHL Toronto Marlies and ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears.
“There is a lot of good things that we can work with and build upon,” Marlies new head coach Sheldon Keefe said in his pro coaching debut. “A lot of teachable moments, which was really positive in terms of the development of these players, (but) not positive in terms of the game obviously because we made some mistakes that ended up in our net.”
2014 top pick William Nylander scored twice, KHL import Nikita Soshnikov and 2015 second rounder Travis Dermott added singles for Toronto, who took a 4-3 lead late in the third, but Ottawa’s Max McCormick tied the game in the final minute and Tobias Lindberg tallied his second of the game early in overtime for the victory.
More than anything, Friday’s game provided an opportunity to observe the organization’s new additions in action for the first time and to see if players from previous draft classes have improved to better their chances of making the NHL in the near future. Here are some observations from the first game.
William Nylander – The 19-year-old Swede looks bigger, stronger and more comfortable playing center than he did playing mostly wing for the Marlies last season. Nylander played with KHLer Nikita Soshnikov and rookie Martins Dzierkals and showed remarkable quickness, great play making ability, as well as a nose for the net. If he plays like this at training camp, Leaf fans will be raising a stink about a demotion to the AHL.
Travis Dermott – The 2015 second round pick was Toronto’s top blueliner on Friday, showing composure with and without the puck. In spite of his average size (6’0”, 197lb), the 18-year-old had little trouble angling larger and stronger attackers away from the net. Dermott is an excellent skater, quarterbacked the power play deftly and fired a one-timer blast late in the third to briefly give the Leafs the lead.
Frederik Gauthier – The big center played on a checking line with free agent Michael Joly and AHLer Jack Rodewald and also played in front of the net on one Toronto power play. The most noticeable improvement in the 20-year-old’s game is his skating, which is leaps and bounds better than it was after being drafted in 2013. Gauthier will never be mistaken for a speed skater, but may now be quick enough to eventually be an effective shutdown center.
Kasperi Kapanen – Kapanen had a breakaway chance that rang off the pipe, assisted on Dermott’s tying goal and played the point on the power play. The young Finn is a strong skater and does not get pushed off the puck easily, but still needs to get become more defensively aware to become an effective NHL winger.
Martins Dzierkals – The Leafs ’15 3rd round pick is the prototypical Hunter prospect. Speedy, skilled, but on the small side. The Latvian winger made a nifty move along the boards and cut in front of the net to set up Toronto’s opening goal and could put up big numbers in the QMJHL this season.
Mitch Marner – It was an inauspicious beginning for the Leafs top pick, who was tied up on a faceoff on his first shift that allowed Ottawa’s Max McCormick to score 30 seconds into the opening period, but Marner appeared to become more comfortable as the game progressed, especially during a late first period power play playing with Nylander, Kapanen, Dermott and Nikita Korostelev.
#Leafs top pick Mitch Marner in the spotlight at his home barn during this weekend's Rookie Tournament. pic.twitter.com/ILrMD1KIGw
Dmytro Timashov – The new Toronto philosophy is “you can’t have enough skill” and Timoshov is another example of that. The speedy winger had a secondary assist on the opening goal and appeared to have scored a go-ahead goal early in the third that eventually was credited to Nylander. Surprising in a league becoming more accustomed to drafting smaller players with offensive tools that the QMJHL Offensive Rookie of the Year lasted till the 5th round.
Nikita Korostelev – Toronto’s final pick in Sunrise led the OHL’s Sarnia Sting in goals and points last season and some believed that the Russian winger slipped to the 7th round because his numbers were inflated by playing most of the season with Devils top pick Pavel Zacha, but it is clear that Korostelev’s stock fell in part to his skating ability, which at times was painful to watch. The ability to convert is there, but Leafs skating guru Barb Underhill will have to perform a miracle with Korostelev to give him a chance of a successful hockey career.
Toronto plays their second game of the tournament at 7:30 on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens.
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