A noticeable trend of the current Toronto Maple Leafs management team is that they have a dramatically different opinion about the prospects inherited from the Brian Burke and Dave Nonis administrations than the young players they have brought into the organization. This past summer, Burke/Nonis draft picks Tyler Biggs, Greg McKegg, Jamie Devane, Brad Ross, Eric Knodel and Andrew MacWilliam were either traded or not offered new contracts.
A week into training camp, GM Lou Lamoriello dispatched four more prospects; Matt Finn, Carter Verhaeghe, Christopher Gibson and Tom Nilsson, along with forward Taylor Beck to the New York Islanders to acquire veteran forward Michael Grabner and give his club room to operate under the 50 pro contract limit.
On Wednesday, head coach Mike Babcock demoted center Frederik Gauthier and winger Josh Leivo to their minor league camp.
Lamoriello admitted to be still familiarizing himself with the roster of his new team, which likely means that the determination to deal Finn, Verhaeghe, Gibson and Nilsson was based on the evaluation and input of Assistant GM Kyle Dubas and Director of Player Personnel Mark Hunter.
It is not a positive sign for the future of Gauthier (the club’s 2013 top pick) and Leivo (who was considered a top prospect after scoring 23 goals in his rookie AHL season) that they were eliminated from consideration so early in training camp, while 18-year-old Mitch Marner(who has no chance of playing with Toronto this season) and 19-year-olds William Nylander and Kasperi Kapanen (expected to play all year in the AHL) get extended looks.
AHL rookie scoring leader Connor Brown, goaltender Garret Sparks, 2011 first rounder Stuart Percy, 22-year-old Viktor Loov and 20-year-old Rinat Valiev are inherited players that are still with the big club and may be looked upon more favorably, but it is unknown if the future of players still in the Leafs pipeline playing in Europe or US colleges are just as valued.
Winger Fabrice Herzog (’13 5th round pick, 142nd overall) scored 32 goals for the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts two years ago, but did not have a standout season with Zug of the Swiss-A League last year and is now playing with a different Swiss club team in Zurich.
Speedy Swedish winger Andreas Johnson (’13 7th rounder, 202nd overall) was signed to a three-year entry level deal earlier this year after winning the SHL’s Rookie of the Year two years ago and leading Frolunda with 22 goals last season. The 20-year-old fits the club's penchant for players possessing skill and speed, but Johnson will not be making his way to North America until next season.
Two NCAA products, 2011 5th rounder Tony Cameranesi and 2012 5th rounder Dominic Toninato are upperclassmen at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, which is expected to compete for a Frozen Four spot next year.
“They’re both a little bit different type players, (Cameranesi)’s really based on speed.” Former UMD assistant coach Derek Plante said. “He works extremely hard, he still has some things he has to work on like every young player, but every year he has gotten better.”
“Toninato plays a pro game, I think the one thing he needs to do and one thing that maybe he can’t help is to put on weight.” Plante said. “He’s got to get a little quicker, but he plays with a pro mentality, where he’s really serious, hard-nosed, plays hard.”
Plante, the former NHLer who will coach one squad in Team USA’s All-American Prospects Game in Buffalo on Thursday believes that the 5’10”, 190lb Cameranesi projects more as a winger, while the game of the 6’2”, 190 lb. Toninato(who scored 16 goals in 34 games as a sophomore) fits better as a center.
Both have a legitimate chance at making the NHL, but based on the ongoing organizational restructuring, it is unknown whether that pro future will be in Toronto.
See Previous Columns
Nylander, Gardiner Impress In Win Over Habs, Leafs Cut Seven
The Dual Rebuild, Lamoriello Leading
Leafs Sweep Split Squad Soirees, Interview With Bill Watters
Leafs Cut 16 From Training Camp Roster
When Will The Leafs Lock Up Rielly To Long-Term Deal??
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