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The positive regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs recent success at the Draft and signing free agents is their organization is chock full of prospects that could play in the NHL someday. The negative is that at some point, the club has to make the decision on whether to fish or cut bait on players before their exclusive rights expire.
The Leafs face such a dilemma with three draft picks, 2013 fifth rounder Fabrice Herzog and their final two selections in 2015, defenseman Stephen Desrocher and winger Nikita Korostelev, who must be signed by June 1 or they become free agents or re-enter the NHL Draft.
Herzog came to North America after being selected 142nd overall and played one season for the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts and finished the year playing five games for AHL Toronto Marlies.
In 2014, Herzog returned home and played three seasons in the Swiss-A league (one in Zurich with Auston Matthews), averaging less than 10 goals per season. The 22-year-old winger gained a bit of attention at the recent World Championships, scoring a pair of goals in a 3-2 overtime victory for Switzerland over Team Canada.
The fact that Herzog was a draft pick of former GM Dave Nonis and there have been no hints that the Leafs have tried to bring him back to North America would lean toward Toronto not signing him.
Desrocher and Korostelev are a different matter all together, since they are players selected in the first draft by the Shanahan/Hunter/Dubas management team.
The 21-year-old blueliner won a Memorial Cup with Oshawa (coached by current Leafs assistant coach DJ Smith) and completed his fifth and final OHL season in Kingston with a career-high 51 points (12 goals, 39 assists).
The Moscow-born winger was plagued by an awkward skating stride after being selected 185th overall, appeared to be much quicker at the Leafs rookie tournament in London last September and achieved a career-best 64 points with Sarnia/Peterborough this season.
What Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello may be hoping to sign players who may have a longer road to the NHL to an AHL contract that would not count against the NHL’s 50 professional contract limit instead of a three-year entry-level deal, as they did with 2011 draft choice Tony Cameranesi and 2014 selection JJ Piccinich.
Another 2015 draft pick that Toronto does not have to worry about signing for the time being is winger Martins Dzierkals.
The 20-year-old played junior hockey in Latvia and a season in the MHL (the lower tier of the KHL) before being drafted 68th overall by Toronto. Since he was selected playing for a club outside of North America, the Leafs retain Dzierkals’ rights longer than the two-year timeframe for CHL players, even though he came over to North America to play for Rouyn-Noranda after the draft.
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