The Toronto Maple Leafs organization is as focused on their young prospects as they are on the big club, which lost for the fourth time in five games in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
In spite of the roster changeover expected as part of the teardown and rebuild over the next few seasons, youngsters from the 2014 and 2015 Draft classes like Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and William Nylander are not expected to be rushed to play for the Blue and White and will be brought along slowly by playing an extra year in junior or the American Hockey League.
The development model adopted by Team President Brendan Shanahan, GM Lou Lamoriello and Assistant GM Kyle Dubas will allow prospects to become well rounded players and fully ready for the rigors of the NHL before being called up, instead of being promoted and demoted numerous times and using up years of their inexpensive entry-level deals.
Here is an update on the Leafs prospects currently playing in the OHL, QMJHL, WHL, NCAA and Europe:
2014 Draft
The move from Boston University to the Ontario Hockey League has been beneficial to the Paramus, NJ native.
Piccinich scored goals on consecutive nights in wins over Saginaw and Sault. Ste Marie on the weekend and has six goals and five assists in seven games playing on a line with Leafs top pick Mitch Marner and highly regarded 2016 draft prospect Matthew Tkachuk.
Here's JJ Piccinich's goal last night. Nice cross-ice pass from Marner, who gets the 'third' assist. #Leafs https://t.co/96pDEI6vTa
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) October 17, 2015The Leafs 2014 fifth-rounder scored 44 points for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede and went scoreless in his first NCAA game for the Ohio State Buckeyes, a 3-1 loss to Miami(OH) on Saturday.
Vesey started his sophomore season slowly as he did in his freshman year with the U. of Maine. The news regarding the Vesey family and the Leafs goes further, as Nolan’s father(former NHLer Jim Vesey) was hired as a scout by the Maple Leafs in September and older brother Jimmy is a senior at Harvard and leading candidate for the Hobey Baker Award.
The elder Vesey was drafted by Nashville in the 3rd round of the 2012 NHL Draft and scored 32 goals in 37 games for the Crimson, but rumors have begun to percolate that he may go the way of former Hawks top pick Kevin Hayes and Columbus prospect Mike Reilly and opt to become an unrestricted free agent when the Predators negotiating rights end next August.
It does not take a rocket scientist to conclude that the Maple Leafs would have the upper hand in wooing Vesey to Toronto if he hits the open market next summer.
The Leafs long line of Swede seventh rounders continues with Engvall, who had a cup of coffee in the SHL with Frolunda last season and has two goals and three assists in 12 games for the second-tier Mora IK in Sweden.
Have you ever seen @Cabbie's impression of @JoeyBats19? It's pretty spot on...except for the Leafs jersey: https://t.co/RzTsFvpj8W
— BarDown (@BarDown) October 20, 20152013 Draft
The 20-year-old forward moved from Zug to Zurich in the Swiss league this season and is enjoying more success on a club with presumptive 2016 top pick Auston Matthews and former NHL coach Mark Crawford. Herzog has three goals and five assists in 14 games.
The speedy 20-year-old forward won the SHL Rookie of the Year two years ago and led Frolunda with 22 goals last season. Johnson is in the final year of his contract with the Swedish League and is expected to head to North America next year after agreeing to an entry-level deal with Toronto last summer.
With three years of pro experience under his belt, it is not out of the realm of possibility for Johnson to make the jump to the Leafs and skip a stint in the American Hockey League if he impresses at training camp next September.
Scoring Chance: #88 ANDREAS JOHNSON #Leafs
— SHL Prospect GIFS (@SHLProspectGIFS) October 10, 20152012 Draft
2011 Draft
Cameranesi(2011 5th rounder) and Toninato(2012 5th rounder) are upperclassmen at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, who are expected to compete for an NCAA Frozen Four spot next year.
The senior Cameranesi had assists in UMD’s games against Bemidji State and a home-and-home with the University of Minnesota, while the junior Toninato has a pair of goals.
“They’re both a little bit different type players, (Cameranesi)’s really based on speed.… Former UMD assistant coach Derek Plante said last month. “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. 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 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.
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