Leafs Prospects, including Mitch

The Best Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects: Who Needs Tavares?

by Tyler Hill


Over the course of the year, the Leafs have played a number of rookies. Some were call-ups from the AHL Marlies that got the chance to shine or were given their big break.

The Leafs have made a few bad moves, trading Draft picks and prospects away. I listed all the slip-ups on B/R back in the day, counting down the best players the Leafs have traded.

But after seeing a few of the current crop of youngsters, I have decided to focus on a positive (I know, very unlike me). Here's the top five Leafs prospects in the system!

Don’t be alarmed if you’ve never heard of half these guys. It’s to be expected.



Alex Berry: 6'2", 212 lbs., 23 years old

He’s a big guy and knows it; he uses his size to his advantage. He could be a third line guy, primarily serving as a checker.

But that's not to say he doesn't know how to contribute to the offense. Indeed, he has 30 points playing in Massachusetts.

He recently signed a two-year entry-level contract which will see him with the Marlies for the remainder of the season, and I’m sure at some point next year we will see him in the bigs playing for the Leafs.



Viktor Stalberg: 6'4", 208 lbs., 23 years old

Never heard of him? I’m not surprised. He was drafted 166th overall in 2006 by a man all Leafs fans love, John Ferguson, Jr. When he was taken, he may have been regarded as a crap pick, a "best-of-the-worst" kind of guy.

But this year, the big kid is breaking out. Playing for the University of Vermont, Stalberg is in serious consideration for the Hobey Baker Award.

In his first two years, he had a total of only 17 goals. He has 22 already in 2008-09. He will one day be a top-six player in the Leafs' lineup.



Chris DiDomenico: 5'11", 165 lbs., 20 years old


I think most of you are familiar with DiDomenico, who played with the Canadian Juniors and won gold this past year. With his junior team, St. John of the QMJHL, he has 34 points, 23 of which are assists.

In my opinion, he'll be a great complementary center to the man I rank No. 1 on this list.

Two speedy youngsters, a playmaker and goal scorer, will make the perfect combo in the "new" NHL and will be great together in Toronto in the near future.



Dale Mitchell: 5'9", 207 lbs., 20 years old

Currently playing for Windsor in the OHL, he has 68 points in 66 games and has compiled a plus-24 mark.

But beyond his numbers, Mitchell proved that speed is his main weapon in his first few seasons with the Oshawa Generals. He was hands-down the fastest on that squad.

This guy will fit perfectly with the new Maple Leafs, who are quick and youthful.



Greg Scott: 6'0", 178 lbs., 20 years old

If you’ve never heard of Greg Scott, then listen up. In 65 games with the WHL's Seattle club, the kid has 76 points on 38 goals!

Last year, he had 32 points total, but this season, he has shown much improvment. He plays right wing, which is a position that needs addressing for the Leafs.

Scott could carry the Leafs offense now, and certainly will later.



So there you have them: the guys I think will be most vital to the Leafs future. But this is just me, and I'm not always right.

Who do you think should be on this list? What guys have your attention? Let me know, leave a comment.

Jimmy Hayes

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/9837/2008_prospects_jimmy_hayes/

Featured Article
2008 Prospects: Jimmy Hayes

Written by: Simon Richard on 08/12/2007 Subscribe to HF's RSS Feed
Pat Kane (CHI) was not really known when he attended the U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp in August of 2006. So it is for Jimmy Hayes at this year's camp. He'll likely get more attention from the NHL scouts, the media and hockey fans as the 2008 NHL Entry Draft approaches.

Seen as a top 10 prospect
At 6'5, 210 lbs, Hayes, a native of Dorchester, Mass, is a typical power forward. "He is a sure top 10 prospect," said a NHL scout to Hockey's Future the last day of the 2007 U.S. junior team camp in Lake Placid.

In response, Hayes said, "It is a complete honor to be recognized as this type of player but there is a long way to go before the draft, a lot of work, a lot of stuff to prove, a lot of stuff to work on."

Like Kane, Hayes is a late-born player. Born on Nov. 21, 1989, he missed the 2007 NHL draft by a couple of months and will be eligible in 2008. This will give him an opportunity to develop more.

"I have to improve my game, to be more physical, to finish my checks. I have the size and the strength to do it, I just have to work on it. If I work hard, if I keep improving my game, hopefully I may be in the top 10," said the right winger.

A big guy with speed and agility
Hayes was a late addition to the camp. He was invited because Peter Mueller (PHO) and Bill Sweatt (CHI) could not attend the camp due to injuries. "It is exciting to be here, I skated in that rink when I was a little boy, I heard all those stories about the Miracle," said Hayes the first day of camp. "It is awesome, it is fun to play with all these remarkable players. It just shows you how hard you've got to work, it shows how the game can be and how good you have to be to play at this level," observed Hayes.
The big and tall young man recorded two points (1 goal, 1 assist) during the four games played against Sweden and Finland in Lake Placid. He showed tremendous speed and agility for a guy of his stature.

"He is a fast skater, he has very big and long strides, he gets around very well and has very good hands for a big man," observed the head coach of the 1994 U.S. Olympic team in Lillehammer Tim Taylor. "He is a big, strong, powerful forward with a good degree of skills. I think that he is still growing," added Taylor.

"He is a guy who really showed that he wanted to be on the team," commented the U.S. Junior team's coach John Hynes after the last game of the 2007 camp. "He has a big body, he works hard and plays very well in a team concept. It will be interesting to see how he will progress next fall."

A mature and grounded kid linked to Tkachuk and Fitzgerald
Hockey's Future spoke about 20 minutes with Hayes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid. He is very articulate person and is clearly a very grounded man.

"I started to skate at the age of two or three years old with my grandfather in Massachusetts, then I entered organized hockey at five or six," he recalled.

"My role model players are Keith Tkachuk and Tommy Fitzgerald, both are my second cousins and both guys I look up to," noted Hayes. "Keith plays a similar style of game to what I play, he is a power forward trying to score goals, like I'm trying to be."

Hayes spent a few years at Noble and Greenough Prep School in Dedham, Mass. This school was built in 1866 was also the home of Sarah Parsons and Helen Resor, who played for the U.S. Olympic Women Team in Turin in 2006.

Hayes was drafted by the QMJHL Moncton Wildcats (7th round) and then by the USHL Ohio Junior Blue Jackets (first overall) in 2006. "I considered playing Junior A and talked with them but I decided to stay in the NTDP program this season and to head to Boston College next year because I think it will be better for my development," commented Hayes.

Hayes won the silver medal at the 2007 IIHF U-18 Championship in Finland. He recorded three points (1 goal, 2 assists). "Jimmy has an unbelievable attitude, he is fierce competitor, he wants to score, he wants to be good," said Taylor about him. "He is like a sponge and as a coach, he takes in everything you say and is a quick learner."

Definitely, coaches Hynes and Taylor appreciate Hayes a lot. If he performs well over the season with the U-18 team of the NTDP program, you can bet that he will make the U-20 team and will fly to the Czech Republic in December to compete at the 2008 World Junior Championship.

"It is my goal this season to make this team, It would be a great accomplishment for me," concluded Hayes.

Copyright 2007 Hockey's Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.

I don't know some of the prospects you listed but I can see most on the Leafs' roster in the near future. The only exception who will not be there is Mitchell. Yes, he has great speed and a great shot, but I don't see him as a Leaf in the immediate future; maybe after a few years with the Marlies but even then I doubt it!

If Windsor wasn't such a sure lock for a deep playoff run, I wonder if the Leafs would give him a brief callup during one of those meaningless April games to have a good look at him. In the pre-season, I thought that was him when I saw John Mitchell.

Then again, they're only 8 points back of a 100-year old sinking ship. Florida's probably a safe bet to take that spot though.

If Mitch was headed anywhere it would have been the Marlies they are hurting for man power and on the playoff bubble.

hockeybeats wrote:If Windsor wasn't such a sure lock for a deep playoff run, I wonder if the Leafs would give him a brief callup during one of those meaningless April games to have a good look at him. In the pre-season, I thought that was him when I saw John Mitchell.

Then again, they're only 8 points back of a 100-year old sinking ship. Florida's probably a safe bet to take that spot though.

hey!!!! take it easy there!!!!

lol I'd love to see Montreal fans suffer just like the toronto fans

Nobody suffers as much as Leaf fans........

My Habs will be just fine.....which means MORE suffering for Leaf fans.

I think the Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets fans suffered more. Their teams don't even exist. At least you have a team to complain about :-p

if Montreal gets in the playoffs their goaltending has been too iffy to make it anywhere.