AHL: Baby Leafs Prospect Report
The St. John's Maple Leafs set a franchise record with 46 regular season wins in 2004-2005 but saw their final campaign in Newfoundland come to an abrupt halt at the hands of the Manitoba Moose in the first round of the AHL Calder Cup playoffs. Matt Stajan turned it on as the year progressed, but where does that leave his stock as a prospect? We've got report card grades for Stajan and eight other Baby Leafs.
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Made believers out of even his harshest critics this season .. while there's merit in pointing towards his lack of size and speed as liabilities, it didn't stop the gifted pivot from finishing fourth in AHL scoring with 87 points and turning into a human highlight reel in the process .. scored no less than a half-dozen jaw-dropping goals this season, largely due to his ability to outwit his opponents and his willingness to skate into traffic .. unfortunately for the second year pro, the playoffs were another story in which the size and skating issues raised their ugly heads again .. was easily shut down by 20-year-old Canucks prospect Ryan Kesler .. the Leafs must be left to wonder how he would fare in the NHL if he can't produce when matched against a relatively inexperienced Kesler.
Ian White A-
It was expected he would be a solid addition to the Baby Leafs this year and he was the pre-season favorite to be the club's top rookie, but he went above and beyond with his poise and calmness .. what was surprising was the style of play exhibited by the former Swift Current Bronco .. in his first pro season, he was not the offensive juggernaut and power play quarterback that he was during his junior days .. still showed smarts in his own zone with an ability to make quick decisions and move the puck out of trouble efficiently .. in December he even had his coach talking about AHL Rookie of the Year possibilities .. later in the campaign the small blueliner appeared to become somewhat complacent, though his play never really dropped off until the playoffs.
Ben Ondrus A-
One of those no-maintenance players that coaches love to deal with .. had a tremendous season in St. John's and put himself on the prospect map in the process .. consistently outworks everyone else on the ice and earns respect for his willingness to sacrifice his body .. like most of the other Leafs prospects the gutsy winger doesn't have the biggest frame, but his skating and penalty killing prowess improved greatly this year .. anticipation and smart thinking made him a constant thorn in the side of opposition power play units .. one of the quiet, no-frills players who always seem to find a way to play at the next level .. undrafted and largely unheralded, the NHL is now solidly within reach.
Colin Murphy B+
A strong NCAA signing by the Leafs late in the season, he joined St. John's with a playmaker's reputation .. known as a skilled winger in college, the 24-year-old Hobey Baker finalist didn't surprise anyone by putting up 12 points in his first 17 AHL games, including 4 in 5 post-season contests .. what did turns heads was Murphy's toughness and anxiousness to drops his gloves .. after four years of playing with a full cage and being fight-free, Murphy reverted back to his ways in the Alberta Junior League where he once put up 222 PIM's in a season with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons .. he got involved in no less than five scraps during his brief AHL stint and regularly stood up for his teammates and got under the skin of his opponents .. signed to a long-term deal by the Leafs, he was one of the team's better performers against the Moose in the playoffs.
Had a decent second half of the season and quietly finished up with a very respectable 66 points .. effort level improved marginally towards the end of the year, but it will still be remembered as a season in which he looked lethargic and disinterested .. after making the big club in his rookie season and quickly becoming known for his maturity, he struggled to adapt to his place in the AHL during the lockout – something many prospects also had problems with at times .. during the team's playoff appearance he performed well though he didn't become a threatening player that the opposition keyed upon .. his slight build hindered him throughout the season as the ex-OHL star spent a lot of time sitting or lying on the ice, but to his credit, he always managed to get back up and dust himself off .. if he had found a better frame of mind earlier in the year he could have been one of the league's best all-around players.
It was another tough, injury-plagued season for the defenseman and his star certainly dimmed in 2004-2005 .. a freak play in early December saw the slick rearguard get struck in the ear as he slipped and tried to block a shot .. didn't return until late January and missed a total of 31 games .. known for his offensive abilities, he managed just 4 goals and didn't improve on his points-per-game ratio from his rookie season .. on the positive side – literally - was his plus/minus number of +9 .. that was good for third best on his team as the sophomore regularly logged over 25 minutes of ice time each game .. the Leafs had been expecting a rushing, offensive defenceman but their thinking may have changed .. he will still play in the NHL for many years due to his skating ability and head for the game, but it likely won't be as a power play quarterback .. will have to get bigger and keep improving in his own zone.
Arrived for his rookie season in the AHL with the reputation of a big shooter .. early in the season, coach Shedden commented that Williams' release was among the best he had seen and was definitely NHL-caliber .. the rookie winger displayed his gift more often in practice than during games, but did show a decent nose for the net and finished the campaign with a respectable 16 goals and 20 assists .. previously had his conditioning questioned but showed that not to be an issue as he was one of the team's more competitive and physical players in the post-season .. the coaching staff would have loved to have seen him step up further and become a first or second line threat, but that was a little much to hope for in his rookie season .. there's no question he'll become a consistent goal-scorer in the AHL, but the other parts of his game will have to catch up quickly if he's going to crack an NHL roster down the road.
Jay Harrison C+
Finished up his third season in St. John's without making the big strides many scouts expected .. after a strong sophomore campaign that had some calling him the best prospect on the St. John's blueline, the 6'4", 215 lbs rearguard fought some nagging injuries this past season and didn't do much to make a positive impression .. is something of a mystery as he has all the physical tools to be a force defensively .. he also has the toolbox and he was one of the most cerebral hockey players to grace St. John's in 14 years .. was dubbed "Socrates" by the team's broadcaster .. when the mood strikes him he's very difficult to play against, but he isn't mean enough on a regular basis .. now at the end of the entry-level contract, the former first overall pick in the OHL draft is at a crossroads .. the Leafs can afford to wait for him to possibly be a late bloomer.
After a second straight disappointing AHL season, he's looking more suspect than prospect .. after winning the CHL's Top Defenceman award in 2003 and recording an incredible +50 rating, he has had a tough time in the pros with a combined -34 over two seasons .. has had the worst rating on his team each year at -19 and -15 respectively .. put up some points and has the skating and size necessary to be a good offensive player, though he never showed the confidence to run a power play in St. John's .. the ex-Ottawa 67's took things a little lightly during his rookie campaign with the Baby Leafs, but that reasoning doesn't fly after his first year .. often tries to do too much with the puck and finds himself in trouble before panic sets in .. was one of a number of invisible Maple Leafs during the playoffs with just one assist in five games to go along with a rating of -5 .. will have to make huge strides defensively and find his confidence if he wants to avoid being jumped quickly on the Leafs' prospect depth chart.