Leafs Bruins Swap Prospects
Richard Jackman was
originally drafted by the Dallas Stars 5th overall in 1996 and was a highly
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touted offensive defensemen with a future compared to the likes of Paul Coffey
and Larry Murphy. Many feel that Jackman was never a good fit for the defense-first
philosophy put in place by Ken Hitchcock and therefore never really got a fair
shake. As Coffey & Murphy's success in the NHL went, they were never forced
into defensive roles. Jackman was, and thus failed to make the grade. Jackman
is a high-risk, high return offensive defenseman who has fantastic speed and
ability to rush the puck, but as many defensemen of this flavor tend to do,
he gives coaches fits by taking huge gambles in the offensive zone and his defensive
coverage is always in question.
Traded to Boston last summer, he made a solid effort to crack the Bruins lineup,
which at the time was desperate for a puck moving defensemen. Jackman stood
out at camp, however a shoulder injury took him out and he lost his shot once
again. The situation was made worse by an ankle injury suffered with the Providence
Bruins early in the season.
At 24 years old, Jackman is on the brink of boom or bust. The Maple Leafs obviously
have interest in giving him a shot to make the NHL club but it will be difficult
with the number of players ahead of him in the depth chart with similar skillsets.
Kaberle, Lumme, Eriksson and Pilar all display similar traits in a very mobility
focused corps, however, Toronto has done very well in the last several years
turning struggling young defensemen's careers around and have shown they are
willing to let a player make mistakes and make room should he succeed. Jackman
may yet become an NHL player but will give Leaf fans fits for the risks he takes.
Kris Vernarsky was
drafted in the 2nd round in 2000 by the Maple Leafs and was not signed by the
club who would have let him go this summer and allowed Kris to re-enter the
draft. Boston gets a good two-way centre with good overall skills but nothing
that stands out to make him a legitimate NHL top nine forward. He has shown
some progress in the offensive department, notching 19 goals and 55 pts this
season with the Plymouth Whalers. What stands out is his +30 rating which is
quite good for a player who assumes mostly defensive duties with his team in
a high scoring league. Vernarsky also played for the United States at the 2001
World Junior Championships. At 6'2", 205 lbs, Vernarsky has the frame to
be a good defensive forward. He will have to work very hard to reach the NHL
level and even then will likely struggle to remain a regular.