Toronto Rookie Tournament Part 3

The Toronto Maple Leafs recently hosted their annual Rookie Tournament, which took place at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario this year. Other participants along with the Maple Leafs included the Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Chicago Blackhawks. In part three of his report, McKeen's correspondent Gus Katsaros has notes on several rookies from the Ottawa Senators including 2009 first round draft pick Jared Cowen.

Bobby Butler (Ott), LW

Quite possibly the best offensive threat in the entire tournament .. was dangerous every time he hit the ice - capitalizing with displays of various finishing skills .. great hand/eye coordination and quick, shifty hands .. gets going on a short stride off a strong first push .. displayed quickness and hockey sense throughout, often out-hustling most opponents, and even outsmarting some with strong positioning .. protects the puck well, but doesn't have the frame to hold off bigger defenders when driving the goal and will veer outside unless he gains an inside step .. size doesn't deter selective physical game, as he relies more on speed and smarts .. doesn't just stand around playing a position, he seems to read the play and set himself up to become an outlet in all three zones .. great vision and instincts while putting on individual displays of skill .. tournament standout.

Jared Cowen (Ott), D

Towering defender at 6-foot-5, and 220 pounds had a mixed tournament .. showcased a hard edge and physical game with some bone-crushing hits along the boards and a mean streak in front .. seemed somewhat careless with his stick at times .. short quick strides, wide horseshoe stance, seemed rigid in pivots and turns .. also exhibited some balance issues falling a lot - more so in a skating motion not in contact .. moves almost as if his body is bigger than his legs .. showed some offensive flair pinching from the point and retrieves pucks from the corners in the offensive zone, especially since he just threw the puck out in front .. could be more selective sneaking in from the point .. only other blotch would be shooting or trying to make plays through legs and traffic .. a little seasoning is in order.

Patrick Wiercioch (Ott), D

Tall and lanky pivot drafted in the 2nd round (42nd overall) in 2008, displayed an offensive flair and one of the more dangerous blueliners among the four teams .. rover-style puck rusher, constantly asserting his tall frame down low, pinching off the point, and jumping into the rush .. often left his position unattended forcing a teammate to cover for him, as he played more like a forward checking down deep in the offensive zone .. great shot, with a short wind up, complemented with skilled hands .. understands time/space and integrates urgency to move the puck .. was guilty of over handling the puck at times, often when skating himself into a dead end when he ran out of room, and lacking support .. start up is sluggish but he skates well for his size .. lacks a physical component and crease presence, although there is a good base to improve that as he fills in .. must learn to be more selective before taking risks, and must make better defensive decisions before abandoning his position.

Mike Hoffman (Ott), RW

Thin, undersized winger from Saint John (QMJHL) took an inordinate amount of abuse in corners and lost a lot of individual battles .. he will give up on the play along the boards for preservation instead of making the play .. displayed great bursts of first two-step acceleration and good short distance quickness .. a quick release with a hard snapshot with a minimal wind up, featured in an array of finishing skills .. handles the puck and weaves through traffic making some questionable decisions in high risk areas .. played some center and took some late-game faceoffs .. seemed to find Butler when they shared the ice and complemented each other's quickness .. still, found the physical game demanding and in this tournament he could get away with the flashes of skill that would otherwise be reigned back at the professional level.