Toronto Maple Leafs | CollegeHockeyPlayers

Tagged: Toronto Maple Leafs

24Feb

Chad Rau(20) Worcester Sharks

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

5th year center Chad Rau(20) recently moved from Minnesota Wild‘s prospect system, the only one he knew, to San Jose Sharks‘ organization and was reassigned from minor league affiliate Iowa Wild to Worcester Sharks.

His point production dipped severely in 33 AHL games, putting in only a single tally and adding half a dozen assists on a team that struggles to connect on the score sheet but continues to be in the hunt of a Western Conference playoff spot.

He has yet to catch fire so to speak with his new club notching only a pair of assists in 8 contests.

The not exactly huge 5’11” 178 lbs. forward averaged 35 points in each of his first four seasons and dipped below that mark last year but also had a career second best 16 goals.

Originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 7th round pick in the 2005 draft (#228 overall), he was never signed and inked a 2-year entry level contract with the Wild.

He has played in 9 NHL games and potted two goals in his short stint and was recalled and sent back numerous times

The 27-year old has definitely attained some pretty good goals: 2005 USHL Rookie Of The Year, four reputable years at Colorado College with close to point-per-game production and a trip to the 2011 Calder Cup Finals in his first year pro with Houston Aeros.

His 2-year extension is up at the end of this season and it’s definitely a wonder where the veteran will end up next.

09Dec

Greg McKegg(39) Toronto Marlies

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 3rd round pick in the 2010 draft (#62 overall) center Greg McKegg(9) enters his sophomore season seemingly ready to outdistance his rookie year scoring with minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies by a nice distance.

In 18 AHL games he has 5 goals and 5 assist, which puts him on pace for a 20-20 campaign.

He had 8 goals and 15 assists in 61 games with a +4 rating in his first season. He added another 3 goals and 3 assists in 9 Calder Cup Playoff match-ups.

The 21-year old is signed for a 3-year entry level deal that runs through the end of 2015.

He put up very amazing stats in 4 years of OHL junior hockey, mostly with Erie Otters but last with London Knights, where he won the league championship. He has 125 goals and 145 assists in 262 games.

The 6′ 191 lbs. forward may just be starting to find his space in the pros.

21Nov

Brad Staubitz(16) Toronto Marlies

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Undrafted 9th year tough guy, right wing Brad Staubitz(16) has a one-way NHL deal for 2013/2014, but has been unable to find his spot on a roster. Signed to a 2-year contract with Anaheim Ducks, he was only played sparingly in the lockout shortened season and landed south with Norfolk Admirals to start the new campaign.

Disgruntled there after 7 AHL games, he was traded in hopes of finding a new start in Toronto Maple Leafs‘ organization but might have the same problem, few openings in the lineup and was reassigned to Toronto Marlies.

Never a player to mark up the score sheet with points, the 6’1″ 207 lbs. forward has never shied away from the rough stuff, amassing more than 100 penalty minutes in virtually every season and is strictly looked at as a fourth line energy source for a team.

It’s maybe a bit doubtful that the rugged winger will find another home in the show unless he reinvents his game some going into camp next season and catches the attention of a team in need of an enforcer.

16Nov

David Steckel(39) Norfolk Admirals

Posted in ECHL, NHL | 1 Comment

10th year center, former Los Angeles Kings‘ 1st round pick in the 2001 draft (#30 overall) center David Steckel(39) had to hang around for a little while before he found himself a deal for the 2013/2014 season.

He was invited to join Minnesota Wild training camp and eventually signed a pto to continue with their minor league affiliate Iowa Wild but was released after only 4 appearances.

Rumor has it he was fishing for a one-year, NHL deal and there was little room there for him to sign.

So, onto the next and he takes up Norfolk Admirals but inks an spc with the promise of signing with the parent club and team he last skated with, Anaheim Ducks.

He’s played 419 NHL games scoring 33 goals and 46 assists and lead the league in best faceoff percentage in 2010/2011, his last of 6 seasons with Washington Capitals.

The mammoth 6’6″ 215 lbs. forward is killer on the dot and it could be his ticket back to the show.

He scored a handsome two-way deal, was put on waivers and sent back to the AHL.

The 31-year old is a veteran of 219 games in the league with 56 goals, 60 assists and a pretty hefty +37 rating.

His last appearance in the A was Hershey Bears‘ deep playoff run in 2007.

It would be little surprise to see him leave for the KHL to finish out his pro career.

13Aug

Simon Gysbers(24) Ilves

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

After three years in Toronto Maple Leafs‘ prospect system, first a 2-year entry level deal and then a one-year extension, undrafted defenseman Simon Gysbers(24) was unrestricted but quickly grabbed a deal overseas in the Finnish elite league SM-liiga with Ilves for the 2013/2014 season.

He had good but declining numbers with minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies through 196 AHL games (16 goals, 65 assists, +7 rating). It just seemed that the clock on the parent club’s waiting game for him to develop had run its course though.

At 6’4″ 200 lbs. he’s a big frame although doesn’t necessarily play an overtly physical style. He’s more of a shooter and a set-up guy as indicated by his consecutive 20+ assist seasons to start his pro career. He also threw at least a shot (and more) on net in each game played.

The 26-year old is likely another soon-to-be former North American player that should do well on the bigger sheets of ice and different talent pool and we expect him to move up to some higher leagues. He could even potentially come back. We shall see. 10 more pounds of muscle probably wouldn’t hurt either.

30Jul

Joel Champagne(24) Braehead Clan

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

In somewhat of an interesting pro hockey move, third year center Joel Champagne(24) signs to play with Braehead Clan of the EIHL for 2013/2014.

He won the Kelly Cup Championship last season with Reading Royals, playing pretty much all of the regular season and playoff games on reassignment from Hershey Bears. Technically he was signed to an AHL contract last season but never recalled. His ECHL numbers were decent: 18+31=49 points and then put up another 3 goals and 5 assists in 21 postseason match ups.

The 6’4″ 217 lbs. XL forward was originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 5th round pick in the 2008 draft (#129 overall) but signed his first deal with Milwaukee Admirals. He had 6 goals and 6 assists in 55 games with a +4 rating. He also played a 6 games with their affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones and put up 5 goals and 3 assists.

It’s maybe just that the 23-year has yet to find his place to show his abilities but as a more than a point per game player in his final three years of juniors in the QMJHL, he’s definitely shown the ability to connect and should be able to light the lamp like crazy in the English pro league.

05Jul

Will Acton(14) Edmonton Oilers

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

After a couple of seasons with Toronto Marlies in the AHL, 3rd year undrafted, unrestricted free agent left wing Will Acton(14) signs his first NHL contract with Edmonton Oilers.

He follows his former coach, Dallas Eakins and dad, new assistant coach Keith Acton west to Alberta, agreeing to a two-year, two-way deal that will almost certainly see him play with their top notch minor league affiliate Oklahoma City Barons.

The 25-year played almost an identical amount of games in each of his two seasons in Ontario and showed an uptick on the score sheet in 2012/2013 with 8 goals and 11 assists. He was able to take that even further in the postseason scoring 4 goals and 2 assists in 9 playoff games.

At 6’2″ 190 lbs. he has a big enough frame to be considered a power forward and with the move and new challenge will likely pay dividends.

27Jun

Philippe Dupuis(19) Hamburg Freezers

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Heading into his eighth pro year, unrestricted free agent center/right wing Philippe Dupuis(19) will take his game to Germany joining Hamburg Freezers of DEL for the 2013/2014 season.

He was last spotted with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins but only appeared in 34 games scoring a pair of goals with 9 assists and a -7 plus/minus. He was signed by Pittsburgh Penguins for a 1-year, two-way deal and did appear in their shortened training camp before getting waived.

The previous season he was playing on a similar contract with Toronto Maple Leafs but unfortunately put up a goose egg in 30 games. His luck was far better with their minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies, where he put up 15 goals and 16 assists in 34 games with a +12 rating and did even better going all the way to the 2012 Calder Cup Finals. In 17 postseason games he had 4 goals and 10 assists with a +6.

In 2010/2011, the 6′ 196 lbs. forward skated almost the complete season in the NHL with Colorado Avalanche. He appeared in 74 games registering 6 goals and 11 assists.

He was originally a Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 4th round pick in the 2003 draft (#104 overall), spending a couple of seasons in their prospect system and even spent time in the ECHL with Dayton Bombers and went on a nice Kelly Cup run with the team.

It won’t be a surprise to see him become a point per game guy overseas, which he basically was throughout juniors.

21May

Alex Berry(29) Reading Royals

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

3rd year right wing Alex Berry(29) is stepping up the effort for Reading Royals in the 2013 Kelly Cup Playoffs, his second postseason run with the team. He was part of the disastrous meltdown that bounced them out of the Eastern Conference Finals after going up 3-0 in the series.

In 18 games, he has struck for 7 goals and 4 assists, including the game-winner that has the Royals up 2-0 in the Finals. But even more than marking up the score sheet nicely he’s looked to for leadership in the locker room and on the ice and plays exactly that kind of style.

Signed to a one-year contract with Hershey Bears, he was recalled and reassigned 7 times during 2012/2013.

In 19 AHL games he had a pair of goals and 2 assists; and 6 tallies and 10 helpers in 29 ECHL games.

He also spent 21 games on the injured reserved late in the campaign but that was nothing compared to breaking his arm so badly in Portland Pirates‘ training camp in 2011 that it required two seperate surgeries in order for him to make a comeback.

Originally a Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 5th round pick in the 2005 draft (#153 overall), he signed a two-year entry level deal that saw him play in 55 games with minor league affiliate Toronto Marlies before being traded before his sophomore season to Tampa Bay Lightning.

The big 6’3″ 209 lbs. forward did fairly well for their affiliate Norfolk Admirals but was not retained for another campaign by the parent club and became an unrestricted free agent heading into 2011/2012.

He’s has 157 AHL games to his credit and looks to be making a good argument for a one-year extension.

02May

NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 1: Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maples Leafs – TD Garden

Posted in NHL | Leave a comment

NHL Eastern Conference number 4 seed goes against number 5 in the Quarterfinals: Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden.

The Black & Gold won the regular season series 3-1 but the Leafs are a much better team coming down the stretch.

After letting up the opening tally, the Bruins absolutely blew the doors off game 1 with a 4-1 win.

Did the start of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs awaken a sleeping giant?

They do boast 19 players that have won the ultimate prize and one who won a Calder Cup Championship.

Nice to see Wade Redden and Kaspers Daugavins make the postseason roster. Redden scored the first B’s goal of the 2013 playoffs.

« Older posts

Newer posts »