Marlies training camp: some names to watch

Like a lot of hockey observers (old-fashioned “purists”?), I’m a big fan of allowing a young player the time to develop fully and properly at the minor-league level before he is thrust into action prematurely at the NHL level.

Too often through the years the Leafs have force-fed youngsters into the line-up. (Nazem Kadri, in my view, was a recent example.  Do you recall when he was supposed to be the scoring savior in the fall of 2010 and was promoted from the Marlies—simply because the Leafs were having a difficult time scoring goals?  A bad decision.) 

This flaw in the organization’s approach has not been an “always” thing, but it has happened enough that it can be a concern at times. (Leaf fans of the late ‘70s-early ‘80s era will always remember Punch Imlach pushing three young defensemen into the line-up before they were fully ready—Benning, Boimistruck and McGill.  They were all good players and McGill had a long career, but I always felt Benning, in particular, would have been even better had he played out his full junior career and then spent time in the AHL …)

One of the “positives” that is often quoted as gospel around Brian Burke is that he has stocked the Leaf system with a ton of prospects and future Leafs.  I’m not convinced that we actually know just yet if any/some/all of the names that are trotted out as evidence will be impact players at the NHL level.  However, one thing that we will be able to do this coming season, in light of the lockout, is to watch the development of these young players closely at the AHL level.

The Leafs announced the training camp roster for the Marlies Tuesday, and there are some familiar names on the list- as you can see from the announcement on the Leaf web site:

Forwards: Spencer Abbott, Will Acton, Carter Ashton, Keith Aucoin, Tyler Brenner, Sam Carrick, Joe Colborne, Andrew Crescenzi, Jerry D’Amigo, Nicolas Deschamps, Jamie Devane, Ryan Hamilton, Adam Hughesman, Nazem Kadri, Leo Komarov, Greg McKegg, Brad Ross, Kenny Ryan, Greg Scott and Mike Zigomanis

Defencemen: Jesse Blacker, Mark Fraser, Jake Gardiner, Ryan Grimshaw, Simon Gysbers, Korbinian Holzer, Mike Kostka, Paul Ranger, Corey Syvret and Dylan Yeo

Goaltenders: Andrew Engelage, Mark Owuya, Jussi Rynnas and Ben Scrivens

It’s natural to gravitate to names like Jake Gardiner, Nazem Kadri and Korbinian Holzer because Gardiner has already demonstrated that he can play at the NHL level (as has Kadri) and Holzer looks more than ready to play for the Leafs as well.  But given that I believe that we already know a lot of what those guys can bring, I’m actually more interested in other names.

Who stands out for me?

Up front, I could say Colborne, sure.  Given that he is now healthy, we should see a bit more of what he is capable of this season.  But he’s the easy pick.  I'm even more curious about some others like Greg Scott, who had some big moments for the AHL playoffs this past spring.  I’m particularly keen to see how Komarov adjusts to the North American game.  Given that I have been writing a lot lately about the need the Leafs have when it comes to “team toughness”, beyond Komarov, I’d also like to see for myself if Jamie Devane has “game” to go along with his impressive size.

I kind of became a fan of Jerry D'Amigo when I had a chance to watch him with the Marlies last season.  I've always liked spunky players and he fits the bill in that regard- so I'll keep an eye on him as well, just in case I sense he may have a future with the Leafs some day.

On defense, Jesse Blacker is a name people have been telling me about for quite some time.  I’m also intrigued by the Paul Ranger signing.  It wasn’t that long ago that he was considered an elite prospect, right?

This is not to suggest there aren’t other players who may jump up and catch the eye of the Leaf brass (or ours) in the days ahead.  I’ve long acknowledged here I’m no expert when it comes to junior prospects and the Marlies.  So I’m open-minded and very much looking forward to seeing how many of these guys actually stick with the Marlies (given the infusion of NHL-level players like Gardiner who would otherwise be with the big club) and make an impression—and show they just might help the Leafs sooner than we think.

A lot of you know about these kids better than I do.  If you’ve seen them play in person a fair bit (or even on television) and can provide a glimpse into what they will bring this season -and beyond-  by all means share your observations.