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Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects: Top 20 Young Leafs #11-15

By Torrin Batchelor |
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Feb 10, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; An ice resurfacer clears the ice before the Toronto Maple Leafs game against the New York Rangers at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

We here at EditorInLeaf are always trying to come up with new ways of keeping you, LeafsNation entertained and informed. In regards to that, we’ve been working on something special for a while for you…

EditorInLeaf’s 1st Annual Top 20 Young Toronto Maple Leafs.

Scouts mostly agree that you don’t really know what kind of impact a player will have until he plays 250 games in the league, or just over 3 full seasons. Following that thought process, the writers here at EditorInLeaf.com have each voted for our top young Leaf players following that 250 game played cap as well as an age limit of 24 by the start of the season (so no Kadri) as our only rules.

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We’ve each ranked all 39 eligible players from 1 to 20, with a 1st place vote being assigned 20 points, a second place vote being assigned 19 points, etc. We then added up each of our individual lists and the points given to each player and came up with the final Top20 rankings. To keep things consistent all player information and stats come from eliteprospects.com, unless otherwise mentioned.

If you’d like a full break down check out the Intro piece we put out, see it here.

Last week we broke down our Top 20 Young Leafs ranked 16-20 which you can check out here.

For a quick recap here is how our list stands so far:

No.20 – Richard Panik

No.19 – Carter Verhaeghe

No.18 – Andreas Johnson

No.17 – Casey Bailey

No.16 – Martin Marincin

In today’s piece we tackle the next grouping on our Top 20 Young Leafs official rankings, Ranks 11-15!

Keep in mind this ranking is by no means the be-all-and-end-all of prospect rankings and is meant purely to help pass the time until training camp and hockey related news starts kicking back up into gear, and maybe serve to enlighten you on just how far the Toronto Maple Leafs pipeline of young talent has come and what to expect from them.

Next: Number 15

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; General view of team executives on the arena floor in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

NUMBER 15 – DMYTRO TIMASHOV

Timashov, the 18-year-old winger of Ukrainian descent (he plays nationally for Sweden) was absolutely stolen by the Maple Leafs in the 5th round, 125th overall. Timashov was often mentioned as a 2nd round pick, or even a late 1st depending on how teams viewed his elite talent level, and the Toronto Maple Leafs managed to snag him in the 5th round!

The 5ft10, 187lb offensive dynamo is a creative force on the wings, using elite level speed and an uncanny offensive zone awareness to dominate off the rush.

HockeysFuture.com breaks Timashov down for us:

“An offensive dynamo, the diminutive-but-stocky forward Timashov plays a style of game that suits the smaller, North American ice surfaces. He doesn’t mind getting involved physically and that asset of his game contributes strongly to his offensive game, creating both time and space for him to find the open man.”

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Our table of writers had some VERY differing opinions about Dmytro Timashov. Tim didn’t even have him rated, he barely made Jon, David and Torrin’s lists and yet was a Top 10 talent for Robb and Cyn. Timashov could end up being an absolute offensive force in the NHL, but he has many significant holes in his game, starting with his size – although he did bulk up considerably during the season, and ending with his complete lack of interest in defensive zone play.

The trade-off for the black hole that is his defensive zone coverage, is his speed, vision and puck handling skills will see him leading a fair amount of odd-man rushes the other way.

Dmytro Timashov is arguably already ready for the NHL on an offensive level, but until he rounds out his defensive game at least a bit and adds some more weight to his frame, he should be considered a high-reward project by LeafsNation.

He may never become an NHL player, but his offensive skill set is just too tantalizing to leave off of our Top 20 Young Leafs rankings. As the Leafs continue to add high-end calibre prospects, expect Timashov to drop down the rankings until he proves himself a “finished product”.

Next: Number 14

Dec 27, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Scott Harrington (6) passes the puck against the Washington Capitals during the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Capitals won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

NUMBER 14 – SCOTT HARRINGTON

Scott Harrington comes in at number 14, surpassing a pile of other Toronto Maple Leafs prospects since he arrived in the Phil Kessel trade.

Harrington is a quiet prospect that you don’t hear much about – but do’t mistake that for a lack of talent. The former first round pick is one of the steadiest defensive defenders prospects you’ll find around the league and could translate into a solid second pairing defender at the NHL level.

In 124 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Harrington has recorded 36 points, 75 penalty minutes and is a +19. He has a calming defensive game that can allow his partner to roam the ice free from worry about hanging his goaltender out to dry. He’s a good skater and positions himself well out on the ice.

Most people were expecting Derrick Pouliot in the Kessel deal, but Harrington is no slouch and could be a solid, steady defender for the Toronto Maple Leafs for several years to come.

Next: Number 13

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Mark Hunter announces Mitchell Marner (not pictured) as the number four overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs as commissioner Gary Bettman looks on in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

NUMBER 13 – TRAVIS DERMOTT

Travis Dermott was a bit of a surprise selection in the 2015 NHL draft, but he shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Dermott’s got tremendous ability on the backend with a very good hockey IQ. He’s a pretty mobile defender who saw his point totals rise from 28 to 45 in his last two junior seasons (with 6 less games played last year).

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There’s nothing flashy about Dermott’s game on the ice, but his consistent smart decisions in every section of the rink make him a very valuable defender. He’s not very physical, but he makes up for that with his hockey sense.

Dermott should be a leader on the Erie Otters this season and Leafs fans should watch his development closely this year because he’s got a chance to be an impact defenseman with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the not so distant future.

TSN’s Craig Button had this to say on Travis Dermott prior to the 2015 NHL Draft:

“Dermott will not wow you with any flashy type of play but will impress with an overall efficient style where he is in the right positions, makes the right plays, doesn’t panic under pressure, will jump into attack at the right times and do so in a very controlled and competitive manner. A steadying, calm influence with a solid base of skill and intelligence.” (TSN)

Button also compared him to Anton Stralman – one of the best puck possession defenders in the NHL – and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having that type of player in your system.

Next: Number 12

Sep 24, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Viktor Loov (65) tries to control the puck against Ottawa Senators forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau (44) during the first period at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

NUMBER 12 – VIKTOR LOOV

At Number 12 on our official Top 20 Young Leafs rankings we have the man who should have Drowning Pools “Here Comes The Boom” as his official theme song; Viktor Loov.

The 6ft3, 209lbs Two-way defenceman is one of the Leafs more exciting prospects to watch as seen below…

I’ll come right out front and say that Viktor Loov – pronounced “Love” – is probably one of my favourite Toronto Maple Leafs prospects and has been for a while now, so take all analysis with a grain of salt.

The Loov Machine is a force of nature up and down the ice, he is more of a jack-of-all-trades style of defender, except for one area that he absolutely excels in… the open-ice massive, game changing hit. The kind of hit that will see him constantly toeing the line between making differences on the ice, and spending a lot of time in the Commissioner’s offices appealing suspensions.

He is also a capable skater, with a sense of almost prophetic timing when it comes to laying a smack down on an unsuspecting opposing skater. He has a surprisingly effective shot, that sneaks off his blade with an unpredictable curve.

With some interesting untapped offensive potential that began to show in the second half of last season, Viktor Loov could see himself rise up these rankings sooner than later, but most likely this is as high as he goes. As entertaining as he is, and despite all the NHL calibre traits he has in spades, Loov will most likely top out as a No.4 2-way Dman that can skate, hit and pass his way out of trouble.

Next: Number 11

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Mark Hunter announces Mitchell Marner (not pictured) as the number four overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs as commissioner Gary Bettman looks on in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

NUMBER 11 – JEREMY BRACCO

Drafted with the 61st Overall pick int he 2nd round, Jeremy Bracco was rated by many scouting agencies as a sure-fire 1st round talent. The diminutive forward (5ft9, 174lbs) oozes offensive talent and obliterated the USNTDP, scoring 30 goals and 94 points in just 65 games.

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He set the USNTDP single season record for assists with 64 – a record previously held by Patrick Kane. His 168 points scored during his USNTDP career rank third all time, behind Phil Kessel and Patrick Kane, pretty good company to keep as an elite offensive talent.

Again, there is a lot of division inside our writer team about where exactly Bracco should fall. Is he a sure-fire top 10 talent? Or more of a high-risk, high-reward case? Only time will tell, and the Leafs will get that with Bracco as he has committed to Boston College for the foreseeable future.

Bracco is not without his spots however, as again he is a very small player who will have to add mass to play at the NHL level. He also tends to look lost defensively and often loses his defensive assignments. His skating could definitely be improved, although not a poor skater, he will be spending lots of time with Skating Coach Barb Underhill to get that extra burst into his stride.

A talent that could absolutely crack the top10 next year, but that we won’t be seeing in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform for some time.

Next: Recap

May 21, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Maple Leafs new head coach Mike Babcock is flanked by club president Brendan Shanahan (right) and board chairman Larry Tanenbaum during an introductory media conference at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Recap

So Leafs Nation what do you think?

Keep in mind this ranking is by no means the be-all-and-end-all of prospect rankings and is meant purely to help pass the time until training camp and hockey related news starts kicking back up into gear, and hopefully has served to enlighten you on just how far the Toronto Maple Leafs pipeline of young talent has come and what to expect from them.

For a quick recap here is how our list stands so far:

No.20 – Richard Panik

No.19 – Carter Verhaeghe

No.18 – Andreas Johnson

No.17 – Casey Bailey

No.16 – Martin Marincin

No.15 – Dmytro Timashov

No.14 – Scott Harrington

No.13 – Travis Dermott

No.12 – Viktor Loov

No.11 – Jeremy Bracco

With our list starting to really take shape, we see a pretty even balance between high-end skill project players and less-skilled but more NHL ready players. Panik and Marincin should be NHL regulars next season. While Bailey, Harrington and Loov have a very good chance at a late season call up after some trades or injuries occur.

Bracco, Verhaeghe, Dermott, Timashov and Johnson are bursting with skill but all have question marks to overcome. Considering only 3 of the players so far would’ve been part of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization as recently as last year should speak volumes about how far Shanahan has brought them.

Let us know in the comments below or on twitter about which prospects deserve their spot? Which don’t? Which should be higher? Which shouldn’t have made the list at all? Will we ever all agree a prospect belongs in the Top 20? Stay tuned next week for Toronto Maple Leafs prospect rankings 6-10!

Next: Top 20 Young Leafs #16-20

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