Toronto Marlies Notebook: Keefe’s Candid Comments

Freddy the Goat

Frederik Gauthier should not be playing hockey games right now. Why? Well, you can thank Syracuse Crunch defenceman Jake Dotchin for that. Dotchin targeted Gauthier with an extremely low hit, causing him to suffer a severe hamstring injury, supposedly shelving him until at least mid-November.

Now, before I gush about Gauthier’s impressive recovery, I want to briefly discuss Dotchin.

Fun fact: if you’re currently reading this article, I have some good news! You have the exact same number of career NHL goals as Jake Dotchin. Dotchin is the human equivalent of mononucleosis, in that he’s annoying, painful, and yet not really taken all that seriously as a threat. I sincerely hope that, when trick or treating this year, everyone just gave him raisins. He’s not even worthy of candy corn.

Anyway, Gauthier’s recovery has been nothing short of incredible. As The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler detailed, the injury was so serious, Gauthier’s hamstring muscles were ripped off the bone completely. And yet, a mere 5 months later, he’s back on skates, playing arguably the best hockey of his career.

While his foot speed remains a tad sluggish, Gauthier’s begun throwing his body around far more than he used to while proving himself to be an adequate penalty killer. If he can gain just one extra step, we may be looking at the Leafs 4th line centre of the future.

Keep an eye on The Goat. He’s making some waves.

Keefe’s Comments

Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe is a lot like Mike Babcock in that he is seriously intimidating, while always proving to be an entertaining quote. Keefe was extra candid this week, speaking at length about a variety of the Marlies young players.

I’ve started referring to this Keefe quote as “filet mignon” because it’s juicy as hell. Remember last week when I wondered what was causing Jeremy Bracco’s frequent scratches? Turns out it was his conditioning.

It’s important to notice that, when talking about young Jeremy, Keefe mentions fitness twice within a single paragraph. That’s not good.

In Bracco’s defence, it’s important to remember just how short his summer actually was. Bracco won a Memorial Cup on May 28th, reported to Leafs Development Camp on July 6th, and then participated in the Rookie Tournament from September 8-10th. Mix in some needed rest time, and he likely had only two full months to dedicate towards training. That’s far from ideal for a young player.

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However, we just saw the Pittsburgh Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cups despite having only half the time to train as 15 other teams. Being an NHL player means making sure your body is ready for when the season roles around. No matter what.

Reporting to camp in shape so poor that he’s been held out of all but 3 games is extremely troubling for Bracco. Especially on a team where winger roles are so hard to come by.

Keefe’s Comments Part Two: Adam Brooks

What really interested me about Keefe’s candid nature here is the level of detail he used when talking about Adam Brooks. Brooks is just 21 years old, playing his first season in pro hockey. That is super depressing when realizing that I’m also 21 years old.

What have I done with my life?

Quarter life crisis aside, I’ve been thoroughly impressed with Brooks’ play so far. He seems to hail from the “Zach Hyman School of Forechecking”, as his puck retrieval skills show real signs of promise.

The Leafs organization clearly places a huge amount of value in the essence of hard work. One look at the rise of players such as Hyman, Connor Brown and even the evolution of William Nylander demonstrates this. By saying:

He’s going to be a guy who takes a little more time but in terms of how he’s worked, he’s very coachable…

it leads me to believe that Brooks is cut from the same cloth. Center happens to be a position in which depth is severely lacking within the Leafs organization. If Brooks can develop into the player he’s shown flashes of becoming, it will be incredibly beneficial to their success moving forward.

As long as he continues to work hard, it’ll only be a matter of time before Brooks carves himself out an important NHL role.

Quick Notes

• Mason Marchment continued with his offensive tear, scoring in back to back games once again. He’s up to 5 goals on the year and is succeeding in opening many eyes within the Leafs organization.
• Dmytro Timashov extended his point streak to 4 games, posting assists in both weekend games. He’s another player who is beginning to really make a name for himself. It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of his season plays out.

Next: Leafs Need to Acquire a Defenseman

• It’s becoming abundantly clear that Nikita Soshnikov belongs in the NHL, evidenced by his 8 points in 9 games so far. In a perfect world, he’d assume Matt Martin‘s role on the Leafs 4th line, albeit with far more speed and offensive ability. If any Leafs wingers get injured, he’s getting the call.
• I couldn’t end a Marlies Notebook without mentioning my favourite son Timothy Liljegren. Despite going pointless on the weekend, Liljegren has continued to round out his game, moving the puck with a confidence befitting of an NHL defenceman. I cannot overstate how excited I am for him to become a Leaf.