Toronto Maple Leafs: These 3 Prospects Are Diamonds in the Rough

This season, a few special prospects in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization are creating shockwaves behind the scenes.

Few players come into a franchise with the expectations that Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner or William Nylander brought to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Today’s rosters are populated with those who toiled away under the radar, ripening with time before stepping onto the NHL stage.

For those who look carefully, the successes of these players are often foretold in the developmental steps they take prior to their debuts. Even extraordinary talents such as Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson can remain overlooked until given the opportunity to showcase their talents in the NHL.

This season, the products of strong drafting are beginning to take shape for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as a trio of prospects have seen their respective games rise to new levels.

Mac Hollowell

Mac Hollowell is a 20-year-old right-shooting defenseman who plays for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. Following a breakout 2017-18 campaign, the Leafs selected Hollowell with their fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL draft, despite his undrafted status the year prior.

This season, Mac has vastly exceeded expectations. Through 45 games, he leads all OHL defensemen in points (58), goals (19), and shots (179). Over the past ten years, only six OHL defensemen aged twenty or younger have matched Hollowell’s point pace. Five of those six defensemen were drafted in the top twenty selections of their draft year and all six went on to play in the NHL.

His late-blooming game parallels the early path of many defensemen in today’s NHL and is reminiscent of new Toronto Maple Leafs acquisition Jake Muzzin.

It is also worth noting that with Hollowell being twenty years old and a right-handed shot, he could arrive earlier to the NHL than Toronto’s more commonly discussed defensive prospects, Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin.

Ian Scott

Ian Scott is a goaltender for the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. The Leafs drafted Scott with the 110th selection of the 2017 draft. He has excelled in the WHL this season and among goalies who have played at least half of their team’s games, he sits 2nd in goals-against average (1.93) and is 1st in save percentage (.931).

Only three goalies in the past ten years have matched Scott’s save percentage over a full WHL season. Two of those goalies (Darcy Kuemper and Carter Hart) are starters in the NHL, while the third (Patrik Bartosak) would likely be an NHL starter today had his actions off the ice not placed himself in the midst of domestic assault charges in 2015.

Ian Scott will have his shot at an NHL role should his developmental trend continue, but he could find himself parked in the AHL for a lengthy period of time behind Frederik Andersen.

Jeremy Bracco

Jeremy Bracco is a direct product of the organization’s emphasis on drafting speed and skill. Bracco was selected with the 61st pick of the 2015 draft as an undersized winger who could score at will.

He looked impressive in NHL preseason games this past September and it became clear that his edgework, skating and playmaking ability are what set him apart from his peers.

Bracco has taken a significant step forward with the Toronto Marlies this season, showing that his offensive skills can translate to success against more difficult competition. Through 45 games, he sits third in the AHL in assists (31) and is second in points (43) among U25 players. Bracco will likely play in the NHL next season in some capacity, although his role will be heavily dependent on the team’s needs.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs transition into being a consistent Stanley Cup contender, they will be in need of young talented players on cheap entry-level contracts to sustain their success. These three diamonds in the rough will likely be important parts of that future.

stats from ontariohockeyleague.com

whl.ca 

theahl.com and hockeydb.com