#3. Adam Brooks
With the Marlies season cancelled, Brooks still finished 10th on the team in scoring, despite only playing 29 games.
Brooks experienced his first NHL action this year getting called up for seven games. In that short stint with the Leafs, Brooks had three assists and zero goals.
Although Brooks is already 24-years-old, he’s a young 24. What I mean by that is that he played five full seasons of junior hockey before joining the Marlies, and has taken his time to develop.
There is nothing wrong with that approach, as although it’s taking him a little longer than some prospects, that hard work is paying off.
Brooks talked about his current season and actually alluded to potentially joining the Leafs if the AHL season were cancelled, in a piece by Kristin Shilton last month.
"“There was definitely some ups and downs with the way I played [in the NHL] and things that I would have liked to correct. But just getting your feet a little bit wet, it allowed me to learn a lot. Even the things that didn’t probably go so well for me were still learning experiences that I’m able to correct and get better at, whether the season continues and I’m able to go back to the AHL, or maybe be a Black Ace for the Leafs. And then hopefully [take that] into next season as well.”"
Brooks will definitely be a player the Toronto Maple Leafs look to stay close to the rink if the NHL resumes.