With the 2008 NHL Entry draft wrapped up, we can begin to speculate on how productive Cliff Fletcher and his scouting staff were in building the team for the future. When Fletcher was brought in to run the club on January 22nd of this year, his mandate was to rebuild this team. The draft is where team’s rebuild their franchises. Just take a look at the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals for proof. We won’t exactly know how productive this draft was for many years to come as these young men develop into hockey players, but this is a move in the right direction if the team is serious about rebuilding.
Here’s a look at the players the Leafs selected:
5th overall:
LUKE SCHENN
Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Defense.
Shoots Right. 6′2″, 216 lbs.
Born: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, November 2, 1989.
Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
07-08 Regular Seaon: 57 GP - 7 G - 21 A - 28 PTS - 100 PIM
08 Playoffs: 7 GP - 2 G - 2 A - 4 PTS - 6 PIM
Schenn is a solid as a rock defenceman. He isn’t very flashy and will never put up a ton of points, but he is projected to be a shutdown defenceman whom opposing forwards will hate to play against. Schenn is an intense competitor. He never takes a shift off and will bring a tireless work ethic to the NHL someday. Some scouts say he can be over aggressive sometimes which leads to him getting into a bit of trouble, but that’s an area that can be controlled as he gets older and more mature. By all accounts he is the best defensive defenceman in this draft. He doesn’t have the offensive potential that Doughty, Bogosian or Pietrangelo possess, but that’s not to say he has stone hands. He can move the puck out of his own end very effectively and efficiently. Ultimately, Schenn was the man the Leafs wanted all along and they were able to move up two spots without giving up anyone on their roster. We got a taste of Schenn’s enthusiasm the night of the draft as he seemed ecstatic to be wearing the Blue & White. Leaf fans will appreciate that enthusiasm and for their sake they can only hope that he will turn into the shutdown defenceman the team has needed for a number of years. Teams always say you build a team from the goalie out. With Vesa Toskala in goal and Schenn on the blueline, the team has the pieces in place to follow such mandate.
60th overall:
JIMMY HAYES
Lincoln Stars (USHL)
Right wing.
Shoots Right.
6′4″, 210 lbs.
Born: Boston, Massachusetts, USA, November 21, 1989.
Hometown: Dorchester, Massachusettes
07-08 Regular Seaon: 21 GP - 4 G - 11 A - 15 PTS - 18 PIM
08 Playoffs: 8 GP - 4 G - 5 A - 9 PTS - 8 PIM
Hayes is the second cousin of Blues’ winger Keith Tkachuk and former Leaf Tom Fitzgerald. After playing in the United States Hockey League this past season, Hayes will attend Boston College in the fall of 2008. He won a silver medal at the 2007 under-18 World Championships with Team USA where he played on a line with 2007 first rounder James vanRiemsdyk and 2008 first rounder Colin Wilson. He has size and a long reach with an impressive shot. He tries to pattern his game after Ducks’ forward Ryan Getzlaf. Hayes certainly possesses the size of Getzlaf, but he may need time to develop the skill and hockey sense of a player like that. He won’t play professional hockey for another number of years as he enters college after this summer. He has speed and agility for his size, but will develop those skills playing at B.C. for a few years.
98th overall:
MIKHAIL STEFANOVICH
Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
Center.
Shoots Right.
6′2″, 202 lbs.
Born: Minsk, Belarus, November 27, 1989.
07-08 Regular Seaon: 62 GP - 32 G - 34 A - 66 PTS - 32 PIM
08 Playoffs: 11 GP - 4 G - 4 A - 8 PTS - 10 PIM
A native of Belarus, Stefanovich plays for Patrick Roy’s Quebec Remparts. At Central Scouting’s mid-term prospect ratings, he was listed as the 16th best North American based player. His stock fell all the way to 57th in the final rankings and he wasn’t selected until the 4th round by the Leafs. He fell due to questions about his work ethic. He is a skilled player with a great shot and solid skating ability, but that’s only present when he’s on his game. He is victim of falling out of the game mentally and needs to involve himself on a more consistent basis. He led all QMJHL rookies with 32 goals (a league where offense isn’t hard to come by) but if he finds the desire to play to the best of his abilities, he could become a steal someday.
128th overall:
GREG PATERYN
Ohio Junior Blue Jackets (USHL)
Defense.
Shoots Right.
6′2″, 212 lbs.
Born: Royal Oak, Michigan, June 20, 1990.
Hometown: Sterling Heights, Michigan
07-08 Regular Seaon: 60 GP - 3 G - 24 A - 27 PTS - 145 PIM
08 Playoffs: — GP - — G - — A - — PTS - — PIM
The Leafs selected their second defenceman and second American born player of the day in taking Pateryn, also the first of three consecutive picks. Pateryn has signed on to play at the University of Michigan for his collegiate career and isn’t expected to make it anywhere near the pro game any time soon. His 145 PIM led his USHL team as he isn’t afraid to drop the gloves. He doesn’t appear to have much offensive upside as he’s regarded more as a stay at home defenceman.
129th overall:
JOEL CHAMPAGNE
Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)
Centre.
Shoots Left.
6′4″, 210 lbs.
Born: Chateauguay, Quebec, January 24, 1990.
Hometown: Chateauguay, Quebec
07-08 Regular Seaon: 70 GP - 18 G - 22 A - 40 PTS - 45 PIM
08 Playoffs: 6 GP - 1 G - 1 A - 2 PTS - 6 PIM
The team selected their first centreman of the day and first Quebec born player since 2002. Champagne is by no means expected to become an elite scorer, but rather an effective checking pivot. He’s excellent on faceoffs and is generally counted on to take draws in late games for his team. He is better off the puck, shadowing team’s opposing scorers. He will need to improve on his skating to make it to the pros someday. He’s a big man at 6′4 and already has the body of an NHL player. There’s no question that someone taken at this stage of the draft is a project.
130th overall:
JEROME FLAAKE
Cologne (Germany)
Left wing.
Shoots Left.
6′2″, 187 lbs.
Born: Guben, East Germany, March 2, 1990.
07-08 Regular Seaon: 30 GP - 0 G - 1 A - 1 PTS - 4 PIM
08 Playoffs: — GP - — G - — A - — PTS - — PIM
Flaake split his 2007-08 between Germany’s top junior league and it’s first division men’s league. In only 36 games, he led the junior league with 80 points before making the jump to Germany’s top league. He didn’t score a goal in his 30 games, but it was seen as a learning experience for the young winger. Flaake has a very good sense around the net and his strengths lie within his intelligence and skating. He needs to add some weight to his tall frame and should do so playing a full season in a professional men’s league. Again, don’t expect a player drafted at this stage to make it to the NHL any time soon.
158th overall:
GRANT ROLLHEISER
Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL)
Goaltender
Shoots Left.
6′4″, 195 lbs.
Born: Chilliwack, British Columbia, July 24, 1989
07-08 Regular Seaon: 46 GP - 19 W - 26 L - 3.19 GAA - .910 SV%
08 Playoffs: 3 GP - 0 W - 3 L - 4.90 GAA - .873 SV%
The only goaltending prospect in this year’s draft taken by the Leafs was the British Columbia native. He has committed to Boston University and will have the opportunity to become the team’s starting goaltender as a freshman. Whether he becomes the team’s number one goaltender next season or not, Rollheiser will have a number of years at B.U. to work out the kinks in his game and build his composure.
188th overall:
ANDREW MACWILLIAM
Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)
Defense.
Shoots Left.
6′2″, 214 lbs.
Born: Calgary, Alberta, March 25, 1990.
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta
07-08 Regular Seaon: 54 GP - 0 G - 13 A - 13 PTS - 130 PIM
08 Playoffs: — GP - — G - — A - — PTS - — PIM
MacWilliam will attend the University of North Dakota next fall. He was a gold medal winning member of Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge last November. He doesn’t have much offensive upside at all, but adds more depth to the Leafs’ system on the back end.
