Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Report 2017

While the Toronto Maple Leafs are in the middle of a deep playoff run, the future of the team looks bright for more playoff runs to come.  Since GM Ron Dubin took over the team five years ago, he has developed a deep prospect pool which has delivered NHL players through graduation (Dylan Larkin, Brian Dumoulin) and helped the team by supplying assets for trades to improve the team.  Built from the back out, the Leafs are deep in net and on the blue line, but do have some promise up front, especially on the right side.  Toronto has the next wave of players coming as you can be sure to see Brandon Carlo and Anthony Mantha on the big team next year.

1) Brandon Carlo - Defense - 8.0D
    2016-17 Team: Boston (NHL)
Played his first rookie year in the NHL this year, and quickly worked his way up to the top pairing with Zdeno Chara.  Carlo is a big, steady defender and has a long reach.  Mistakes are expected for a rookie playing such a high profile role, and Carlo has made his fair share, but the intangibles are all there, size, skating, hockey sense, toughness.  Carlo will only improve with time, and with Nicklas Grossman not expecting to be re-signed by the Leafs, he should be a shoo-in to make the big club's top six next season.

2) Thatcher Demko - Goaltender - 8.5B
    2016-17 Team: Utica (AHL)
Already anointed goalie of the future, the first year pro has endured the same challenges as ex-Leafs stopper Cory Schneider, another Boston College alum, who needed three seasons of AHL development.  Demko lost his first four AHL starts, then went on a 7-1 tear, proving a relentless work ethic will clean up the technical faults.  With Corey Crawford still firmly entrenched at the Leafs #1 goalie, Demko has the time to ripen on the farm and could use the experience, but if the current trajectory is upkept, the Leafs should have a goalie ready when Crawford is ready to hand the reigns over.

3) Logan Stanley - Defense - 8.0B
    2016-17 Team: Windsor (OHL)
Stanley was off to a great start, matching his career-high point totals in half the games, but a torn meniscus put him on the shelf for four months.  The Leafs see him as a long-term project and hope his injury doesn't hinder his development. "He still needs to grow into his body." says head amateur scout Jeff Hackett, "We believe that when the strength can come underneath him with his legs and his body matching his actual physical size, you're going to see a real strong player" If Stanley reaches his potential, the Leafs see him in the mould of a Zdeno Chara or Chris Pronger style of player.

4) Anthony Mantha - Left Wing/Right Wing - 8.0C
    2016-17 Team: Detroit (NHL)
Anthony is a natural goal scoring power forward with great size and instincts for putting the puck in the net.  For a big man, he skates well and has excellent hand-eye coordination.  After a few years in the AHL, Mantha has proven he can hang with the big boys, scoring 17 goals in 60 games last year in the NHL.  Although he still needs to sharpen his habits in the defensive zone, you can be assured to see him in the lineup for the Maple Leafs next year.

5) Jake Walman - Defense - 7.5C
    2016-17 Team: Providence College (NCAA)
After a solid start at Providence, winning a national title as a freshman, Walman had his sophomore year cut short by shoulder surgery.  But after missing two months of the college season and the Leafs summer developmental camp, he has positioned himself as one of the best top four defense prospects in the system,  His attractions are his powerful skating, his shot and the belief he can log major minutes.  At issue is whether he can show more consistency to play at the next level.  Toronto sees Walman as a two-way top four defenseman that will be key to the transition game.

6) Givani Smith - Right Wing - 7.0B
    2016-17 Team: Guelph (OHL)
Exactly the kind of player the Leafs don't have.  Smith is a strong-skating power forward who likes working in the corners, net front and plays with a nasty streak.  "It's that innate instinct you either have or don't have" Hackett says, "You can't really develop it.  He relishes that role.  If he's not helping out on the scoresheet, he's making players aware of what's going on.  He's a big strong powerful kid."  Smith's acceleration could use improvement and he has to reduce the silly penalties, but the Leafs project him to be a top 9 forward with an edge.

7) Steve Santini - Defense - 7.5C
    2016-17 Team: Albany (AHL)
Santini has displayed defensive skills, a physical presence and an ability to get out of dangerous situations with simple plays.  Plus, he has the intangibles of a budding leader.  "You can't teach what he has and that's drive commitment and work ethic," Hackett says, "You see the way the guys skates to the bench after every shift.  He's sprinting.  You hope that rubs off.  His inner drive is incredible."  The Leafs still need to work on Santini in regards to his skating and puckhandling, but he's close to a spot in the MRFHL, possibly a year away.

8) Kevin Labanc - Right Wing - 7.5B
    2016-17 Team: San Jose (NHL)
A scoring machine out of the OHL where he led the league in scoring, Labanc has worked his way up to some time on the first unit powerplay in the NHL.  Not nessicarily the biggest player on the ice, Labanc is shifty and has great hockey sence and positioning.  "He's not going to be your typical 3rd line grinder,"  says Hackett, "He's going to be that secondary scoring that all teams are looking for."  The Maple Leafs don't see superstardom from the former Barrie Colt, but do see an effective top-9 scoring forward that can move around the lineup when need be.

9) Tyler Benson - Left Wing - 7.5C
    2016-17 Team: Vancouver (WHL)
Beseiged by the injury bug since he arrived in the WHL, the former 1st overall Bantam pick has struggled.  After setting provincial Bantam records in Edmonton, a suspected sports hernia has dogged the star winger.  Benson has good size, great hands and exceptional offensive awareness.  His skating has always been a sore spot for those scouting him, but he always gets to where he needs to be.  The Leafs hope that he can put the injury bug behind him this coming year and strengthen himself for the next level.

10) Sonny Milano - Right Wing - 7.5C
      2016-17 Team: Cleveland (AHL)
Milano has been gifted with some of the softest hands scouts have seen in a while.  He is a free-wheeling offensive whiz.  But if put into anothery style of system that is more structured, he struggles.  "Sonny needs to develop defensively," Jeff Hackett says, "He can score goals and make the pretty plays, but we want him to become a 200ft player"  His lack of flexibility to the system he plays is also of concern, but he's only 20, and still needs time to mature in the AHL.

Honourable Mentions: C Marko Dano, LW Tyler Motte, RW William Bitten, C Cliff Pu, D Luke Green, G Alex Nedeljkovic