Last week, Josh Kloke of The Athletic provided some insight in the Maple Leafs’ new Director of Amateur Scouting and his priorities in what he’s looking at and the scouting region that he is most familiar with. That’s not to say that is the Leafs are going in that direction, but there is no denying that a “go with what you know” attitude is generally better a positive thing as long as you have your biases in check. Leach from most accounts is a smart guy, with a great track record. He’s been a part of a Dallas team that has unearthed some true gems and his time with the Red Wings includes being a part of a team that was selecting hall of famers in the seventh (or later at that time) round. It seems worth considering who might be on Mark Leach’s radar.
From The Athletic article the following is known about Mark Leach and the direction he could be going in:
- A preference towards big defencemen was highlighted, with 6’5 being one of the traits included in the article
- Leach’s old scouting stomping ground was the Northeastern United States and Quebec, but was a crossover scout that would join trips with other regional scouts
- Looks at things more from a developmental perspective, maybe project players in the wrong label, but someone he thinks can be made better than the level they are at
Here are some possible early round targets:
Carter Amico -D- USNTDP
Carter Amico checks all the boxes on Mark Leach’s list and might be the “if stars align” or if Brad Treliving wants to trade up in the second round option for the Maple Leafs. At 6’6 and attending Boston University next season, Carter Amico has the size and temperament that the Leafs are supposedly looking for to add to their blueline. The US National Team Development Program might be stretching the limits of what is considered the “Northeast” but it is also hard to imagine that anyone scouting within the United States or holding the Director of Scouting title hasn’t made it to at least one or two USNTDP games over the course of a season.
Amico is ranked anywhere from 32nd overall down to 86th overall in the public draft rankings, most notably falling 47th on Bob McKenzie’s NHL scout driven rankings, and 68th on our own Steven Ellis’ draft board. He’s very much a possibility for the Leafs, but the Bob McKenzie rankings having the influence of organizational wish lists factored in is part of what makes him a bit of a reach.
Here’s what Steven Ellis wrote about Amico:
Amico suffered a season-ending injury before the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November, which unfortunately hurt his draft stock. He’s a big 6-foot-5 right-handed defender who makes it his mission to stop you from beating him in 1-on-1 situations. He’s strong, smart and a decent skater, too. His on-puck game is still a work in progress, so the lost time won’t help. But teams love massive blueliners who can handle the right side – don’t be surprised if he gets taken early in the second.
The injury aspect of Amico might be what scares some teams off and if the assumption is that his draft stock already took a hit, there could certainly be a belief in the Maple Leafs organization that there is the high potential that Amico is a first round level talent.
Mace’o Phillips -D- USNTDP
If Carter Amico is Plan A for the Maple Leafs’ late second round pick (either 63rd or 64th), Mace’o Phillips look like the reasonable Plan B or dream 3rd rounder.
The Minnesotan stands 6’6 tall and weighs in at an impressive 234 lbs. One of the differences is that Phillips is a left shot, but Phillips having a stick at all probably isn’t a concern of the team that drafts him as the biggest difference between a player like Amico and Phillips is that Amico has a bit more of all around game potential than Phillips who will come in to inflict pain.
Ranking wise it seems that Phillips is an early third round pick as Steven Ellis and Daily Faceoff have him at 75th overall and Mace’o didn’t factor into the Bob McKenzie rankings.
Steven Ellis sees Phillips as a third pairing guy:
Phillips is a massive, 6-foot-5, 214-pound defender who uses every bit of his frame to push guys around and poke pucks away. He’s strong and always seems to be looking to land at least one big hit a game. He skates well, too, making him a solid option for teams chasing size and decent mobility. Guys like this can make for solid third-pairing options down the line.
Drafting a potential third pairing defenceman in the second round doesn’t seem like the best course of action for a team that constantly faces criticism for the depth of their prospect pool. That being said, Leach wants projects, and Phillips could be just that for the Leafs.
Peyton Kettles -D- Swift Current Broncos
Okay, so Western Canada is decidedly not the Northeastern US or Quebec, but given that Mark Leach isn’t limited by territory and has a GM that has a tendency towards drafting from the WHL, Kettles probably should get some consideration here as well.
He’s 6’5, 194lbs, but also comes with the added bonus of being one of the youngest players in the draft, born September 1st. When Leach prioritizes projects, having a player who gives you some extra time to complete your work is probably a good thing.
Kettles’ rankings tend to cluster a little more closely around the late second round, early third round. Bob McKenzie has him at 45th on his list which is actually the highest ranking of Kettles but Steven Ellis of DFO has Kettles much closer to the Leafs pick, ranking him 60th.
Here are Steven’s thoughts on Peyton Kettles:
Kettles didn’t put up many points in Swift Current, but he wasn’t afraid to absolutely blast someone. The 6-foot-5 defender takes up a ton of space, defends well and is decently mobile for his size. He can kill penalties, and I actually think he’s better offensively than his 14 points suggest. Kettles also plays a ton of minutes, which is never a bad thing.
The fact that Steven is highlighting a Western Canadian with an untapped offensive upside makes it feel like Kettles could be a more highly touted version of Noah Chadwick and certainly illustrates an archetype within the organization that Leafs are hoping to develop.
Other potential targets for the Leafs in the second and third round:
Will Reynolds, 6’3 defenceman, Acadie-Bathurst Titans, QMJHL
David Bedkowski, 6’5 defenceman, Owen Sound Attack, OHL
Max Psenicka, 6’5 defenceman, Portland Winterhawks, WHL
Jacob Rombach, 6’6 defenceman, Lincoln Stars, USHL
Haoxi (Simon) Wang, 6’5 defenceman, Oshawa Generals, OHL
While these are the players telegraphed by Mark Leach, there is certainly no guarantee that a big defenceman is what the Leafs get in the second round. Or even the third round. It seems like there is an abundance of these players available and that makes a large defenceman a strong likelihood for the Leafs, it is also a seven round draft and there are options that will present itself for that archetype later on, perhaps allowing the Leafs to chase skill first before going after size.