Leafs Prospect Update: November 11, 2013
10 years ago
(Photo: Dmitri Filopovic / Nations)
Frederick Gauthier – C – Rimouski (QMJHL)
Despite not burying a puck in his past five games, Frederik Gauthier had a nice little weekend, contributing with three assists in two Rimouski victories. Gauthier’s 19 points in 19 games is a significant reason why the Oceanic currently sit 5th in the QMJHL, with a 13-6-4 record.
In non-Rimouski news, Gauthier will be joining Team QMJHL in the Subway Super Series a week from today, as the top players in the league will take on a team of Russian Selects in Gatineau, Quebec. Assuming Gauthier sticks in the lineup for the second game, he’ll again play with Team QMJHL in Sherbrooke on the 20th. Last year, Team QMJHL and Russia split their two game series with a win apiece.
Carter Verhaeghe (Niagara, OHL) vs. Connor Brown (Erie, OHL)
With an enormous amount of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospects graduating to the AHL this season, it’s not as often we get to talk about them going head-to-head in Junior. This afternoon, in a special Veterans Day matchup, Connor Brown lead his Erie Otters to a 5-3 win over Carter Verhaeghe’s Niagara IceDogs. This is the second time this season Brown has gotten the better of his counterpart.
Brown continues to score in excess, adding two goals and an assist, bringing his season stat line to 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points in only 20 games. That’s (still) good for the lead in the OHL scoring race, and five points clear of second place Michael Dal Colle of the Oshawa Generals.
Verhaeghe, while consistent, hasn’t been able to keep up his point-producing pace from earlier in the season. After scoring 21 points in 11 games during the month of October, Verhaeghe has only five points in his last five games. That being said, Verhaeghe scored three goals against Sarnia last Thursday, and added an assist on Saturday and another today. Verhaeghe has 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points in 20 games so far this season, he leads his team in scoring, and sits 8th in the OHL.
Connor Brown will suit up for Team OHL in the Subway Super Series, and will play both in both games against Russia. Verhaeghe will also play, but only in the second matchup.
Dennis Robertson – D – Brown Bears (NCAA)
Now here’s a guy we never talk about… Bears captain Dennis Robertson had the definitive up-and-down weekend, as Brown was shutout by the Quinnipiac Bobcats 3-0 on Friday evening, and beat up on the Princeton Tigers by a score of 6-3 on Saturday. In the victory, Robertson scored a goal and added an assist, bring his season total to five points in six games. He’s also a +6 and has an impressive 29 penalty minutes in a league that doesn’t allow fisticuffs.
Robertson, drafted as an overage player by the Leafs in the 6th round in 2011, is in his final NCAA season. We’ll be keeping a close eye on him as the season progresses, as he’s currently without a contract, and will need to have a statement year in order to stay in the organization. He’s currently scoring at a rate that would put him amongst the top defensive scorers in the ECAC, if it wasn’t for the fact he’s played about five less games than most of them.
Other Prospect News…
- Ryan Rupert’s mini-streak came to an end in his London Knights’ 3-1 win over Windsor on Sunday. In the four games prior, Rupert had three goals and two assists.
- Fabrice Herzog managed only one assist in three games this past week, but we can forgive him because he’s Fabrice Herzog and he’s awesome and amazing.
- Hockey’s Future ranked the Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect pool as the 23rd best in the league last Tuesday. Harsh, but there’s some truth to it. Outside of Morgan Rielly, there’s little in the way of impact prospects. Gauthier and Verhaeghe have the best shot at improving Toronto’s stock moving forward.
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