Maple Leafs release 2016 Rookie Tournament Roster
7 years ago
We know the Toronto Maple Leafs have an abundance of prospects, but that doesn’t mean much until you actually get to see them play hockey in the right sweater. September is usually an opportunity to do just that, as much of the system gets an opportunity to show themselves in an annual rookie tournament hosted in London, Ontario (home of the Lorem Ipsums).
With that tournament just weeks away, the Leafs have released their roster. It is as follows, via the official site:
| PLAYER | POS | 2015-16 CLUB(S) | ACQUIRED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antoine Bibeau | G | Toronto (AHL) | 172nd overall (2013) |
| Jeremy Bracco | F | Kitchener (OHL) / Boston College (Hockey East) | 61st overall (2015) |
| Adam Brooks | F | Regina (WHL) | 92nd overall (2016) |
| Nikolas Brouillard | D | Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) / Quebec (QMJHL) | Signed to AHL contract |
| Tony Cameranesi | F | U. of Minnesota Duluth (NCHC) / Toronto (AHL) | 130th overall (2011) |
| Travis Dermott | D | Erie (OHL) / Toronto (AHL) | 34th overall (2015) |
| Stephen Desrocher | D | Kingston (OHL) / Oshawa (OHL) | 155th overall (2015) |
| Martins Dzierkals | F | Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) | 68th overall (2015) |
| Tye Felhaber | F | Saginaw (OHL) | Free Agent Invite |
| Frederik Gauthier | F | Toronto (AHL) / Toronto (NHL) | 21st overall (2013) |
| Cason Hohmann | F | Elmira (ECHL) / Rochester (AHL) | Signed to AHL contract |
| Justin Holl | D | Toronto (AHL) | Signed to NHL contract |
| Andreas Johnson | F | Frolunda (SHL) / Toronto (AHL) | 202nd overall (2013) |
| Jon Jutzi | D | Minnesota State (WCHA) / Manitoba (AHL) | Signed to AHL contract |
| Kasimir Kaskisuo | G | Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) / Toronto (AHL) | Signed to NHL contract |
| Nikita Korostelev | F | Sarnia (OHL) | 185th overall (2015) |
| Tobias Lindberg | F | Toronto (AHL) / Binghamton (AHL) / Toronto (NHL) | Trade with OTT – 2/9/16 |
| Mason Marchment | F | Mississauga (OHL) / Toronto (AHL) | Signed to AHL contract |
| Mitch Marner | F | London (OHL) | 4th overall (2015) |
| Nicolas Mattinen | D | London (OHL) | 179th overall (2016) |
| Keaton Middleton | D | Saginaw (OHL) | 101st overall (2016) |
| Trevor Moore | F | Denver (NCHC) | Signed to NHL contract |
| Andrew Nielsen | D | Lethbrige (WHL) / Toronto (AHL) | 65th overall (2015) |
| JJ Piccinich | F | London (OHL) | 103rd overall (2014) |
| Colin Smith | F | Toronto (AHL) / San Antonio (AHL) | Signed to AHL contract |
| Ty Stanton | D | Medicine Hat (WHL) / Toronto (AHL) | Signed to AHL contract |
| Dmytro Timashov | F | Quebec (QMJHL) / Shawinigan (QMJHL) | 125th overall (2015) |
| Rinat Valiev | D | Toronto (AHL) / Toronto (NHL) | 68th overall (2014) |
| Jack Walker | F | Victoria (WHL) | 152nd overall (2016) |
| Chase Witala | F | Prince George (WHL) / Toronto (AHL) | Signed to AHL contract |
| Tyler Wong | F | Lethbridge (WHL) / Toronto (AHL) | Free Agent Invite |
Just a few quick notes here..
- Auston Matthews isn’t on this list, but that’s not surprising in the slightest. He’ll be preparing for the World Cup of Hockey, where he represents Team North America as they take on real countries. The same goes for Nikita Zaitsev, who is old and experienced enough to not need a tournament like this anyway, but represents Team Russia at the same tournament regardless.
- William Nylander, on the other hand, represents nobody and as such his absence is a bit more curious. However, with 22 games of quality hockey played for the Leafs last year and an utter domination of the American Hockey League, I doubt that the Leafs need another look for him. They’ve probably got him focused on the main camp.
- Andreas Johnson is on the list, which is a big deal for those who were worried about his health. Johnson suffered a serious concussion during the Calder Cup Playoffs and details on his recovery have been scarce at best and scary at worst; but if he’s ready to go after months since the last update, that’s a positive sign.
- Jon Jutzi is on the roster and listed as being signed to an AHL contract, which is interesting. The Marlies never announced a transaction of the sort, and there were no prior reports of this happening. Jutzi is the oldest player on the list (25) but has just six games of pro experience after spending four years at Minnesota State. Jutzi is a left-handed defenceman who stands at 6’2 and hails from Tavistock, Ontario.
- Toronto’s invites are familiar names Tyler Wong joined the Marlies on a tryout last season and Tye Felhaber was part of the Development Camp group this summer. He, Wong, Jutzi, and Trevor Moore are the only four of the nine invites who entered that camp without contracts to make it to this tournament.
The rookie tournament will be played at Budweiser Gardens, and will see the Leafs play on three consecutive nights (vs. Ottawa on September 16th, vs. Montreal on the 17th, and vs. Pittsburgh on the 18th).
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