There were only 14 games remaining in the regular season when the trade was made.
Bob Feller Authentic Jersey . The then-Pat Quinn-led Maple Leafs were jostling for top spot in the Eastern Conference and
wanted to add some Hall of Fame punch to their lineup. So on Mar. 3, 2004 - with
John Ferguson Jr. installed as general manager - Toronto swung a deal with New
York for Brian Leetch; a swap that would cost them two prospects, (and of much
more significance to the future) a first round pick in 2004 and a second round
pick in 05. Six days later they would fire another draft selection - a fourth
round pick in 05 - to Carolina for Ron Francis. It was only one year earlier
that they surrendered their first round pick in 03 and two young players -
Alyn McCauley and Brad Boyes - to San Jose for Owen Nolan. Theyd sacrifice
another second round pick (04) for Glen Wesley less than a week after that.
Later was constantly being sacrificed for now in an era when draft futures held
little of their current premium for a big spender like the Leafs. But it was
that strategy of now for later - two firsts, two seconds in a string of three
drafts - that helped damage the club in the years that followed the second
lockout; useful (and inexpensive) prospects in a cap era were nowhere to be
found. Sending out another first (07) in the Vesa Toskala trade and two more
(10, 11) in the Phil Kessel swap, the Leafs had, over the course of nine drafts
(03-11), traded five of their first round selections. The result was a prospect
cupboard continually lacking in NHL-caliber talent and an organization short on
internal depth. That prospect could be changing with a collection of youthful
talent - the likes of Petter Granberg, Josh Leivo, Jerry DAmigo, Stuart Percy,
and Andrew MacWilliam among others - edging closer to potential jobs with the
Leafs and others - such as Matt Finn, Connor Brown, Tom Nilsson, and
Carter Verhaeghe - in line to follow. With the eighth overall selection (at the
time of this writing) in the 2014 draft, the club will add another asset to that
mix. Fronting the charge for that selection is Dave Morrison, the teams director
of amateur scouting, who spoke with TSN.ca about the Leafs draft history,
Brendan Shanahan and his role in the draft process, high-risk, high-reward
picks, a burgeoning group of blueline prospects and an unpredictable draft in
Philly. SIEGEL: Youve talked to me in the past about looking for indicators as
far as prospects go, indicators that will tell you that a prospect can play in
the NHL - whether thats speed, size, or a shot. In terms of that personality,
how would you say its progressed from when Brian Burke was in charge to now that
you have Brendan Shanahan at the helm? MORRISON: Well, those things never really
change because I think some of those core indicators really do need to stay the
same. They have to be able to get to a certain proficiency in skating, if theyre
not already elite skaters. Some kids just are naturally very gifted on their
feet; other kids have to really work at it. Does their brain function fast
enough to be able to play at the next level? And if theyre not a good skater
does it function fast enough to compensate for their lack of foot speed? Do they
have enough courage? The game has changed a lot and courage, probably the
definition of it and how it pertains to the player being able to play in the
game has changed too a little bit. Its a little different than it was 10, 15
years ago. But a lot of those things havent changed in the sense that you have
to be able to put a value on them and make sure that down the road theyre going
to have those things that are going to enable them to play or give themselves a
chance to play. SIEGEL: Is foot speed more important now than maybe 10 years
ago? MORRISON: Absolutely. I think pre-original lockout there was a lot more
hooking and holding. I think strength, size, the ability to battle through
things was really, really important. Its still important. As you can see in the
playoffs, teams that are big and strong and have those bodies can be really
effective at this time of year. But it has changed in the sense that the smaller
player is maybe getting a little bit more of an opportunity. I think speed, you
can really see speed and what it can do in a game. So it has changed a little
bit in that sense. I think all things being equal you would like a big player
with great speed, with great hands and with great hockey sense (laughs). SIEGEL:
Perfect player. MORRISON: Yeah, its always been that way, but unfortunately its
never as clear-cut as that. SIEGEL: We got a pretty good understanding when
Brian was here; he liked that North American player, black and blue style. His
first draft in 2009 you picked seven North American players. So now that youve
had one draft under Dave Nonis and obviously Dave Nonis and Brendan Shanahan are
now at the top [together], what does a Brendan Shanahan player look like now?
What kind of player has he passed along to you that he would like in the system?
MORRISON: You know Brendan himself was a black and blue, skilled player. He was
a very competitive, skilled player. I think he himself likes those kind of
players as well. We as an organization, weve always sort of wanted those kind of
guys. Yes, along the way weve maybe tried to get a different type of player at
different times and sometimes thats difficult to do. But I think anybody in our
organization would tell you that competitiveness is really important and
obviously you need to have skill on your team. Those are important ingredients.
But you also have to have a certain number of physical players that play hard
and can play the game two ways; preferably everybody plays hard and two ways.
You do have different types on your team. Competitiveness is really important to
us. Certainly you want to be a big, strong, skilled team if you can be. SIEGEL:
When you look at the current group that you have, youve got some prospects that
look like they could be ready to take that next step...but when they project
right now you can see them more as role players at the NHL level. Do you feel
like youve got to keep injecting more skill into the prospect cupboard?
MORRISON: I think you always want to inject everything into your prospect
cupboard every year. If you look at the past it always sounds like our cupboard
is bare of skilled players - what I read and what I hear - but if you look at a
kid like Andreas Johnson, who was just the Swedish Elite League rookie of the
year with 15 or 16 goals as a 19-year-old in that league, I see a skilled
player. I see a Connor Brown, who won the scoring [title] in the CHL. Does he
need some development time? Yes. But hes a very skilled player. Fabrice Herzog
[scored] over 30 goals in his first year with Quebec last year. Do we have some
skill in the pipeline? Yes. Do we have role players? Yes. Do you need to inject
skill players? Yes. You always need to do that. Kids like Nazem Kadri and
Morgan Rielly, I think those kinds of players you do have to draft and weve
drafted them in the past and well draft them again. SIEGEL: Well and I think you
could probably add Carter Verhaeghe to that list as well - you look at what he
did last year in Niagara. But whether its Andreas Johnson, Fabrice Herzog, can
you look at those guys and say theyll be high impact players at the NHL level?
MORRISON: I think they have a chance to be [high] impact players, Jonas. I think
any prospect has a chance and an opportunity to do that. The blue-chip type,
those franchise-type guys, theres not many of those available every year. And I
think you can throw a lot of other players in as they develop, the closer they
get they get closer maybe to being a blue-chip [prospect]. But its always an
opportunity and a chance for these kids to become those players and thats part
of the development process that weve been putting a lot more work and effort
into the last few years. Were hopeful that were going to see the fruits of that
labour at some point here. And I know theres an impatience in Toronto and I
understand it totally and its incumbent upon us to change things and put a
winning team on the ice - thats just the bottom line. SIEGEL: Whats the balance
when youre putting together your list, and its obviously a really rigourous
process, but whats the balance between ranking a player who is maybe a safer bet
to make the NHL as opposed to a player whos higher risk, but potentially offers
higher rewards? MORRISON: Thats a million dollar question. Sometimes if you
think you can get a third line player, big centre like Fred Gauthier well use an
example. Is he going to be an impact player in his own way? Well, we believe he
is. Is it going to be as an offensive player? No. Is he going to be an integral
part of a winning team at some point? We certainly hope so and we think so. So
theres a lot of these different things that you think about. And it takes a lot
of different pieces to make a winning team and some people get focused on the
idea that you have to get 150 points in junior to be a good NHL player and that
certainly is a good indicator, but its not everything. Weighing everything out,
yes, youd love to get that high-impact offensive, first-line player with every
pick. The reality is thats very tough to do. So when were doing that youre
weighing well what are the odds of this guy getting there versus this guy? And
what will he bring to your lineup? And is it going to be valuable? And is it
going to be tough to find when you need that? Thats another question. Teams will
give up first round picks for players because they dont have [that specific
skill] at some point. SIEGEL: But couldnt you make case that its more difficult
to find skill than it is a role player? If youre going to get that player dont
you have to draft him? MORRISON: Yeah, I dont disagree with you in that sense.
Yes. Skill, a guy that will be a top-line player, is definitely harder to find
and we are trying to do that at all times. Certainly at some points youre
looking at that guy and youre saying Well, how far away is he? Does he have a
chance? And then youre ranking him versus another guy, whos maybe not a
first-line player, but a second-line player, but you say Hey this guy has those
intangibles, maybe we do that? We havent done that with every pick weve made.
Again Jonas, were always trying to get that top guy with every pick and we feel
like we can get a guy that can impact our lineup were going to take him. SIEGEL:
Yeah, I guess its just easy to look at some of the teams that have advanced deep
into the playoffs, Chicago, L.A., and theyve managed to find some steals later
in the draft. I understand its a crap-shoot and picking Andrew Shaw in the fifth
round, theres got to be some degree of luck to that, but when you look at the
[Leafs] organizations drafting history, is there something youve identified and
said You know what, we can do that better? MORRISON: Well, youre always trying
to get better. In our group, our amateur scouting group here, we talk about it
constantly throughout the whole year every year. What can we do better? With
this particular pick what did we do wrong? What can we improve upon? What did we
miss? Whats something we can make ourselves better at? We do that constantly.
And I think most scouts would tell you theyre extremely proud of the players
that theyve picked that have made it, but they also talk about the failures. We
often compare it to a batter going up to the plate; youre going to fail more
than youre going to succeed. And thats an unfortunate reality that we really
dont want to come to grips with and we dont. We go into that draft thinking with
seven picks were going to get seven players and we want to get seven players out
of every draft. So were always, always trying to get better at. I believe in
this scouting [staff]. I think if you look at a lot of scouting staffs, over
time with experience, they all tend to get better. SIEGEL: When you look at the
group that youve put into place, are you most excited about some of the
prospects that youve been able to assemble on the back-end? You look at
Petter Granberg, you look at Tom Nilsson, Matt Finn, the year that he had. Is
that the area where you probably have the most strength right now? MORRISON:
Thats the group right now thats further along in the cycle. Am I proud of that
group at this particular point? Yes, I am. But they havent got there yet Jonas
and until they get there Im not satisfied and neither are they. I see a group of
forwards too that I think have a lot of potential and are trying to get to that
ultimate goal as well. I just think that all the picks weve made weve put a lot
of our heart and soul into and these kids we know are doing the best they can to
get there. We just need them to take those extra steps and a lot of them seem to
be doing it. And right now it appears some of these defencemen we have are
getting very close so thats a good thing. SIEGEL: When you look at this years
draft, does the unpredictability at the top make it difficult to project what
youre going to be able to land at the eighth pick? MORRISON: I would say so. You
look at a lot of these independent lists and things online and different
publications and theres a real difference in the lists. Maybe, other than a few
guys at the very top, there seems to be a real difference in who likes who. I
would think that its probably the same with 29 teams. Its difficult, but at the
end of the day we know what we like and we know what wed like to get and thats I
think the most important thing going into the draft. SIEGEL: When you look at
some of those publications, aside from the 2-3 guys at the top, it seems to be
winger-heavy at the point where youre picking. If thats the case and obviously
this organizations strength, one of its strengths is on the wing, are you okay
with picking another winger or do you look and say weve got to find a way to
keep addressing the need at centre? You added Gauthier last year. How do you
balance that juggling act? MORRISON: I think we take the best player. I think we
dont think about the position so much as the player and the talent. And thats
the way were going to look at it. We want to get the best player we possibly
can, the player with the most NHL potential and potential impact at the NHL
level when they get there. So thats what were going to do. We wont be
position-specific; its more about the player. SIEGEL: I dont want to go through
all the different guys, but is there a type that youre looking at within that
group, because you seem to have some power wingers, youve got a couple two-way
centres; what about the group coming into this draft strikes you? MORRISON: This
group, theres all different flavours there. Theres really a different bunch of
styles and types in that group. We like quite a few of them. Weve got a
framework now for our list obviously. We know who we like and were confident
were going to get a good player. Its exciting going in.
Trevor Bauer Authentic Jersey .ca contributor Grant McCagg provides a look at some risers and fallers on the prospect watch.
Danny Salazar Jersey . - Joao Plata scored twice in the final 24 minutes, including the winner in stoppage time, to help
Real Salt Lake remain unbeaten with a 3-2 victory over the winless Chicago Fire
on Saturday night.OKLAHOMA CITY -- Not much about Oklahoma City point guard
Russell Westbrook goes unnoticed. In the past week, while much of the NBA has
focused on Kevin Durants run at a possible first MVP award, Westbrook quietly
has been the Thunders most productive and efficient offensive player. Westbrook
turned in another gem on Friday, finishing with 24 points and seven assists in
just 28 minutes to help Oklahoma City beat the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans
116-94 on Friday night. Oklahoma City won its third straight and clinched the
No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Westbrook has been sitting in one
game of back-to-backs, so he has played in just four of Oklahoma Citys past six
games. In those four games, he is averaging 28.5 points, 6.8 assists and 5.3
rebounds while shooting 51 per cent from the field. "Hes well rested and hes
taking advantage of a lot of matchups," Durant, who led the Thunder with 27
points against New Orleans, said. "Thats what we need from him. Hes playing
extremely well. Hes picking and choosing his spots well. Hes playing with a lot
of intensity for us." Westbrook said moving in and out of the lineup hasnt
slowed him down. "My job is to always stay confident, regardless of if Im
playing or if Im missing games," he said. "Just come out with a positive mindset
and try to keep going." Serge Ibaka added 16 points, 10 rebounds and a
season-high eight blocks for the Thunder. "It seemed like he had 10 or 11
blocks," Durant said. "He was protecting the paint. He was there on pick and
rolls. He was there all night." The Thunder shot 54 from the field, made 23 of
27 free throws and committed just 11 turnovers. Oklahoma City led by 25 points
at the end of the third quarter, so Durant and Westbrook rested in the fourth.
Oklahoma City outscored New Orleans 28-0 in fast-break points. "They were able
to steal a lot of buckets in transition," New Orleans guard Austin Rivers said.
"I felt like every time we made one mistake, I felt like they capitalized on it,
where when we got one, we werent able to." Darius Miller scored a career-high 18
points and Rivers had 18 points and eighht rebounds for the Pelicans.
Larry Doby Indians Jersey. New Orleans was without injured starters Anthony Davis (back) and Eric Gordon (left knee
tendinitis). "Our guys, they just scrapped and clawed and tried to do what they
can to help their teammates," New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. "Its a
tough situation playing against a good team." The Thunder took advantage of New
Orleans depleted lineup by taking a 30-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Oklahoma Citys reserves helped the Thunder push the lead to 44-27. New Orleans
went on an 11-0 run before Derek Fisher scored for the Thunder. On Oklahoma
Citys next possession, Durant sent a nice pass to a running Ibaka, who dunked to
put the Thunder up by 10. Durants jumper with three seconds left in the first
half put the Thunder up 60-47 at the break. Westbrook scored 16 points in the
first half on just 10 shots, while Durant and Ibaka added 12 points apiece.
Midway through the third quarter, Rivers got ahead of the pack for what looked
like an easy basket. Ibaka caught up with him and pinned his shot on the glass,
then Durant dunked on the other end to give the Thunder a 75-56 lead. "Hes fast
enough to keep up with guards," Rivers said of Ibaka. "When you have a 7-foot
guy who can jump, running on a fast break on defence, its hard to get to the
basket. Their defence is all on him. Without Ibaka, this is a whole different
team." NOTES: Oklahoma City started its preferred lineup of Durant, Westbrook,
Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha for just the 22nd time this season.
Oklahoma City has played nine starting lineups. ... Durant was presented the
Western Conference Player of the Month award for March before the game. He has
won four out of five months. ... Rivers got his first start of the season, and
New Orleans rookie F Jeff Withey got his second. ... New Orleans G Brian Roberts
left the game with a left ankle injury and did not return. ... New Orleans G
Tyreke Evans left the game with a right knee bone bruise and did not return. ...
Perkins, Durant and Westbrook were issued technical fouls in the third quarter.
Durant picked up his 15th of the season.
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