Leafs Picks (Rounds 2-7)

[bryant08]

The Leafs took:

60. RW Jimmy Hayes (compared to Tkatchuk)
98. C MIkhail Stefanovich (compared to Frank Mahovlich, although that has been stated as a bad comparison)
128. D Greg Pateryn
129. C Joel Champagne
130. LW Jerome Flaake
158. G Grant Rollhesier
188. D Andrew Macwilliam

I know nothing about the picks from after Stefanovich, but what I know about Hayes is he was predicted as a top 10 pick earlier (about a year ago) and then went on a slump and had major injury troubles. From HockeysFuture:

Hayes has a big body, works hard and plays very well in a team concept. With his size, you expect Hayes to be a punishing power forward. While he's not going to shy away from the tough stuff, he is really known for his hands and work around the net. He is a big, strong, forward who is learning to use his power as he continues to grow into his frame. He is also noted as fast skater with very big and long strides.

Stefanovich is apparently a great goalscorer but very inconsistent:

On paper, Stefanovich looks to have all the tools that teams look for: a blend of scoring ability and size. Stefanovich’s sharpshooting abilities and offensive instincts are top notch, but his effort is inconsistent at best. Though he is willing to drive to the net, Stefanovich is a player who mainly fights through contact but doesn’t initiate physical play. His skating needs work, especially his acceleration, but his hockey sense and his ability to read to play softens the blow of this weakness.

[Test of Wills]

Jimmy Hayes is a character kid and is a stud he has the potential to be a 2nd-line centre his mothers cousins with Keith Tkachuk and Tom Fitzgerald so I think you are getting confused with him being compared to Tkachuk.

The winger from Dorchester, Mass., was taken 60th overall by the Maple Leafs at the NHL draft on Saturday. He had originally been ranked higher but slipped a little after an off year with Lincoln in the United States Hockey League.

Hayes' mother is cousins with St. Louis Blues forward Keith Tkachuk and former NHLer Tom Fitzgerald and he's spent time around both guys while growing up.

I also think Stefanovich is an ABSOLUTE steal, he is a sniper who had 36 goals last season and I believe he was targeted by the Detroit Red Wings.

[bryant08]

Jimmy Hayes is a character kid and is a stud he has the potential to be a 2nd-line centre his mothers cousins with Keith Tkachuk and Tom Fitzgerald so I think you are getting confused with him being compared to Tkachuk.

The winger from Dorchester, Mass., was taken 60th overall by the Maple Leafs at the NHL draft on Saturday. He had originally been ranked higher but slipped a little after an off year with Lincoln in the United States Hockey League.

Hayes' mother is cousins with St. Louis Blues forward Keith Tkachuk and former NHLer Tom Fitzgerald and he's spent time around both guys while growing up.

I also think Stefanovich is an ABSOLUTE steal, he is a sniper who had 36 goals last season and I believe he was targeted by the Detroit Red Wings.

Nope, I talked to this guy (my prospect guru) who was the one who gave me the comparison. I heard about this as well, but he did in fact compare his game to Tkachuk.

[Crowned]

Jimmy Hayes is a character kid and is a stud he has the potential to be a 2nd-line centre his mothers cousins with Keith Tkachuk and Tom Fitzgerald so I think you are getting confused with him being compared to Tkachuk.

The winger from Dorchester, Mass., was taken 60th overall by the Maple Leafs at the NHL draft on Saturday. He had originally been ranked higher but slipped a little after an off year with Lincoln in the United States Hockey League.

Hayes' mother is cousins with St. Louis Blues forward Keith Tkachuk and former NHLer Tom Fitzgerald and he's spent time around both guys while growing up.

I also think Stefanovich is an ABSOLUTE steal, he is a sniper who had 36 goals last season and I believe he was targeted by the Detroit Red Wings.

Nope, I talked to this guy (my prospect guru) who was the one who gave me the comparison. I heard about this as well, but he did in fact compare his game to Tkachuk.

Hayes compared himself to Tkachuk, so I think your 'prospect guru' is taking far too much credit

[bryant08]

^lol I just asked him to give me the low down on Hayes and he's like comparable to Tkachuk. Then I asked him about him being related to him and he's like yeah, but he's modelled his game after him.

He also said he believes from Rounds 2-7, likely 2 players in Hayes/Stefanovich will develop into NHLers, while there is a chance not a single player could.

[bryant08]

Hayes also compared himself to Getzlaf ( )

Leafs coming home after going big at draft

Jun 22, 2008 04:30 AM

Kevin McGran
SPORTS REPORTER

OTTAWA–Big and strong.

The Maple Leafs drafted eight players in seven rounds of the NHL draft, and all of them were described that way.

The shortest was 6-foot-1 1/2.

"That was part of the strategy," said general manager Cliff Fletcher. "Historically, I've always liked big players. We needed some size in our organization."

The Leafs took 6-foot-2 defenceman Luke Schenn with the fifth overall pick Friday night, and had seven picks yesterday.

The Leafs claimed centre Jimmy Hayes, a Boston native, with the 60th pick, one garnered from the Hal Gill trade with Pittsburgh. At 6-foot-4 1/2, Hayes likens his game to that of Ryan Getzlaf.

Hayes impressed the Leafs at the combine.

"They asked me a question: They had a little pill and they said if I take the pill I'd be a rookie of the year, get a million dollars and win a Stanley Cup, But the catch was I'd have a 50 per cent chance of dying at 35. Would I take it?

"I said for sure I'd take it."

Scouts had Hayes pegged as a high first-rounder when the season began, but his stock fell because he lost half a season because of a dispute over his rights in the U.S. Hockey League. A cousin of former Maple Leaf Tom Fitzgerald, Hayes is heading to NCAA champion Boston College.

"I didn't have the season I wanted to have," said Hayes. "I was a high prospect. I still think I'm a high prospect, but I'm glad I got to fall to the Toronto Maple Leafs."

With the 98th pick, Toronto chose Belarussian Mikhail Stefanovich, a 6-foot-1 3/4 centre who scored 32 goals in the Quebec league last year. Those who know him say he had trouble adapting to life in North America, and that might have been a reason for an uneven season that also saw his stock drop.

The Leafs say they'll work with the skilled forward to help him overcome his shyness. He wasn't at the draft because of visa problems.

Toronto had three picks in a row in the fifth round – 128, 129 and 130 – and chose American defenceman Greg Pateryn (6-foot-3), Quebec centre Joel Champagne (6-foot-2) and German left winger Jerome Flaake (6-foot-3).

In the sixth round, the Leafs took 6-foot-4 goalie Grant Rollheiser from Tier II Trail in the BCHL.

With their last pick, the Leafs took that "short" player, the 6-foot-1 1/2 Andrew MacWilliam, a defenceman from Tier II Camrose, Alta.

http://www.thestar.com/Hockey/NHL/article/447321

[kelso]

This was a great draft for the Leafs. I'm totally stoked about the guys we got, especially Schenn who will wear the C in Toronto for 10+ years IMO. Forget Adam Foote, I think he plays like Scott Stevens (okay, a bit of Homer in there, but we haven't had a whole lot to get excited about in a while, no?)...

I think Hayes will be a player as well. Reminds me of a bigger Bobby Ryan (the Ducks pick #2 after Crosby) and Ryan had 49 pts in 48 games this past season for Portland. I can see him and Dale Mitchell on a line down the road with a Euro mixed in there on the wing, or even Robbie Earl. Thats a fast, strong line with 3 guys that have hands and 2 guys that will put you through the boards.

I'm REALLY excited to see what we do now. Get going Cliff- I'm sick of waiting!

[Test of Wills]

I strongly agree with you Kelso.
Cliff is building through the draft and I'm ecstatic to get Luke Schenn who will anchor our D for at least 10+ years and wearing that C. Him and Anton Stralmon should be able to build a strong top pairing in the future. Jimmy Hayes I think he can be a very solid 2nd-3rd line player he is big and very strong, as long as he learns how to use that big frame which I heard is a weakness of his he will be very solid. Stefanovich will I think be 2nd line guy ONLY if he improves his work ethic and attacks the net more I'm shocked to get him because there was many like the Red Wings who wanted this kid late-1st early-2nd along with Anton Gustaffson.