Leaf of the Day: Volume 2 - Casey Bailey

 

By Alex Hobson

The day was March 21st, 2015. The trade deadline had passed, and the Leafs had accepted that they were bound to head into a rebuild. In an effort to start early in gaining young pieces for the future, then-GM Dave Nonis announced that the Leafs had signed forward Casey Bailey of Penn.State to a two year entry level contract.

A native of Anchorage, Alaska, Bailey began his hockey career playing for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL, racking up 59 points in 60 games. He then attended Penn.State University and recorded 25 points in 23 games in his first season, then went on to record 13 points in 32 games in his second, and in his most recent season, recorded 40 points in 37 games. The 6'3, 195lb forward can play both centre and wing, and has a very hard shot. The 23 year old appeared in the final six games for the Leafs in 2014-15 and scored his first NHL goal on April 11th, 2015, in the Leafs' final game of the season against the Montreal Canadiens, something that every young Leafs fan who played hockey growing up has dreamt of at some point. A contributing factor as to why Bailey chose the Leafs is the fact that he wanted a year burnt off of his entry level contract, and wanted to play in the NHL that year. It's unknown as of now whether Bailey wil play for the Leafs in 2015-16 or be given time in the minors, but time will tell how Bailey progresses as an NHLer.

STATUS: CALL-UP

Given the amount of forwards the Leafs brought in on one year contracts to buy time for their prospects and younger players, it will be hard for Bailey to crack the lineup in 2015-16. That being said, despite the fact that Bailey only recorded one point in the six games he appeared in, he has shown that he can keep up with the speed of the NHL and he will more than likely be a go-to callup for the Leafs when injuries or suspensions hit.

2015-16 ROLE: MARLIES TOP LINE/BOTTOM SIX FORWARD

As stated earlier, it's likely that Bailey spends the majority of the 2015-16 season on the Marlies, but he will definitely be given top line minutes if he's there and possibly have the chance to play alongside of top prospects Kasperi Kapanen and William Nylander, while Bailey takes the right wing. When he does get called up, however, he will likely see bottom six minutes.
What do you think of Bailey, Leafs fans? Weigh in below.