Road to the 2016 NHL Draft: 55th Overall

By Alex Hobson

Welcome back to my "Road to the Draft" series. Yesterday, we took a look at the last ten 56th overall picks, highlighted by Johan Larsson and Lucas Lessio. There are now 55 days until the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, so today we'll look at the last ten 55th overall picks.

2006 - Denis Bodrov, D (Philadelphia Flyers)

Bodrov's only stint in North America came in 2009-10, where he played for the Adriondack Phantoms, recording four points in 17 games.

2007 - T.J. Galiardi, LW (Colorado Avalanche)

Galiardi enjoyed a decent NHL career as a bottom six forward for the Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames, and Winnipeg Jets. He signed with the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL for the 2015-16 season after failing to sign with an NHL team that offseason.

2008 - Marco Scandella, D (Minnesota Wild)

Scandella has enjoyed a solid NHL career as a reliable defenseman for the Minnesota Wild, totaling 76 points in 302 games along the way.

2009 - Dmitri Orlov, D (Washington Capitals)

Orlov has developed into a steady defenseman for the Caps and is now a lock on their core. He acheived his career high in points this season with 29 points in 82 games.

2010- Petr Straka, RW (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Straka didn't make it in the Jackets organization, but now sits comfortably in the Flyers' farm system playing with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. This season, he recorded 37 points in 64 games.

2011 - Ryan Sproul, D (Detroit Red Wings)

Sproul was drafted as a solid, big two way defenseman from the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL and has since become a mainstay on the Wings' AHL team for a few years now. He's acheived a total of 91 points in 215 AHL games.

2012 - Chris Tierney, C (San Jose Sharks)

Tierney has been a reliable bottom six forward for the Sharks who has the potential to grow into a utility forward. He's recorded a total of 41 points in 122 games in his NHL career.

2013 - Artturi Lehkonen, LW (Montreal Canadiens)

The Montreal Canadiens need scoring, and now they potentiall have some, assuming Lehkonen makes the transition to North America. Playing in both the SM-Liiga and the SHL, he's put up great totals for his age. He's recorded 54 points in 96 games in the Liiga and 49 points in 96 games in the SHL.

2014 - Brandon Montour, D (Anaheim Ducks)

Montour came out of nowhere and became one of the best defensive prospects for the Ducks next to Shea Theodore. He's already recorded 67 points in 82 AHL games as a defenseman, so he's making a strong case to make the Ducks full time next season.

2015 - Yakov Trenin, C (Nashville Predators)

Trenin recently completed his second QMJHL season with the Gatineau Olympiques where he recorded 61 points in 57 games. He's so far totaled 128 points in 115 QMJHL games.

BEST PLAYER DRAFTED 55th: Marco Scandella

This list was easily one of the better ones I've done since we started at 60th overall, for both potential steals and current NHLers. Scandella is a regular top four defenseman on the Wild and has solid defensive skills and decent offensive ability to go with it.

RUNNER UPS: Dmitry Orlov, Chris Tierney

POTENTIAL STEALS: Artturi Lehkonen, Brandon Montour

Road to the 2016 NHL Draft: 56th Overall

By Alex Hobson

Welcome back to my "Road to the Draft" series. Yesterday, we took a look at the last ten 57th overall picks, highlighted by Oscar Lindberg and Mike Weber. There are now 56 days until the 2016 NHL Draft, so today we'll look at the last ten 56th overall picks.

2006 - Blake Geoffrion, LW (Nashville Predators)

The grandson of former Montreal Canadiens great Bernie Geoffrion only appeared in 55 NHL games between the Predators and Habs, recording 13 points.

2007 - Akim Aliu, RW (Chicago Blackhawks)

Aliu never made it to the NHL, but had a lengthy AHL career along the way, recording 71 points in 232 games. He now plays for Amur Khabarovsk of the KHL.

2008 - Danny Kristo, RW (Montreal Canadiens)

Kristo has yet to play in the NHL, but he's had a solid AHL career so far. The Eden Prairie native has recorded a total of 140 points in 217 total AHL games.

2009 - Kevin Lynch, C (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Lynch has also never played an NHL game so far, in fact has spent most of his career in the ECHL, totaling 100 points in 140 games. He is now in the Tampa Bay Lightning's system.

2010 - Johan Larsson, C (Minnesota Wild)

Larsson has slowly been groomed into a reliable NHLer, now playing for the Buffalo Sabres. He has amassed a total of 37 points in 142 NHL games.

2011 - Lucas Lessio, LW (Phoenix Coyotes)

Now in the Montreal Canadiens system, Lessio has been a very solid AHLer and only has room to grow. He's totaled 108 points in 165 AHL games.

2012 - Sam Kurker, RW (St. Louis Blues)

Kurker is still developing in the NCAA for the Blues. He recently finished his season with Northeastern University, recording 18 points in 41 games along the way.

2013 - Marc-Olivier Roy, C (Edmonton Oilers)

After a successful junior career with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and the Quebec Remparts, Roy recently finished his first AHL season, recording 20 points in 42 games.

2014 - Ryan Donato, C (Boston Bruins)

Donato had a very impressive high school hockey career and just finished his freshman year with Harvard University with 21 points in 32 games.

2015 - Vince Dunn, D (St. Louis Blues)

Dunn has been a very solid producer in the OHL so far with 132 points in 183 games as a defenseman, and currently has 10 points in eight games with the Ice Dogs throughout the playoffs.

BEST PLAYER DRAFTED 56TH: Johan Larsson

Larsson is without a doubt the best player taken 56th overall since 2006, although it wasn't hard to make that decision given the fact that he's the only one that's played a significant amount of NHL games. The gritty Swede has proven to be the best case taken 56th so far.

RUNNER UP: Lucas Lessio

POTENTIAL STEALS: Ryan Donato, Vince Dunn

Road to the 2016 NHL Draft: 57th Overall

By Alex Hobson

Welcome back to my "Road to the Draft" series. Yesterday, we took a look at the last ten 58th overall picks, highlighted primarily by Nikita Kucherov. There are now 57 days until the 2016 NHL Draft, so today we'll take a look at the last ten 57th overall picks.

2006 - Mike Weber, D (Buffalo Sabres)

Weber has enjoyed a steady career to date as a solid defensive defenseman, totaling 53 points in 351 games splitting time between the Sabres and the Washington Capitals.

2007 - Mike Hoeffel, LW (New Jersey Devils)

Hoeffel never made it to the NHL after a long career as an AHL journeyman, collecting 58 points in 231 games along the way. He left the AHL midway through this season to join the Stavanger Oilers in Norway, where he put up 7 points in 19 games.

2008 - Eric Mestery, D (Washington Capitals)

Mestery had a good WHL career, but ultimately decided to retire from hockey in 2010, claiming that the sport was no longer fun for him and that he wanted to focus on a post secondary education. He made a brief reappearance to the MJHL in 2012 and then played one year of University in 2013 and hasn't played since.

2009 - Taylor Doherty, D (San Jose Sharks)

Doherty, a towering defenseman standing at 6'8 and 238lbs, has spent nearly his whole career with the Worcester Sharks of the AHL. He spent this season with the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL and the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.

2010 - Oscar Lindberg, C (Phoenix Coyotes)

Lindberg spent a large chunk of his career with Skelleftea of the SHL before being traded to the New York Rangers. He recently played in his first full NHL season with the Rangers, finishing with 28 points in 68 games.

2011 - Tyler Wotherspoon, D (Calgary Flames)

Wotherspoon has spent his whole career in the Calgary Flames organization. The reliable defensive defenseman has had small stints in the NHL, but has been continuing to develop in the AHL for the most part.

2012 - Alexandre Mallet, RW (Vancouver Canucks)

Mallet has spent the majority of his pro career in the ECHL, playing with the Kalamazoo Wings and Stockton Thunder for a small period of time. He's totaled 119 points in 170 ECHL games.

2013 - William Carrier, RW (St. Louis Blues)

Carrier was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in a multi player deal shortly after the draft. He just finished his second full AHL season, where he ammassed a total of 30 points in 56 games.

2014 - Johnathan MacLeod, D (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Macleod is not overly skilled nor is he fast, but he plays a punishing physical game. He finished this season with two points in 26 games for Boston University.

2015 - Jonas Siegenthaler, D (Washington Capitals)

Siegenthaler plays a reliable defensive game, and has experience playing with men already. Put up eight points in 50 games with the ZSC Lions of the NLA in Switzerland.

BEST PLAYER DRAFTED 57th: Oscar Lindberg

Lindberg had a pretty good rookie campaign for the Rangers this season, and at age 24 he only has room to get better. That being said, this is probably the weakest list I've completed so far. Lindberg could easily up his total in the future however.

RUNNER UP: Mike Weber

POTENTIAL STEALS: William Carrier, Jonas Siegenthaler

Road to the 2016 NHL Draft: 58th Overall

By Alex Hobson

Welcome back to my "Road to the Draft" series. Yesterday, we took a look at the last ten players drafted 59th overall, highlighted by Brandon Pirri and Jason Zucker. There are 58 days left until the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, so today we'll look at the last ten 58th overall picks.

2006 - Alexander Vasyunov, LW (New Jersey Devils)

Vasyunov was once regarded as a top prospect for the Devils coming out of the 2006 NHL Draft. After a brief stint in the NHL and AHL for the Devils organization, he returned to Russia. He unfortunately passed away during his tenure with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, when their team plane crashed on September 7th, 2011.

2007 - Nick Spaling, C (Nashville Predators)

Spaling, while never really being looked at as an exciting player, has enjoyed a steady NHL career playing for a number of different teams including the Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and San Jose Sharks. He has amassed a total of 124 points in 437 career NHL games as a solid defensive forward.

2008 - Dmitri Kugryshev, RW (Washington Capitals)

Kugryshev never panned out in the NHL, but had brief stints in the AHL and ECHL and has since been enjoying a solid KHL career in his native Russia with CSKA Moscow.

2009 - Jesse Blacker, D (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Blacker had a successful OHL career between the Windsor Spitfires and Owen Sound Attack, but has yet to find his groove in the NHL or AHL. He's played in one NHL game, and has recorded 85 points in 280 AHL games.

2010 - Kent Simpson, G (Chicago Blackhawks)

One of the best looking goalie prospects out of the 2010 NHL Draft, Simpson also hasn't found his groove in the minors. He's spent this season in the Calgary Flames' farm system, splitting time between the AHL's Stockton Thunder and the ECHL's Adriondack Thunder.

2011 - Nikita Kucherov, RW (Tampa Bay Lightning)

After very successful stints in Russia, the QMJHL, and the AHL, Kucherov assumed a full time NHL role in 2014-15, where he immediately made an impact, recording 64 points in 82 games. This season, he recorded his first 30 goal season at age 22 as part of a 66 point, 77 game campaign with the Lightning.

2012 - Jordan Martinook, RW (Phoenix Coyotes)

Martinook played in his first full NHL season this year, recording a total of 24 points in 81 games. He looks to be a potential solid utility forward in the future for the Yotes.

2013 - Tyler Bertuzzi, LW (Detroit Red Wings)

The nephew of former NHL power forward Todd Bertuzzi, Tyler enjoyed a decent campaign in his first pro season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, recording 30 points in 71 games.

2014 - Christian Dvorak, LW (Arizona Coyotes)

Dvorak is looking to be a great pick for the Coyotes so far. Appearing on the OHL's powerhouse London Knights' top line alongside of Mitch Marner and Matthew Tkachuk, Dvorak amassed a total of 121 points in 59 games in what will be his final OHL season.

2015 - Kevin Stenlund, C (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Stenlund spent this season with HV71 of the SHL, recording two points in 43 games. He had a good campaign with HV71 J20, however, with 24 points in 17 games.

BEST PLAYER DRAFTED 58TH: Nikita Kucherov

It's not hard to make this decision here, as this is another weak class of prospects. Kucherov has already had a 30 goal season at age 22 and has locked himself into Tampa Bay's young core featuring the likes of Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, and Steven Stamkos. Kucherov is already a very talented player and still has lots of time to get better.

RUNNER UP: Nick Spaling

POTENTIAL STEALS: Christian Dvorak, Tyler Bertuzzi

Road to the 2016 NHL Draft: 59th Overall

By Alex Hobson

Welcome back to my "Road to the Draft" series. Yesterday, we took a look at the last ten players taken 60th overall, highlighted by Tomas Tatar, Jimmy Hayes, and Stephen Johns. There are 59 days left until the draft, so today we'll look at the last ten players drafted 59th overall.

2006 - Codey Burki, C (Colorado Avalanche)

Burki never played a single NHL game since being drafted. He bounced around between the AHL and ECHL, and is now playing in Switzerland for EHC Olten.

2007 - Drew Schiestel, D (Buffalo Sabres)

Like Burki, Schiestel never panned out in the NHL. While in North America, he was an AHL regular with 240 games under his belt, and is now playing in Denmark for Rungsted Seier Capital.

2008 - Tyler Beskorowany, G (Dallas Stars)

Yet another player who never panned out in the NHL, Beskorowany spent the majority of his career playing in the ECHL and AHL, and is now playing for Nurnberg Ice Panther of the DEL.

2009 - Brandon Pirri, LW (Chicago Blackhawks)

Pirri is the first player on this list to have stablized a solid NHL career to date. He played a handful of games with the Blackhawks, then spent time with the Florida Panthers and currently plays for the Anaheim Ducks. He's recorded a total of 80 points in 166 NHL games.

2010 - Jason Zucker, LW (Minnesota Wild)

Zucker has spent his entire career to date with the Minnesota Wild, and has established himself as a regular top nine forward for them. The California Product has a total of 61 points in 169 games as an effective penalty killer for the WIld.

2011 - Rasmus Bengtsson, D (Florida Panthers)

Bengtsson has spent almost his entire career playing in Europe, most recently (and currently) with IF Bjorkloven of Allsvenskan in Sweden, where he's totaled 10 points in 24 games.

2012 - Boo Nieves, C (New York Rangers)

Nieves has yet to appear in an NHL game, but he's improved his offensive game over the years. He finished his season this year with the University of Michigan with 31 points in 35 games and has appeared in eight games with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers' affiliate, recording five points.

2013 - Eric Comrie, G (Winnipeg Jets)

Comrie was hailed as one of the nation's top goaltending prospects last season, playing on Canada's WJC team alongside of Zach Fucale, and spent this season with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.

2014 - Brandon Halverson, G (New York Rangers)

Halverson spent his past few seasons playing for the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL, and was on Team USA for the WJC this season. He is eligible to play in the AHL next year.

2015 - Julius Nattinen, C (Anaheim Ducks)

Nattinen moved to North America after being selected by the Anaheim Ducks last season and this year recorded 71 points in 52 games with the Barrie Colts.

TOP PLAYER DRAFTED 59TH: Brandon Pirri

This list is without a doubt weaker than yesterday's, but Pirri isn't all that bad. He scored 20 goals last season and is still young, and could definitely do it again.

RUNNER UP: Jason Zucker

POTENTIAL STEALS: Eric Comrie, Brandon Halverson, Julius Nattinen

Road to the 2016 NHL Draft: 60th Overall

By Alex Hobson

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to my brand new series here on PHU. We will call this one "Road to the Draft". What will happen is I will be counting down the days until the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, and for each day, I'll take a look at the last 10 picks to be taken at that number. For example, when there's 37 days until the draft, I'll take a look at the last ten 37th overall picks taken in between 2006 and 2015. Not only will this be an exciting way to hype up for the draft, it'll also show you guys how well good scouting can work out for some teams.

To kick things off, there are currently 60 days until the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, so we'll be tackling the last ten 60th overall selections. Let's take a look, starting in 2006.

2006 - Jesse Joensuu, LW (New York Islanders)

Drafted as a hulking power forward out of the SM-Liiga, Joensuu appeared in a total of 129 NHL games, posting 24 points along the way. He split time between the New York Islanders and the Edmonton Oilers. Is currently playing for Jokerit of the KHL.

2007 - Ruslan Bashkirov, LW (Ottawa Senators)

Bashkirov had somewhat high hopes after posting 67 points in 64 games in his rookie QMJHL season, but never panned out for the Senators and has since spent his entire playing career in Russia, splitting time between the KHL and the VHL.

2008 - Jimmy Hayes, LW (Toronto Maple Leafs)

The first pick on this list to have stabilized a solid NHL career, Hayes never actually played for the Maple Leafs but has become an established NHLer playing for the Florida Panthers and now the Boston Bruins. Has a career total of 95 points in 243 NHL games.

2009 - Tomas Tatar, LW (Detroit Red Wings)

Tatar is a classic Detroit Red Wings pick. Skilled European forward that was kept in the minors until management knew he was ready for sure, and is now a key player for the Wings. He's had a solid career to date, recording 148 points in 203 NHL Games.

2010 - Stephen Johns, D (Chicago Blackhawks)

Johns was drafted as a big, gritty, defensive defenseman who teams hate to play against. He never appeared in any games for the Hawks, as he was dealt along with Patrick Sharp to the Dallas Stars in July, but has since become a reliable bottom pair defenseman for the Stars. Has a total of three points in 14 NHL games to date.

2011 - Mario Lucia, LW (Minnesota Wild)

A big left winger drafted out of college, Lucia is a rare native of Alaska and has been reliable for the University of Notre Dame, recording 24 points in 37 games this season. He has since joined the Wild's AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, where he's totaled four points in nine games.

2012 - Damon Severson, D (New Jersey Devils)

It's hard to tell whether or not Severson will end up being the best player drafted 60th overall since 2006 right now, but he definitely developed the quickest. He's become a regular defenseman on the Devils' core, recording 21 points in 72 games this season.

2013 - Linus Arnesson, D (Boston Bruins)

Arenesson made the transition from Sweden to North America full time this season, and has been a staple on the Providence Bruins' defensive core as a stay at home guy. That being said, his offensive totals are underwhelming, with only five assists in 48 games.

2014 - Alex Lintuniemi, D (Los Angeles Kings)

Lintuniemi was drafted as a big, defensive defenseman who fits the Kings' play style. He could be a project, however. He was cut from the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate, and has spent this season on their ECHL team, the Manchester Monarchs, recording 18 points in 38 games.

2015 - Oliver Kylington, D (Calgary Flames)

Kylington has a rather odd story. He was originally hailed as a top five pick in the deep 2015 NHL Draft, but due to injury slipped to the second round, where the Flames were able to snag him with their pick. He finished his AHL season with the Stockton Heat, recording 12 points in 47 games.

BEST PLAYER TAKEN 60TH: Tomas Tatar

It's easy to say that Tatar has looked like a steal for the Red Wings. With a career high of 57 points and regular top six minutes on his resume, he's looking like a potential solid player for years to come.

RUNNER UPS: Jimmy Hayes, Damon Severson

POTENTIAL STEALS: Oliver Kylington, Stephen Johns

Three Reasons the Maple Leafs Should Take Pierre-Luc Dubois over Matthew Tkachuk

By Alex Hobson

The scenario that no Toronto Maple Leafs fan wants to see is that of the odds going against them in the lottery and seeing them drop to fourth overall in the upcoming 2016 NHL Entry Draft, therefore missing out on the highly-touted Auston Matthews and explosive finnish wingers Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi. Lots of fans hope that if the Leafs do fall down to fourth overall, that they select London Knights forward Matthew Tkachuk. While Tkachuk would be a very solid pick, I think they would benefit more from selecting big forward Pierre-Luc Dubois should they fall to fourth. Here's why.

SIZE

I don't have a problem against Tkachuk, and I would still be happy if they picked him at 4th. However, there are a few reasons I'd be happier if they took a chance on Dubois. One of the reasons here is that he's bigger, standing at 6'3 and 209lb, and while judging a player's value based on size isn't smart, the Leafs lack some bigger, power forward type prospects in the organization. At this point they have Tobias Lindberg and Frederik Gauthier as their top two bigger prospects, so Dubois would be a smart pick.

LESS POINTS, BUT LESS AROUND HIM

Matthew Tkachuk had an incredible season, posting 107 points in 57 games for the Knights, but keep in mind that he was playing in the midst of an unbelievably stacked Knights team including the likes of Mitch Marner, Christian Dvorak, Max Jones, Olli Juolevi, and J.J. Piccinich. Dubois also had a great season despite having less points than Tkachuk, recording 42 goals and 99 points in 62 games. The difference is that Dubois didn't have the same skill around him like Marner did. He was primarily playing with Evgeni Svechnikov and Maxim Lazarev, both solid players but nowhere near the level of skill Tkachuk had.

CAN PLAY BOTH POSITIONS

The other problem I'd have with the Leafs taking Tkachuk at #4, is that he's a winger. The Leafs are absolutely stockpiled with winger prospects, including Mitch Marner, Nikita Soshnikov, Connor Brown, Dmytro Timashov, and Brendan Leipsic among others. However, they're relatively thin at centre, of course William Nylander is solid there, but after him they only really have players like Colin Smith and Frederik Gauthier lining up behind him. Dubois can play both wing and centre, which is a valuable asset to have as a player. If the Leafs could groom him into a full time centre, he could potentially grow into a number one, but only time will tell.
Thanks for reading.

Best Leafs' Pick For Each Possible Draft Scenario

By Alex Hobson

For any die hard NHL fan, the main conversation right now is playoff hockey. Whether your team is in the playoffs or not, playoff hockey is the most exciting time of the season. Where hits are harder, goals are more exciting, and fans are louder, you just can't beat it. That being said, fans of lottery teams (Leafs fans especially) are counting down the days until the draft lottery, which is scheduled to take place on April 30th at 7pm eastern time. That night will determine whether the Leafs take assumed top pick Auston Matthews at #1, or select second, third, or fourth. I'm going to take this opportunity to break down who I think the Leafs should select at each possible pick they could get.

1ST OVERALL - Auston Matthews



Is there really any debate to this conversation? Yes, you could potentially argue that explosive finnish winger Patrik Laine could challenge Matthews for the top pick, but with that being said it's like comparing Jamie Benn to Jonathan Toews. At this point, the Leafs are more in need of a Jonathan Toews than a Benn. Number one centres don't grow on trees, and if the Leafs are lucky enough to pick at #1, they should take Matthews without any hesitation. A big, playmaking centre who makes his linemates better and put up over a point per game in the Swiss League this season could truly be a gift for the Leafs.

2ND OVERALL - Patrik Laine

Everybody is looking forward to the Matthews sweepstakes, but if the Leafs slip to second overall, I wouldn't neccessarily complain. It would be unfortunate should they miss out on Matthews, but Laine would be an absolute treat to both have and watch. He could easily be a future number one winger in the NHL and has the assets to put up a ton of points. To me, he has the explosiveness of Jamie Benn and the shot of Alexander Ovechkin. A combination of those two players is enough to make any fan drool. Another asset he sports is size, standing at 6'4 and 209 which is also very attractive to many GMs and scouts.

3RD OVERALL - Jesse Puljujarvi



Assuming Matthews and Laine go first overall, the Leafs should not hesitate to pick up Puljujarvi. He's very, very similar to Laine as they both have a big shot, size, and explosiveness. After the 2016 World Juniors, Puljujarvi and Laine locked themselves in at second and third overall after recording 17 and 13 points respectively. The only difference between them is that Puljujarvi is slightly smaller and is more of an all around player, while Laine is flashy and all offense. Nevertheless, the Leafs should be happy with either of these big Finns.

4TH OVERALL - Pierre-Luc Dubois

No Leafs fan wants this to happen. Nobody wants to see their beloved buds have a terrible season and THEN miss out on a top three pick, therefore missing out on the Finns and Matthews. However, there are still some great players available at number four. Some of these include Matthew Tkachuk, Jakob Chychrun, and Alexander Nylander along with Dubois. Many think Tkachuk is the consensous pick at #4 should the Leafs fall there because he has the London Knights connection to Mark Hunter. However, I think the Leafs would be smart to go with Dubois here. Even though Tkachuk produced more points, he was also in the midst of a stacked Knights team playing with Leafs prospect Mitch Marner along with Christian Dvorak, Max Jones, Olli Juolevi, and J.J. Piccinich. Dubois is big, standing at 6'3 and 201lb, and he produced 99 points in 62 games despite not having the same type of core around him. He can also play both wing and centre, so he seems like an ideal fit for the Leafs.
Thanks for reading.

Leafs Get Two Steals in Rielly, Kadri Deals

By Alex Hobson

On April 14th, 2016, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced the signings of forward Nazem Kadri and defenseman Morgan Rielly to six year contract extensions. This was expected, but came out a lot sooner than people thought. It was announced only two days prior that the Leafs had begun talks with Morgan Rielly and there were no reports of talks between the Leafs and Kadri at all. Yet today, the deal officially happened.

Leafs sign Kadri and Rielly to 6-year deals.

— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) April 13, 2016

Now, the majority of fans were left on their heels when the terms of the contracts were not announced until a half hour later, and for the most part, everyone was pleasantly surprised. Kadri would make $4.5 million annually through 2021-2022, while Rielly would make $5 million annually through 2021-2022. To speed things up, I'm here to explain why these are both very good deals.

NAZEM KADRI

Kadri isn't exactly the most supported player among Leafs fans. Many feel he is a "diva" and plays too risky by embelleshing a little too much. That being said, they should celebrate him for what they have. He's an effective second line centre who improved his defensive game greatly under Mike Babcock and loves getting under the skin of his opponents. He became one of the league's most hated players leaguewide this season, which is always a good thing. He drew the most penalties in the league this season and put up 46 points playing alongside of regular third liners in Michael Grabner and Leo Komarov this season. A first line of James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri, and William Nylander next season could be very exciting to watch.

Now let's look at his contract and see if it matches up to his play. Personally, I think the Leafs made the right decision with Kadri in ending the bridge deals and locking him up long term. The average salary for a second liner is between $3-5 million, and like I said before, Kadri had a solid season for the Leafs given the fact that he was focusing on improving his defensive game and played with third liners for the majority of the season.

 With players such as William Nylander, Nikita Soshnikov, and Mitch Marner likely to reserve full time roles on the Leafs next season, along with the possibility of Auston Matthews or Steven Stamkos donning a Leafs jersey next season, Kadri's offensive totals could really shoot up.

MORGAN RIELLY

Rielly is a somewhat different case, but they also got a very, very good deal out of him. Lots of young offensive defenseman have been given the same deal. A couple comparables are Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Dougie Hamilton, and T.J. Brodie. Rielly's offensive totals have gone up slowly each year, with his 36 points this year being his career high, and similar to Kadri's case, if the Leafs' offense improves next season as a whole, we could see an actual breakout season from Rielly. He put up 36 points while only playing on the powerplay unit for half the season and like Kadri, spent the year focusing on improving his defensive game.

In terms of his contract, Rielly actually makes less than both OEL and Hamilton. While that may not matter now, if he develops the way he should then we could very well be celebrating a steal three or four years down the line. Paired with the right defenseman and given powerplay time with skilled forwards in the future, Rielly could potentially hit 50 points, which wouldn't be an unrealistic thought given the fact that he's a former fifth overall pick.

All in all, Rielly's contract was probably the better one out of the two, but both are very good. Rielly has improved his play each year significantly and has shown no signs of stopping under Mike Babcock, so down the line I think he could end up being a steal for $5 million a year, and that goes for Kadri at $4.5 million a year, too.

Thanks for reading.