McKegg, Ross Shine in Respective Debuts

The Leafs top two picks from this past June's NHL Entry Draft earned weekly honours for their outstanding play during the first week of the junior hockey season.

Greg McKegg of the Erie Otters was named the Ontario Hockey League player of the week (September 27th to October 3rd) after posting 3 goals and 4 assists, along with a +2 rating, in 7 games with Erie.

Leafs 2010 second round pick (43rd overall) Brad Ross was named the Western Hockey League player of the week after scoring 5 goals and 1 assist, along with a +6 rating, in 4 games with the Portland Winterhawks.

Toronto's seventh round pick in 2010, Josh Nicholls, has gotten off to a strong start with the WHL's Saskatoon Blades, with 10 points in his first 6 games. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound centre is flourishing in his new role with the Blades.

Final Rookie Camp Thoughts

The Leafs official training camp is already underway, but I wanted to post my final thoughts on the annual Rookie Tournament that took place last weekend.

• Jussi Rynnas has a very projectable frame and covers a substantial amount of the net. His lateral movement and positioning are his key assets. Look for him to earn a few call ups to the Leafs this season.
• Ben Scrivens is also a sizeable goaltender who impressed with a sound butterfly style in his only appearance. He still needs at least one season in the minor leagues.
• Andrew Engelage had a tough break against the Ottawa Senators in the Leafs final game of the tournament. Looks like a future number one goaltender in the AHL.
• Jesse Blacker was one of the Leafs best defenseman and impressed me with his outstanding work ethic and puck moving skills.
• Simon Gysbers and Korbinian Holzer will both play in the AHL next season, but are potential top four studs in the NHL down the road. Both have great size.
• Former seventh round pick Barron Smith is a project but a potential steal from the later rounds. Has raw skills and willing to get physical in the corners.
• Drew Paris drew some attention as a tryout player.
• Brad Ross is the next coming of Darcy Tucker. Skill, grit and heart.
• Dale Mitchell and Sam Carrick both had good speed and weren't afraid to drop the mitts.
• Newly signed Marcel Mueller and late round pick Sondre Olden remind me of Viktor Stalberg and both could get a shot at a top nine role for Toronto in the future.
• Greg McKegg and Jerry D'Amigo are both only one year away from full time roles in the NHL.
• Brayden Irwin owns a big league shot, but his skating deficiencies with limit him from making an impact with the Leafs.
• Hate to say it, but Mike Liambas is an effective fighter and deserves a shot in the AHL or ECHL. Challenged Jay Rosehill to a fight in the Leafs main camp.
• Finally, Nazem Kadri showed flashes of brilliance but didn't dominate play. Possibly he was giving a sneak peek of what he would display at the Leafs official training camp.

Let the games begin!

Previewing the Leafs Rookie Tournament

After another missed opportunity last season that led to an extended off season, the Leafs are back in action tonight with their annual Rookie Tournament. The Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at 7:00 pm the John Labatt Centre in London, Ont. Along with the Leafs and Blackhawks, the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins are also participating in the tournament.

The Leafs prospects practiced this morning, which was followed by the Penguins facing off against the Senators, who kicked off the tournament today at 2:00 pm. The Leafs will also take on Pittsburgh tomorrow at 7:00 pm and Ottawa on Tuesday at 7:00 pm.

The annual tournament gives teams an opportunity to watch their top prospects compete against other teams’ top prospects. It also gives players a chance to impress the coaching staff and potentially vie for a spot in the National Hockey League.

Recently signed Finn Jussi Rynnas, who posted a 14-13-1 record in the SM-Liiga last season, will start in net for Toronto. All three goalies will see action during the tournament, with Ben Scrivens expected to start tomorrow night’s game against Pittsburgh and Andrew Engelage to play on Tuesday against Ottawa. Rynnas is expected to split time with James Reimer on the Toronto Marlies this season, while Scrivens and Engelage need seasoning in the East Coast Hockey League.

Perhaps the most heralded prospect in this weekend’s tournament is Nazem Kadri, who will play in front of the hometown fans in London tonight. After bulking up to 188 pounds in the off season, Kadri will be back with a vengeance and vying for a spot on the Maple Leafs out of training camp.

Recent draft picks Bradley Ross (2010 Draft, 43rd overall) and Greg McKegg (62nd overall) with dress for the Leafs, while member of the German Olympic Team Marcel Mueller will also skate for Toronto. Former Erie Otter Michael Liambas, who performed the vicious hit on Kitchener Rangers defenseman Ben Fanelli last season, was invited to the Leafs training camp in hopes of playing in the American Hockey League this season. Jerry D’Amigo, Brayden Irwin and Kenny Ryan will also play for the blue and white.

On defense, Jesse Blacker and Korbinian Holzer are the more prominent names, while Keith Aulie, who was expected to play, is opting out of the tournament to continue to rehabilitate his injured shoulder. He is still practicing with the team on game days.

The Chicago Blackhawks also boast an impressive lineup, led by former first round pick Kyle Beach, along with Jeremy Morin, who was acquired in the Dustin Byfuglien swap. Former Leaf Chris DiDomenico will also suit up for tonight’s game.

Following the game, the Leafs prospects will be signing autographs for 30 minutes on the main floor of the John Labatt Centre in London, Ont.

The Leafs complete roster can be found here and the full tournament schedule here.

If you’re not attending tonight’s game, but are still interested in watching the tournament, tune into Rogers TV or MapleLeafs.com at 7:00 pm. The game will also be replayed on Leafs TV at 11:00 pm. Visit www.leafsnationonline.com following the game for a recap of what happened and analysis of the game.

I’ll be in attendance at tonight’s game, where I’ll be providing updates on the game and sharing my thoughts on each player throughout the contest. Follow us on Twitter @leafsnationweb for the latest throughout the weekend.

News and Notes

Complete Rookie Tournament Roster Announced

The Maple Leafs released their complete 28-man roster today for next weekend's Rookie Tournament in London. To view the full roster, click here.

NHL 11

For those of you who haven't purchased a copy of EA SPORTS NHL 11, I'd highly recommend that you go and out get one. There were no drastic changes from NHL 10, however some of the added features such as EA Sports Ultimate Hockey League and the addition of the three Canadian junior leagues - OHL, WHL, QMJHL. There are also many other game refinements and alterations including enhanced faceoff control, user celebrations, more variety of dekes and disallowed goals. In the Be A GM Mode, there is a differential between UFAs and RFAs, which enhances the realistic aspect of managing your own hockey team.

Season Preview

Our daily player-by-player previews continue with Carl Gunnarsson tomorrow and Brett Lebda on Thursday. Following that, we will preview the top 14 forwards before moving onto general season previews on September 24th. Leafs Nation Online will also have you covered for the Rookie Tournament this weekend and the Leafs main training camp, which begins on September 16th. Things are starting to ramp up around here, so make sure to visit regularly for the latest on the Leafs.

Blogroll

If you think you're blog should be displayed under our 'link' tab at the top of the page or want your article to be featured in our weekly 'Saturday Morning Coffee' column, please send an email to info@leafsnationonline.com or post your link in the comments section below.

Rookie Tournament Coverage

The Maple Leafs official training camp doesn’t get under way until September 16th, although the future will be showcased when the Leafs annual rookie tournament begins this Saturday at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. The team of Leafs prospects – which includes former first round pick Nazem Kadri, newly signed Marcel Mueller, Jussi Rynnas, Jesse Blacker, Keith Aulie, Ben Scrivens, Brayden Irwin, Jamie Devane, Kenny Ryan, Bradley Ross, Greg McKegg, Sam Carrick and Josh Nicholls – will participate in three games over the four-day tournament.

The Leafs prospects open the tournament against the Chicago Blackhawks at 7:00pm on Saturday night. Following that, they faceoff against the Pittsburgh Penguins next Sunday and Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. The four-team tournament is an annual event held by the Leafs that gives the organization an indication of where their prospects are at on the developmental track and how they match up against other team’s top prospects. Some of the players participating in the camp will have the opportunity to display their talents to bid for a bigger role at the main camps.

Leafs Nation Online will have exclusive coverage of the event, with pre-and-post game coverage of all three Leaf games, exclusive player profiles, game photos, and instant updates throughout the tournament. I'll be in attendance for Saturday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks and will be posting live tweets throughout the game with thoughts on each player. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Twitter @leafsnationweb to recieve updates throughout the weekend.

The full tournament schedule and complete Leafs roster can be found here. Last minute tickets can be purchased at the John Labatt Centre Box Office, by calling (866) 455-2849 or visiting online at http://www.johnlabattcentre.com/.

Stay tuned for updates this week leading up to the tournament.