#LeafsFever
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 3,785
Likes: 932
I'd call it the curious case of Justin Brazeau because, perhaps, more than anything else, the guy is a late bloomer. When the Leafs pitched him on an AHL contract (not the ideal contract security he was looking for), they proposed it as a multi-tier, body and mind, and full-on development ordeal. In addition to a daily off-ice workout, the kid has the Leafs skating coach during the offseason and a full-time skating and skills coach in Newfoundland. He also works on a regular basis with the Leafs sports science department and sports psychologist. He also has a full nutrition plan. Now, you might be thinking, or saying, that the Leafs do this for all their prospects, and yes, as far as I am aware, that's generally true. However, the Leafs specifically facilitated all this at the ECHL level with Brazeau in mind. The fact that prospects Mac Hollowell and Joseph Duszak are also there certainly made this adjustment additionally appealing.
So, what does all that mean? Well, I think the Leafs management hope Brazeau is in the AHL full-time next season. While he is an intriguing prospect and doing wonderful things in ECHL as a rookie, it's also only the ECHL. With the glut of Leafs injury woes, you would image he would have been called up on a more permanent basis, but I think the Leafs are still quite concerned with his skating, or rather, his quickness and ability to keep up at the AHL level. It's no secret that the kid really has good hands, especially in front of the net, and good hockey IQ, it's just the skating that continues to slow his development. With the work the Leafs did with Frederik Gauthier, and perhaps even more significantly, Pierre Engvall, I have no doubt that the team can get him there, if he puts in the time.
So yes, there is still very much potential, but for now, it's only that. There's still a long way to go.