FORWARDS (from best to worst)
1. Jenik: Owner of the Leafs tonight and it wasn’t just the points either. Physical, bull in a China shop type. Keep going, we’re intrigued.
2. Reinhart: After all these years and all these training camps, it’s the first time he’s moving the needle. He was never bad in the past, just your regular, average, vanilla player. Tonight, he looked like a young Colin Greening. Big, smart, strong as a horse. There just might be something there.
3. Kulemin: LOVING the old man? He’s surprisingly fast and his experience oozes through the smart plays he makes all over the ice. As perplexing as the PTO was, he would NOT be a bad option as an insurance policy 13 or 14F (if this game is anything to go by).
4. Amadio: Another veteran whose experience shines through on the ice. Nothing is rushed with him. Every play is made with a purpose and every stride is taken with a thought. He’s not the fastest, nor the biggest or the most skilled, but he gets where he needs to be and is solid along the boards. Steady, steady, steady… With enough brain power to create offense. Dollar store Mark Stone. Good pickup.
5. Batherson: Took shifts on the PK. Looks much more engaged than last year. Still electric with the puck on his stick while clearly not giving it his all. He’s primed to have a career year.
6. Crookshank: He’s being given a prime opportunity in a scoring slot and has yet to capitalize on the half dozens chances Pinto-Batherson set him up for through two games. The tools (skating and shot) are there, but he clearly needs to take a breath and embrace his chance.
7. Gregor: He’s extremely fast, but what else?
8. MacEwan: Didn’t realize he was playing until the fight. Not great, not bad, just not sure he helped his case tonight, as far as making the team goes.
9. Pinto: Looked slow and sluggish all night. But hey, he’s not fighting for a spot and it’s pre-season. Won a bunch of key faceoffs in the defensive zone.
10. Halliday: VERY muted (and borderline bad) outing compared to the intrasquad game. Though, in all fairness, it was his first “official” professional game. Not all rookies are Carter Yakemchuks…
11. Gaudette: Same old tired story. Elite offensive tools. Zero defensive awareness and slow as molasses.
12. Bourgault: Awful. Made a solid play behind Murray’s net on the 5th goal, but that was about it, in a sea of net negatives.