Tyler Biggs

[Joey24]

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't Biggs have an upper body injury last season that seemed to be a problem from the start to finish. He did say he's feeling good this season and has his movement and mobility back and feels like he can play his game again.

I still have high hopes for this guy. A lot of people have already wrote him off because we used his pick and missed on Sadd and because he was in an out of the lineup last season down on the Marlies. Truth be told he's not going to be a lucic type player there are not many guys like him that have ever played the game so that's just unrealistic.

I don't like putting limits of young guys because he can break out but his offensive game is and has been a bit raw from the time we drafted him. The potential has been there but he's still raw. It's the other things he brings, hit's is good along the boards is a much more capable scorer then he's shown thus far imo. If he puts it all together I defiantly see biggs being a huge part of Toronto's future.

 

[GenericFan2*]

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't Biggs have an upper body injury last season that seemed to be a problem from the start to finish. He did say he's feeling good this season and has his movement and mobility back and feels like he can play his game again.

I still have high hopes for this guy. A lot of people have already wrote him off because we used his pick and missed on Sadd and because he was in an out of the lineup last season down on the Marlies. Truth be told he's not going to be a lucic type player there are not many guys like him that have ever played the game so that's just unrealistic.

I don't like putting limits of young guys because he can break out but his offensive game is and has been a bit raw from the time we drafted him. The potential has been there but he's still raw. It's the other things he brings, hit's is good along the boards is a much more capable scorer then he's shown thus far imo. If he puts it all together I defiantly see biggs being a huge part of Toronto's future.

Good post, I totally agreed.

Kid has barely had a chance to breath and we're writing him off.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Loved his game tonight, we lost but he played well

 

[sommervr]

I will thank him if he can play better than Smithson, Maclaren and Staubitz so I never have to watch those guys on the Marlies again. It looks like he might be heading in that direction so good for him

 

[Faltorvo]

Good post, I totally agreed.

Leaf fans are very narrow minded, the kid has barely had a chance to breath and we're writing him off.

I think joeys post is misleading to say the least.

the complaint is that two relative high picks had been used to get him.

one 1rst and a 2nd, like it or not, at that price, higher expectations are fairly expected by some fans.

I would argue not all directed squarely on Biggs but on the call of the GM and scouting staff to pay such a high price.

and to make matters worse, some fairly argue the 1rst and 2nd we traded for that slot, ended up with better looking prospects then what we traded so highly for.

Rakell and surely Gibson.

 

[GenericFan2*]

I think joeys post is misleading to say the least.

the complaint is that two relative high picks had been used to get him.

one 1rst and a 2nd, like it or not, at that price, higher expectations are fairly expected by some fans.

I would argue not all directed squarely on Biggs but on the call of the GM and scouting staff to pay such a high price.

and to make matters worse, some fairly argue the 1rst and 2nd we traded for that slot, ended up with better looking prospects then what we traded so highly for.

Rakell and surely Gibson.

At this point, sure. But these are PROSPECTS, give them time to develop before writing them off. Different specs develop at different rates, and players like Biggs are known to take longer, so lets wait and see before getting all hysterical about who we did or did not take over him.

 

[Joey24]

I think joeys post is misleading to say the least.

the complaint is that two relative high picks had been used to get him.

one 1rst and a 2nd, like it or not, at that price, higher expectations are fairly expected by some fans.

I would argue not all directed squarely on Biggs but on the call of the GM and scouting staff to pay such a high price.

and to make matters worse, some fairly argue the 1rst and 2nd we traded for that slot, ended up with better looking prospects then what we traded so highly for.

Rakell and surely Gibson.

How is my post misleading? People have wrote him off because of who went after him in the draft other then the potential he has as a player. They pretty much **** on him all last year because he couldn't consistently stick in the Marlies lineup and then it comes to light he was battling an upper body issue all year.

The fact remains he does have potential and he is still young enough to turn things around. This is going to be a big year in terms of his development and I think he's going to be a pleasant surprise, He was considered raw when he was drafted and a bit of a project so these type of players do take time but I do think if he develops properly he's going to be a fan favorite in Toronto for a many years.

I don't see how that's misleading.

 

[Banic]

It is not Biggs' fault as to how he was drafted or when. When assessing a players skill level and potential, we shouldn't look at those during assessment and when comparing to other players in the organization. We as a fan base have him rated so poorly its embarrassing.

 

[7even]

How is my post misleading? People have wrote him off because of who went after him in the draft other then the potential he has as a player. They pretty much **** on him all last year because he couldn't consistently stick in the Marlies lineup and then it comes to light he was battling an upper body issue all year.

The fact remains he does have potential and he is still young enough to turn things around. This is going to be a big year in terms of his development and I think he's going to be a pleasant surprise, He was considered raw when he was drafted and a bit of a project so these type of players do take time but I do think if he develops properly he's going to be a fan favorite in Toronto for a many years.

I don't see how that's misleading.

I mean sure, if he develops into the best case scenario than we'll all love him. But given his body of work, what suggests that he has any significant upside at the NHL level? Guy hasn't been able to put up points since his first year of midget. Are points everything? Nawh. Defense and physicality are surely important as well. But it's the offensive contributions that separate the two way players and the fantastically average and underwhelming. The Darcy Tuckers from the Jay McClements. There's nothing to say that Biggs will be anything but the latter, if that. And that's not ******** on him, that's just what his comparables overwhelmingly support.

 

[HockeyNightInBelfast]

He WAS injured last season & has said as much which hampered his development.

Healthy now though & year wiser + as he has said himself has the continuity of being w/ the same team for the 2nd year in a row for the first time.

This player is far from being a bust.

Patience because there's no need to such him.


LOVE that idea re Gauthier/Broll/Biggs line - wow!

 

[dubplatepressure]

He WAS injured last season & has said as much which hampered his development.

Healthy now though & year wiser + as he has said himself has the continuity of being w/ the same team for the 2nd year in a row for the first time.

This player is far from being a bust.

Patience because there's no need to such him.


LOVE that idea re Gauthier/Broll/Biggs line - wow!

I dunno, I really like what I've seen from him too. He's a force out there - quicker feet than the average PWF, and he's still only 21. TBH I would say Gauthier has a better shot of being a bust than Biggs at this point.

 

[Joey24]

I mean sure, if he develops into the best case scenario than we'll all love him. But given his body of work, what suggests that he has any significant upside at the NHL level? Guy hasn't been able to put up points since his first year of midget. Are points everything? Nawh. Defense and physicality are surely important as well. But it's the offensive contributions that separate the two way players and the fantastically average and underwhelming. The Darcy Tuckers from the Jay McClements. There's nothing to say that Biggs will be anything but the latter, if that. And that's not ******** on him, that's just what his comparables overwhelmingly support.

Well I don't think anyone said he was going to be a 30 goal scorer but the potential is defiantly there for him to be a 15+ goal scorer some day. I see him playing more of a roll like Zack Kassian, he may not ever be a 30 goal scorer in the NHL but he's going to bring other things that can be just as important. He finished his 1st season as a pro, was injured for most of the season and defiantly deserves development time.

Some times numbers don't tell the whole story of why a player isn't producing. What rolls he was made to play minutes he was given situations he played in all factor in. If you watch him play you can see the potential is there, and like I said he's probably never going to be a 30 goal scorer in the NHL but who's to say given different opportunities and more chances to play a offensive roll he won't develop into that? Surely I don't have a crystal ball and don't know how he will develop down the road or what line mates he would be playing with etc. So I guess I can't put a cap on what he would be or could turn into. Logically he probably won't turn into that but well who knows. Same can be said for the people who see him at the other end of the spectrum, I am not by any means trying to make him into something he is not. All I am saying is he deserves his time to develop instead of hating on him for being the guy who cost us Sadd or Gibson.

I do see the potential in his game that says to me there is defiantly a reason to give him a good second or even third look before giving up on him like some of you have obviously already done. We knew he was raw when we drafted him and he was drafted on what he could become down the road rather then what he was at that point and time in the draft or even today.

He has played well so far in the for the leafs prospects defiantly a player I noticed out there, he's not flashy but he does what's asked of him. Don't see why people are not more willing to play a wait and see rather then a toss him to the heap approach.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Tyler blocks shots, he's fast, he can fight, he hits, he's really good defensively...that's a useful player.

He also actually has a really good shot but doesn't use it as much as he should.

You also need to keep in mind that a lot of his game is based around being physically dominant. That's hard to do for a lot of 21 year olds against grown men. He's going to need 1-2 more years before he can make his way to our bottom 6.

He's not going to be Milan Lucic but he's going to be a useful player for us.

 

[ULF_55]

Biggs may very well turn into a NHLer, but it seems unlikely he'll be the player they should have picked.

Easy to make that choice today, however I was onboard with taking him, I wasn't onboard with moving up at the price they paid to do so.

Leading up to the draft there was some concern express about his ability to be an offensive player, but his intangibles seemed to compensate for that.

I don't think it would be unreasonable to expect 20 goals in the AHL this year. That isn't really asking a lot, depending on usage. If they've already decided he'll top out as a 3rd. liner and use him in a defensive role it will be disappointing. Leafs would then appear to be using their best picks for players normally had as UFA's.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

By: Kevin McGran Sports Reporter, Published on Sun Sep 14 2014

LONDON, ONT.—There are two players at the Maple Leafs’ rookie camp who are particularly happy William Nylander has consumed much of the attention.
Those would be two other Leafs’ first-round picks: Frederik Gauthier, chosen 21st overall in 2013, and Tyler Biggs, chosen 22nd overall in 2011.

Gauthier’s skating has markedly improved and his defence has always been solid. It’s his offence that has been called into question. But the Leafs hope he’ll dominate in the QMJHL as a 19 year old. He had 52 points in 54 games last year. Gauthier has a different idea.

“My goal is to make the team,” said Gauthier. “I’ll do everything I have to do to make it. I think I’m ready and I will try to show them that I am.”

For Biggs, 21, it may be a matter of simply staying healthy. A bum shoulder limited him to 54 games last season when he scored a mere seven goals. Some consistency in his hockey life should help — this will be the first time in five years he’ll have played on the same team two years in a row.

“For Tyler, he’s still a young man,” Dineen said. “We all forget he’s never been on the same team two years in a row. He’s going to be in a situation where he’ s a little more comfortable, a little more confident, with people surrounding him he knows and trusts.”

When he did play last year, Biggs was often on the third or fourth line as a checker. The scoring touch and quick release he displayed as a teenager seem to have vanished.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs...ggs_look_to_take_step_forward_with_leafs.html

Interesting the linkage is being made for both Gauthier and Biggs already. 1st rd picks that will probably be valuable 3rd or 4th line defence 1st players for us in the future.

MOD EDIT - this article mentions Biggs and Gauthier but please keep it on topic discussing Biggs .. The other thread that was opened was starting to become a player discussion for both when each has their own discussion thread

 

[Joey Hoser]

Who was our last first rounder to bust and not make the NHL? I can't even think of who it would be.

We're definitely due for one.

 

[dubplatepressure]

Who was our last first rounder to bust and not make the NHL? I can't even think of who it would be.

We're definitely due for one.

Luca Cereda

Biggs may very well turn into a NHLer, but it seems unlikely he'll be the player they should have picked.

Easy to make that choice today, however I was onboard with taking him, I wasn't onboard with moving up at the price they paid to do so.

Agree with both - liked the Biggs pick at the time but thought we were insane for giving up 2 picks so high up to move up only 3 spots so late in the round.

 

[buttman*]

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't Biggs have an upper body injury last season that seemed to be a problem from the start to finish. He did say he's feeling good this season and has his movement and mobility back and feels like he can play his game again.

I still have high hopes for this guy. A lot of people have already wrote him off because we used his pick and missed on Sadd and because he was in an out of the lineup last season down on the Marlies. Truth be told he's not going to be a lucic type player there are not many guys like him that have ever played the game so that's just unrealistic.

I don't like putting limits of young guys because he can break out but his offensive game is and has been a bit raw from the time we drafted him. The potential has been there but he's still raw. It's the other things he brings, hit's is good along the boards is a much more capable scorer then he's shown thus far imo. If he puts it all together I defiantly see biggs being a huge part of Toronto's future.

He's not going to be Lucic. He doesn't have the size, that Lucic has. Yes he is big and has good size but does not throw guys around like Lucic. Lucic was in the NHL at his age fighting heavyweights and throwing guys around.

He also won't score 30, but that doesn't mean he won't be a useful player. He will likely play 3/4 line and pot 10-15 goals while playing physical and good defence. Nothing wrong with that. You need guys like that.

Ditto for Gauthier, he's a 3rd line center that can match up against top lines and win faceoffs. You need guys like that. It's a piece the Leafs haven't had in years.

Not every pick is a top 6 player or superstar but these guys can be part of a championship team. Look at LA.

 

[buttman*]

Luca Cereda



Agree with both - liked the Biggs pick at the time but thought we were insane for giving up 2 picks so high up to move up only 3 spots so late in the round.

Luca Cereda had heart problems shortly after his draft and had to have surgery and a heart valve replaced. He was a talented kid and can't be considered a bust -- it was health issues that did him in.

 

[Durkin67]

Common sense would dictate that we wait to see how he performs when healthy. All the tools are there. He's a character kid, a self starter, apparently receptive to instruction, and he does all the dirty work we've ever wanted that nobody likes to do. Anyone remember Luca Caputi? He was supposed to be a menace in the crease. Not so much... Biggs can handle that role. Give him a full season of pro hockey without a nagging health issue and he'll be a forc IMO.

 

[dubplatepressure]

Luca Cereda had heart problems shortly after his draft and had to have surgery and a heart valve replaced. He was a talented kid and can't be considered a bust -- it was health issues that did him in.

He can't be considered a bust for health reasons?

 

[Joey Hoser]

He can't be considered a bust for health reasons?

Well, he's a bust in the sense that he didn't make it, but if we're judging the decision making of Leafs management/scouting, then you can't really hold that one against them.

 

[Durkin67]

He can't be considered a bust for health reasons?

The year could be called a bit of a bust, but is it not better to see what he can do when healthy enough to perform at peak levels?

 

[buttman*]

He can't be considered a bust for health reasons?

Was Luc Bourdon a bust? Bust implies bad pick. Hard to determine if it was a bad pick when they never got a chance.

Luca had a pig's valve inserted in place of his own....prior to that he was on track and had all the tools to make a good NHL'er.

 

[Liminality]

I really want to see Biggs get more confidence this year and carry the puck more. He's great at forechecking and his speed is progressing, he just needs to trust himself and develop other areas. I think giving him the C was a good idea last night, you could tell he thrives in a leadership role. He wants to be there for everyone and wants to lead by example with his physicality.