Good — not great — year for Royals
Maple Leafs in Reading – a report card for 2010-11
READING, Pa.For three years now, the Maple Leafs have been allowing their youngest professional pupils to study and apprentice with the Reading Royals in the ECHL. In the 2008-09 season, despite a terriblel year for the non-playoff team in Reading, James Reimer was the best student in the class. His hard work was rewarded when he was promoted to the Leafs from the Marlies early in 2011. He’s since signed a three-year contact, ostensibly to become the Leafs’ primary goalie for the near future.
The 2009-10 campaign was much more successful on the ice for Reading — finishing one victory short of the Kelly final. However, the only Toronto player to see significant time (albeit in the playoffs) and take a step up the ladder in 2010-11 was Greg Scott, who managed 10 goals and 31 points in 55 games with the Marlies this past season. It was a decent performance, but not one likely to extend his time with the Toronto organization considering he’s now a restricted free agent.
So in the summer of 2011, the Royals are coming off probably the best regular season in their 10-year history. But the playoffs ended with a disappointing second-round loss to eventual Eastern Conference champ Kalamazoo. Will the Leafs reap benefits from any of the players who honed their games in Reading this past season?
Six players who were under contract to Toronto spent meaningful time with the Royals this season. Here’s a look at what they accomplished in Reading and their possible futures with the Blue and White.
MATT CARUANA
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2010-11 stats/status: 34 regular season games with Royals -18 goals, 16 assists, +3, 22 penalty minutes; 8 playoff games with Royals – 4 goals, 1 assist, +1, 8 penalty minutes; 2 assignments by Tor./10 points in 33 games with Marlies. (Minor-league free agent.)
The good: There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Orono, Ontario native and former captain at Niagara University has proven his ability to excel at the ECHL level. He’s a point-a-game centre, looks comfortable on the power play and has no problem with lots of ice time. He has a good eye for the net and led the league in shooting percentage in the regular season (25.0).
The bad: It looks as if that success doesn’t translate to the AHL. He wasn’t out of place with the Marlies, but his ability to add a physical component to his game is lacking and at 6-0 and about 185 pounds, he doesn’t seem to have the build that will easily allow him to add the missing grit component to his game.
The future: He’s completed three pro years and it looks as if his upside has been achieved. Expect to see him riding the ECHL-AHL shuttle in 2011-12. Don’t expect it to be between Reading and Toronto.
RICHARD GREENOP
2010-11 stats/status: 19 regular season games with Royals – 1 goal, 2 assists, +3, 24 penalty minutes; 2 assignments by Tor./0 points in 11 games with Marlies. (Restricted free agent after 2011-12 season.)
The good: He did whatever was asked of him which often included standing up to the opponent’s tough guys. Despite not getting much ice time, his competition level was solid; he improved his skating and defencive game and was a dependable team guy. At 6-4 and 235 pounds, he’s an imposing physical specimen.
The bad: In two years as a pro, with the Royals and Marlies, he has 3 goals and 8 points. He’ll never be a first-line left winger. A head injury about midway through the year ended his season.
The future: Although his contract has another year to run, his health is the bigger story. If he’s healthy enough, the Marlies would seem to have a place for this hard-working tough guy.
JUSTIN HODGMAN
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2010-11 stats/status: 3 regular season games with Royals – 0 goals, 1 assist, even, 4 penalty minutes; 1 assignment by Tor./29 points in 42 games with Marlies. (Minor-league free agent.)
The good: There’s an asterisk here – Hodgman just played three games on an injury rehab assignment in Reading. There was thought he might play a couple more games to become playoff eligible for the Royals. Since he’s only just completed his second full year of pro hockey, it’s possible that a little more time in the ECHL might help him. He’s only played 136 games as a pro so he could have some potential waiting to be tapped by some time at the AA level.
The bad: He’s held his own – whether playing in the IHL, ECHL or AHL. But 29 goals over the past two seasons (even if one was shortened by injury), isn’t exactly setting the world on fire. And as a 6-1, 200-pound centre, the physical side of his game is by no means extraordinary.
The future: If he signs with the Marlies again, he’ll need to really show something this season. His future with Toronto this season will depend upon how many NHL contracts will be placed with the Marlies and how many roster spots that will leave for players on AHL deals.
DALE MITCHELL
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2010-11 stats/status: 5 regular season games with Royals – 2 goals, 2 assists, -7, 14 penalty minutes; 2 playoff games with Royals – 0 goals, 0 assists, even, 0 penalty minutes; 2 assignments by Tor./13 points in 48 games with Marlies. (Restricted free agent after 2011-12 season.)
The good: He became just the third player in Reading history to record three points in his first game with the team. Although mostly a spare part with the Marlies, the hope was that he’d get some valuable playoff experience in Pennsylvania just as Greg Scott had done a year earlier.
The bad: The playoff plan went awry when he was injured during his second playoff game with Reading. He didn’t return to the lineup. Note that he was not on the Marlies’ playoff eligible list so you can figure out where he ranked in the Toronto pecking order.
The future: As is the case with so many players on entry-level deals, the final year of his first pro contract is upcoming and it’s make or break time. The 5-9, 210-pound right winger will have to turn some heads this season or he’ll be looking for a new team a year from now.
BEN SCRIVENS
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2010-11 stats/status: 13 regular season games with Royals – 10 wins, 3 losses, 2.23 GAA, .938 SV%; 3 playoff games with Royals – 0 wins, 1 loss, 5.04 GAA, .873 SV%; 5 assignments by Tor./13-12-5, 2.37 GAA, .924 SV%, 2 shutouts in 33 games with Marlies. (Signed a one-year NHL contact on July 1, 2011.)
The good: The season started out in fine fashion for the Cornell University grad. His ECHL numbers were sensational, and when injuries necessitated recalls to the Marlies his numbers were almost as good in the AHL. A couple of games in a Leaf sweater as a backup (although he didn’t see action) must have helped him realized how quickly things can change for the good. He won nine straight games with Reading and did it for a team that was near the bottom of the ECHL in shots allowed.
The bad: Injury problems hampered the Marlies’ scoring in the second half of the season and Scrivens was often a hard-luck loser. Although those AHL numbers were good, they weren’t quite good enough to help the Marlies make the playoffs. So he returned to Reading for a playoff run which was ugly and disappointing for both him and the team especially when he got hurt in his second pro playoff start.
The future: He’s mature, confident, poised and a pretty darn good goalie, too. Yes, he’s still learning and with only one year of pro experience he still has some ground to cover. The Leafs expect big things from him playing for the Marlies this coming season. And although lots of things can happen along the way, don’t be surprised if he’s wearing that Leaf sweater again at some point in 2011-12.
ROBERT SLANEY
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2010-11 stats/status: 61 regular season games with Royals – 7 goals, 17 assists, +3, 34 penalty minutes; 4 playoff games with Royals – 1 goal, 3 assists, even, no penalty minutes; 2 assignments by Tor./0 points in 8 games with Marlies. (Restricted free agent after 2011-12 season.)
The good: His commitment was lacking at the start of the season. But he deserves full marks for turning that around and putting his nose to the grindstone in the final four months of the year. He developed into one of Reading’s primary penalty killers through the course of the season and was as good a performer as the team had in its playoff loss to the K-Wings. He also developed some versatility and saw time at both left wing and centre. Four of his 24 points came while short-handed.
The bad: In the ECHL, where usually just 10 forwards dress per game, everybody needs to score – even those who shoulder lots of defencive responsibility. Slaney’s checking game has come miles from last season (when he was a minus-30 in 66 games in both the AHL and ECHL). But it’s still a numbers game. And his points need to improve if he has any hope to become a major leaguer.
The future: He displayed enough talent to catch someone’s eye as he was part of the deal which brought Cody Franson and Matthew Lombardi to the Leafs from Nashville on July 3. He’ll have one season to really impress the Predators’ brass while in Milwaukee. If he’s not able to achieve that, it’s not going out on a limb to say that his future at the major league level is doubtful.
Barry Schickling can be contacted at
Barry.DoubleSMedia@rocketmail.com
