Toronto Maple Leafs: 2009 Draft Analysis

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Jerry D’Amigo

Right Wing

Born Feb. 19, 1991—Binghamton, NY

Height 5'11"—Weight 196 lbs.

Selected by Toronto Maple Leafs Sixth Round No. 158 overall 2009 NHL Entry Draft

Positive: D’Amigo has been described as a player with great leadership qualities and fantastic work habits. He is also an extremely competitive and fast skating player that wins a lot of battles for the puck. Jerry possesses a great hockey sense by making good fast decisions.  He also has a decent physical frame, which he uses to drive hard to the net without hesitation. He also had a great U18 World Championship tournament where the USA won the gold. He led the USA with four goals and nine assists in just seven games, third best in the tournament.    

Negative: Jerry has had trouble with back injuries which made a lot of teams hesitant to draft him for his services. This injury will make or break his ability to develop. What's more, he still needs three or four years to improve his overall game. Amigo is a great defensive player, but he needs to improve this aspect to be on par with his offensive potential.

Player Comparison: Zach Parise, Rod Brind’Amour

NHL Potential: Second line two-way right winger                                                                             

Tommy G’s Rating: 7/10

Barron Smith

Defense

Born Apr 2, 1991—Hinsdale, IL

Height 6'4"—Weight 191 lbs.—Shoots R

Selected by Toronto Maple Leafs Seventh Round No. 188 overall 2009 NHL Entry Draft

Positive: Smith has good bloodlines as the son of Steve Smith; most notably known as the man who screwed the Oilers out of five straight Stanley Cups. Nevertheless, he was a reliable defenseman and his son has many of the same qualities. He’s a hard worker and uses his size effectively in his own end to clear the front of the net. Barron is a hard hitter who will drop the gloves without hesitation to defend a teammate

Negative: Smith has poor puck handling skills and for this reason he rarely contributes to a rush up ice. Most importantly, he has to improve his poor backwards skating if he wants to be a defenseman in the NHL. Despite being a fighter, he isn’t a very good pugilist.

Player Comparison: Hall Gill

NHL Potential: Number seven defenseman                                                                                                                                   

Tommy G’s Rating: 5/10

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?