Jerry D'Amigo: Second Coming of Gretzky...Or So Leaf Fans Think

It seems a lot of Maple Leaf fans have an indication that Jerry D'Amigo is the best thing to happen to the NHL. Now I'm not saying that D'Amigo will never make the Maple Leafs, I'm just saying that he's not Superman, as some Leafs fans seem to think.

On August 11th, D'Amigo signed a 3-year entry-level contract with the Leafs, and ever since then, fans have been going crazy for him. The comments on my previous article that mention him all say that he'll play on the second line. Some of them even say that he'll be a first liner by the time the year's over.

Maybe in a couple of years, but probably not this season.

In 35 games with RPI of the NCAA last season he scored 10 goals and added 24 assists for 34 points, being named the ECAC Rookie of the Year. He was also a big reason the US ended Canada's winning streak at the World Juniors this past year.

He tallied 6 goals and 6 assists for 12 points in the 7 games he played. Those are great stats for any player at his age, but one season does not make a career.

D'Amigo has said that he models his game after Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils and if he can become that type of player, than the Leafs have got themselves a winner. He likes to go into the corners and wants to play on the penalty kill, and if he's good at it that definitely helps the Leafs.

Now if Jerry D'Amigo can earn his way on to the Maple Leafs at training camp and then continue his rapid improvement than I believe he can help the team. I also believe Jerry D'Amigo can help himself a lot more by spending a year or two in junior and then come to the Maple Leafs ready to take the NHL by storm.

Well, all I can say is that it's going to be a really interesting training camp, and one should be very fun to watch.