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Marlies sign 21-year old Justin Brazeau

https://twitter.com/51Leafs/status/1113836570451369985

Sure looks like a lot of OHL-level goals, that's for sure.
 
Brazeau looks to be streets ahead of where larger players like Gauthier and Marchment were when they were 21, by my very casual and not-at-all rigorous estimation. His shortcomings at this moment are apparently the result of not having sufficient coaching/training coming up through the system.
 
herman said:
Brazeau looks to be streets ahead of where larger players like Gauthier and Marchment were when they were 21, by my very casual and not-at-all rigorous estimation. His shortcomings at this moment are apparently the result of not having sufficient coaching/training coming up through the system.
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Tons of potential, if he can pick up his skating. Will he start with the Marlies immediately?
 
Highlander said:
Will he start with the Marlies immediately?
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From what I can see, his contract starts next season. He has not signed an ATO with the Marlies yet, so he's currently not with the team. Not sure there is any room to get him ice time anyway.
 
herman said:
Brazeau looks to be streets ahead of where larger players like Gauthier and Marchment were when they were 21, by my very casual and not-at-all rigorous estimation. His shortcomings at this moment are apparently the result of not having sufficient coaching/training coming up through the system.
Click to expand...

Which is probably like Georges St-Pierre saying his pain level is only a 3/10.  ;D  (I love your analysis... analyses??)
 
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Brazeau is currently recuperating from an injury sustained in the OHL playoffs, so we probably won't see him until next season.

I'm looking forward to learning more about him and Duszak and Conrad.
 
https://theathletic.com/1012845/2019/06/07/how-the-leafs-acquired-justin-brazeau-a-big-kid-from-a-small-town-with-huge-plans/

Though the other team offered slightly more money on a two-year AHL contract, Brazeau and [agent*] Walters ultimately settled on the Leafs in part because of the initiative of their general manager. Dubas was the only general manager of an NHL team that reached out personally.

The second team of interest tabled a development plan that included a skating coach ? who Brazeau would have had to pay for himself and work with a certain number of times a month ? that was four hours away from the team?s trainers.

When Dubas explained the Leafs? plan, he detailed a one-stop shop that included player development consultant Darryl Belfry, skills development coach Mike Ellis, skating consultant Barb Underhill and director of athlete performance Rich Rotenberg.

And when it came time to make a decision and the Brazeaus came to Walters and [North Bay Battalion's coach/GM] Butler with their questions, unsure what the right choice was, Walters ? after some admittedly sleepless nights ? gave them his advice.

?I said ?Look guys, Toronto is going to be heavily, heavily invested in providing you an opportunity.? And the closing statement which closed us was Dubas said ?John, if this guy doesn?t play a game for the Toronto Maple Leafs then we?ve failed.? So to me it was like ?How could you go wrong??? Walters said.
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* John Walters is Josh Leivo's agent as well.

We also have a poop-ton of JvR videos, so guess what this guy is going to get to study off of.
 
Just read the article in the Athletic this morning.  Hope it works out for the kid, good work by Dubas with that personal touch to convince him to sign.  Little things can go a long way.
 
I loved this clip from the Athletic (not sure I am able to do this but what the Frik)

"Brazeau, a natural athlete who once won Northern Ontario?s junior golf championship, can run a mile in 5:30 despite his size 16 shoes, and also excelled in basketball and volleyball".

Golf is the most hand to eye sport in the world, he has it, I think we may have found a real sleeper in this kid and all because Dubas was the only NHL GM to pick up a phone and call him.  Hope Barb can help him gain a step or two as he seems to have all the tools, goes to the net and at 6'6" and 225 will be a real screen.
 
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/maple-leafs-investing-justin-brazeau/

Nothing particularly new, but not everyone read the previously linked article.
 
herman said:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/maple-leafs-investing-justin-brazeau/

Nothing particularly new, but not everyone read the previously linked article.
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Underhill is dismantling Brazeau?s stride right down to the basics in order to rebuild it properly, like a golfer learning a new swing starting with the grip and stance.

No other team was offering the late-blooming prospect this level of investment and attention, so he?s banking on hard work and improvement to pay the Leafs back.
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I wonder just how much Underhill can change his skating from poor to good enough.  Will be an interesting case study to follow. 
 
Zee said:
herman said:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/maple-leafs-investing-justin-brazeau/

Nothing particularly new, but not everyone read the previously linked article.
Click to expand...

Underhill is dismantling Brazeau?s stride right down to the basics in order to rebuild it properly, like a golfer learning a new swing starting with the grip and stance.

No other team was offering the late-blooming prospect this level of investment and attention, so he?s banking on hard work and improvement to pay the Leafs back.
Click to expand...

I wonder just how much Underhill can change his skating from poor to good enough.  Will be an interesting case study to follow. 
Click to expand...
If the kid is willing to work hard I have little doubt he'll be an adequate NHL skater. JT was a terrible skater in junior by NHL standards and he gets around the rink pretty good these days.
 
Guilt Trip said:
Zee said:
I wonder just how much Underhill can change his skating from poor to good enough.  Will be an interesting case study to follow. 
Click to expand...
If the kid is willing to work hard I have little doubt he'll be an adequate NHL skater. JT was a terrible skater in junior by NHL standards and he gets around the rink pretty good these days.
Click to expand...

JT worked with Underhill's friend and current Arizona skating consultant, Dawn Braid.

For Barb's work thus far, you need not look further than Travis Dermott, Andreas Johnsson, Trevor Moore, Mason Marchment, Frederik Gauthier, and even Auston Matthews. In their brief time with the Leafs, Brian Boyle, Roman Polak also made significant strides.

Brazeau's case isn't one in which he's a terrible skater; he merely hasn't received any skating coaching up until now and made do with what he could control.
 
herman said:
Guilt Trip said:
Zee said:
I wonder just how much Underhill can change his skating from poor to good enough.  Will be an interesting case study to follow. 
Click to expand...
If the kid is willing to work hard I have little doubt he'll be an adequate NHL skater. JT was a terrible skater in junior by NHL standards and he gets around the rink pretty good these days.
Click to expand...

JT worked with Underhill's friend and current Arizona skating consultant, Dawn Braid.

For Barb's work thus far, you need not look further than Travis Dermott, Andreas Johnsson, Trevor Moore, Mason Marchment, Frederik Gauthier, and even Auston Matthews. In their brief time with the Leafs, Brian Boyle, Roman Polak also made significant strides.

Brazeau's case isn't one in which he's a terrible skater; he merely hasn't received any skating coaching up until now and made do with what he could control.
Click to expand...
I am sure he will improve, with the rest of what I have read about this kid, he could be an X factor Beast.
 
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