OffThePost.org

Two down, two to go.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a good week on the U.S. college free agent front, signing forwards Christian Hanson from the University of Notre Dame and Tyler Bozak from Denver University, but the Leafs hope there's more where they came from.

Now the Leafs are targeting a pair of Boston collegians – Boston University defenceman and captain Matt Gilroy and Northeastern University goalie Brad Thiessen.

Maple Leaf front office executive Joe Niuewendyk has been leading the charge on behalf of the Leafs in the U.S. college ranks. It has been Nieuwendyk who has been spending a lot of time in college arenas this season. But in the case of both Gilroy and Thiessen, Maple Leaf GM Brian Burke has also been directly involved since he spends so much time in Boston.

Both Gilroy and Thiessen are amongst the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award - which goes annually to the top U.S. college player in the country – Nashville first-rounder and BU centre Colin Wilson is the third.

No decision will be reached by Gilroy until after next weekend's Frozen Four NCAA championship in Washington, D.C. Gilroy's BU Terriers play Vermont on Thursday in one semi-final while Bemidji State meets Miami of Ohio in the other. Gilroy has received interest from 20-plus NHL teams, but will finish his college career before making any commitment.

Thiessen, meanwhile, is eligible to turn pro at any time and it's believed the Maple Leafs are on a short list of two or three teams he's considering.

Burke's always liked mining the college ranks has he not?

Gotta admit he put the right guy in charge of this. If Nieuwendyk can't sell you, no one can.

But yes all experts will tell you a diverse portfolio is a good one. No need to dump a bunch of money in one area...then again it is Burke we're talking about here.

But I would argue that yes, the collegiate ranks have become much stronger over the years.

The Avalanche drafted Galiardi after his freshman season at Dartmouth, and he left school to play major-junior with his hometown Calgary Hitmen last season before signing. The debate about major junior vs. NCAA as a development step is ongoing, but the key is not so much who is "right" — the answer can be different for different players — but whether organizations push major- junior as the way to go.

"There were a lot of things that went into the decision," Galiardi said. "I only played 33 games at Dartmouth, and the year after, when I played for the Hitmen, including the playoffs, I played 88."

Burke's always liked mining the college ranks has he not?

The last time a team did something along these lines, it was an unmitigated fucking disaster. The college ranks are likely better than they were back then, so maybe the Leafs' fortures will be different. Or they did it a year too late for Leaf fans' liking.

Scores his first goal...

http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/bob_mckenzie/?id=273637




The last time a team did something along these lines, it was an unmitigated fucking disaster. The college ranks are likely better than they were back then, so maybe the Leafs' fortures will be different. Or they did it a year too late for Leaf fans' liking.

Yes and no. The problem was the Wings signed the three collegiate players to then big contracts, gave them starting spots on the Wings' roster and moved out veterans to make way for the preppies. Ray Stasak was supposed to be the big catch and his agent was one Brian Burke . Stasak wasn't ready for the NHL and later suffered a knee injury that basically ended his career. The Wings scored better with Adam Oates. So getting one NHLer from originally signing 3 college players isn't bad odds, it's just that Illich and Devellano shouldn't signed them to such rich contracts and should have had them start in the AHL as the Leafs will with these college kids. Oh yes, the coach to start that season was one, freshly fired from the Canucks Harry Neale. I don't think he lasted 20 games.

I noticed that Wings roster had Glen Merkosky on it for 17 games. I played with Merkosky on a line at Joe Watson's hockey school way back when. The guy was lightning on skates but was just too small to make the NHL in the end.