I've watched quite a bit of the Leafs preseason thus far, and I'd like to see Aleksander Suglobov make the club.
Critics will tell you he doesn't play defense and therefore doesn't deserve a roster spot. Others will tell you he passes as often as Sergei Berezin did, which was rarely. Admittedly, he's not much of a fore checker and he's a little turnover prone, but I'd still give him a shot in the NHL to start the season. The fact is, he's got something no other Leaf winger has. He's got offensive flare to spare and a fantastic nose for the net.
His moves remind me of Alexander Mogilny when he was on his game. He's a game breaker who can deke the pads off a goalie and dazzle you with his speed and stick handling. When he's in the offensive zone, he's a serious threat to score, and that's something we simply don't have right now. Heck, I'd put him on the team if only to play during shootouts. We stunk at shootouts last season and Suglobov looks like he's be awesome.
The kid has to learn to play defense and forecheck, no doubt about it, but he deserves a spot on offensive skill alone. He's provided me with more than a few thrills over the past couple of weeks.
