The Maple Leafs May Have Selected Another Interesting Prospect

Every now and then, a prospect gets a little more interesting simply because somebody takes the time to watch him closely. That seems to be happening with Brody Pepoy.

In a deep dive, Toronto prospect writer Brian S. of Pension Plan Puppets has followed Pepoy from rookie camp through the OHL preseason and into the first four regular-season games. He suggests there may be more here than the sixth-round pick initially indicated.

Pepoy was selected 169th overall in the NHL Draft last summer, and the original scouting report came with some questions. His skill was obvious, but his consistency wasn't. His puck handling could get messy, his decision-making could wander, and his skating mechanics weren't always particularly clean. Those are the kinds of things that can turn an intriguing junior player into a player who never quite makes the jump.

But Pepoy appears to be starting to clean up some of those issues.

And the improvement isn't happening while he's sitting on the fourth line waiting for somebody to notice him. He's getting responsibility. The 18-year-old right winger has become one of Saginaw's top all-situations forwards. He's playing on the first power-play unit, seeing time on the second penalty-killing unit and getting bumped up the lineup when the Spirit need a goal.

He's also producing. Pepoy has a point in each of his first four regular-season games, with five points in total. Two have come on the power play. He also has 15 shots on goal, second on the team.

The numbers are nice. But the eye test may be more important. According to Brian S, Pepoy's skill plays already look calmer and more deliberate than they did last season. He's still willing to make things happen — that's part of what makes him interesting — but he doesn't seem to be improvising as much.

Pepoy has a high hockey IQ that matches his skills.

A young, skilled player who constantly loses control of the puck can be frustrating. A young player who learns how to make those same skill plays reliably starts to look like a prospect. Another piece of Pepoy’s game shouldn't be overlooked. He's a pretty smart player without the puck.

The prospect writer describes him as almost playing like a centre at times, including taking some faceoffs. More importantly, Pepoy appears to understand positioning, passing lanes and where he needs to be when his team doesn't have the puck. That showed up particularly well on the penalty kill.

It isn't necessarily spectacular hockey. But that's the point. Pepoy is looking around, adjusting his stick and body position and anticipating where the puck might go. He's trying to take away the dangerous cross-ice pass before it happens.

For a sixth-round pick, Pepoy has a pretty interesting foundation.

There are still things to work on. His first few skating steps need improvement, and his straight-line stride can look choppy. The prospect writer also believes that could be costing him energy as games and shifts wear on. So this isn't a case of suddenly declaring Pepoy a future Maple Leafs star.

But maybe that's not the lesson. The more interesting development is that the things that worried the prospect writer after the draft appear to be improving, while the things that made Pepoy intriguing in the first place — his physicality, motor, puck skills and hockey sense — are still there. That's when a sixth-round pick starts getting interesting.

The Maple Leafs may have found something in the sixth round.

Toronto doesn't need every late-round prospect to become an NHL regular. Most won't. But the whole point of drafting players like Pepoy is to find somebody whose development takes an unexpected turn. Right now, the unexpected part may be happening.