loading...
Canwest News Service
Christian Hanson is performing so well in the minors that the Toronto Marlies forward is already being considered an early candidate for outstanding rookie. As one team official joked, it is not exactly a coveted trophy. Hanson would likely have to spend the entire season in the American Hockey League in order to be considered for the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award. That is something that no aspiring NHLer strives for. The 23-year-old is hoping that his current output gets him a bigger prize: a call-up. Hanson — a 6-foot-4, 228-pound forward whose biggest weakness might be his skating — is second among AHL rookies with 18 points in 18 games.
Other Marlies who the Leafs are keeping tabs on include: Viktor Stalberg, who has 10 points in 10 games after playing the first eight games of the season with the parent club; Tyler Bozak, who has nine points in 16 games but missed two weeks with an energy-sapping flu; and Ryan Hamilton, a hard-working two-way forward who has seven goals in 18 games and is seeing time on the top powerplay unit.
The Leafs acquired Hamilton, who scored 46 goals for the Barrie Colts four seasons ago, from Minnesota in January for Robbie Earl, Toronto's fourth pick in the 2004 draft. Earl, who had one assist in nine games with the Leafs in 2008, scored his first two NHL goals against Carolina last week.
