After taking diminutive forward Dmytro Timashov with the team's fifth round selection, the Leafs went the other way, taking hulking defender Stephen Desrocher with pick No. 155.
An overager, passed up in the 2014 NHL Draft, Desrocher turned it on in the playoffs for the Generals, taking on a huge role for then-head coach D.J. Smith. Smith, now a newly hired assistant coach with the Leafs, depended on Desrocher to play a shut down role against some of the OHL's top skaters.
At 6-3, Desrocher's game is highlighted by an extremely long reach and physical, in-your-face style.
Offensively though, he really came into his own as a threat down the stretch, earning powerplay time on a deep Generals team and pitching in with key goals for Oshawa during the Memorial Cup run, including the winner against the Quebec Remparts in overtime.
His shot, a heavy one, finds its way through in large part because Desrocher is adamant about keeping it along the ice in order to give teammates a chance to get a stick on it.
When teammates don't get a stick on it, it's incredibly heavy in its own right, giving him one of the better point shots in the OHL last season. Desrocher's strong shot and his willingness to jump into the slot in the offensive helped him register 10 goals this season, three more in the playoffs, and two more in the Memorial Cup.
Like most bigger players, Desrocher has a tendency to drag his feet, scraping the toe of his blade against the ice as he draws back his skate. Still, for a player of his size and weight, Desrocher's skating is actually a strength and he doesn't have to rely on his stick work as much as some other bigger defenders.
Desrocher projects as a potential third pairing defensemen.
