Maple Leafs' Top 25 Under 25: A Second Opinion on Sam Carrick

Last year he was ranked #20 on the Top 25 Leafs rankings, and despite making his NHL debut late last season he's fallen just out of the top 25, ending up 5 points shy of the last spot on the list at 26th. I have been tasked to write about him having placed him highest out of any other.

As you can see, I had him ranked at #14, Chemmy put him at #17, and the rest had him at #26. So now I have been tasked at defending my placement.

Excuses time!

So, I did my rankings and then copied them into the google doc, then thought I saved it, then I left for Montreal and Clrk told me they weren't in and I was all "say whaaaaaaaat?" then I scrambled to re-do them on my phone and I don't think they were the same, and okay that's it, thats my story.

Sam Carrick, former captain of the former Brampton Battalion (spits), drafted144th overall in 2010 by the Maple Leafs, was originally signed in 2012. 5 years after being drafted Carrick has played 206 professional hockey games. 16 NHL, 50 ECHL, and 140 AHL.

Last season Carrick played the majoprity of the time with the Toronto Marlies. He wore an "A" for them if that's your type of thing, and scored at a 0.46 PPG clip. He would be called up and sent down throughout the 2014-2015 NHL season, scoring his first NHL goal on March 26 vs the Florida Panthers on New York islanders legend Roberto Luongo, the Maple Leafs only goal of the game (I was right there in the corner! I saw history folks!).

Carrick ended up playing 16 NHL games and scored 2 points (0.13 PPG) last season.

So why did I have him so high?

Maybe my method leaned too heavily on NHL readiness. Yes, he looks to maybe top out at 3rd line, would play on the fourth if at all right now, and fourth liners are cheap, but I'm not one to look for future outside the top 10-15. I"m looking at what can you do for me now outside the top 10. Carrick has done it now, so that's where I'm coming from on him. Maybe he was lower on my original rankings. Maybe not.

I can argue myself into circles on this, but the front office needed a body, and picked him. Yes they left Brown, Nylander down in the A because they were lighting it up down there and needed to pull someone who wouldn't adversely affect the Marlies playoff push, but this was his chance, he didn't blow it.

Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. This could very well be it.

Should Sam Carrick have been in the top 15?