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Despite not getting an ELC from the Maple Leafs over a month ago, AGM Hayley Wickenheiser revealed that Brandon Lisowsky remains in their plans as noted by his presence at the prospect camp via TSN’s Mark Masters.
Hayley Wickenheiser on Brandon Lisowsky:
“It was really hard for him not to get signed, but we have talked to him about being positive, coming here, having a great camp, & looking at what we can do moving forward”
He wants to play pro next season in Leafs system
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) July 6, 2024
“There’s very few players that can rip the puck and score the way that he can, and he showed that this year in the Western Hockey League,” Wickenheiser said to reporters. “We’ve worked with him through the year on being more multidimensional and both on the offensive and defensive side of his game. I know it was really hard for him not to get signed, but we’ve talked to him about being positive, coming here, having a great camp and, and looking at what we can do moving forward.”
“But we have a lot of belief in him and the development side of things. You get close to the players when you work with them through the years, and there’s a lot of joy that goes with it, but also some tough moments too, and we’ve just been trying to help him through it.”
Lisowsky himself echoed the sentiment when he did a media scrum. He said that he wants to remain in Toronto to continue his development with the organization and hopes to do so via an AHL contract.
“The business side of things didn’t work out with the entry-level, but I’m happy that they want to be back here for development camp and I’m just trying to train as hard as I can,” he said. “My goal is to move on to pro next year, hopefully with the Toronto system here and I’m just going to try and have fun here at development camp, learn as much as I can, and take it towards pro hockey next year.”
There was no bad blood between the two parties despite an ELC not materializing last month, and the fact that he was invited to this summer’s development camp indicates that he remains a fixture in the organization long-term. Lisowsky did not take it personally that he went unsigned and understood that Brad Treliving and the Leafs had other areas to attend to this summer.
He is also aiming for an AHL contract next season because he is aiming to take the next step in his career by turning pro, but would not be opposed to returning to the WHL for his overage season if nothing materializes. Despite being a diminutive forward standing at 5’9″ and weighing 179 pounds, he remains motivated to continue to prove his doubters wrong.
“I always try to prove people wrong, that’s kind of what you do as an undersized guy,” Lisowsky said. “A lot of people peg you as an undersized guy or whatever. But I don’t take that personal, I take it as a kind of fuel to keep getting better and show people that you can do it at any size.”
All of which is to say that we have not seen the last of Lisowsky in the Leafs organization. There is no indication that a deal with the Marlies is imminent at the time of writing, but it certainly makes a lot of sense for him to ink a deal with the Leafs’ AHL affiliate to allow him to work up toward that NHL deal he couldn’t get this summer.
Originally selected in the seventh round 218th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, he has spent all of his junior career with the Saskatoon Blades. This past season where he got to play alongside fellow Leafs prospect Fraser Minten, Lisowsky recorded 80 points (42 goals and 38 assists) in 68 games played. His 42 goals were good enough for second on the team behind Ducks prospect Yegor Sidorov and 12th in the WHL.
He went on to add 17 points (seven goals and 10 assists) in 16 playoff games to finish third on the Blades in scoring.
Stats from Elite Prospects.
