On Tuesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed 20-year-old forward Jeremy Bracco to a three-year entry-level-deal. Bracco was selected in the second round by the team in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Jeremy Bracco Signs Entry Level Deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs
The @MapleLeafs have signed forward Jeremy Bracco to an entry-level contract #TMLtalk
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) March 21, 2017
Since the draft, Bracco has had some drama surrounding him. He was selected last in the second round, after spending two seasons with the US NTDP; where he registered 69 points in 58 games. After the draft, he went to play for Boston College in the NCAA. He only played five games with the Eagles though, before leaving for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. In those five games, Bracco managed to get three points, all assists. He was drafted by the Rangers in 2013 OHL draft.
He played for the Rangers for the remainder of the 2015-16 season, tallying 64 points in 49 games. He played 27 games for the Rangers during this season, before being traded at the league’s deadline. In those 27 games, he scored an impressive 51 points. Again, more than 30 were assists. The 5’10” winger was traded from the Rangers to the Windsor Spitfires, as well as a 8th round pick in 2017 and a 13th round pick in 2018. In exchange, Bracco’s former team acquired Cole Carter, Andrew Burns, and second round picks in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
With the Spitfires, Bracco has put up decent numbers, but not quite as good as in Kitchener. He’s scored 32 points in 30 games, only eight being goals. This gives him a total of 83 points in 57 games this season in the OHL. Those points came in the form of 25 goals and 58 assists.
What to Expect
Bracco will add skill to the Leafs organization. He’s clearly been one of the best playmakers in the OHL this season, and that style of play will be something that the Leafs organization wants him to hold onto throughout his career. It will greatly compliment the goal scoring that other Leaf rookies, like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, bring to the table.
It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Bracco making his NHL debut early next season, depending on how he performs in the off-season and pre-season. If he doesn’t become a regular in the NHL, he will become a key player with the Leafs AHL team. Either way, Bracco is shaping up to become one of the more noteworthy prospects; on an already star-studded team. For any fans wondering what other rookies can become successful players, Bracco is definitely someone to keep an eye on.
A full scouting report of Bracco is available here.
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