Tlusty Get’s Top Line Time Against Blues
According to the National Post it looks like Jiri Tlusty will be playing on the top line with Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov for tonight’s game against the St. Louis Blues. The Leafs will look for the young gun to help produce some needed scoring. Tlusty, who scored a couple of goals in his first game up with the team, is known in Toronto more for his controversial internet photos than his time on the ice with the Laughs. Ice time might be just what he needs though.
Tlusty was Toronto’s first round draft pick, 13th overall, in the 2006 draft. He’s got some serious potential and getting some playing time with Mats Sundin, and to a much lesser extent Nik Antropov, could give him a great opportunity to put up some points and impress Maurice and new interim GM Cliff Fletcher.
Hopefully we’ll be seeing a lot more of Tlusty, who is one of the very few prospects the Leafs have with even a hint of anything good on the horizon. It would be great to see him step up and impress, as he could be one of the key players in the rebuild that Leafs fans are so certain is coming (despite no real indication from management).
Tlusty, a native of the Czech Republic, put up 34 points in 37 games with the Soo Greyhound in 06/07 and then racked up 17 more in 13 playoff games. He has some talent, and a lot of potential, and hopefully, he’ll turn out to be one of the few players this Leafs system has been able to successfully develop from scratch. Tonight’s game will mark the first time in a long time Tlusty will be given some serious ice time. Hopefully he doesn’t let it go to waste.
Related Article on National Post
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March 27th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Tlusty is one of the few players that leaf fans have to look forward to for the next few years, but he should keep the fans on their feet for a few seasons at least.