When Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke brought in Kris Versteeg, he thought he was getting an energy guy who was capable of playing top-six minutes.
While it’s still too early to appoint Versteeg an elite player, it appears as if Burke may have found himself a diamond in the rough who has the potential to be just that: an elite player.
Fresh off the heels of a Stanley Cup victory with the Chicago Blackhawks, Versteeg has established himself as one of the Maple Leafs' go-to guys, setting up plays, lighting the lamp on a consistent basis, solidifying a power play unit that was a disaster last season, and helping to take the Leafs' first line of Tyler Bozak, Phil Kessel, and himself to the next level.
Through 79 games with the Blackhawks last season, Versteeg registered a total of 20 goals, 44 points, and 35 penalty minutes. It marked the second consecutive time that Versteeg had hit the 20-goal mark (he scored 22 in 2008-09), albeit mostly on the Hawks' third line.
Given the fact that Versteeg played a more limited role with the Blackhawks, it’s really no surprise that Versteeg is making his mark with the Maple ...
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Article written by Mark Ritter
Will Kris Versteeg Be an Elite-Level Player for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
October 5th, 2010 by Mark Ritter Leave a reply »
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