Keep checking LeafsHQ over the next few days! I’ll be posting very similar articles for every player, several prospects, and several staff.
The 5 W’s
Who is he?
Ben Scrivens is a 23 year old Goaltender from Spruce Grove, Alberta. He’s 6’2 and weighs in at 180lbs. A left handed glove, the year coming will be his first year playing at the professional level, and whether it’s with the Marlies or the Royals remains to be seen.
Scrivens doesn’t quite have the pressure fellow goaltender Jonas Gustavsson did in terms of being pegged goalie of the future, but he’s clearly being brought in to make strides towards being an NHL starter, or at least a heck of a backup. Basically, he’s the Canadian Jussi Rynnas, which is why this article will read almost the exact same as the Rynnas one. In terms of what his short-term future holds, he’ll most assuredly be on the Toronto Marlies or Reading Royals next year, with the future of current Marlies starter James Reimer dictating whether he’s the backup of the Marlies, or starter of the Royals.
He’s about to play in the first and only year of his Entry Level contract with unknown financial numbers, though speculated to be 875,000 a year.
What did his stats look like this year?
Scrivens had a fantastic year with Cornell University, starting 34 games and playing to a 21-9-4 record. He put up a massively impressive 1.87 GAA and a .934 save percentage. And its not like he’s just a one time thing – he’s had similar stats for 3 years now. To add to those stats, he had 7 shutouts. He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, lead all major ECAC categories, and was a first team all star for both the ECAC and Ivy League teams. Throw in leading Cornell to the ECAC Tournament Title, and you have yourself a fantastic year.
When did they acquire him?
Yesterday! Confirmation of his signing came out today via a zillion places. Rumors of interest from other teams, such has Dallas, Anaheim, and Philadelphia, have been circling the rumor mill for weeks now, but the young netminder has chosen Toronto as the place that he’ll start his career.
Where has he played?
Scrivens has spent his entire notable career with Cornell University in the NCAA. And he’s done a LOT there too. On top of all the stuff that I mentioned for this season, he’s top 5 all time in NCAA Shutouts, second in consecutive games played, and top 10 in save percentage and GAA. How amazing is that?
Why was he originally acquired?
Lets face it, between 05-06 and 35 milliseconds before the Jean-Sebastien Giguere trade was completed, the Leafs goaltending depth looked like a disaster. Brian Burke is going all out to have as many backup plans as he can, so he’s not stuck with something brutal like in previous years.
Role Changes
What was his role to be at the start of the year?
Obviously, the Leafs didn’t expect to even have them on their team a year ago. Cornell had him as the de facto starter, as they have had for several years.
What is his current role with the team?
His current role is unknown, as mentioned several times in this article (gotta force it into your minds, clearly). He’s expected to at the very least start with the Reading Royals, and if Marlies starter Reimer were to be moved, become the backup or 1B for next year.
Has he exceeded or failed to reach expectations of him to date?
Expectations with the Leafs? He hasn’t done anything yet. Expectations of his career? Considering the fact he was never drafted, the fact that he’s made it to being signed by an NHL team at 23 without being drafted is pretty impressive, and definitely a sign of things to come.
Will he continue to improve in the future with the Leafs?
Absolutely! The sky is the limit for Scirvens. Hopefully he turns out like the last incredibly hyped Cornell starting goalie.
Is He Worth Keeping?
That goes without saying. Even if it doesn’t work out, we got him for nothing and he stays in the minors for a year before finding another role somewhere. Works out well, in my opinion.
Anything Else?
Philadelphia needs to find a way to get these guys signed. Seriously, how pathetic is it that that team has absolutely no depth between the pipes,with the ability to give anyone they want the starters job, and they STILL can’t get prospects to sign with them. Ha! Their loss.
Play of the Year
Well, its not this year, but its the best I got. Anyway, if he fails to do well here, he can always get a role in the WWE.
