Josh Leivo
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Josh Leivo
Position: LW, Shoots: L, Height: 6'2", Weight: 181 lbs, Birthyear: 1993-05-26, Birthplace: Innisfil, ON, CAN, Drafted: 2011 round 3 #86 overall
Talent Analysis
Although the Sudbury Wolves weren't able to bottle the lightning they had going in the first round of the OHL playoffs in a sweep of the heavily favored Ottawa 67's when they went up against the Mississauga St. Mike's Majors, one player not on many radars attracted the notice of scouts.That player is left winger Joshua Leivo, who posted a pretty pedestrian 13-17-30 stats line in 64 OHL games during the regular season.
At 6-2, 185, he's got nice size and is a pretty good skater for a big winger. He works hard along the walls and in the corners, but what dropped him this season was a lack of puck skills and hands for finishing.
According to Red Line Report's man in Sudbury, Rod McNair, Leivo was a "crest shooter" for much of the season, so it came as quite a surprise to him when the Wolves blew Ottawa out of the water and Leivo tallied four goals and 10 points in the sweep playing on the top
Leivo and his teammates unfortunately had the tables turned on them by OHL favorite Missy, who not only hosts the 2011 Memorial Cup next month, but could go in through the front door by winning the OHL championship. They swept the Wolves in four and Leivo finished with six goals and 13 points in eight games.
Leivo was not even listed by Central Scouting on their final rankings, but as we all know, their list goes final before teams really get going in the playoffs, so we have to imagine that if they did take playoff performance into account, Leivo would be on there somewhere.If teams believe that his production was not a fluke and that he can reprise his scoring role going forward, Leivo has the look of one of those interesting late-round picks with upside. But, he is risky, because he was essentially mediocre during the regular season. The team that drafts him will do so because they believe he's not a flash in the pan. That could mean he's a longshot, but his postseason play certainly opened some eyes.
Future Outlook
Either he got hot at the right time, or he finally figured things out. I'll be watching him closely as I'm sure most of you will next season.
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