Toronto Maple Leafs: Is J.J. Piccinich the next Mason Marchment?

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed 23-year-old winger Mason Marchment to an entry-level contract last week and there’s another prospect who could follow in his footsteps in the near future.

A number of prospects in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ system receive a lot of attention, with Andreas Johnsson and Timothy Liljegren the biggest names expected to be long-time players for the team.

The Leafs are often looked at as having one of the best prospect pools in recent years, but there are some that are often overlooked or somewhat forgotten about.

Mason Marchment is one such example, with him earning his first professional contract with the Leafs, starting next season.

Marchment ground his way up through junior hockey into the pros via the ECHL and AHL, hoping to make the jump to the NHL in the near future if his impressive development continues.

So who could be the next player to emulate Marchment and earn a contract with the team after spending years as a relatively unknown quantity?

One candidate is former London Knights forward J.J. Piccinich, who is currently playing for the Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL.

Piccinich has had a similar career to Marchment in some respects, though he could turn out to be even more promising.

The American/Croatian winger was selected by the Leafs in the fourth round (103rd overall) of the 2014 draft and has taken his talents to various teams in hopes of developing, much like Marchment did after going undrafted.

Piccinich played a season with Boston University before spending two seasons in Canadian major junior hockey with the London Knights, playing alongside current Leafs star Mitch Marner.

He performed well in the OHL, registering 56 goals and 138 total points in 132 regular season games.

He was always rewarded for his strong performances with the prestigious captain’s ‘C’ the season after Marner wore it.

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After a successful time in major juniors, Piccinich stepped up to professional hockey with the Solar Bears – the same step Marchment took after his days in the OHL came to an end.

The biggest difference between Piccinich and Marchment is that the former has been a higher point producer at all similar levels played.

Marchment had 28 goals and 77 total points in 115 OHL games, with three different teams, and he had 14 goals and 20 points in 35 ECHL games – compared to Piccinich’s 17 goals and 39 total points in 63 ECHL games this season.

The 6-foot, 190 lbs 20-year-old right winger has seemingly proven he is capable of developing with each level of hockey he plays.

The next step for Piccinich is to play for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, where the big club will have a better opportunity to watch him closely.

By the end of next season, he will be a similar age to what Marchment is currently and could find himself earning an entry-level contract with the club.

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The two are similar in age, position and route they are taking to reach the NHL. So could Piccinich follow in Marchment’s footsteps and earn an ELC with the Toronto Maple Leafs next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!