Patience key for Leafs, Biggs

Marlies head coach Steve Spott tells The Toronto Star when it comes to 21-year-old prospect Tyler Biggs, “The key word for the organization now is patience. Tyler is on the right path. It was a year served well. He could have gone back to junior and we elected to have him come to the Marlies, learn how to become a pro.

“He grew leaps and bounds and he found the role he’s going to have to play to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, which is a depth power forward who can kill penalties and be physical.”

Moving forward, Spott had this to say about Biggs: “The challenge for us is to turn him into the player he can become. I don’t see him as a Phil Kessel-type player. He is more a blue-collar grinding forward who can score, and also bring a physical element.”

Spott, for his part, seems grounded.

“You always want to get better, you always want to improve, but I’m not going to worry about what somebody thinks after just one year,” said Biggs. “I’m still young. It’s my first year playing professional hockey. My career is not going to be judged just on that.”

Source: Kevin McGran, Toronto Star