Carlo Colaiacovo
Carlo Colaiacovo was playing in the OHL with the Erie Otters when he was drafted 17th overall in the first round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Toronto, Ontario native spent four seasons with the Otters and helped them win the 2002 OHL Championship. He was voted the Western Conference’s Best Defensive Defenseman and was named to the OHL Second All-Star Team during his time with Erie. He signed a three-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in October 2002 and spent the majority of the next three years playing for their AHL team, the St. John’s Maple Leafs. He played for Team Canada at the 2002 and 2003 World Junior Championships, winning a silver medal both years. He scored his first NHL goal on November 8, 2005 against the Washington Capitals. On January 23rd, he missed a hip check on Ottawa’s Vaclav Varada, which resulted with Colaiacovo crashing head-first into the boards. He was taken off the ice on a stretcher and missed the rest of the 2005-06 season due to a major concussion. He re-signed with the Maple Leafs to a three-year contract extension in June 2007, but only played in 28 games the following season due to another injury-filled year. He began the 2008-09 season with just one point in 10 games with Toronto before being traded, along with Alexander Steen, to the St. Louis Blues for Lee Stempniak. He finished the season leading all St. Louis defensemen with 29 points in 63 games. Colaiacovo is a hard-hitting defenseman with great offensive and puck-moving skills. At 6’1 and 200 pounds, he could play a more physical game in the defensive zone. Having played in only 174 games since his NHL debut in 2002-03, he needs to stay injury-free in order to have a successful career.
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